It's Thursday, and once again I've not posted on Friday. I've decided that with the life I have now, trying to set a blogging schedule is next to impossible, and only frustrates me more when I know I can't keep to it. So for now:
This blog will be updated once a week, but only on the day I have the time to do it. And sometimes, maybe even twice a week.
Hopefully, that won't scare my readers off.
Yesterday, I was waiting in line at Best Buy to set up an appointment to have one of the Geeks come out to my house. There was a man in front of me arguing with one of the service people, who was trying to explain why the number in his computer didn't match the number the man had given him. He was very polite but very firm. The man took that as being rude...he wasn't...and he became very antagonistic. After about 5 minutes, this man even became insulting to the service rep, and finally, the rep turned him over to someone else.
The point is...this man's antagonism made me start thinking about our Antagonists and Villains in our writing. Are they the same? If so, why and how? and if not, how and why are they different?
Let's talk about the Antagonist first. An antagonist can be a person, place, setting, or thing. The primary function of an Antagonist is to be an adversary, someone or something that is working against the Protagonist, and what he or she wants to do, have, or be. The weather can be the antagonist...think of the horrific storm in the movie The Perfect Storm. Surely an antagonist working against the interests of the people on board the ship, yet to those onshore, it was "just another storm."
The Antagonist can be a setting...think of a highly structured private school for girls, with the Protagonist being a bright, independent, highly vocal young lady of 13 or 14, who constantly rebels against the structure and gets nowhere. Definitely the school is working against the interests of the Protagonist!
The Antagonist can be a person who is trying to thwart the interests and forward movements of the Protagonist...because he and the Protagonist are in love with the same woman. The Antagonist is not "bad" or "evil," but he will do most anything to keep the Protagonist away and win the woman for himself.
If the Antagonist is a person, we authors almost always imbue him or her with some good qualities. He might be highly intelligent, funny, good-looking, even with some special ability such as being an artist, scientist, musician, etc. Basically, he is a 'good guy' who just happens to want something that interferes with the goals and desires of the Protagonist. And therein, conflict and tension are created.
Now let's go on to the Villain. The main difference between an Antagonist and a Villain is one of intent. The Antagonist doesn't necessarily mean to be "bad," because he believes he is doing the right things for the right reasons for the situation at hand. But the Villain doesn't care if he comes off as "bad" or "evil," because he simply wants what he wants when he wants it, and he'll do anything to get it, regardless of the outcome, and regardless of the pain, suffering, or even death of those who get in his way.
The Villain is different. I'm sure we've all read stories where the Villain is totally evil. After awhile, though, that becomes predictible and boring whenever we see him on a page. We already know ahead of time that something bad is going to happen. We don't want that kind of Villain in our stories. We want one that we can hate, but LOVE to hate!
The Villain needs to be a complex character. He has to be logical and credible. In order for him to be this way, to be believable, he has to have a depth of character. There has to be some motivation for all his evil deeds. He might not care what others think of him, he might even enjoy doing all those horrible evil deeds, but the reader has to have some insight into his behavior and how he came to be this way. After all, not even our worst villains are born this way. What is his background, did something horrific happen to him as he as growing up to change his path in life to one of deviousness and disaster? What caused him to become a Villain?
So we have to know why our Villain "wants what he wants when he wants it," and why he doesn't care what he has to do to get it. We need to be able to portray him as someone who is an intelligent, thinking individual who believes his reasons for the evil he does are completely logical to him, even if not to others.
Most of all, we need the Protagonist to understand the complexity of the Villain's nature. If he doesn't, will he be able to withstand the Villain's devious interference in the Protagonist's life, and will he be able to overcome the evil the Villain does?
What do you think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Friday's Flash:A 30 Word Flash of Fiction or Truth
It's Friday again, and time for a 30 word flash of fiction or truth. Tell me something about your book, your WIP, or yourself. Or anything else you can think of, so long as it's 30 words or less. And you can have as many flashes as you wish. So here's mine for today:
1. WIP: Gabriela found the dragon knife that killed the children. The dragon is the same as the one on Papa's ring. Is Papa the killer? ( 24 words)
2. The Freedom Thief: Teen Ben McKenna risks his life as he defies the conventions of slavery in pre-Civil War Kentucky and leads his enslaved friends on a danger-filled journey to find freedom. (30 words)
Why would you want to write about something concerning your novel or WIPs in just 30 words? Because there are times when you need to tell someone ( like an agent at a conference, or the editor you ran into in the elevator) something about your work, and it has to be short and sweet. Very short. And to the point. Here is a good way to look at a 30 word "pitch" or synopsis of your book:
Describe the following:
Protagonist: 2-3 words
Conflict: 3-8 words
Antagonist: 2-3 words
Setting: up to 10 words
With a twist: left over words to equal 30
Example:
When teen psychic Gabriela (protagonist) arrives in a small town with her traveling carnival (setting), she must fight gargoyles, witches, and dragons (conflict) to find a serial killer (antagonist), who just might be her own father. ( the twist) (30 words.)
Try it, it's fun to do and not all that hard. And who knows? A 30-word pitch just might come in handy some day.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
1. WIP: Gabriela found the dragon knife that killed the children. The dragon is the same as the one on Papa's ring. Is Papa the killer? ( 24 words)
2. The Freedom Thief: Teen Ben McKenna risks his life as he defies the conventions of slavery in pre-Civil War Kentucky and leads his enslaved friends on a danger-filled journey to find freedom. (30 words)
Why would you want to write about something concerning your novel or WIPs in just 30 words? Because there are times when you need to tell someone ( like an agent at a conference, or the editor you ran into in the elevator) something about your work, and it has to be short and sweet. Very short. And to the point. Here is a good way to look at a 30 word "pitch" or synopsis of your book:
Describe the following:
Protagonist: 2-3 words
Conflict: 3-8 words
Antagonist: 2-3 words
Setting: up to 10 words
With a twist: left over words to equal 30
Example:
When teen psychic Gabriela (protagonist) arrives in a small town with her traveling carnival (setting), she must fight gargoyles, witches, and dragons (conflict) to find a serial killer (antagonist), who just might be her own father. ( the twist) (30 words.)
Try it, it's fun to do and not all that hard. And who knows? A 30-word pitch just might come in handy some day.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Photo Shoots and Other Stuff
Friday completely slipped by me. It was supposed to be my Friday's Flash day, where, hopefully, you all would post something about yourselves, WIP, or whatever in 30 words or less. Instead, Friday became THE DAY. What day was that, you ask? THE DAY OF THE PHOTO SHOOT. UGH! YUCK! I hate having my picture taken. And not just once, but 130 times. Yep, that's right, one hundred and thirty pictures taken. The worst part? Of those 130, I only liked ONE, and that one...naturally...had a background that couldn't be removed and it looked like I had horns growing out of my head. So forget it. Now that means I have another icky photo shoot scheduled for Wednesday. So Wednesday's photos are a "now or never" situation. Will pick one of those, or will never have a photo of me on display anywhere!
An author friend recently said to me, 'Mikki, we don't really know a lot about you. Why is that?'
Hmmm. Well, in light of that question, here are 7 things you might not know about me, and the first one should explain it all!
1. I'm an introvert. I'm actually a very shy and quiet person, and have to force myself to be otherwise. My 'teacher' persona often takes over and can talk forever, if she thinks she is 'teaching' something of value. Otherwise, this is the main reason I HATE social networking...I'm just not that kind of person.
2. I'm a military brat, and basically grew up all over the US and several foreign countries. At one time, I spoke 3 languages besides English fluently. Not any more, English is hard enough!
3. I sang professionally in Musical Theatre for seven years, from the age of 13 to 19.
4. When I entered the Ph.D program at UC Riverside, I had to take the MMPI (Minnesota Muliphasic Personality Inventory) TWICE: my inventory came out split 50% Logical and 50% Creative. My professors said that was impossible. Second testing was exactly the same. Professors shook their heads and walked away muttering to themselves. I often wondered what the MMPI would say about them...
5. To emphasize this MMPI thingy, I taught Sociology, Statistics and Research Methodology at the University level, and became a professional artist at the same time.
6. I rode my Appaloosa mare to both National and World championships the same year that I became a grandmother for the second time.
7. I sold my first poetry at the age of 10, my first short story at 12, and a book of Haiku poetry while I was in college.
Well, there you go! Seven things you probably didn't know about me.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
An author friend recently said to me, 'Mikki, we don't really know a lot about you. Why is that?'
Hmmm. Well, in light of that question, here are 7 things you might not know about me, and the first one should explain it all!
1. I'm an introvert. I'm actually a very shy and quiet person, and have to force myself to be otherwise. My 'teacher' persona often takes over and can talk forever, if she thinks she is 'teaching' something of value. Otherwise, this is the main reason I HATE social networking...I'm just not that kind of person.
2. I'm a military brat, and basically grew up all over the US and several foreign countries. At one time, I spoke 3 languages besides English fluently. Not any more, English is hard enough!
3. I sang professionally in Musical Theatre for seven years, from the age of 13 to 19.
4. When I entered the Ph.D program at UC Riverside, I had to take the MMPI (Minnesota Muliphasic Personality Inventory) TWICE: my inventory came out split 50% Logical and 50% Creative. My professors said that was impossible. Second testing was exactly the same. Professors shook their heads and walked away muttering to themselves. I often wondered what the MMPI would say about them...
5. To emphasize this MMPI thingy, I taught Sociology, Statistics and Research Methodology at the University level, and became a professional artist at the same time.
6. I rode my Appaloosa mare to both National and World championships the same year that I became a grandmother for the second time.
7. I sold my first poetry at the age of 10, my first short story at 12, and a book of Haiku poetry while I was in college.
Well, there you go! Seven things you probably didn't know about me.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Thoughts on Social Media
I am hardly an expert on Social Media. This whole idea of social networks like FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and so on just throws me for a loop. The main thing is, I don't have time for it. I don't want to make time for it. I don't like to do it. But here I am, on FaceBook and Twitter. FaceBook isn't so bad, I suppose, but Twitter just defeats me. I am now "following" 100 people, and have a whole 29 people following me. But I've just decided I'm going to delete some of those I'm following, like book publishers and agents.
The whole idea behind all this social networking business is: selling yourself. Not your book, YOU. I'm on an Authors Forum, for my publisher, and I'm getting all kinds of advice about how to be on Twitter. Good advice, like how to use Twitter to YOUR best advantage. But my Lord, it takes time. A LOT of time. Usings Lists to catagorize people. One author told me she keeps her lists to 100 PEOPLE, because any more takes up too much time. Even thinking about that sends my brain into a spiral. Another way is to "favorite" Tweets and "retweet" them. That is how you interact with people, and get them to interact and "know" you. Another brain spiral, this time into a brain freeze.
When, in the name of Heaven, do you have time to write?
With all that's going on in my family, I don't have that time to spend. Except, of course, between midnight and 6 AM, which my husband suggested. Sleep? Who needs sleep?
So what do you think? Do you believe that the only way you are going to sell your book is through Social Networking? Do you believe that is the very best way to go for Marketing and Promotion? How much time do you spend on selling YOURSELF, not your book, on Social Media? Is it really worth it? I hope you'll send me your comments and what you think about Social Networking.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
The whole idea behind all this social networking business is: selling yourself. Not your book, YOU. I'm on an Authors Forum, for my publisher, and I'm getting all kinds of advice about how to be on Twitter. Good advice, like how to use Twitter to YOUR best advantage. But my Lord, it takes time. A LOT of time. Usings Lists to catagorize people. One author told me she keeps her lists to 100 PEOPLE, because any more takes up too much time. Even thinking about that sends my brain into a spiral. Another way is to "favorite" Tweets and "retweet" them. That is how you interact with people, and get them to interact and "know" you. Another brain spiral, this time into a brain freeze.
When, in the name of Heaven, do you have time to write?
With all that's going on in my family, I don't have that time to spend. Except, of course, between midnight and 6 AM, which my husband suggested. Sleep? Who needs sleep?
So what do you think? Do you believe that the only way you are going to sell your book is through Social Networking? Do you believe that is the very best way to go for Marketing and Promotion? How much time do you spend on selling YOURSELF, not your book, on Social Media? Is it really worth it? I hope you'll send me your comments and what you think about Social Networking.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday's Flash: Christmas in July
I have decided to use Fridays for everyone to post something about their upcoming novel,story, WIP, or really, whatever they want to post, but it has to be 30 words or less. I'm calling it Friday's Flash.
Today, someone mentioned Christmas in July. So I decided to post a poem I wrote a couple of years ago. It's hardly 30 words or less, but I'm excusing myself from that rule for today! It's a parody of sorts on the age-old poem, The Night Before Christmas. I hope you enjoy it.
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The children had all been out on the loose,
Now the house looked like it had been struck by a moose.
Said, “Aha! The children are abed, no one is near.
Now is the time to write a few more words.
Yet I knew as I spoke, the thought was absurd.
The computer was on, the house was still.
I pounded the keys, so determined …until
There arose on the lawn such a clatter
That I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Down David, Down Lisa, down Susan and Dane!
Onto the ladder, carefully onto the ground,
While you’re awake, Santa won’t be around.
I knew that now I could write until dawn.
But my brain was tired and slowly it closed
So my body could rest and then I dozed.
With a fat round belly and clearly a plan.
For he spoke not a word but he winked at me,
As he placed all the presents under the tree.
But he looked to me like he needed a nap.
The next thing I knew, he was gone in a flash.
All he had left was a sprinkling of ash.
Toys everywhere, the children would be thrilled.
Was this just a dream out of my writer’s mind,
Or could this Santa be real, jolly and kind?
“Santa’s come!” he exclaimed, “here’s the proof!”
One tiny sleigh bell he held up in delight,
It shimmered and shined in bright moonlight.
The children were up and so was my spouse.
“Cool!” “Sweet!” “Oh boy!” sounds came from below,
The day had begun, the morning was aglow.
Today, someone mentioned Christmas in July. So I decided to post a poem I wrote a couple of years ago. It's hardly 30 words or less, but I'm excusing myself from that rule for today! It's a parody of sorts on the age-old poem, The Night Before Christmas. I hope you enjoy it.
Twas The Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas and all
through the housenot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The children had all been out on the loose,
Now the house looked like it had been struck by a moose.
Kids had been settled all snug in their
beds,
while visions of Christmas mayhem danced in their heads.
My husband had settled down for a long night’s nap
But this, I was sure, was just the first lap.
So I in my pjs and with my hair down to herewhile visions of Christmas mayhem danced in their heads.
My husband had settled down for a long night’s nap
But this, I was sure, was just the first lap.
Said, “Aha! The children are abed, no one is near.
Now is the time to write a few more words.
Yet I knew as I spoke, the thought was absurd.
The computer was on, the house was still.
I pounded the keys, so determined …until
There arose on the lawn such a clatter
That I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
I flung open the door, and light showed
outside
A lawn full of snow with nowhere to hide.
My wandering eyes followed footsteps to the roof
As four kids struggled to find a reindeer on the hoof.
I screamed and I yelled, I called them
by name.A lawn full of snow with nowhere to hide.
My wandering eyes followed footsteps to the roof
As four kids struggled to find a reindeer on the hoof.
Down David, Down Lisa, down Susan and Dane!
Onto the ladder, carefully onto the ground,
While you’re awake, Santa won’t be around.
Again into bed, where tears did abound,
“If we’re good now, will Santa come down?”
I could threaten or cajole, but the looks on their faces
Melted my heart and put them in my good graces.
I sank into my chair, the computer was
still on.“If we’re good now, will Santa come down?”
I could threaten or cajole, but the looks on their faces
Melted my heart and put them in my good graces.
I knew that now I could write until dawn.
But my brain was tired and slowly it closed
So my body could rest and then I dozed.
Sleigh bells were ringing, now where
were they from?
I thought I was awake, so when had I become
An over-large elf dressed all in green?
I can’t be awake, this must be a bad dream!
Down the chimney he came, this little
old manI thought I was awake, so when had I become
An over-large elf dressed all in green?
I can’t be awake, this must be a bad dream!
With a fat round belly and clearly a plan.
For he spoke not a word but he winked at me,
As he placed all the presents under the tree.
He filled all the stockings, then gave
me a smile
And nodded his head like elves were in style!
He grabbed all the cookies, made last night,
And looked quickly around, but no kid was in sight.
He adjusted his pack and pulled on his
cap,And nodded his head like elves were in style!
He grabbed all the cookies, made last night,
And looked quickly around, but no kid was in sight.
But he looked to me like he needed a nap.
The next thing I knew, he was gone in a flash.
All he had left was a sprinkling of ash.
I looked at my clothes but saw no elf,
“Of course it was a dream,” I said to myself.
But then I saw all the gifts under the tree,
Who had put them there? Certainly not me.
The cookies were all gone, the stockings
were filled,“Of course it was a dream,” I said to myself.
But then I saw all the gifts under the tree,
Who had put them there? Certainly not me.
Toys everywhere, the children would be thrilled.
Was this just a dream out of my writer’s mind,
Or could this Santa be real, jolly and kind?
T’was the night before Christmas and all
through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse.
I hurried upstairs to get into bed
A few hours sleep would be good for my head.
Not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse.
I hurried upstairs to get into bed
A few hours sleep would be good for my head.
But then I heard the pattering on the
roof
And knew in my heart it was too heavy to be a hoof.
Out of bed I jumped, to the window I flew,
The kids, of course, I needed to pursue.
Three kids on the ground, one on the
roof.And knew in my heart it was too heavy to be a hoof.
Out of bed I jumped, to the window I flew,
The kids, of course, I needed to pursue.
“Santa’s come!” he exclaimed, “here’s the proof!”
One tiny sleigh bell he held up in delight,
It shimmered and shined in bright moonlight.
Twas the night before Christmas, and all
through the house
The children were threatened , now quiet as a mouse.
Thank heavens that Christmas comes just once a year
It makes monsters of children who usually are dear.
Twas the dawn of Christmas and all
through the houseThe children were threatened , now quiet as a mouse.
Thank heavens that Christmas comes just once a year
It makes monsters of children who usually are dear.
The children were up and so was my spouse.
“Cool!” “Sweet!” “Oh boy!” sounds came from below,
The day had begun, the morning was aglow.
The looks on their faces as I entered
the room
Made it all worth while, and dispelled my gloom.
Their laughter and cries, the sparkle in their eyes
Made the night before Christmas a blessing in disguise.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Made it all worth while, and dispelled my gloom.
Their laughter and cries, the sparkle in their eyes
Made the night before Christmas a blessing in disguise.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Monday Musings
Do you ever get to a point in blogging where you think there is absolutely nothing for you to write about that will interest someone else? That's where I am now. Actually, I've been there for a while, as most of you know. With my son's diagnosis last August of FrontalTemporal Lobe dementia, and my husband's very serious and complicated surgery as an emergency in May, my creative thought process seems to have disappeared. So I'm trying to think of ways to jump-start that process again.
Some say, when you reach this point ( supposedly, all bloggers do), write about current events. Whoa! that's a decidely negative thought! Who wants to talk about the unrest and close-to-civil-war in Egypt? or the latest forced furloughs (one day a week working without pay) all government employees are having to take, thanks to our huge financial deficit? No thanks, that won't work for me.
Others say, create a specific day-writing, like Kelly Hashway's Monday Mishmash, or Katrina deLallo's Six Sentence Saturday. Hmm...well, I guess there could be...Wednesday's Wannabe, where I could encourage visitors to talk about the most famous author, or any celebrity, they want to grow up to be like. Or how about Friday's Flashers, where everyone can give a Flash of their soon-to-be-published book or their WIP in 25 words or less? Okay, so maybe that one isn't so bad, at least it refers to writing! Umm, of course, new visitors to my blog might mistake the word "Flasher" to mean something else, and then we'd all be embarrassed.
Obviously, if I'm going to do this "day-writing" thingy, I need to give it some more thought. Serious thought.
So today, I'll just talk briefly about a new experience I had...some very nice welcoming comments from the Authors Forum at MuseItUp publishing, where my debut novel, The Freedom Thief, will be coming out in November. I just joined the forum, introduced myself ( and probably talked to long, at that), and my Inbox was almost immediately full of lovely "welcomes" from other authors. It was such a friendly experience! I tried to answer each one independently, and then wondered if that was going overboard. I think there are about 296 authors, so I guess I shouldn't respond to each one, if they all send me welcome notes, right? Hmm. Probably not. But it's fun getting to hear from so many individually.
I guess I should probably stop for today, and get back to thinking. "Friday's Flashers" is still on my mind. I don't think it's such a bad premise, but I definitely need to come up with a new word. "Flashers" just doesn't seem to quite do it, for writers, ya' think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Some say, when you reach this point ( supposedly, all bloggers do), write about current events. Whoa! that's a decidely negative thought! Who wants to talk about the unrest and close-to-civil-war in Egypt? or the latest forced furloughs (one day a week working without pay) all government employees are having to take, thanks to our huge financial deficit? No thanks, that won't work for me.
Others say, create a specific day-writing, like Kelly Hashway's Monday Mishmash, or Katrina deLallo's Six Sentence Saturday. Hmm...well, I guess there could be...Wednesday's Wannabe, where I could encourage visitors to talk about the most famous author, or any celebrity, they want to grow up to be like. Or how about Friday's Flashers, where everyone can give a Flash of their soon-to-be-published book or their WIP in 25 words or less? Okay, so maybe that one isn't so bad, at least it refers to writing! Umm, of course, new visitors to my blog might mistake the word "Flasher" to mean something else, and then we'd all be embarrassed.
Obviously, if I'm going to do this "day-writing" thingy, I need to give it some more thought. Serious thought.
So today, I'll just talk briefly about a new experience I had...some very nice welcoming comments from the Authors Forum at MuseItUp publishing, where my debut novel, The Freedom Thief, will be coming out in November. I just joined the forum, introduced myself ( and probably talked to long, at that), and my Inbox was almost immediately full of lovely "welcomes" from other authors. It was such a friendly experience! I tried to answer each one independently, and then wondered if that was going overboard. I think there are about 296 authors, so I guess I shouldn't respond to each one, if they all send me welcome notes, right? Hmm. Probably not. But it's fun getting to hear from so many individually.
I guess I should probably stop for today, and get back to thinking. "Friday's Flashers" is still on my mind. I don't think it's such a bad premise, but I definitely need to come up with a new word. "Flashers" just doesn't seem to quite do it, for writers, ya' think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Thoughts on the Fourth of July
Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone has a safe and cool day and evening. So far, on the Central Coast of California, it is a quiet day, relatively cool at 7:30 in the morning, but we all know the heat is coming.
Fireworks are not allowed in the small town where I live on the coast, and for us, that's a good thing. Our Corgi is, like so many dogs, deathly afraid of the noise, and no amount of "tranquilizers" help him. Usually, we just take off in the car and drive up the coast until the noise from surrounding towns has died down, but we're hoping we don't have to do that this year. Because of our unusual heat wave that has been so prolonged, most of the 4th's celebrations have been cancelled due to the supreme fire hazard.
Nevertheless, many townfolks are upset and resentful that fireworks are not going to be allowed. It got me to wondering, what have fireworks to do with celebrating our day of Independence?
First, did you know that the original and correct day of Independence was actually July 2nd? July 2nd, 1776, was the day Congress voted for the Independence of the United States of America. However, when the document was sent to the printer on July 4th, he printed that date as the date of Independence, and consequently, July 4th has been celebrated ever since. ( The Document of Independence was not signed, sealed, and delivered until November, 1776.)
The following year, 1777, Congress authorized the use of fireworks to celebrate the 4th. However, for most of the remaining 18th Century, and even into the early years of the 19th Century, artillery salutes ran all day long. They fired off the explosives left over from past wars and skirmishes, until finally all the ammunition was gone, and the cannons began to age and fall apart, and fail to fire.
The Fourth of July was not declared a Federal holiday until 1941.
I wonder if the kids of today, or even the last 60 or 70 years, really know and understand what July 4th really stands for? Do they know about the war of Independence, about the sacrifices made by the people of the United States in those years in order for America to be free from dominance by another country? Do they even care, in today's world? Or is the 4th of July just another day to kick off a hot summer, with family fun, picnics, barbeques, hot dogs and ice cream? Oh yes, and sparklers, cherry bombs, fire crackers, and all the other fireworks that light up the sky with their beautiful arrays.
Today, our freedom and independence is taken for granted. We marvel at the stories of other countries, like Egypt in recent days, who fight for their independence and ability to have freedom of thought and action from their previous dictators. We oh and ah and sigh sadly at the words we read and the pictures we see of their wars, their dead and wounded, the sacrifices made by the families left behind, but does it really mean anything to US? We have become such a nation of greed, of complacency, of wanting what we want when we want it and we want it now, that I truly wonder if we actually respect those nations who are fighting for their freedoms and their independence, or if we merely watch our TV sets until we get bored with images of terror and turn to some insipid comedy that doesn't take any intelligence or thought to understand.
Maybe we should turn back the clock a little, and really give serious thought to what it took to give us this day, this 4th of July, where we could sit back and simply enjoy the freedom and the Independence we have. What do you think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Fireworks are not allowed in the small town where I live on the coast, and for us, that's a good thing. Our Corgi is, like so many dogs, deathly afraid of the noise, and no amount of "tranquilizers" help him. Usually, we just take off in the car and drive up the coast until the noise from surrounding towns has died down, but we're hoping we don't have to do that this year. Because of our unusual heat wave that has been so prolonged, most of the 4th's celebrations have been cancelled due to the supreme fire hazard.
Nevertheless, many townfolks are upset and resentful that fireworks are not going to be allowed. It got me to wondering, what have fireworks to do with celebrating our day of Independence?
First, did you know that the original and correct day of Independence was actually July 2nd? July 2nd, 1776, was the day Congress voted for the Independence of the United States of America. However, when the document was sent to the printer on July 4th, he printed that date as the date of Independence, and consequently, July 4th has been celebrated ever since. ( The Document of Independence was not signed, sealed, and delivered until November, 1776.)
The following year, 1777, Congress authorized the use of fireworks to celebrate the 4th. However, for most of the remaining 18th Century, and even into the early years of the 19th Century, artillery salutes ran all day long. They fired off the explosives left over from past wars and skirmishes, until finally all the ammunition was gone, and the cannons began to age and fall apart, and fail to fire.
The Fourth of July was not declared a Federal holiday until 1941.
I wonder if the kids of today, or even the last 60 or 70 years, really know and understand what July 4th really stands for? Do they know about the war of Independence, about the sacrifices made by the people of the United States in those years in order for America to be free from dominance by another country? Do they even care, in today's world? Or is the 4th of July just another day to kick off a hot summer, with family fun, picnics, barbeques, hot dogs and ice cream? Oh yes, and sparklers, cherry bombs, fire crackers, and all the other fireworks that light up the sky with their beautiful arrays.
Today, our freedom and independence is taken for granted. We marvel at the stories of other countries, like Egypt in recent days, who fight for their independence and ability to have freedom of thought and action from their previous dictators. We oh and ah and sigh sadly at the words we read and the pictures we see of their wars, their dead and wounded, the sacrifices made by the families left behind, but does it really mean anything to US? We have become such a nation of greed, of complacency, of wanting what we want when we want it and we want it now, that I truly wonder if we actually respect those nations who are fighting for their freedoms and their independence, or if we merely watch our TV sets until we get bored with images of terror and turn to some insipid comedy that doesn't take any intelligence or thought to understand.
Maybe we should turn back the clock a little, and really give serious thought to what it took to give us this day, this 4th of July, where we could sit back and simply enjoy the freedom and the Independence we have. What do you think?
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)