Face the Story

"Please forgive me. I loved you all." (Morrison 3) Let's start off by clearing up that, no, I did not get caught up in a near-death situation and I did not experience any bright, divine flash of memories seconds before giving up consciousness. Thanksgiving break was definitely eventful, but not to such an extent. This past evening was my first official church experience and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than I expected. I was introduced to a perspective on human life that was completely new to me, and although I can't confirm any religious commitment, I think there's high probability I will be returning for the following weeks! Ah! But before I get distracted with my spiritual journey, you're probably wondering how this blog post relates to the Song of Solomon . Well, as I was immersed in thoughts of my newest experience, my mind fell upon the topic of a person's last moments. I began to wonder about what sort of thoughts ran through a...

Hey juniors! Yes, I'm talking to you. Life is hectic, isn't it? Everyday is like hanging off the edge of a cliff trying to maintain grades, juggling after school activities or sports, and still getting in an hour of sleep before you have to do it all over again. With all of this chaos consuming you, don't you just wish you could step away from it all for a second and breath? In my case, I just wanna go home, huddle in my blanket, and maybe detox with a face mask --- sigh, doesn't that sound refreshing... This sort of moment, though, might not be possible on a daily basis. With this issue in mind, I related to Ruth from Song of Solomon who uses the watermark on the white tablecloth as her "mooring, a checkpoint, some stable visual object that assured her that the world was still there." (Morrison 11) I also began to wonder what was keeping me afloat when I was quite nearly drowning. The possibilities that came to mind were the five minute conversation in ...

"... why they call you Guitar?" (Morrison 45) Keyword this week: lighthearted. Recently, my blog posts have been a bit heavy to read and on the more serious side of the spectrum in terms of topics, so this week I thought we could have a casual conversation about names. Names! A title that gives you an identity; a personality; a reputation; a invitation to the most coveted party in the world: the population. In the case of grandpa Macon Dead from the Song of Solomon , his name was a result of a drunken soldier who improperly filled out his information when registering with the Freedman's Bureau. Even with this blunder, his new profile gave him power and the position of an equal in society which slaves had been excluded from. Having come to the realization that this sort of labeling could have such significant effects on a person's value and status forced me to reflect upon the origin of my own name(s). Beginning with my legal identity, Emily Wang, the biggest fact...

"We can't let such an inevitable thing as death stand in the way of enjoying life while we have it." (Fitzgerald 101) This weekend, while reading "The Diamond As Big As The Ritz", this line, although bizarre in context, resonated with a situation I dealt with this week. I shall not disclose any personal information but a friend of mine was battling, or is still battling, the confusion and grief of losing more than one of his loved ones in a span of two weeks. This friend reached out to me, and having never experienced loss to such an extent, I struggled to gather my thoughts and find something to say. I wanted to comfort him and help him find the strength to move forward but I was uncertain if what I was saying was too insensitive. My friend had told me that he felt, "no point in trying to be happy anymore," because, "something is just gonna come again, throw it on the floor, and stomp the s*** out of it." My immediate response that came...