October Sky

As I studied Contracts tonight (from 1-3 am), I also watched October Sky on the USA network.

Two things I guess I didn’t realize: first, USA has really good late night shows and movies (e.g., Monk, Psych, Fast and the Furious II . . . er, October Sky); second, October Sky is a perfect movie.

I didn’t get choked up just once, but several times, and if you know what I think about Hallmark cards, then you’ll know I’m not one to buy into clichéd drivel. The movie is simply that touching, that real. Every piece seems to fit just right, and, best of all, it’s all true.

The night isn’t long enough for me to tell you why I picked the word “perfect” to describe October Sky. Perhaps you’ll just have to take a couple hours and watch the movie for yourself.

If you do find that time, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say, truly, life is beautiful.

Thought of a Lifetime

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

—CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

Essay 2 of 4: Spiritual Pilgrimage

I attended a Christian school for twenty-one years, sat through chapel four to five times a week for over a decade, studied the Bible in at least one class during each semester of my academic career, and went to church on Sunday morning almost every week of my life. I guess you could say I grew up in a “Christian” environment. And, sure, whenever I look back on my childhood and wonder why God chose to bless me, I shudder, smile, and sometimes even shed a tear. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, except when I think about the future. Based on all that He’s put me through and all that He’s saved me from, I can confidently surrender to His will as He leads me into the next stage of my life.

Essay 1 of 4: On Books

I grew up surrounded by books. My parents wouldn’t have had it any other way. The son of two English professors, I read more than most my age. As a little boy, I let my imagination run loose in the texts I devoured, and I loved the experiences. Naturally, though, as I got older, I wanted to escape the texts and explore the world with my own hands and feet. Or at least, I wanted to explore my world: Thornwood Acres, my neighborhood.

Hope for a happier new year

It’s a whole happy new year, but more than one person cried tonight as the ball dropped. 365 days can change a lot in someone’s life. So many parties, so many drinks, and so many smiles, but how many people stayed home, for the first time all by themselves, and cried themselves to sleep? Who smiled back on the last twelve months and who looked for a distraction?

It’s a whole new year, and everyone’s supposed to be happy. No, not really. Because as happy as the new year is supposed to be, or at least as happy as everyone is on TV, the new calendar forces us to remember where we’ve been and what we’ve done. We’re not reliving some tropical vacation; this is the roll of our lives, in action and in color. It’s not surprising, then, that for more than a few, it’s a really depressing night. And the alcohol sure doesn’t help.