Life reflecting art

Does art reflect life or life reflect art?  That is an old question.  As a teacher, I have seen countless students over the years imitating characters they see in movies and on tv.  As an adult, I see increasing amounts of young adults imitating the characters they see in adult shows, be it Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy, etc.  Sometimes, I think the answer to this question is a no brainer.  Sometimes I think humans are no brainers!

But then there is Remembrance Day.  I am reminded of all those brave young men and women who volunteered to go and fight to liberate those countries in Europe during WWI, WWII, Korea, and then I think about our service people today in Afghanistan.  They are the real heroes.  They understand sacrifice.  Perhaps life should imitate life. 

Missed Opportunities

It is with a bit of sadness that we come to the end of the novel Bridge to Terabithia.  It was such a gripping story of a boy who, through the kindness of his heart and the help of a true friend, developed courage and self-confidence to become a strong leader.


We all loved the story, but if we just leave it there, we've missed the point.  When I think about the impact this book has on me, I think about opportunities I've wasted.  A chance to grow is not a thing to waste.  Yet people do it all the time.  Leslie certainly came close to missing a pivotal chance when she didn't want to go comfort Janice Avery, the school's bully, who had been let down by her "friend", Wilma.  Thankfully, Jesse was already developing his courage to advise her to get in there.  Jesse had always had compassion, but Leslie did not.  It was great to see Jesse helping to build Leslie's character after she had done so much of that for him.

This reminds me of the girls who won't play with boys, or the student who is afraid to explore their hidden talents, like singing, because it is "not cool" with the others.  So we don't take chances and we end up getting flushed down the stream.  Stand up, guys!  Be like Gary and Julius in Remember the Titans.  Dare to swim upstream.  Have a little faith in yourself and those who stand with you.  There are people around you who want to see you reach for what's great in this world.  Do you surround yourself with Wilma Deans?  I hope not.  Who is the Leslie in your life? 

Space - the final frontier By: Eli

Eli says:

People say there's life out there, people say there's not life out there.  What are all those stars about?  What about UFOs?  Do you believe that we'll ever live out there?  If so, or if not, please comment.  Thanks, Eli.

Bridge Integrity

I've been thinking a lot about integrity these days.  You know, like when you drive across the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI you expect the bridge will hold you up and not collapse.  Or, like when a baby is born, you expect a parent to do what ever it takes to creating a loving and healthy atmosphere for it.  I expect the rope, which Jesse and Leslie use to cross the gully into Terabithia not to collapse.  I also expect my students to not watch the movie version of this novel until we've finished reading the novel - as I have instructed several times.  Have integrity and you will find your life to have much more meaning - just like Jesse is beginning to discover now that he has found a true friend.

Bridge to Terabithia chapter 3

Did you love the way Lesile Burke walks into the Lark Creek Elementary School like a breath of fresh air?

She's probably going to make a lot of the girls (and boys) uncomfortable, but I like her courage to be herself.  Does anyone have any connections that they can make to her?