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.
16 comments:
I agree with Michael :)
And I love how you make deep connections instead of passively taking in history-breaking moments!
I saw the title of this post and thought, "There is one?" But lo, there is...and of course you'd be the one to notice it! And on a Phelps-ish note, I was in an office this morning, and after the clerk-lady got done being all official in a grouchy sort of way, she relaxed and remarked, "So Phelps got an eighth." Wheee!
I thought of you during last night's final relay... :)
Methinks I too would be a nice guy that everyone could love if I was making 5 million dollars a year in endorsements. And that was before he won his medals, so I think his salary will climb! Not that I'm envious or anything... I also have been avidly following his pursuit.
Update!
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I mean, Please, of course...
I love you!
And I actually read this thing, you know!?
And I'm having a lot of fun harassing you with comments...
I wanted to say this before, but I thought I'd at least give you a full month...
How about "The Red Sox - Medieval English Lit Connection" or something like that?
Something like "Willy, Willy, Harry, Steve..." Hmm, let's see... How about "Becket, DK, Tim, Ortiz," or something along those lines?
hee-hee-hee-hee
Okay, I'll go away and leave you alone now : )
Hahaha... WoW Grettie! I'm wicked impressed with your attempt at a "Red Sox - Eng. Lit. connection"! :)
Hahahaha! Thanks, KJ : ) Of course I didn't even know that many players' names, so I had to Google it, and then spent awhile trying to come up with a combination of names that were both familiar and had the right meter : )
Hee hee hee - you're the best! :) Right now I have no internet at my house... Sooooo you'll have to wait a leeeetle bit longer. But I do have it in mind occasionally. I even drafted a post for when the internet returns!
Hurray!!!
: )
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