I would like to reiterate for a second what my blog is about. I have enjoyed reading since I've been sober on weekends. I was searching for a good story that wasn't in the best seller lists or by the authors I was already familiar with. I also didn't want to waste my time on an uninteresting novel. I've heard of the 1001 before you die series via Sami who was checking off her "1001 Places to See Before You Die" while hanging out with my wife's family in Oregon. I saw "1001 Books to Read Before You Die", picked a book to read, enjoyed it, read another one, enjoyed that and it snowballed from there. I decided from there that this might be fun challenging myself to read as many as I can throughout my lifetime and some stories just gets me itching to talk about it. GM guys can care less talking about books and my wife will go nuts listening to me talk about 1001 novels. There you go. Enjoy. Feel free to share your thoughts too.
When I think about the experiences in my past the memories that immediately jump out are the one that have had a major impact on how I am today. I will never try to climb from one tree limb to another by hanging onto a thin white clothes line. Especially when there are roots sticking out of the ground like sharks waiting to almost break my back. Then there was the scare of '99, as I like to call it now, when I thought I was going to be a daddy with a woman I'd rather have not gotten pregnant. False alarm. Oddly enough that event scared the Jesus into me. The time my dad called me out asking me what my intentions are with my girlfriend, now my wife. I respond I don't know. We are just hanging out. He threatens to call her and tell her to move back to Oregon and not waste her time with me. I believe it was only a few months later I proposed. Best decision I was swayed into making. Thanks Dad.
The story of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a collection of memories from a tom-boyish, intelligent, inquisitive and at times oppositional girl name Jean Louis (better known as Scout) over a three year span in a small town in Macomb, Alabama during the Depression. I couldn't help picturing my mom as a child while reading this book. Looking up what 6 year old children are experiencing psychologically in Psychology Today the first few paragraphs explain how they are beginning to find their place in the world and learning that their choices have consequences. Not only that, but they still look to authority figures, especially their parents, to guide them when they need help in making the best decisions. This rings true in this story. Scout is gathering information from many different sources, from her neighbors to the poor folks down yonder, but the most important is her widowed father, Atticus Finch. He is always there to shed light for Scout and her brother Jem about the behavior of others and how to conduct themselves. He also gives a snippet of sage-like advice about how to get along in the world in which we live. Not only does he talk the talk, he walks the walk.
Central to the story is the trial between Tom Robinson (a black man) vs. Bob Ewell (a white man). Tom Robinson has been accused of attacking and raping Mayella Ewell (daughter of Bob Ewell). Atticus Finch, a lawyer, was chosen by the courts to defend Tom. Atticus knew his client was innocent based on the given facts, but living in a small racially ignorant town getting an innocent verdict would be hard to come by no matter the truth. However, he felt it was his moral duty to follow through with defending his client with the utmost effort in spite of the harassment he and his family had to endure from the town and his extended family.
Throughout the narrative Atticus treated everyone with steadfast respect while his children, showing less self control, retaliated. When his two kids complain about what others are saying he responds, "You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anyone says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat", "The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience", and "Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?”.
Can I be honest here? My wife and I have discussed the topic of the woman's "Ugly, Messy, Monthly thing I refer to as "The DEAL". Like what's your deal!?? I will never understand what you ladies go through. It's biological. It's painful. When my wife is a little bit more chippy than usual with me knowing that "The DEAL" is occurring I can retaliate because I have the right to defend myself, but understanding that what she is going through isn't fun I choose to be respectful because I know I shouldn't respond harshly but lovingly. I then ask her, even though she has every right to be upset and angry with me or the kids to try to react likewise. Does this sound insensitive? In the case of Atticus Finch he tells his kids just this. You have all the right to respond with hate but what will that accomplish? To treat others in kind with love and respect do you think that will produce more positive results than with fists? Isn't this GRACE in action? I know I digressed a little here but I hope you follow my thought process.
Throughout the novel Scout's respect for her father slowly increases. She initially viewed her father as a loving, intelligent, sit on his chair and read the paper, oblivious to her and Jem's antics, passive, adult. As time passed her opinion changed. When it came to Boo Radley he knew their mischievous plans to get their mysterious neighbor man to come out of hiding in his house countless times. Her views on his passivity was eventually seen as a greater inner strength and more awareness of others situations. The critical witch of a woman Mrs. Dubose who's continuous ridicule towards Scout and Jem in regards to Atticus for his role in the defense of Tom Robinson was later revealed as a symptom of her fight against her addiction to pain killers. Atticus explains to them, "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." In the case of Mrs. Dubose she won in the end. She had real courage until the day she died. When Tom Robinson was jailed before the trial Scout and Jem witnessed Atticus' strong opposition to allow a threatening group of townspeople in. Both events would definitely impact my opinion of my father in a positive way.
The most profound feeling I got from reading this novel is how our everyday decisions no matter big or small can change the course of history. The trial may have ended on a bad note, the strong character of Atticus did rub off on a few people especially his kids. He knew it would be a miracle to get Tom Robison off on this crime but he had to do the right thing. Do you believe in the butterfly effect? That a flutter of it's wings can have a ripple effect that can impact the other side of the world. Something so minute. Sometimes I want my life to have some grand significance. Maybe I could talk to a friend about their alcoholic habits and my words, guidance or life would change his life. A woman talking about getting an abortion that I can tell her that this child is alive, give it up for adoption, or call her a murderer would be enough to help her see the light. Man I would be a saint if I could save a life. I would often think about those times in my life where I made a difference. But what about the time I just sat down to talk to a friend or co worker who seemed down on his luck. I just listened to him talk. Would that make it in my greatest hits? Maybe when I just opened the door for a woman entering a store. Who cares about that right? Sometimes the small things make the biggest difference. Why? Because we are being selfless. We are not looking for praise. To get a check mark for doing something good. God has to love me now. I saved a person.
I will just ask to whomever cares to think about our behavior at each moment if our butterfly effect will cause a ripple in time in a positive way or negative. Be nice to a customer even if they don't deserve it. The guy that cut you off while driving. Don't give them the finger. Maybe nobody sees you do it. Does that matter? Even our hidden sins don't go unnoticed. Not necessarily by God but we change even with the sins we never show others.
