Warhorse and Other Animal Movies

Mike wants to see the new Steven Spielberg movie "Warhorse." He will have to find someone else to go with him.
In my heart I know that Joey, the horse, will die at the end of the movie. I even Googled "Does the horse die in Warhorse?" Nearly all movies featuring animals have plots that involve the animal being injured, lost, abused or killed. Eighteen years ago, I sat down and cried in a Target store in Houston because all the TVs in the electronics department were tuned to "Homeward Bound." The movie was at the point where the old Golden Retriever limps over the hill for the joyous reunion with his boy. A happy scene, right? So, why was I crying? Blame it on my hormones -- I was nine months pregnant with Clint at the time. But for me, it's more than hormones.
I have always had a soft spot for animals, especially dogs. I've never seen "Where the Red Fern Grows." I watched "The Yearling" just once, and I've regretted it ever since. As a little girl, I had to turn off the TV when the Lassie show ended because the music was so sad when Lassie sat there, staring into the camera, and lifted her paw to say goodbye.
Why is it easier for me to watch movies where people are killed than to see an animal die on film? Mike says we've become conditioned to seeing people die in movies. I don't really have a good answer, except that most animals who die in movies usually are placed in jeopardy by humans. They are at our mercy, and so many times we let them down. I know "Warhorse" is a great film -- I've read the reviews -- but I can't go see it. I think I'll go in the "Sherlock Holmes" theater instead.

Semester's End - December 2011

Tomorrow, we will hold Commencement here at Panola College, with 149 students walking across the stage. Their families will hoot and holler and celebrate this well-deserved accomplishment. Some of these graduates have worked two or three jobs while going to school. Others have juggled the responsibilities of job and family along with college courses. Some have struggled with long-term disabilities. Many pay their way through school with scholarships earned for their musical, fine arts or athletic talents. Non-traditional students have sat through classes with fellow students young enough to be their children. With all those differences, these people share the same goal -- they want to get a good education to better their lives. I remember the struggles -- emotional and financial -- that I experienced earning my bachelor's and then my master's degree. As a faculty member at Panola College, I am proud to have known these fine people. I will miss them when they go on in the spring to new jobs or to universities. Seeing their determination gives me hope for the future of this country. Congratulations, graduates!

Peach cobbler, dressing and other delights

Thanksgiving and Christmas always make me miss my Mama -- not just because of her homemade chicken and dressing, peach cobbler and banana pudding. I miss walking into her house and breathing in all those wonderful, mingled scents of the holidays. As long as she was alive, we gathered wherever she was, because Mama was home. Yesterday, as Mike and Clint ate the last of the apple pie I had purchased for Thanksgiving (two more days away!), I said I would have to go buy another one. Clint said, "No Mama. We will have something better, like maybe a homemade peach cobbler." I guess my Mama will be with us in spirit this holiday season, and I hope she'll be looking over my shoulder as I try to make a peach cobbler nearly as good as hers. She will be whispering these words, "Add a little more sugar and a little more butter. Maybe a little more." And now I realize that I have become "home" for my boys. I just hope I can live up to the standard set by the best.

Sudden Death

The sudden death of a friend or family member changes us. Adults like to say that teenagers think they are indestructible. They don't really think that. They just don't think. Period. We all have moments when our thoughts lapse and we make mistakes. Often, those mistakes are forgiven by the fates. Sometimes, they aren't. The quick text while driving. Reaching for something on the floorboard...just for a second. Walking out of the house with the burner left on the stove. Backing up without checking our mirrors. Assuming we are healthy without getting a physical exam. Over the past few weeks, three young athletes have collapsed and died after games in which they excelled. Sudden death. From triumph to tragedy in the blink of an eye.

How are we supposed to come to terms with death? It's too late for bargaining or deal-making. Death has come to live among us. Death has taken one of our own and left a void. We can fill that void with bitterness and blame, anger and accusation. That path leads to destruction. But why? Why did this person have to die? The question is valid, but no good answer exists. We search our faith and spirituality for answers that will bring comfort and help us accept the loss and keep moving forward with life. For Christians, a heavenly reunion awaits. And yet, in our friend's home, the grief has just begun. Always, always.

As my student said to me after attending the funeral of his friend...our innocence is lost. 

Death swirls around us, touching strangers everyday with terror and torment. And then, it touches someone we love, and the meaning of death becomes real. It is the end of physical existence. For those who were loved by others, existence lives on in memory and longing and love.