Author: Maria Johnson

the Old Man got it right!

one

Where were you 40 years ago when a couple of brave (or crazy) guys got it in their heads that it would be a good idea to leave the safety of a tin can in space and walk on the moon?

that's my hand!
that’s my hand!

I know where I was — sitting on the floor in front of our black and white TV watching the action.

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I was just a little kid, six years old, but my father made a point of getting me from wherever I was (sleeping? probably) and sitting me down in front of the television to watch history in the making. My memories of the moment are pretty intermixed. On the one hand, I have a very strong feeling of portent and import that my father was positively radiating. In fact, I have better memories of his reaction than the actual moonwalk. He was beside himself.

four

The neatest part of all these pictures is that Pop had the thought to have me put my hand up to the screen. How cool is that? Proof that I was there, but also, a little bit of something else a precursor to E.T., maybe a symbolic gesture that my future, the future of my generation, was on that screen.

five

In retrospect, I imagine that he followed the whole space program with the nerd appeal of any Star Wars fan, only back then, it was the real deal, not digital playing around. He was a fan of Star Trek and Mission: Impossible, so I bet his fanboy joy at these events was impossible to contain.

I remember how the images were flickering across the screen and how weirdly tinny the voices were. I remember the awe of adults, although in my youthfulness, really didn’t grasp that what I was watching was the impossible made possible by resolve and sheer guts. It’s a powerful lesson and one I couldn’t have articulated then, but certainly understand now.

Thanks, Pop, for dragging my little butt into the future, and showing me that possibility is much greater than the limitations we create for ourselves out of fear or failing to dream.

what a day! it’s been a while since I have a wild rant.

My day started rather early — before 7, took a quick shower, grabbed a bite, and then settled into the lousy routine of figuring out what to wear.

No, I am not some coy clothes horse. I have lost a little weight. Okay, I’ve lost a lot of weight. Something like a whole little kindergarten person. That’s a good thing. However, it has presented a bit of a wardrobe problem. It’s not like I can go shopping every day, and so I’ve kind of shopped as I’ve lost. That means stuff I wore last month is useless.

Cue this morning’s dilema. I had to dress for graduation (you want to know why I was going to commencement in the middle of July? I ask myself that question every July, too) which means I have to find a black or dark dress to wear under the regalia. Yes, that’s an awful lot of black for July in Georgia. Thank God for air-conditioning: the eighth wonder of the modern world.

Anyway, the night before I dusted off the robe  feeling all Hogwarts and stuff, and untangled the little tassle-thingie, inspected the hood which is looking a little ratty, and hung up a navy dress next to the robe. It looked good hanging in the bathroom.

And then this morning, I put on the dress. Let’s say it wasn’t a good fit and let it go, okay? I mean, I really could smuggle my kindergarten-age nephew in the dress, and maybe squeeze my godson in for good measure. It wasn’t a good look for me.

At that hour, without waking up John or agitating the dog who was already looking at me funny, I had to find an alternate. Luckily, there was a black dress that looked like it would fit, only it was sleeveless, and let me tell you that I’m not wearing anything sleeveless until I start going to the gym, but heck, I was going to have the robes, so no one was going to see my arms. It fit better than the other one and has a tie in the back so it actually looked fairly good on me. The only thing missing was pantyhose, and I have a secret stash of that for these kinds of emergencies.

By the way, we are required to wear the hose if you can beleive it (I guess the men are wearing ties).  Perfect! I looked grand. Or at least, like faculty should, so I proceeded on my merry way, stopping by the office on a small errand.

If ever the fates have smiled upon me it was today to have me go by the office. As I walked the 50 feet into the building I could feel that the queen-size pantyhose were coming loose. By the time I got to my office, they were by my knees and falling quickly. Can you imagine if that had happened in the processional? LOL, gives a new name to pomp and circumstance.

I’d like to stop here to thank my parents for teaching me to be adaptable and resourceful.

I locked my door,  grabbed a rubberband, hiked the dress up, tied a knot in the hose, and went on my merry way.

By the way, graduation was lovely, as always.

a public service announcement from Captain Obvious

I am not 21 anymore.

Heck, I’m not 39 anymore, forget Jack Benny.

We went to the midnight show of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was worth it–no regrets. But man, I am dragging my butt this morning, and there will be no relief until late tonight because not only am I at work and already taught an 8 am class, today is the day I teach in the evening as well.

I suppose I can pick up a little bottle of Visine at the drugstore during lunch. I wonder if I can close my door and camp out under my desk instead of wolfing down a sandwich?

Remind me of why I thought this was a good idea.

Oh yeah, it’s HARRY POTTER! What’s wrong with you–doesn’t everybody live, breath, and eat Harry Potter? Well, no, as a matter of fact, I don’t, but I do love the series and have enjoyed the movies except for that weird departure in #3.  Also, I want John Williams back, but that’s another story.

Still, it was a great film. I’ve read the books several times, but still look forward to the interpretation on the screen, and I was not disappointed with this one. Part of the reason I went last night is to avoid getting spoiled, so I’ll be careful here. At least for a week or so.

I loved the way the camera moved from point to point. It was particulary cool when the Weasleys were introduced at home, but the unusual angles and long, encompasing shots were equally lovely in other scenes. I was especially taken with the way that cad, Malfoy, was filmed. His isolation was captured nicely. I really felt sorry for him in the film, although the book captures his mother’s desperation much better.  If I’m going to be critical of anything in the film, it’s that the book carries much more pathos than the film–perhaps because there is just so much to convey and not everything can be covered on the big screen. Too bad, because the places where it was executed well, it was great.

Somehow, and I don’t think I’m spoiling anyone, Dumbledore’s death could have been played to devastate the audience but it didn’t, except for one woman in the audience who was openly (and rather loudly) sobbing, that death scene could have had a greater emotional impact, and for me, fell somewhat short. Perhaps it’s just that I had expended all my grief in the book.

However, that very scene had a BRILLIANT use of light to symbolize how the Light can banish the Darkness. Read that as you will — it will make sense when you see it.

It also makes me impatient to see the rest of the story. Overall, I give it both thumbs up. At this point, they’d really have to do something really stupid to screw this up. Enjoy it. It doesn’t have the flashy special effects of the last movie–this one has a somewhat deeper, somber feel, but it works and is appropriate. It also has a great deal of comic relief to balance it.

Incidentally, the best casting in the history of the world: Helena Bonham Carter. Closely followed by Alan Rickman.

The Empty Nest

translated from the Spanish post at Petalos de Maria

The silence in the house is deafening. I actually hear the hum of the lights when I enter a room, and find myself turning on the TV or the radio for ambient noise.

What happened?

I am experiencing the beginnings of the empty nest, a new time in my life that has replaced the yelling and bickering, the shouts of joy, and sometimes cries of defeat.

 My children are almost grown. One is definitely out of the house, embarking on a career in the military; one is being frugal and staying at home while attending college, but still testing her young adult wings (that means, essentially, that we never see her), and the third, a rising senior in high school away at a college summer program just informed my husband and me that if it is all the same to us, he’s not going to bother to come home for the long weekend because he’s “having a blast.”

They used to have a blast with me.

Don’t feel sorry for me. I am embracing this new experience with a little joy, a little “oy”, and a great sense of calm. I am rediscovering my relationship with my husband, and also learning that adult children are really just as fun, only in a different way. For starters, whether or not they clean their room is no longer my problem.

It was my problem for many, many years, only, I prefer not to call it a problem. It is a challenge, certainly. A responsibility. A duty. A loving vocation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that:

The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society. (CCC 2207)

I sure do hope and pray I got it right. I look at them and wonder if there isn’t one more thing I can say, one more thing I can teach them, perhaps one more piece of advice that they can turn a deaf ear to until they need it. Maybe not.

The “empty nest” is a misnomer. It’s not empty—it’s full of memories. And the best part of all is that there’s room to welcome them home.

yes, I am often humbled

Hot on the tails of the CNMC 2009 and all the technology and connectivity being discussed, I am humbled by my own kiddo, Christy, who has a remarkable gift for finding all things really cool and musical.

It’s a nice marriage, the technology and concept of a smaller, tighter, closer knit world. Political agendas seem to be driving so much violence in the world today, and we tend to focus on hate so much, especially in the news. But really, at least in my experience, I run into way more kind people, people with good hearts, and people who are just looking for the same things as I am. You know, not so much about world domination–more like just wanting to be heard, having a smile for a loved one, being valued.

Maybe that makes me a hippie after all. I’ll deny it. But enjoy this neat little project.

I had a terrible day today

You’ve had that kind of day, too. Everything that had been festering around for a while decided it was all going to blow at the same time, and then, it’s all my fault. Like I was engaged in some cosmic plan to ruin humanity or something. Because I have that kind of power, don’t you know.

The thing is, I think I gave as good as I got, in a polite, uptight kind of way. Which is why I am sharing this email with you. My father, he-of-the-insufferable-number-of email-forwards fame sent me this a few days ago, and as usual, I ignored it until I had some time to decide if it was going straight into the trash, or what. As it happens, it’s a gem that’s perfect for the day.

 

Quote of the day:
“Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she’ll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she’ll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
So, if you give her any crap, be ready …”