The Michael Phelps - 19th c American Lit Connection

I have been enjoying the Olympics immensely, as I do every time. My sleeping habits are ridiculous, but hey, they only happen every 4 years! (Well, every 2, but you know what I mean.) I've found the Michael Phelps story the most exciting - especially with the 4X1 relay and last night's 100 Butterfly. Oy vay!! It's awesome to see someone going after excellence the way he is - and it's awesome that he seems like a nice person instead of some show-off that you secretly hope will fail. Go Phelps!

But you know what I think is the coolest? I love that in order to break the Mark Spitz record he has to depend, to some degree, on his teammates. He couldn't have tied it without Lezak and that incredible come-back against the French. And he won't be able to break it without the help of his teammates in tonight's relay. I think that's awesome.

Instead of the individual doing it completely on his own, there is a dependence on his fellow man.

It brings back American Lit class with Dr. Barbour. Franklin and Emerson had this exalted idea of the individual, and how he could do anything he wanted to, and be as perfect as he wanted to, on his own strength.

Melville, Poe, and Hawthorne begged to differ. Their writing shows the weaknesses and sin of the individual, highlighting the need for fellowship and for something beyond himself to save him.

As I sat in class, and heard that some people believed you could never really connect with your fellow man, I was scared. I decided to side with the Melville, Poe and Hawthorne school of thought because I desperately wanted it to be true that "We are connected to our fellow man by a thousand natural fibers" (Melville).

But then I realized that I didn't have to wish they were right... they were right! God created us for fellowship as part of the Body of Christ! I was so relieved.

And in Phelps' quest for the most gold medals in a single Olympics there is a picture of that.

Man cannot make it on his own. He needs God most of all, obviously (which, after the butterfly last night, I'm inclined to think Phelps has! Haha). But he also needs his fellow man. Coooool!

As I was saying this in a condensed and unrelated-to-American-Lit form to Gretchen, she said, "Andrea, you're cute." I was indignant.

"I am NOT cute!" I protested. "I'm..." and I searched for the right philosophical/literary term to describe my insight.

"Adorable!" Michael piped up.

Hee hee hee. Yeah. That's right.

We Went to Maine

This year's family vacation was to Maine! We spent three days up there, sightseeing and yardsaling. Way fun!

Wednesday was Pike's Island day. We went to Casco Bay, and took a ferry out to the island. We then started gallivanting about on foot. Yes, foot. It turns out the island is a lot bigger in real life than it was on the piece of paper. We were mighty weary by the end. But it was well worth it, and we saw some beeeooootiful views.



That night we stayed in a wicked nice hotel that Mom had somehow secured for free (some credit card points thing?). She's amazing. We were very impressed with it. And had fun relaxing there that evening.



Thursday we saw some sweet lighthouses and Longfellow's childhood home! It was awesome! My favorite lighthouse name was definitely Bug Light. Haha.



But Longfellow's home was my favorite part. I learned lots, and officially love Longfellow. I enjoyed celebrating his two hundredth birthday last year with my students, and I can't wait to tell them I saw his house!



Friday was yardsaling day and I made out like a bandit! I found everything from school supplies, to lit books, to brand new JJill clothes, to a wastebasket for the living room in our apartment. Yahoooo! Also fun was meeting the Randalls, who were also yardsaling:) Yay!



Maine was officially great! (Which reminds me of a conversation Craig and I just had, which reminds me to rejoice all over again that CRAIG IS HOME!!!!!)