Oh Aqualung

Sitting on the park bench
Eying little girls with bad intent.

One of the most interesting things about this class is Professor Sexson's emphasis on the importance of fiction. I have always appreciated the power of a story that doesn't come “straight from real-life,” however, my family does not share this love of the strange and otherworldly. My mother in particular is obsessed with facts. “That couldn't actually happen. Why do you want to read about such weird stuff?” My answer is one that I could not share with her, at least not without risking reprimand and disapproval. I read, write, and dream the unreal in order to escape from the monotony of my own life, from the everyday grind that threatens to bind me town and leave me trapped in some strange ghost-land, haunted by white night-gowns. This is perhaps the second time in my life that a “grown-up” has understood the importance of the story to me. The story is everything. People these days are too interested in facts, and imagination, that wonder and mystery of the story, is being lost bit by precious bit. As Prof. Sexon mentioned, the author's job is to draw material from reality, and then to draw you away from it.

My own boring existence might be why I am compelled to sympathy rather than condemnation at Connie's actions. I can see why she would be drawn to Arnold Friend. He is the outside, a part of the world that she's never seen before and longs to explore. I myself am inclined to believe that had my childhood been filled with more freedom to explore, my rebellion upon escaping to college might not have been so complete. There was so much I had never seen, never done, and I longed to try it all at once. I managed to quell the beast somewhat, though not so much by my own doing as by my inability to do things right, but my life is much less confined than it once was. I've escaped, grown up, and I can understand why Connie wants to do the same. I'm excited to read the Red Riding Hood collection. In fact, I plan to start as soon as this post is up. I've been meaning to do more reading on the weekends, but things have just been happening one after the other and tearing me away from school. Hopefully I'll have time to catch up soon.

So our assignments for this weekend? To think about the two different versions of the story (ie. Did you like the movie or the story better and why), to remember every detail about Groundhog Day, and to read the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Lot, and Icharus, and lastly to take naps in econ class in hopes of remembering a dream. This is perfect, because I have a tendency to fall asleep in econ anyways.

Drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run.