Making Sense
One of the oddest comments that I have ever received from a reader was something like, "How can you write something so strange and it still makes sense?" I worry that my response was a little flippant. It wasn't intended to be so when I said, "Hey it just comes out that way."
What I really meant was that I write whatever comes out, as it is and very raw. I read it and re-read it several times. Then I play with it until I am satisfied. Only then do I ever let anyone else read it, say one of my daughters - sometimes my son, it just depends. I figure that if my kids like something I write then it can be bumped up a level past the strange (me), the somewhat normal (my kids) all the way up to the average person (a person that I pick at random, or someone I know from work).
Book 1 has now been through the wringer so many times between its resions and editing process prior to the first publication and this current session of revision that I almost feel sorry for the characters and the storyline. I have been very faithful. I have not changed the plot. I have deleted superfluous material. I have corrected mechanical things. I have amplified things that were not quite as clear as they should have been. I have also amplified to link a couple of things that were already there to begin with but needed a nudge to be more clearly present as an indication of what is to come in the rest of the series as well as the second series.
I am pretty excited about this version of Book 1. I was very excited about the original version as well but what did I know then about what might be possible. I was a novice to publishing. Only a couple of years before that had the whole seemingly endless process begun. I decided to take the plotlines that I had written and cobble them together into a book. It was at the behest of friends that I was even doing it. "Gee, you should put some of that together so maybe you can keep it for your kids to read."
I had never thought of being an author. I was a writer. I understood that. I had been a writer for a very long time, only there was a gap in the being a writer thing, the period that spanned a few years in the mid-1980's - the period that I now believe I lived enough to have experiences to draw upon.
The major criticism thaT I was attempting to correct with this present revision of Book 1 was perhaps the result of overzealousness. When it was in its first revsions before the initial publication I was trying to do too many things all at once. Much of the infamous 53 pages or narrative had never been a part of the original book but had been added in somewhere toward the end of the writing process and those pages were always a problem. They were the most troublesome text and probably they were the root cause of the delays in the publishing of the first book. I remember vividly how many times those pages were worked and reworked. As a lesson I learned that when in doubt throw it out, as the addage goes.
There might be a few things lingering and lurking in the background and maybe I will pick them up in further edits. So far, this revision is pretty tight, though.
I plan to mail out hard copies of the printed manuscript to Ela'na and maybe another friend of mine who likes sci-fi, a more recent friend that has done nothing more than read some of this blog. I may have a couple of other people read it too, just for the sake of finding things that I overlook. It makes sense to me, ya know. Then again so did the original book.
Realistically, if this version is ever to reach the shelves as a commercial product, it may be a year away if not more. I am pretty-much satisfied with it at this point. I doubt I will do anything like this with Book 2 and Book 3 was done and ready for print a year ago. Book 1 was the issue that I felt I had to work on. I have largely settled that now.
Back to the reading. Keep the faith and be good to one another.
E
Pope John Paul II The Great
I know, I know. I get it. Once again an event of major even staggering international impact has happened and I have been silent - well not exactly silent but talking about other things that relate more to the theme of this blog. Excuse me for displaying some integrity and restraint.
First and foremost I am not Catholic.
Second, my opinion on the Pope's passing will not matter in anyone's determination to mourn the passing of a great man and celebrate the profound achievements of a great spiritual leader who contribiuted mightily to the shaping of the modern world.
Third, and most crassly relevent, my talking about John Paul II probably won't do much to explain or promote my books - the expressed theme of this blog.
As has been pointed out in a couple of emails, I deviated from the theme when I responded to a friend who asked for my comments regarding Terri's situation. I do not mean to compare the circumstances as they are dramatically different. In that the Pope was touched enough by Terri's ordeal that even in his own suffering of failing health, he made comment, I think that in many minds the two events are linked, at least for now.
Of course I do not know the deceased personally. I was not so fortunate. I respect the office and authority that John Paul II held. I also think that from everything that I have determined through indirect sight via TV or through media reports of the accounts of others that knew him, that he was a very decent man.
Others that have met him talk about his charisma and how he personally affected them. I have to admit that his charisma transferred even through a TV screen - the only way that I know of the man. Maybe I would not agree that he is the greatest figure of the 20th Century but he was certainly one near to the top the proverbial short list.
I have heard that he ended Communism. Others that were a little more realistic stated it as he worked toward ending Communism. I have to wholeheartedly agree that Poland is free today because of the 'funk' of his persona and the fact that the Soviet Regime was not as interested in ending the Solidarity movement as their own internal uprisings and calls for perestroika. I don't mean to suggest that John Paul II was an opportunist. To his credit he sensed the tides of the times and capitalized on the forces that could affect the changes that he believed were coming. So maybe it was not that he caused the changes but he nudged them enough and nurtured them along the way - enough so that even if he was not the father of the changes he was mistaken as the origin.
He had a willing ally in the Cold War against Soviet domination of his beloved Poland. I am completely convinced that without the efforts of Reagan in the 80's, whatever the Pope did would have had less of an impact. Even saying that does not lessen the worth of his efforts of the overall achievement. Whether it was coordinated, their individual actions worked in tandem toward the result that each of them desired. From my experience the world tends to work that way. Perhaps the essence of wisdom in Pope John Paul II's actions abd words was that he knew how the world works well enough to manage the effort that was his life's ambition: freeing his people and even the world from the yoke of tyrrany and suppression of huamn aspirations.
It has been reported that Reagan and John Paul II actually had a discussion early on in the 80's regarding the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Was this insight on the parts of both men? I think so. Again how many people in the early 80's thought that the Soviet Empire would collapse? I for one did.
I mention this here not to diminish the insights that each of the great leaders had but as an indication that there was something greater afoot in the world. Whether it was the forces of nature that others could sense or Divine intervention, I had a dream in 1979 that the two Germanys were reuniting. I had it on my birthday in 1979, 34 years to the day after the end of the war in Europe.
In the dream I was in a room with many other people from other countries and for whatever reason I was standing with a representative of Canada. Go figure.
I was explaining the problems with adjusting the masses and their thinking to a new paradigm since a large portion of the population had never known anything but Communism and even those that had been in Germany during Hitler and before had a distorted perspective on the role of the individual in society. In that conversation was the key: I remember saying to the Canadian that they have not known anything but Communism for nearly 44 years.
I discussed the dream with my American Foreign Policies professor at UT Austin. His response was polite but along the lines that he thought that the dream was unlikely to happen. I wonder if he even remembers the conversation. He may have believed that I had lost it, completely or else I was an idealist with a personal agenda. I wonder what he thinks now, like it matters. I did nothing with the gift of my premonition, if it was even that.
So in the early 1980's there were maybe the two world leaders and a handful of faithful supporters/advisors that knew and expected that Communism would collapse. And then there was at least me, and however many others that had similar dreams of feelings that the world was about the change. There are always a few lunatics that have a vision or a dream. Some of them are even stupid enough to have told it to some others, while yet others are brave enough to pursue their feelings or beliefs with a vigor that defies all naysayers. John Paul II was a remarkable man of clear insight and dedication to the ideals that he cherished.
Maybe during the course of this week, or even this month actually the practice of Catholicism will be to the forefront so that the masses might have some passing interest in it or might be curious about the origins of this faith to which 1.1 billion people in this world claim to cling. Personally I have never understood Catholicism but then I was never raised in that variant of the faith. My folks believed that you could pray directly to God, Jesus or anyone else in Heaven without an intercessor. You could apologize for your transgressions directly not needing to confess them to someone else who would tell; you that sort of punishment you deserved as a means of 'working off' the sin.
I don't know there is a lot about Catholicism that I do not understand and I will be so arrogantly ignorant to judge it. I am sure that dunking someone in a river as my parent's believes was right is a little bizarre too although, according to Scripture it was the way that Jesus was baptized.
What I believe is that the recently departed Pope may have turned the young back toward the faith and that even in his passing there may be many that will take up the practice or return to the practice of religion. This may be his true legacy and if it comes to pass, then he is worthy of the admiration of the world.
Amongst his peer group of world leaders he was one of the few that always stood by his convictions. That is a rare attribute. For that alone he is above the fray and a rare if not singular sort of leader. In fact a lot of what he did turns out to be pretty rare. I think it is just that he was around when there was trouble that gave people in despair a lot of courage. His smile and reassurance alone could grant them the desire to carry on. He was a shining example to emulate and a beacon for guidance and direction.
Whether he deserves to be canonized is a matter that I am hardly qualified to give opinion except to say from what all that I have ever been taught whenever a godly person dies they are already a saint. I suppose the process and procedure of man must be followed before it can be official. Saint John Paul II the Great is an awfully long title for someone to bear. If he watching and in some quarters this is the belief, he is probably laughing at a lot of this attention and wondering why we are completely missing the point. We are mourning his passing and celebrating his life but even while we are doing this we yet allow the very things that he stood against to prevail in this world.
Is the world better because he was alive when he was alive? Answer YES.
Has anything that he fought to change really changed? YES, somewhat.
Was there anything that was left for others to do? YES, many things.
Pope John Paul II, whether Great, Saint or both, rest in peace, a peace that is greatly deserved. Even though I am a protestant, you drew my attention toward the causes that you personalized and for that alone I respect you. You did not seem to care what faith someone had so much as that he or she had faith.
I fear now that your shoes are too large to fill and your shadow to great for anyone to readily emerge. I feel blessed that I have lived in the age to witness your example. You were a great shepherd and after all can any man desire to be anything other that that?
Go in peace and ascend to the glory in Heaven that you deserve.
Humbly,
E
Regarding China's Influences on Asian Cultures
Every once in a while I end up in a discussion with someone who begins stating a lot of opinions as if they were facts or at least first hand observations. A few days ago I was in such discussion regarding China.
I sometimes discuss China but not all that often. Those who do not know me or have not been reading the blog for a while may not know that not only did I live and work in Asia for a while in the 1980's, I also speak Chinese Mandarin. I have the utmost respect for the culture and history of the entire region and perhaps know a good deal more about China than even some native Chinese. As there is quite a lot to know, I do not profess to know everything. Chinese culture is rich and the history predates the times when my Caucasian ancestors were still bands of hunters in the great forests of Europe or still cave dwellers.
The western name 'China' come from the Mandarin 'Zhi Na'. (Pronounced more like Djur Na) In some sub-dialects of Mandarin the pronunication fla ttens enough that the retroflexive tongue is moved closer to the palate producing a sound that might be mistaken as a 'Chi'. (pronounced more like Chur)
Indochina comes from Yindu Zhina - the combining of the word Yin Du, the Chinese rendering of Hindu and Zhi Na, meaning China.
The characters Zhi and Na are less seldom used in China in reference to the nation. Chgina is usually expressed as Zhong Guo, Zhong meaning middle and Guo meaning kingdom. In Chinese tradition, the Han peoples of whom the modern day Chinese descended occupied the center most point of the metaphysical as well as physical universe. In this ethnocentric model of the world, China was the middle or source of everything.
Besides the early developments of astronomy, language, silk, gun powder and noodles, the Chinese culture is perhaps best known as the ancient originator of what are today's martial arts disciplines. Almost the entire spectrum of techniques owe back the Shao Lin priests and their study of balance and harmony in nature as a means of immitating the movement of animals and a means of effectively defending ones self in battle. For example, the 'Snake Technique' is generally credited as the origin of Japanese Karate. Legend has it that a Japanese monk 'borrowed' a scroll depicting the entire snake technique from a Shao Lin temple. The Korean forms of Tai Kwon Do and Tang Su Do are also heavily based on the Shao Lin sect's Gung Fu. (often anglicized as Kung Fu)
Despite the Western view that the variety of Asian cultures and peoples come from one source, this is probably far from the truth. Although China has had a predominance of influence throughout the region, most notable in written langauge, each of the Asian cultures appear to have devloped differently over time. Such unifying forces as Budhism, Confuscianism and Taoism notwithstanding, there are distinct cultural dissimilarities between the various people of Asia. The differences are at times stirking.
For example the modern Korean language uses an alphabet developed in the 16th century but the underlying structures of sentence construction are more akin to middle Eastern languages than Chinese. Despite the use of Chinese Characters in formal, legal language, the Korean language does not rely upon Chinese sentense constructions. The character appear to be borrowed in isolated substitution for what would otherwise be written out in the Hangul alphabet. This leads many to suggest that the Korean people developed along a unique and distinct plath, a concept that seems to support the creation myths in Korean tradition. The existence of totums on the Korean Peninsula suggests that American Eskimos and the Native Americans of the northwestern United States and western Canada may share a origin with the Korean people.
The structure of the Japanese language also suggests only the passing influence of Chinese, perhaps as the result of trade and military conquest more than cultural or social derivation. There are some Chinese Characters that have been adopted into the formal Japanese language but this may be even less a sign of origin than in the Korean example. Sometimes the meaning of the Chinese character is greatly different than the meaning attributed in the Chinese language.
Prior to the introduction of the French Alphabet, the Vietnamese relied heavily on Chinese characters even though the language was different enough in sentense construction to cast doubt on its derivation from Cantonese, as some have suggested. The similarity the usage of a tonal inflections to change meaning of a similar sound might have been borrowed from Chinese and adoptyed into the Vietnamese language but it is clear enough that the vietnamese do not speak a language that is similar to any dialect of Chinese.
