Wasted Talent

by Anonymous

One of my most favorite and beloved films is A Bronx Tale (1993). Its genres are crime and drama. It was the first movie directed by Robert De Niro and was written by Chazz Palminteri.

This story is about the Anello family, comprised of Lorenzo (the dad) Rosina (the mom), and Calogero (the 9 yr. old son). They live in the Bronx, NY in the 1960’s. Calogero and his friends are fascinated by the local mobsters that live in the neighborhood. Sonny is the leader of the crew and is Calogero’s idol. One day Calogero witnesses a murder committed by Sonny. When the police investigators question him about the murder he keeps quiet and does not rat. Sonny then takes a liking to Calogero, befriends him, and nicknames him “C”. When Lorenzo finds out that his son had been spending time with Sonny and the crew, he attempts to put a stop to it. Lorenzo warns the two to stay away from one another. Regardless of how Lorenzo felt, “C” didn’t care and still hung out with Sonny whenever he could.

Eight years pass. “C” is put in several situations where he has to decide what and who is right. To me the most inspiring thing about this film is its message. Lorenzo tells “C”, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.You could have all the talent in the world but if you don’t do the right thing then nothing happens, but when you do right good things happen." At 9 years old, “C” doesn't understand the true meaning of that message but as a young man he soon realizes its depth and chooses virtue.

The Hero and Her Burning Skull of Fire

By: Maria Bhadra Kali Little, March, 2015

Diptych-329153453 by MiloNeuman

The story of Vasilisa and Baba Yaga, in the adaptation, "The Doll In Her Pocket: Vasilisa the Wise," from Clarissa Pinkola Estes' book, Women Who Run with The Wolves, is a great and empowering tale of a young woman’s heroine’s journey.

• The story includes several significant and well-known archetypal characters.
• It masterfully blends in lessons and values gained through Vasilisa’s hero’s journey.
• It follows the hero’s journey steps and pattern flawlessly.

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

This story is essentially about a girl learning to listen and trust her intuition, and inner guide. Vasalisa transforms from being too kind, naive, and overly accommodating to her abusive stepmother and stepsisters, to discovering her own personal strength, and inner worth after an audacious adventure through the eerie woods, and the several tests given to her by the horrifying, and ever powerful Baba Yaga; the wild and ferocious supernatural forest guardian woman, who possesses the ever burning skull of fire.

Vasilisa's journey takes her from her home with her unkind superficial family, to the woods with Baba Yaga. Her pocket doll (which represents her intuition/inner guide) a gift from her long dead but nurturing mother, leads her to master all of Baba Yaga's impossibly tedious tests (if she had failed it would result in her death and eventual consumption by Baba Yaga) and return home with the skull of fire. In the end, the skull burns the eyes out of her cruel and cowardly relatives when they stare into its flame.

THE LESSON

This tale reminds us to be kind, but not to lose sight of our own wisdom, personal integrity, and the value of listening to the inner self. Also, it reminds us of exactly how powerful inner sight and wisdom is, as represented in this ancient Russian fairytale, by the ever burning skull of fire, whose light will turn all fraudulence to ash.

WHY READ THIS BOOK? OR AT LEAST THIS STORY

Estes analyzes several different fairytales or stories from different cultures around the world, some of which were taken by the Brothers Grimm and turned into common fairytales we know today. The reason Estes' interpretations and ideas around the stories are so important is that she is looking at the roles of women and how their power has been stripped away from society and its stories. She wants the feminine to be reclaimed by all women and society. She looks at archetypes and really takes apart each story piece by piece in an engaging and accessible manner; she brings to life versions of common stories that may have never been heard or properly understood.  

A Sleepwalker's Guide to Enlightenment

by Anna Woodall

“I remember that I'm invisible and walk softly so as not awake the sleeping ones. Sometimes it is best not to awaken them; there are few things in the world as dangerous as sleepwalkers.” 

Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

www.flickr.com/photos/65921...

When I was 16 years old I read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison for the first time and I fell in love with the story. The story starts out with the protagonist introducing himself as an “invisible man.” His invisibility is not the result of some supernatural incident or miracle but simply because he is black. To those who consider him beneath themselves because of his race, he is in essence invisible. It also seems to him that the people around him are sleepwalking through life, lost in a dream. Yet he has an aching need to be seen, to be considered the same as everyone regardless of his color.

There are many reasons why a person might feel invisible:

• Feeling that people don’t see you as you really are.
• Believing that your current life is in some way unreal or at least it’s not the life you’re meant to be living.
• Feeling that you don’t fit in with modern society.
• Being bothered by the injustice that surrounds you.
• Wanting to do more then just get by; wanting to change the world and not knowing how to begin.

For much of my life I have felt like something was wrong with the world. Or maybe it was something wrong with me? In reference to the ideas presented in Ellison’s story, we must understand that most people really don’t see what is going on around them. Maybe they are oblivious or they just choose not to see but in a subtle way this is a form of sleepwalking. It’s hard for me to stand by impassive and not speak out in some way. As a result of my rebellious nature, I have had difficulty fitting into the society in which I was born. I am constantly trying to figure out who I am and what my purpose is. Like the invisible man, I see what’s going on in the world and I’m angered by it. For him it was race and class segregation. For me it is corporate America, its genetically modified food; it’s the blinders that everyone likes to wear when they are sleepwalking.

The Power of “What If”

Image by Jim Martin

By Juan Gonzales

“What if?” What if indeed. In the world of Bio Shock (a video game), there are two interesting concepts - one of which is a city under the sea. Under the sea, and no, it is not Atlantis from The Little Mermaid- it is the city of Rapture. Rapture is a great place to start a new life if you have the money. How the city could exist is the power of “what if?” Using the shallowest part of the ocean where the maximum depth is less than 300 feet, this concept is completely possible. By using the shallowest part of the ocean, the building would be lighter from the buoyancy of the ocean, and would also have to be sturdy enough to withstand the crush depth of the ocean. But wouldn’t it be cold down there? Not if the city was built on a volcano vent that would produce power and heat for this city. Food could be caught or made if the buildings were tall enough (at least 100 feet under sea level) where plants can get just enough sunlight for the roof top gardens to grow plants and vegetables. What about air? There would be the plants grown or algae farms in every building to produce enough o2 (oxygen). BOOM, your mind has just blown!

Wait, there is more in this world of Bio Shock- there is another city in the clouds. Wait, what? Yes, the clouds. How can this be? By the game using quantum physics, the theory of relativity and also the string theory. The city can float by using the earth’s magnetic field and windmill turbines for stability and movement. The city of Columbia is not one lump sum, but block sections that are floating separately in the clouds. The temperature might be a little colder than the game portrays where people are wearing summer clothes. The city of Columbia is completely plausible, using advanced scientific techniques and some ingenuity. BOOM, again that’s twice your mind has blown!

The Flying City of Columbia by Unknownshipper

Besides the revolutionary ideas and the power of “what if?” there is some cheesy game play involved. All the concepts are based on actual science, engineering, quantum physics, plus the theory of relativity and the string theory. The thoughts and ideas are such mind blowing concepts that the Bio Shock world could be a reality - just as possible as playing the game and discovering the world of Bio Shock and all of its interesting concepts for yourself.

Louis and Lestat: Villains, Anti-Heroes, or Heroes?

by Shadow Dove

Louis was the main character in Interview with a Vampire, and his distaste for his maker, and the way he spoke of him was maybe part of what made Lestat seem like such a villain. At one point early in his new life as a vampire, Louis had this to say about Lestat “And all the time, he belittled me and attacked me for my love of the the senses, my reluctance to kill...and would taunt me with sealed lips when I asked about God or the devil” (Rice 37). It was made very clear that the two were developing a great distaste for one another, and Louis had a suspician that he had only been given the “dark gift” as it is later reffered to, for his plantation and his wealth.

So just because Louis is not as bad as Lestat, does this make him a “hero” or does he rest in the place of “anti-hero” like so many other softer natured Vampires? According to Richard Wilson's article “Anti-Hero: The hidden Revolution in Leadership and Change”, the Anti-Heroes “are inherently sensitive to other people and aware of the limitations of their own knowledhe and skills. It is this sensistivity to themselves, others and the wider world that forms the basis of the Anti-hero” (Wilson 15). This definition clearly fits Louis, he is very sensitive to other people, in fact for many years he refuses to feed on human blood and feeds off of animals instead.

Furthermore, when we look at an excerpt from the Hero's Journey Outline, featured in “The Hero's Journey Outline The Heroine's Journey/ Archetypes 'The Memo That Started It All' by Christopher Vogler 'a Practical Guide to Joseph Cambell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces' by Christopher Vogler”, Vogler describes a hero as “the person who goes out and achieves the great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization” (Vogler 1). So although Louis has good intentions and is sensative to the plights of others, he does not by any means have a journey in which he is fighting a cause that serves a “group, tribe or civilization”.

It would appear that by both Wilson's and Vogler's definitions that Louis indeed fits the Anti-hero model. Bleeding heart and all!

Now, Lestat, oh Lestat, what a misunderstood soul indeed. There is no question in my mind that he does not transend from Anti-Hero to Hero, and in fact many times, by his own will, fits quite comfortably into the roll of Villian. However in the second book in the Vampire Chronicles: The Vampire Lestat you see his humanity quite plainly when he is speaking to Armand, an ancient vampire whom he has recently encountered “'You know it was the damnedest luck!' I whispered suddenly. 'I am an unwilling devil. I cry like some vagrant child. I want to go home'” (Rice 242). You have to understand that he had been given the “dark gift” by an ancient who then lept into a fire killing himself, without any explanation of how to live as a vampire, and upon meeting Armand, Lestat had hoped to find answers, but he found none. Instead he learned only that in the words of Armand to “Live among men, and the passing years will drive you to madness” (Rice 201). So perhaps his disapointment and loneliness is what drove him to be villainous, and although he had his moments of making you feel like he could be an Anti-hero, he definitely does not fit into the category of Hero, by any standard that I have found so far. However, I find a fondness for him nonetheless....not only because he is a vampire, but because he is so completely torn between two parts of himself, and I can relate to that. The only difference is that he surrenders to his darkness, and that is what makes him a true Villain.

How to Be a Hero

by Anonymous

Everyone has the potential to be a hero. We see opportunities every day. It may not be a calling to bound buildings and save lives, but a simple act if kindness is also heroic. A true hero is someone who sticks up for those who cannot defend themselves. All too many times we see the weak are the ones who are hurt or picked on. It takes only one brave person to correct these wrongs and say something. These people are true heroes and should be acknowledged.

Standing up for those in need is not always easy; we often are afraid ourselves. Or perhaps it’s our nature to turn a blind eye, not wanting to get involved with what's happening. We often think that someone else will say something and stop the abuse, but all too often that is not the case.

You don’t have to run into a burning building to be help someone in need. All it takes is a kind word to someone who looks sad, or a hot meal for a stranger, or maybe even a load of groceries for your neighbor who is going through tough times. These are the things people are going to remember and be grateful for.

Everyone deserves a hero. Are you going to be someone's hero? Next time you see a person in need, stop and think about what might happen if you don’t help. Stepping in and helping could save a life and isn’t that what being a hero is all about? Those who step up and help are true heroes and should be acknowledged.

Sure, being able to stop bullets and leap over tall buildings is what we think of when you mention a hero. It is something we all wish we could do, but don’t forget all those out there that are heroes in their own right. We all get the call to be a hero; are you going to listen? Forget about yourself and do what is right. Be someone's hero.

Heroism is in the Eye of the Beholder

By Anonymous

The definition of a hero is an individual who is romanticized for their valor, nobility, bravery, or exceptional accomplishments. However, are these qualities what truly makes a hero and is the anti-hero closer to the definition of a hero? To just behave bravely with noble and good intentions seems to be closer to a Disney version of a hero.

Often enough there are so many controversies to a conflict that the hero has to make ugly discussions on what is best and how to solve the problem. From my own observations of anti-heroes, their sometimes unconventional methods achieve more good than those who are charismatic and charming who run into battle with their best intentions.

If we have learned anything from our history is that more suffering can come from another’s best intentions.

Is that not what the Christian missionaries believed themselves to be doing to the Native Americans, and the Indigenous people of Australia by taking their children away to the missionary schools, cutting their hair, and applying punishments for speaking their own language.

Did they not believe they were doing something good by killing another’s way of life. With that being the case can not a hero just be a person who is fighting for what they believes is right.

Is not Robin Hood considered to be one of the greatest heroes maybe one of fiction but still a great hero. He, time and time again broke the law against a corrupt government by taking it’s wealth and giving it to the people made poor by their own ruling leadership.

I believe a hero is one of those subjects that is far too complicated and complex to define as one thing, and perhaps heroism is in the eye of the beholder.