Diem Carpe

What's your favorite catchphrase?

Can you think of any t-shirts from back in the day sporting phrases such as "Where's the Beef?", or "Frankie Say RELAX"?

I can think of one.

Let's do the running-man back to 1989.

Amidst the high school conformity of Z. Cavarrici pants, Zodiac shoes, and New Kids On The Block tunes, a brave soul decided to flash the Latin.

Black t-shirt, white font. Two words. Carpe Diem.

"What is this 'Carpe Diem'?" I asked.

The girl, dressed in black and doing her best to look disinterested in the guy wearing overalls and his game-day football jersey, drawls, "From The Dead Poets Society". And then to punctuate my ignorance, "You know, seize the day?"

She goes back to writing down her favorite Depeche Mode lyrics, and seizing some yawns while I try to wrestle with this foriegn phrase. When I end up watching the movie, it all comes clear. From then on, I hear the phrase 'Carpe Diem' thrown around like a beachball at a concert. What a great platitude I think. Better to sieze the day then let the day sieze you.

Cabbage-patch your way to twenty years later, and find me watching DPS again.

I still agree with the basic tenets. Live abundantly. Live extraordinary. Challenge convention.

However, it doesn't mention the fact that sometimes, the day just seizes you.

Waking up at 4:30 in the morning the other day to find my wife doubled over in pain and asking me to take her to the emergency room doesn't give time for day-siezing.

We are guaranteed to be caught off-guard. We are guaranteed to find our best efforts still lacking. We are guaranteed to have a limited perspective.

I don't think there's anything wrong with planning your course, as long as God is given the task of determining the steps.

Twenty years later, I have a new catchphrase.

Carpe Dei. Seize God. Hold on to him.

Wear Him like a t-shirt.

The Acorn Scandal

I want to tell you about some dastardly deeds going on. I find them highly offensive. I can't believe it's been allowed to go on this long. There must be a stop to it.

Some squirrels have decided to band together and knock acorns out of the tree in our front yard recently. These acorns have fallen on our driveway. With no thought about it, Jess and I have backed our cars out of the garage and crushed these acorns. They have left a mark on the concrete that screams for power-washing. These squirrels just cost us some hard-earned money.

The squirrels aren't fessing up to it. In fact, I think they blame us for noticing them and not cleaning them up in time. I've asked the squirrels to stop, but they seem defiant. Some of the squirrels try to say "not all squirrels are like this".

We know better. Where there are acorns, there are squirrels to push them out of trees.

My only hope is for this recent DFW monsoon to wash away some of the mark left by these incomprehensible acts.

I hope to rest from this controversy soon, relax, and find out what's going on in the news today.

Drop your sword

Basic Training Tuesdays aren't going to happen.

I don't have much to say about writing this week. Let's say the seat is empty for now. Kind of like the followers and the comments portion of this page. In better news, my wife Jessica released her blog this week and it blew up on its first day. Way to go, Homegirl.

If anyone is reading this, make sure to tell all your friends, your enemies, and your friends' enemies about the happenings at journeymark.

Today, I would like to talk about the Dread Pirate Roberts. If like me, you have ingested the movie The Princess Bride (at one time considered the crown-jewel of date movies in my circles) countless times, you are no doubt aware of a couple of intricacies of a DPR.

He:

1.) is always close to Floren this time of year

2.) is nine feet tall and on fire when storming castles

3.) will take no survivors

4.) has come for your souls

5.) is not real

Look again at the last one on the list. The DPR is a scam, a fast-one, a hoodwink, a figment of worst imaginations. Played out in the movie, the DPR is hilariously used for storming a castle, exacting revenge and saving true love. We see the power of the DPR. After all, it's not easy for 2 people and 1 giant to bust into a castle guarded by "tirty" men with only a wheelbarrow, a holocaust cloak, and fire listed amongst their assets. Once in motion, the DPR is one bad rolling ball of fiery mojo when believed in.

In real life, soul-stealing, no-prisoner-taking DPRs aren't so funny.

I've seen a DPR rumbling toward me recently. As Jess and I wade through the possible reality of infertility and uncertainty about becoming parents, we face a void we can't fill on our own.

I've seen other DPRs also threaten the lives of those around me lately, taking no survivors while trying to destroy relationships, feed addictions, and present tasks which seem insurmountable.

However, what I like better than a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich (especially when the mutton is nice and lean) is the fact God extinguishes the flames of the DPR when we seek safety in his presence.

After all, He:

1.) is always near us

2.) is infinitely large

3.) made us survivors

4.) came for our souls

5.) is very real

As for those DPRs headed toward you today, God says, "To the pain."

Pride and Wretchedness

This is supposed to be Basic Training Tuesday. I've changed my mind. Talk to my editor. Oh yeah, that's me

With the healthcare debate in full frazzle, it seems a responsible government spending plan away until Dems and Repubs gather around the fire to sing "Friends are Friends Forever".

Ain't no doubt, skirmishes abound these days.

So, when I saw this offering at the bookstore the other day, I couldn't help smelling the unfamiliar scent of fur and wool as a lion cozied up with a lamb.

I was reminded peace can be had, and yes, you can mix Jane Austen with zombies.

Let me preface. I'm no hater of Jane Austen. I can't say I've read her works. I have seen some of the movies based on her books with my wife (who has read her books), and I have to say, not bad. Depth of character, witty dialogue and chivalry in a story are a nice escape from the abundance of crass, cliched stories that appear in many bookstores and theatres today.

But, if I mention my appreciation for Jane Austen to a group of guys, I'm sure my manhood might be called into question. I might be forced to watch Tombstone or The Dirty Dozen repeatedly while eating chicken wings. I might have to defend my honor and challenge someone to a duel. Once again, skirmishes abound.

Thankfully, author Seth Grahame-Smith has penned this olive branch which is sure to unite Jane-lovers and haters.

What better way to unite two distinct readers than inviting them to join Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as they destroy zombies along their way to finding true love?

I haven't read the book, but I imagine this small scene:

Mr. Darcy gazed at her with his doe-brown eyes.

"You have bewitched me heart and soul," he said.

Elizabeth, stunned by his confession, could only close her eyes and feel her lips sail in his direction. Her feet drifted on air until she was startled by Darcy's gutteral yell. Her eyes flew open to see her love pivot and stab another zombie through with his umbrella. His cloak never looked so smashing.

Speaking of smashing, I'm sure a pianoforte gets trashed in the novel somewhere.

Basic Training Tuesday

I'm experimenting with posting a consistent blog entry each Tuesday.
I've been second-guessing some material I've written and almost got to the point of trashing it all.

It helps to refocus and remember the basics. Here's my bootcamp basic for the week.

#1.) Know why you are writing

Back up the truck if needed, look at the road again, get your bearings. Are you steering your story off a cliff of cliches, predictable plotlines, and cardboard characters? Has finishing the story become more important than telling a story? Wasn't telling a story the reason you began writing in the first place?

One of my favorite attention-getting openings to a book comes from Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life in which he starts off with "It's not about you."

Try infusing some purpose-driven writing. It's not about you (unless it's an auto-biography or memoir, perhaps). It's about the story. Tell it.

Now drop down and give me fifty pages.

Building Character

When thinking about some of my favorite characters from books, television, film, I notice I seem to like those with a good degree of complexity.

Some examples:

Star Wars: Luke? No, I'll take Han.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn? Nope. Boramir. He's a haunted dude.

Les Miserables: Valjean? I'd like to pick his redeemed brain after I challenge him to an arm wrestle, but I really want to know what makes Javert tick beneath his Arby's-looking hat.

I like the characters with their humanity on display. Give me a character without flaw, and I'll give you a yawn in return.

I find when writing characters into existence, I have to be careful not to like the character too much at first. I may want to sing his praises and it will show in the writing. The last thing I want is for a reader to say, "Wow, this author really likes this character. He hasn't let me stop knowing it since page 1."

I see the need to spend time identifying the flaws of my character-to-be. What was their childhood like? Do they have annoying habits? Do they have six fingers on their right hand? What will make them deep enough to sink into for a few hours?

A bit of time answering these questions ought to lead to a well-formed character who doesn't stink of carbon copy ink.

Who are some of your favorite characters?

Do you prefer those with a few scars on their less-than-perfect faces?

Thoughts Rowling Around In My Head

From a recent article about the final two Harry Potter movies:

Author Rowling has said she was devastated after finishing the final "Harry Potter" book, which was published in July 2007 by Scholastic Corp in the United States and Bloomsbury Publishing elsewhere in the world.

Rowling has also remained involved throughout the making of the films, reading scripts before shooting begins and offering suggestions

(Director David Yates) "She's really gracious, she's not territorial. She kind of recognizes the challenges of adapting (a book for a film) and she's really sympathetic to that."

Three thoughts strike me:

1. The thought of completing a written work (or set of works) so dear to me, I grieve at the final keystroke. I'd like to know that feeling.

2. I would struggle with releasing my prized works to someone else and see those works take on a different form (with or without my involvement). I need work in that area. I guess it's my OCS (only-child syndrome) coming through. That's for a later post.

3. I'm reminded of the grief of Jesus at the cross where he declared his work finished. I'm thankful for his involvement, grace, and sympathy while he lets me play a part in the greater result of telling his story

Rowling fan or not, kudos to an author who can invest and divest themselves from their cherished work for the greater result, in this case, a cinematic thrill reaching wider audiences.

As to the author of life, giving up your one and only son so we might live, eternal thanks.

Expellipostus.