Random Randomness and then some Tunes

Friday, January 21, 2011

‘Classic.’ A book which people praise and don't read. - Mark Twain

Have you heard about all the hullaballoo regarding Huckleberry Finn? New publications of the book are taking the “N” word out and replacing it with the word Slave.

I am totally against this.

Censorship of this form is wrong, and shouldn’t happen. While the word is disgusting and I would never encourage people to use it, the word in this book (and several others, btw) should be left alone. It shows how far we have come as a society—where there once was a time, based on your skin color and where you came from determined how much of a HUMAN you were.

Twain was using the word as social commentary—only the white people used the word—and at the end of the book Finn no longer uses the word because he understands who Jim is—a Man.

Scholars say we should take it out because it offends. That is what it was intended to do—be offended because of the word, not in the printing of the word.

What are your thoughts? What do you think of censoring the “N” Word out of Classic Literature? Where do you draw the line?

*****

It has been seriously good weather this week. Almost 50 twice this week. I freakin’ love it.

I’ve taken the dog for a walk several times, and I think she loves it, too. I don’t do well with the doldrums of winter. I need the sun. I was telling Jefe that I would really like to live somewhere were it was in the 40-50 degree range in the winter and then 80-90’s in the summer.

He looked at me and said: “I can’t afford to buy a house in San Diego. Mexico yes. San Diego no.”

Now I’m looking for real estate in Mexico. I wonder if I could homeschool the kids and sell leather on the beach?

*****

I realized the other night that I don’t have to do anything that I don’t want to do. Isn’t that a weird thing to realize at Forty? But, it’s true. I have a tendency to feel a “sense of responsibility” and “bridge building” regarding things that really are of no interest to me.

I realized that some of the things that I have been involved with cause me copious amounts of stress and no matter how much it would be “good for me” to be involved or do, I don’t have to. I can say no, walk away and never look back. And it doesn’t change who I am, or how those that are REALLY my friends feel about me.

I only have to do what I want to do, and what is good for my family.

Let me re-phrase that: Sometimes I do have to do things that I don’t like to do, but its because it’s good for my family. Like Laundry. I don’t like to do Laundry, but I have to do that—it’s good for my family.

Everything else? It’s just noise.

That realization is totally liberating and feels awesome.

*****

Someone said to me recently that she just didn’t know how I found time to do the stuff that I do. I laughed because I always think that’s funny when people say that to me.

“How on earth do you find the time do everything you do? Do you still clean your house? Are you dishes done? What about your laundry?”

{<---- See?? My kitchen IS clean!}

At first, I was offended by these statements because really? That’s kind of rude to assume that because you don’t do a particular thing, and someone else does, then they must not be cleaning their house or caring for their children.

Which, in a recent conversation I had, was clearly what these people who made these statements thought about people who chose to spend time on the computer. “Get off the computer already and take care of your house and your kids”.

It sort of offended me—a lot—when they said this. Because really? I could say the same about the way other people choose to spend their time—Shopping, or watching TV, talking on the phone or any other myriad of activities that make a person “less engaged” with their family.

My reply to my friend was simply this: “It’s just a matter of priorities. I do clean my house and I do the laundry. But I also have time to read, play on the computer and go to lunch with my friends. I am a Mom, but I’m also MORE than a mom and a housewife. It’s just a matter of priorities. You find time to go to the Gym every day. I find time to do the things that I love.”

Priorities.

That’s it. What I find a priority to do, you may find to be a waste of time. You may find time to exercise every day or watch TV and keep me updated on all the stuff going on in Hollywood. I find time to read books. It’s just how we like to spend our time and what our priorities are.

None are better than the other, and I wish we could all just be accepting of each other’s Priorities.

*****

That’s it for this weeks randomness. I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of relaxation, good food and fun friends!

Catch ya on the flip side!

1. Happy New Year – Camera Obscura

2. Broken – Lifehouse

3. Put Us Back Together Right – Headlights

4. 1901 – Phoenix

5. Before the Worst – The Script

6. Let Me Know – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

7. The Wrong Girl – Belle & Sebastian

8. Nothing Left to Lose – Mat Kearney