I’m Speaking Tongues As Though I Mean Something

CONTAINS SPOILERS I have started a new book for my book club: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  To be honest, I chose this book on a whim. I actually did judge a book by its cover (oh the horror!). However, this book is very well-written in that addicting way that you can only begrudgingly put it down. Khaled Hosseini intrigued me as an author because I know he's written award-winning books before, like The Kite Runner. I recognized the name on the cover from an excerpt we read in class, and I knew it was going to be a good book.  However, what intrigued me the most about this book wasn't the author or even the quality of writing, but the topic. I went into this book essentially blind, expecting something quick and forgettable. Now, at about one hundred pages in, I can tell I will not forget it.  As an avid reader, there is always a moment where you just know what the tone and the caliber of the novel will be. For me, this happened when Mariam found her mother...

 After watching this TED Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/dexter_dias_racism_thrives_on_silence_speak_up), I was reminded of a conversation I had with one of my friends recently. In the aftermath of George Floyd's death with protests all around the country, and even a pretty sizeable one here in Troy, many people felt there was going to be real, systematic change in how society views race. However, even as soon as July, these protests, media coverage, and even posts on social media died off.  Media is integral to how we think and act, what's on our minds, and the conversations we have with friends and family. The reason for the wave of change was largely due to the widespread media coverage of George Floyd's death and the related protests. It forced many white people, myself included, to confront the world of privilege they reside in. Resources were spread about how to be anti-racist, what language to use, and how to use privilege for good.  For a while, I didn't want to...

 Ever since I heard this song over the summer this year, it has meant a lot to me. This is a beautiful song, not only in its lyrics but musically as well. It is well worth a listen. Tired and worn from the patterns I've carved I will do better in the morning I'm afraid of who I'd be without you I will do better in the morning This beginning line is an introduction to Zach's feelings, this sense that he's in a cycle and is too afraid to leave it for the fear of what comes after. "I will do better in the morning" is a mantra he repeats throughout the song, one that I have said to myself time after time, making this a very personal song for me. It tells me that even though it may seem bad now, there's always a new light, a new day for things to be better. Twisting up smokes, I'm in control Til the fire burns out my miniature vacation But I'm always left with the taste in my mouth I will do better in the morning This is in reference to him smoking,...

       Recently I've been re-watching (read: binging at a probably unhealthy rate) the reboot of Doctor Who. Watching so many episodes back to back, I noticed a theme cropping up all over the place. Often, either the villains or the Doctor himself will say something along the lines of "If you [do this], then aren't you just the same as [villain]?" This is a question that I've been thinking about for the last few days.     Obviously, the real world isn't one of Daleks and Cybermen, of the TARDIS and fantastic adventures around the universe. But underneath those sweeping, broad declarations about morality, there's something that can be applied even to the smallest of situations.      This effect is shown on the macro level to make it more easily digestible for audiences. By the Daleks comparing themselves to the Doctor, the viewers can se e that not everything one thinks is right is actually the morally correct course of action. But where do we...

  "Turn Out Right" by Hala is the inspiration for my blog title. Red Herring is my favorite album currently.

     One of the main reasons I picked The Association of Small Bombs as my book club book was because it was so different from everything I have experienced. Growing up as a privileged American girl, this world of terrorism and loss is very foreign to me. The characters in this book treat the initial bombing as though it is a normal experience, aside from the death of the two boys. That people will just pick themselves up and move on as though nothing happened. This idea is so strange to me, that people could treat the death of many by a violent act as a run-of-the-mill event.     Recently, there was a shooting in my neighborhood. Nine shots were fired into the garage of the house as a targeted attack. No one was hurt, thankfully, but it made local news on multiple news outlets. But even in nearby cities, where events like this are more common, an event like this could be easily overlooked by news outlets. The fact that people go through daily lives with dangero...