An Old Paper I Discovered

I was cleaning the other day-

wait, let me rephrase that.

I was attempting to de-clutter the other day (there, that's a bit more accurate).
I decided to tackle some of my old manuscripts that I had stashed away from high school and college, hoping to purge the contents of my file box to make room for more "important" papers.

What I discovered, other than an unwillingness to throw away my work, was an essay that I had written during the summer of 2008, in English 102. 

If memory serves me correctly, the assignment was to pick one poem from several we have been given in a hand out (of course, the hand out is missing) and to write an essay on it discussing how gender roles are depicted in the poem. I found not one, but TWO essays: the second had written, in big, capital green letters 

DO NOT GRADE!

The professor had not graded it, although he had made comments in the margins, proving that he had, in fact, taken the time to read it.

What impressed me about this essay (which is probably not impressive at all to others) is my grasp of sexism. I had never taken a course in gender studies, had rarely discussed this in classes, and at that point had a rather narrow and traditional understanding of gender.

Since I haven't written anything on here for a while, let me indulge myself by sharing with you what the 21 year old version of myself had to say about the poem: What Little Boys Are Made Of

Bed time stories, nursery rhymes and even hymns have been used throughout history to indoctrinate members of society. these pieces of work are often directed at children, who are in the early stages of development and therefore more easily "trainable." The characteristics that these poems suggest children display are blatantly stereotypical by today's standards. While the same nursery rhymes are used today, the audience and the expectations of children's behavior have changed considerably in some reagards, while in others they have remained drastically similar.

The nursery rhyme What Are Little Boys Made Of appears to ask very innocent questions. What are little boys, and girls, made of? How are children supposed to act according to their gender? Boys are apparently made of "snips and snails and puppy-dog tails." When this nursery rhyme was originally written, it undoubtedly described an average boy. Boys would have spent a good amount of time outside; helping their father with chores, working the fields, and exploring their surroundings. It was a way, perhaps the way, of life. Boys were raised to be diligent workers; once they grew older and had a family of their own their life depended on their ability to work. The stanza about young men, however, paints a different picture. Instead of a strong laborer, the poem describes hopeless romantics. The young men are filled with "sighs and leers and crocodile tears." These men appear to have their heads in the clouds, potentially dreaming about anything from a political revolution to the young lady down the street. The second mention of an animal is very interesting. In the first stanza boys are paired with puppies; fun-loving, innocent creatures. In the second stanza, however, the young man is paired with a crocodile, a dangerous, violent beast that is untrustworthy. An interesting depiction of what society believes a boy should grow up to be. While it would be possible for the boy in the first stanza to turn into the man of the second, there is also the possibility that each stanza describes not only differing age groups but also class distinctions. The second stanza describes far more accurately how one might perceive a young man in the aristocracy than a young laborer.

While the men tended the fields or the shop, women stayed at home, taking care of the house, preparing meals, and tending children. The verse about little girls is clearly indoctrinating, in that it says girls are made of "sugar and spice and all things nice." Sugar and spices were kept in the kitchen. It can be assumed that, like these food products, women are also to be kept in the kitchen. However, while the verse on little boys is very clear cut, the verse on girls can be delved into a bit more deeply. Sugar, especially white sugar, was hard to come by hundreds of years ago. It was very expensive, and therefore purchased only by the wealthy or for very special occasions. Many spices were also expensive, due to the fact that they were imported from then exotic lands. What can this say about women? That in order to have the "sugar and spice" one must have money. And, as in all material possessions, the nicer it is, the more money it costs. The nicer the girl, the richer the man must be. The link between women and material objects is made again in the verse about young women, which states that they are made of "ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces." Again, ribbons and lace were a novelty, not a necessity. However sweet the face, she and society demand that it be adorned with decorations. While "sweet" can clearly be an obvious statement about a woman's physical features, it is interesting how it relates back to the first verse, where girls are made of sugar and spice. If variety be the spice of life, what does this say about young women, who are supposedly a mixture of sugar and spice? Perhaps it hints that underneath a sweet, sugary exterior lies a zest, sourness, or even bitterness, as spices tend to add to food. While there is a small hint as to a girl's emotional character, much more attention is given to the physical and material aspects of woman.

Considering that this nursery rhyme was written well over a century ago, one might argue that it has no validity in today's society. Boys no longer romp outdoors, exploring the mysteries nature provides in the form of bugs and animals. Instead they sit inside, playing video games and watching televisions, their minds being filled with notions of war, crime, and sex. Meanwhile, a girls place is no longer in the kitchen. She is encouraged to participate in previously male-dominated activities, while also trying to assert her femininity by making herself as sexy as possible. Young girls paint their faces with makeup and bare their chests in the hopes of attracting a young (or older) man's eye. The young men of today are not much different than those portrayed in the nursery rhyme; they are unrealistic dreamers, only instead of dreaming of a revolution, they dream of being rock stars. Instead of the young lady down the street, they fantasize about Playboy bunnies. Just as in the poem, young men of today  know how to get what they want, be it through tears, arguments, or violence. Despite the steps made towards gender equality, there are obvious stereotypes that have failed to be destroyed through the years.

While the nursery rhyme What Are Little Boys Made Of still exists in current children's books, it and other nursery rhymes like it are far from being the culprits of the indoctrination experienced by today's young boys and girls. They have been replaced by magazines, movies, and television shows the depict how Hollywood and the larger media feels men and women should dress, act, and treat others. Nursery rhymes have become nothing more than nostalgic remnants of the past. "What are little boys made of? Snips and snails and puppy dog's tails." And little girls? "Sugar and spice, and all things nice."

How nice.

The Beginning of my Crazy Quilt

The other day I, rather impulsively, began a quilt.

Now, I haven't quilted in years, and my few attempts have often failed. However, I felt a sudden urge to be creative, and my bag of scraps and sewing machine called my name.

My squares are probably not perfectly square, and not all the pieces are stitched together perfectly; but this quilt's only purpose is to serve as a creative outlet for me, and I am going to try to put my perfectionism aside (otherwise I'll just give up).

I used dark fabrics for my first block; a dark wash denim (that I used both the right and wrong sides of), a pair of black slacks that were in need of mending (who was I kidding- I don't mend!), and an old tie Evan had put in the "Give Away Basket." I didn't have a pattern in mind, I just started sewing pieces together.

This is what I got:

And, as I created it, a theme and pattern came to me.

Are you ready for it?

"In the beginning"

So, if this first block were to be accompanied by a commentary, it would read as such:

In the beginning 

when God created the heavens

and the earth,

the earth was a formless void

and darkness covered the face of the deep...

[Genesis 1:1-2a]

Here is the second block I made, although it may need to be third in the sequence if I'm going to strictly follow the scripture:

 Then God said,

"Let there be light";

and there was light.

I stitched the body of the sun on by hand- not sure if you can see the pink thread or not. I tried to show the light emerging out of the darkness and chaos from the first block.

And here are the two side by side : )

That's all for now! We'll see how I progress.

Peace,

Amanda

2010 Wrap Up

Happy New Year!!!!

Considering it's almost noon on 1-1-11 I may be a little late with that greeting, but who cares? : ) I meant to post this last night (while it was still 2010) but never got around to it. Story of my life.

Anyway...


Here are a few things that have happened since I last posted (in September...I'm a bad blogger, lol)

- I served as Interim Music Director at UMC Madison in addition to being Assistant Pastor
- Evan and I got two adorable kittens, Vinny and Yoko (I'll write about them sometime soon and post pictures)
- Evan and I got officially engaged!!! (I'll write about this too!)
- I made the decision to transfer to the New England Annual Conference, and told my family

I think those are the BIG things that have happened in these last few months!

Here's to the new year! May it be filled with peace, joy and countless blessings!!!

Sermon: "Squeaky Wheels"

Many of us are familiar with the idiom “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” For those of you who are not familiar with the phrase, today’s gospel lesson provides the perfect definition. A problem arises, and someone makes enough noise about it that the problem is resolved. A squeaky wheel gets greased, once it has grated on someone’s nerves enough for them to take the time to grease it. Once greased, the squeak, and annoyance, goes away. A woman who has been wronged raises a ruckus in the courtroom. The judge gives in to her demands in order to have some peace and quiet. Problems are resolved, but not always for the right reasons.

                Today’s parable is interesting in that it is preceded by an explanation of its purpose. If we were to simply hear the parable, we would probably come away with the understanding that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” However, the author of this gospel completely befuddles us, or at least me, by beginning this section by saying that the purpose of this parable is to teach the disciples about the need to pray always, and to not lose heart. I completely agree that we should pray always, and not lose heart, or rather faith. However, I also think this can be dangerous advice, and seems out of place with this parable. In the story, there is no evidence that the widow is prayerful. It never mentions that she prays for justice. Rather, she is physically and verbally asserting her right to justice in the face of a corrupt judge who could care less about the people where he has been placed to serve.  It does not appear that it is God who grants this widow justice, but eventually the judge, who grants justice only because it will benefit him. Where is prayer in this parable? Where is God?

                You could very easily provide a solution: well Amanda, you could say, clearly this is allegorical. The judge represents God, and the widow represents God’s people. We are to pray to God persistently for our needs and wants, and God will eventually answer our prayers. This could be a solution, except that it would cause me, and should cause you, to re-examine our theology, our understanding of who and what God is. For me, God cannot be the judge, because the judge is unjust. The judge is everything that God is not. The judge is narcissistic, does not care for his people, and is not interested in enacting justice for his people. He admits that he has no fear of God, and no respect for anyone. He gives in to the widow, not because he has heard her case, not because he sees an injustice has occurred, but because she annoys him and he wants her to stop. Friends, this is not God. Jesus tells us; won’t God grant justice to the chosen ones who cry day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? God does not make us suffer needlessly. God does not dangle the promise of justice in front of our eyes and make us beg for it. God loves us! God wants justice to flow like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream! God wants us to have life and to live abundantly! God has written the law upon our hearts and claimed as God’s! God cannot be the unjust judge.

                If God is not the unjust judge, then are we still the widow? I firmly believe that yes, we are. So, if we are the widow, are we supposed to pray without ceasing so that there is justice in the world? Yes. And no. We must pray; as children of God we must commune with our Creator; we must confess our sins, unburden our hearts, give thanks for God’s goodness and even scream to God because of the injustices we face in this world. But it is not enough to sit at home, or on a mountain, or even in the midst of the worshipping body of Christ, and just pray. Jesus prayed. He also did things.

                Praying for those who are hungry, that they may be fed, will not fill bellies. Praying for those who have no shelter will not put a roof over their head. Praying for those who are dying of AIDS will not end the spread of this disease. Praying for the victims of rape won’t bring justice when there are close to 200,000 rape kits sitting untested in police storage in this country. Praying for victims of bullying will not put an end to their suffering. Prayer alone cannot help any of these injustices, but prayer-filled action can.

                As shared in the parable, justice can come from unjust systems. The widow was a witness or victim of an injustice, and she raised awareness. She persisted in demanding justice until it was granted to her. How can we promote justice in an unjust world? As Christians, how can we bring God’s justice to a world that has tried to push God out? First, we pray. We pray by ourselves, and we pray as the church. Then, we raise awareness. What are the causes of this injustice? We must ask not only how can we feed the hungry, but also why are they hungry to begin with? Why can’t the homeless afford housing? We must ask how do we minister to those who have AIDS while also asking the question how can we prevent this disease from spreading? We have to stop wondering how many gay and lesbian teens will commit suicide because of being bullied and ostracized before the country notices, and instead ask how we can provide them with a safe, loving, affirming community so that they can live through their current nightmares. We have to get our hands dirty. We have to go to where the people are, to commune with those who are hungry, to swing hammers for those who are homeless, to wrap our arms around those who are suffering and dying. But we also have to pound on doors, and wave posters, and raise our voices about the injustices in this world so that the government and the people know that we are not ok with what is happening in the world. We have to give the church back her voice. We have to be the persistent widow. We have to be the squeaky wheel.

                Jesus was a squeaky wheel. Jesus was a very squeaky wheel. He squeaked so much about the injustices of his world, and proclaimed so loudly the promises of God, that the government silenced him. And we are called to be like him. We are to be the voice for the voiceless among us, speaking to those in power on behalf of the powerless. And we are also called to be the hands and feet of Christ, to be the loving face of God, to those same people. We must pray, and we must do, and we must pray, and we must do…and we must never lose heart. After the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It is my prayer that when Christ comes again, he will find not only faith here in this world, but God’s kin-dom as well.

Day 4

So, it's day 4 of the plan, the first day of "detoxing". Basically for four days it's a mainly liquid diet with lunch being a solid meal (but no eggs, dairy, red meat, wheat products, etc.) It's 9:20pm, and I am hungry. I have headache from no caffeine today, and I'm seriously tempted to walk out to the kitchen and get some food. I've been drinking lots of lemon water, had some juice for breakfast, leftover veggie chow mein for lunch, and vegetable broth with pureed veggies for supper. Evan says I should eat a pear, so I will.
I don't know if I can do all four days : (

28 Day Whole Body Action Plan

I forgot to mention earlier...
I've been wanting to try this plan for a while now, and decided that Reading Week was the perfect time to get started. Part of it involves journaling, so I'll be sharing how I feel and all up here.
Today is technically Day 2, and so far I haven't done very well. I had eggs and cheese for breakfast, a tuna melt for lunch, and I've had lots and lots of coffee! Days 1-3 are supposed to prepare your body for a 4 day detox, and I basically ate a ton of stuff I should be avoiding.
Oops.
So I'm sitting here now, drinking my water like I should. I also just did a fitness test, to see where I am right now.
Friends, I am embarrassed to share this.
It's bad.
I mean really, really bad.

Want to see how bad?
Cardio endurance: After 3 minutes of stepping up and down off of a 12in bench, my heart rate was 130. This equals "poor" on the scale of great, average, and poor.
Arm strength: I managed to do 12 modified push ups before my arms said "no more." Result? Average.
Core strength: I couldn't even hold the plank pose for 20 seconds. VERY poor.
Flexibility: poor
So, I have a lot to work on during these 28 days. Tonight for supper? Leftover falafel, and herbal tea.
YUM! (and relatively good for you too!)

Peace!

Reading Week!

It's Reading Week! Hooray!

For those of who are not Drew-ids, Reading Week is the equivalent of Fall Break. Except this is when teacher's assign mid-terms, so it's more like this:

• catch up on reading assignments
• write mid-terms
• do research
• maaaaaaaaybe catch up on sleep : )

So, that's Reading Week.
I made a pretty long to-do list, and thankfully I got a good number of things crossed off already!

Time to hit the books!
Peace!