Being Unapolgetically Me

For real though.

For the past couple of months, I’ve been doing the online dating thing.  I’ve had mostly mixed feelings so far, and am thinking of taking a break from it for a little while once March is over.  It’s not that I have anything against online dating.  I have several friends and family members who met their significant others that way, and are very happy.  I’ve just never been good at non-face-to-face interactions, so this whole experience has been way out of my comfort zone, and quite frankly exhausting.

My lack of game and smoothness online is not the point of this post, though.  As uncomfortable as this process has made me, it has also made me very aware of a few things about myself.  Today in particular, I had a very major epiphany moment.  I realized that when interacting with potential romantic partners, there were some things about myself that I hesitated to tell them.  One of these things, notably, was my career.  I would intentionally put off telling the guys I talked to that I was a campus minister.  Why?  In all honesty, it’s because I didn’t want them to jump to any conclusions or draw on any stereotypes they might have for that type of job and apply them to me.  I was scared of being judged for doing something I love.  And I do LOVE my ministry.  I love it and I am proud of it.  I worked hard to get my degree and find my job, and I was lucky enough to find a position that was exactly what I wanted to do in the area I wanted to be in.  In summary: my career rocks, and anyone who wants to try and judge me for it can suck it.

That’s easy to say now, after my epiphany moment earlier today.  It wasn’t just my job, though.  There were other, more personal things and choices I’ve made that I was scared I would be judged for.  I was scared if a guy learned some of these things, he would bolt and I’d never find love.  I’d end up alone, with twelve cats, living in a cabin in the woods and wearing floral nightgowns everyday (yeah…I’ve thought pretty carefully about this).  So, to avoid this fate, I hid things about myself and hoped I could get a guy to fall for me before he needed to know any of my “secrets.”

That was stupid.  I was being so incredibly stupid, and worse yet, I was chipping away at my self-esteem bit by tiny bit.  Self-esteem I’d spent years building up, but that was still fairly delicate.  It wasn’t until one particular conversation, where I was dodging questions out of fear of revealing one of my “secrets” that I realized how totally idiotic I was being.  I have nothing to be ashamed of, about any of the choices I’ve made, and what’s more, I’m not sorry for any of them.  So why should I be afraid to be totally honest with the guys I was talking to?  Didn’t I want to be with someone who accepted me for who I was, what I did, and what I valued?  Did I really want to be with someone who didn’t accept me for who I really was?  Someone I had to change myself to be with?

No.  Hell no.  I’d rather be single.

That’s when the epiphany really hit.  I have no reason to hide anything about myself from anyone.  I’m not ashamed of myself, I’m not embarrassed by what I do.  I’m good at what I do, and I’m proud of who I am.  If a guy is scared off by anything that I bring to the table, that’s his problem, not mine.  Dating in the adult world is hard enough without pretending to be someone I’m not, or wasting time with people who don’t actually like me.  So, I’m going to keep at it, but I’m not going to play games.  I’m going to be honest.  I’m going to be myself.  Maybe I’ll find someone, maybe I won’t.  However I end up, though, I’m going to be me, and I’m not going to apologize for it.

Have you ever held part of yourself back in a relationship because you were afraid of rejection?  Are you lucky enough to have someone who does accept everything about you?  Tell me about it in the comment section below.  The good, the bad…we all have stories to tell.

Until next time,

Erin B.

Because I like to end on a laugh.  P.S. if anyone throws any of these your way, online or in person, RUN!

On Being In Love

Hello loyal Her/Story readers!  It’s been a long time, I know, but life has been crazy the past few months with new job, new city, and new adult life.  But I’m back, and today, I want to talk about love.  Yes, I’ve posted about it before, several times in fact, in several of its many forms.  I’ve talked about how we should love each other as Jesus did, what real love feels like (glorious, painful, terrifying, and exciting), and that there are all types of love.  Let’s face it, love is a favorite subject of mine.  I’ve always been fascinated by the concept.  I read about it, write about it, talk about it, and try to understand it.  I’ve written all my past posts, specifically in regards to romantic love, mostly from an observatory standpoint because I’ve never been in love.  At least…I don’t think I have.  Recently, the question of whether or not I’ve ever been in love has been on my mind a lot.  Before we get to into that, however, a little bit of background first.  In an attempt to branch out and break out of my comfort zone as a part of my new adult life, I’ve started the online dating thing.  It took a lot of convincing from friends and family, but I finally got myself a profile and have started to intentionally look for someone to fall in love with.  I’ve never done this kind of thing before (intentionally seek out a relationship), and it’s made me really wonder what it’s like to fall in love.  It’s also made me really wonder if maybe I’ve already been in love, but didn’t recognize what I was feeling.  I never thought so before, but now I’m not so sure.  I’ve never been in a relationship before, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never had feelings for anyone.  Could some of those feeling have ever been love?  How do you know if you’re in love?  Can you fall in love with someone you’re not in a relationship with?  How do you know if you’re falling in love with someone you are in a relationship with?  These, and different variations of these questions have been racing through my head for the past few weeks.  So, ever the inquiring mind, I took to the streets to try and find some answers.  And by streets, I mean mostly Facebook and some texting.  I asked several people who I knew to be in love, or to have ever been in love before, how it was they knew what they were feeling.  The answers I received were thoughtful and honest, and there were a few similarities among almost all of them that I was able to pick out.  Put together, I think they offer very helpful insight into how people fall in love, and how you can tell if you might be on your way to jumping off the deep end yourself.

Among many of the people I spoke with, a common occurrence I found was that people had said the words “I love you” in previous relationships without really understanding what that meant.  A few maintained that they did feel some form of love in those situations, but it wasn't necessarily the type of love that you can build a life on.  It wasn't until they had actually fallen in love that they realized the times they had thought themselves in love before were really more diluted experiences of the emotion.  They loved, but weren't necessarily in love.  Love is a spectrum, and it takes many forms.  Oftentimes, we do not realize exactly where on the spectrum we fall, and this is especially true when we are young and not that experienced in love.  To those I talked to, many found that as they matured and were able to better understand who they were as an individual, it became much easier for them to understand when they were truly and deeply in love with someone, and what it was they needed from a steady and committed relationship.

 

A lot of people said that falling really in love was a slow build for them, and they didn't actually realize it was happening until it had already happened.  Some observed that when they finally said the words "I love you," it felt almost naturally because they'd had those feelings for so long, but hadn't fully understood what they'd meant.  Some resisted, some recognized what was happening, and some were surprised when they finally realized just how long they'd been falling in love.  Those who resisted did so mostly out of fear of being hurt, especially if they'd suffered similar pain in the past.  Yet in the end, though it may have taken them a little longer than most, when they finally admitted to being in love, it freed them to be even more open and genuine with their significant other.  Several people also answered me by saying that they realized they were in love because they missed the other person in a way they'd never missed anyone before, to the point of aching.  Some would come away from Skyping or talking on the phone with their significant other with huge smiles that they couldn't fight. 

One person's story in particular stood out to me, because she was reflecting on a love that she wasn't sure was actually returned (at least at the time).  She told me she’d had feelings for someone for a long time, but never realized that what she was feeling was love.  In fact, she adamantly denied that what she was in love, even when other people would point it out to her.  When she finally acknowledged what the emotion actually was, she described it as a full body reaction that she’d never had towards anyone else.  Just thinking of him would make her chest ache, her heart pound, and her legs go a little numb.  He was the only person she'd ever thought of having a future with, and also the only guy who'd ever held her attention for very long.  While she wasn't really sure she was all the way in love with him, she eventually realized that she was definitely on that path.  

Finally, the majority of the people I talked to reported back the same thing: they could be their genuine selves with the other person.  They didn't have to hide any part of who they were, or try to adjust themselves to fit the other person's ideals.  In a few instances, people realized they were in love with their significant other because they were put in a vulnerable situation, but it didn't bother or frighten them that that one person was present to witness it.  As one individual put it, "love is finding somebody who not only accepts, but who also understands the weird in you...Love is mutual weirdness."

So, put together, what can all this tell us about falling in love, and knowing when we are really in love?  It tells us that people recognize the feeling at different points in their relationship, for different reasons.  It doesn't always strike like a lightning bolt out of nowhere.  A lot of the time, it's a natural build up over time.  Being in love, like really, really in love, can be complicated, confusing, and scary.  It can be unlike anything you've ever experienced before, and it can be ever-changing, evolving as you grow and mature as an individual and as a couple.  There might not be one right way to fall in love and be in love, but it seems to really be one of those experiences that you know its happening when it finally happens.

Until next time,
Erin B.    

Mostly because the whole series is on Netflix and I'm binge-watching it, one of the best, most love-filled moments from Friends :)

A Little Pocket of Hope

Sometimes the world sucks.  That’s just a fact of life.  And sometimes the world sucks so much that you are on the verge of losing all hope that there is anything in it that can give you any kind sense that humanity can do better.  You feel an almost bone-crushing despair at the state of the world and start to think, "What's the point?" when it comes to fighting for what you believe is right.  But then, something happens.  It can be a big something, like the Supreme Court finally hearing cases regarding same-sex marriage in the United States, acknowledging that this isn't something that is just going to go away, but is an issue of equality that cannot and should not be ignored.  Or, it can be something little, like the opening of a pregnancy center in a small town in Iowa that is actually trying to practices what it preaches about pro-life.  It’s the second hopeful something that I want to focus one in this post.  But before I actually begin, I have a confession to make.

I’m pro-life. 






Your reaction is probably:
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There, it's out there.  Now, before you jump on my case about feminist (which I do consider myself to be one) ideals and choices, let me actually explain what I mean when I say that I am pro-life.  What being pro-life means to me (and what I think it should mean for anyone who claims to be it) is that I am pro-guaranteeing a quality of life for everyone, which includes at least the basic comfort and needs of survival without question, as well as preserving lives.  Pro-life should not only mean anti-abortion, but should include being anti-death penalty and pro-affordable health care for all, whatever that looks like.  For me (personally) it also means being pro-contraception in order to offer a better quality of life for all people (but that is a whole issue in and of itself that I won’t get into here).  It should (for everyone again) also mean having a respect for all the lives around you, no matter the gender, race, religion, sexuality, or class, and working to bring about a world that isn’t going to ignore people when they cry out for help. 

Sadly for many, it seems being pro-life has been reduced to merely meaning anti-abortion.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pro-abortion, but I understand it as an unfortunate solution that has developed because of a much deeper problem within society.  That problem is how our society approaches sex and sexuality, and specifically when attaching it to women and women’s health.   Let’s be honest, when a U.S. Senator, an individual who is educated and in the public forum, makes a claim saying women can’t get pregnant through “legitimate rape”, you know something really fucked-up is going on.  That’s about the time society as a whole should look at itself and say, “Hmmm…this is a problem.  We should fix this.  Do we actually know what we are talking about anymore?”  When people say that women get abortions because they just don’t want the baby, period, they are straight up wrong.  Yes, some abortions happen for that reason, but some happen because of rape or health, and a lot more happen because a woman (usually a young one) makes a mistake.  She and her partner didn’t really understand how much complexity there is in having sex, and then she didn’t have the resources or the support to do anything but terminate the pregnancy because society just decided that, “Your mess, you fix it”.  So while I am not necessarily pro-abortion (and I honestly don’t think many of my strong, independent, pro-choice feminist female friends think that abortion, at its root, is a good thing), I am pro-let’s-actually-look-at-these-issues-bringing-women-fully-into-the-conversation-so-we-can-figure-out-what-really-needs-to-happen-in-our-society-so-that-this-doesn’t-need-to-be-an-option-and-oh-yeah-Jesus.

 

Oh no, she brought Jesus into it.  Yeah, I did.  I went there.  You want to know why?  Because this is an issue religious people tend to have a lot to say about.  I get it.  I’m religious, I care about the issue, and I have some stuff to say about it.  What often happens, though, is that Churches, religious organizations, and the people who are apart of them focus their pro-life beliefs only on being anti-abortion.  But the actual problem doesn’t go away when the abortion clinic shuts down.  If you’re going to preach it, you have got to be prepared with something else to offer instead.  That is why when I cracked open my paper from back home the other day (yes, I get my hometown paper…shut up), I was pleasantly surprised to find an article about the Cornerstone for Life Pregnancy Resource Center that has just recently opened.

It’s a small operation so far, but hopes to expand its network of care within the near future.  Currently, the center offers pregnancy tests and counseling, and is forming counseling ministry for those women who have had abortions and seek such an outlet for their feelings towards the decision.  They also hope to partner with an adoption center, which gave me a bit of personal happiness.  There are a lot more things this center hopes to accomplish as it grows, but what it is ultimately offering is a support system.  It is a place for women who are unexpectedly pregnant, and don’t necessarily want to have to go the abortion route, to go and be a part of a community of people they can relate to and receive support from.  While I don’t know every detail about the center, just its existence gives me hope.  It shows that there are people in the world who aren’t just looking for a band-aid solution, but recognize a need for much more intentional involvement in solving the bigger problem.  And they are doing it while maintaining their faith, by not just preaching it but by actually going out and acting on it in a way that could be beneficial to society at large.  I pray that more religious people and Churches who preach the message of pro-life can look to this example of active faith.  That through this relatively small thing our world can get just a little bit better…a little more hopeful.  Does it give you a little more hope?  Let me know what you think. 

Bye for now!
Erin B.          

Here It Is: My Inevitable Catholic Post

Bye-bye Papa B.

As the token Catholic contributor to this blog, I knew this post was coming eventually.  Some of you probably did too.  So, here we go.  In the past few weeks there has been a lot of buzz about the resignation of the Pope.  And not all of it has been pleasant…or really even rational.  While I have not agreed with everything Benedict did as Pope, I am still offended when people attack him in a blatant, nasty, and uninformed manner.  There are definitely things about the Catholic Church that need to be worked on, and some things that need to be reconsidered and changed.  That doesn’t mean the Church doesn’t have anything to offer to the world…and that doesn’t mean that it’s not something worth fighting for.    

I’ve been asked plenty of times “Why are you Catholic?”  Not going to lie, I’m Catholic in large part because my parents raised me that way.  Honestly, that’s why a lot of people are Catholic.  They’re “culture Catholic”…don’t always go to Church, but still want to be a part of the group.  But for me, it’s more than a label I walk around having but don’t really do much with.  I’m Catholic because I find something beautiful in the tradition, the celebration, the structure, and the worldwide community that I’m apart of just for being Catholic.  I could go to any Catholic Church in the world, and even if the Mass wasn’t in English, I would still be able to understand what is happening for the most part.  There is a comfort in that kind of unification and connection.     

I’ve also been asked “Why do you stay Catholic?”  As I said, I recognize that there are some major issues within the Catholic Church.  The sexual abuse, and the way that the situations were sometimes handled, was really disgraceful.  Many clergy, however, were very adamant about new measures being adopted by the Church that would ensure the protection of children against such abuse, and many of the faithful called out those who tried to downplay or cover-up the situations.  On the more theological side of things, women’s ordination and general leadership within the Church is another major issue, and one that strikes especially close to home because I am a woman who is Catholic and studying to do ministry (non-ordained) within the Church.  This is something that I think truly does need to be reexamined because the theology and explanations defending male-only priesthood is, in my opinion, kind of weak and unconvincing.  Yet, I remain Catholic.  Gay marriage is another issue the Church is currently facing, and another thing that I am personally in favor of.  Again, the theology and explanations behind arguments against gay marriage seem lacking to me, and I can think of and have heard various solid arguments in favor of it.  Yet, I remain Catholic. 

You might be really wondering why I stay in the Church at this point.  Why I don’t just up and leave everything I have known since my childhood to find something that better accommodates my ideals.  One reason is that I believe the easiest way to change something is from the inside.  Standing on the outside, yelling and pounding your fists against the wall are not going to be effective.  Being a part of the tradition, the culture, and understanding the issues with an insider’s perspective will get you a lot farther in your arguments.  I also know some of the theology behind a couple of these issues, from both sides of the arguments.  I’m not just going around bashing the Church because I don’t agree with everything it says or does (show me a religion in which all of its believers agree with everything it says…and is not a cult).  I know why the Church says some of what it says, and on my end I can make thoughtful critiques of it because I give enough of a damn to actually learn about my faith and my Church.  People who think they know the issues within the Church without bothering to actually try to learn about about the theology and understand it are not doing themselves or their causes any favors. 

I believe the Catholic Church is worth fighting for.  I believe, at its heart, that it is meant to bring good to this world, and I see so much worth being a part of within it.  I try to keep in mind that women’s ordination and gay marriage are currently very Western issues.  The Church in Africa and Latin America, for example, is more concerned with alleviating poverty and ending war.  People are happy to bash Benedict for his stand on Western issues, but did you also know that in one of the three encyclicals he wrote that he spoke specifically about economic issues and declared that working and exploiting purely for personal profit is immoral?  This doesn’t mean that the average Joe who puts in an honest day’s labor falls into this category…he’s just trying to get by and provide for his family (if average Joe has a family), or even that all rich people are bad, because maybe becoming obscenely wealthy isn’t actually their goal and just happens to them.  What this does mean is that Benedict basically called out those mega-corporations who exploit and take-advantage of people all over the world…whether through cheap labor or under-handed business practices…just to make that much more money for the people at the top, and said “Hey, assholes…you’re bad people.  Knock it off.”  We’ve also got a pretty impressive legacy of social justice powerhouses, like Mother Theresa and Dorothy Day.          

 

Finally, Catholicism is also a part of my identity…part of who I am at my core.  I am not just a Catholic…I am Catholic.  Being Catholic, for a lot of people, isn’t just about what religion they are.  There is a culture and a history to being Catholic that stretches farther back into the past than most institutions that exist today (it’s older than even a few long-standing governments).  Even if I stopped actively being Catholic…I would never really stop being Catholic.  It’s ingrained into me that deeply.

 

The Church is as complex as the billions of people who identify themselves with it.  For every bad aspect of it, there are dozens of good things that are worth fighting to uphold.  So, I remain Catholic and I continue to educate myself about my faith and my Church so that I can make a difference in it and the world.  For those people who do choose to leave, I don’t blame them…for some it really does seem like the only option, and they just get tired of the struggle.  For others, they just might not relate to the Church in a way that spiritually benefits them and they are able to find that somewhere else.  But many people do remain within the Church, and they are the Church…the Body of Christ…who live out their faith in their everyday lives, trying to find peace and grace in an often chaotic and broken world.  It is these people, these common believers, who are the real reason I stay in the Church….they are my community, and they are worth the struggle. 

A short list of some common misconceptions about Catholicism that really, really annoy me:

1.      “Papal Infallibility” does not mean everything the Pope says is true or that a Pope is even sinless.  The Church is infallible, and the Pope is the spokesperson for the Church.  There is a whole list of stuff that has to take place before any Church teaching can be declared infallible by the Pope, and this has actually only happened twice in the history of the Church.  Both times, the teachings had to do with the Virgin Mary (her Conception and Assumption).

2.      We do not worship saints, so let it go already.  When we pray to saints, we are really asking them to pray on our behalf to God.  It always goes to God.  It’s like asking a friend to pray for you when you are about to face some kind of challenge in your life…except in this instance a lot of these “friends” were willing to sacrifice everything, even their own lives, to follow their faith.  Saint side note: A lot of us won’t get too pissed off if you critique the hierarchy, doctrine, tradition, or sacraments of the Church…but don’t you dare go after the Virgin Mary.  You will regret it.

 

Do not mess with the Virgin

3.      Going along with the Mary theme, the Immaculate Conception does not refer to Jesus’ conception…but to Mary’s.  We believe, in order to prepare her for her role as Jesus’ mother, God allowed Mary to be conceived without original sin (read Augustine and you’ll understand how this idea works).  I could hardly get through the Family Guy Christmas episode this year because they kept getting the Immaculate Conception wrong…you’re better than that, Seth MacFarlane! (He actually might not be)

4.      The Church doesn’t say sex is only for baby-making (not anymore, anyway).  That definitely is still a big part of it (hence the no-no on contraceptives), but there is also an emphasis on the relational and spiritual intimacy between the couple.  So, unlike in the Middle Ages, it’s okay if you enjoy having sex.  It’s also okay (now verses then) for couples to have sex even if they can’t have babies (see…progress!).    

In summary...

See ya!
Erin B.

Upgrading a Classic: The Brilliance of BBC's "Sherlock"

So, I realize that my last post was of me reviewing something that I thought you, the lovely readers, should know about.  Now, I don't want to get into a pattern here and suddenly become the "pop culture" critic on this blog (though I regret nothing) but I really, really, REALLY want to try and influence you all into consuming another bit of exceptional entertainment that I have pretty much become obsessed with myself.  In the last few years, BBC has created and released a show that quickly became more popular that the creators had probably dared to hope it would.  Sherlock is a modern-day adaptation of the classic tales of Sherlock Holmes (CBS's Elementary has a similar concept, but this came first).  This show is BRILLIANT!  A few of you may have heard of it already, or seen the seasons for sale at any number of DVD retailers, but if you didn't give it much notice and haven't seen it yet, let me tell you why watching this program is a good life choice.  My goal is to spread the Sherlock infection one viewer at a time (and the power of the blog makes this process much easier).


It makes me want to go and solve crimes.

There have been many adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories over the years (I am also a huge fan of the movies staring Robert Downey Jr.) but this series is unique because it brings the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson into the here and now while staying true to the original characters and stories.  I had never read the stories before watching this show, but I was curious to see how faithful it was to the original tales.  Now, I've only recently started reading the books and short stories that immortalized the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but I am extremely impressed by how loyal Sherlock is to them so far.  Obviously, not everything is exactly the same as the books (Victorian norms and ideals don't translate well into the modern-world...we have penicillin and women can wear pants).  Things had to be shifted and changed in order for the stories to be believable, with a little bit of creative interpretation here and there.  However, it is amazing just how flawlessly this is done and how well it works.  The show is an exciting combination of thorough, well-formed plotlines, deeply developed characters, creative camera-work and effects, all sprinkled with well-placed humor and action, and of course a plethora of mind-boggling mysteries.

 

Just a little preview for your viewing pleasure.

Sherlock was created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, who are both apparently diehard fans of Doyle's stories, which accounts for the meticulous detail that is put into the show.  Gatiss also stars in the series as Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother, whose influence within the British government is more widespread than he might let on.  So far, the show consists of two seasons, with three episodes each (though the creators would refer to them as films rather than episodes).  Each episode is about 90 minutes long...but don't worry, they don't drag on and they keep you on your toes.  The only downside to the series is that the seasons come out every couple of years...the third one isn't due out until potentially the end of this year in the U.K., and early next year in the U.S. (and with the crazy cliff-hanger at the end of season two, this waiting is kind of tortuous).  The reason for the delay in the third, however, is because the two main stars have been catapulted into the spotlight with the success of this show and have been busy working on other projects (excuses, excuses).        

                                                                                    Cumberbatch, Freeman...and a bullet-riddled smiley face

The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch (starring in the upcoming Star Trek: Into Darkness) as Sherlock Holmes, the only consulting detective in the world, and Martin Freeman (who most recently appeared as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit) as Dr. John Watson, Holmes' closest friend and assistant.  Not to sound overly dramatic about anything, but these actors are stunning in their roles.  Cumberbatch is perfect as Holmes, from his fast-talking deductions, to his egotistical high-handedness, to his oftentimes hilarious disregard for social etiquette.  He is a character you love to watch, but would probably never want to be around in real life (the urge to punch him in the face might prove to powerful).  Freeman also does a stellar job as Watson, who in this version is a military doctor, home from Afghanistan with post tramautic stress disorder.  Compared to Cumberbatch's Holmes, Freeman's Watson is more relatable to the average person and a little more grounded in the norms of society.  The actor's interact and bounce off of each other easily, working well together to flesh out and portray the deep and unique friendship that blooms between Holmes and Watson.  There's a running joke in the series that people suspect Holmes and Watson are a little more than friends (two men of a certain age living together...you begin to wonder), but the two characters do form a very strong bond that most people would be envious of.

  

When I started reading the first novel, A Study in Scarlet, I was immediately struck by the many parallels between the story and the show.  In the first episode, A Study in Pink, Dr. John Watson has returned from Afghanistan with a bum leg and a whole lot of stress.  The book is similar, depicting Dr. Watson as returning from Afghanistan after being shot in the shoulder (in the show, Watson eventually makes the comment that he was shot in the shoulder as well).  In the show, Watson is advised by his therapist to take up blogging to relieve his anxiety, to which he replies "Nothing happens to me."  On the flip-side, the book is written as if it were Watson's journal, and he is the narrator of the stories.  Modern-day Watson runs into an old friend while walking in the park and in the course of their conversation, Watson explains that he can't afford to stay in London on a soldier's pension, and further remarks that no one would want to live with him anyway.  His friend chuckles and says that Watson is the second person to tell him that that day.  An almost identical scene takes place in A Study in Scarlet.  In both the book and the show, Watson's friend introduces him to Sherlock Holmes, who is found working in the lab of a hospital after just having beaten a corpse in an experiment on bruising (in the book he beats it with a stick and in the show with a riding crop).

From there, the show gets more creative with its connections, which I think shows the true brilliance behind it.  I'm not going to give anything away in this post that would take away from the awesomeness of the show...but I will say that peppered throughout the show are random little tidbits from the book that are incorporated in really amazing ways.  One little quirk of Holmes' that I especially enjoyed that they transferred from the original story is the fact that he doesn't know that the Earth revolves around the sun.  It's not that he never learned it, he just doesn't care and most likely purposefully forgot the information.  In Victorian England, it would be bad enough for a man of science to not know this theory, but in 21st Century England it's mindboggling.  What they do with that information, though, is great (again...not giving anything away).



So, basically, this show is fantastic and you should watch it.  Really, though, few things excite me as much as Sherlock has, and it's propelled me into a detective-hype.  I would be a detective if I could stand the sight of blood (which I can't...so I won't).  This show is everything a crime drama should be.  Just take my word for it...have I ever steered you wrong before?...and watch Sherlock.  Watch ONE episode at least, and if you don't like it, than forget I ever said anything.  But, I'm pretty sure for most of you, you will get just as addicted to it as I am.  Now off with you!!  To Netflix!! (or wherever you go to rent movies and shows)

See you soon!

Erin B.                 

Just because I like to end with a bit of hilarity. 


 

Listen to Me When I Tell You to READ THIS BOOK!

Up until this point, the authors of this blog have yet to exploit our growing fan-base by trying to convince you to buy specific consumer goods.  That ends here!  Yes, this blog entry is not really going to talk about anything deep or soulful.  I just got through with finals…I’m mentally drained.  Deal.  It is, however, going to contain awesomeness the likes of which you may or may not have seen before.  I don’t know…I don’t really know what kind of awesomeness your specific life-journey has contained.  Anyway, this particular blog post is serving one purpose, and one purpose only: I want to convince you to read the book Poison Princess by Kresley Cole because I want it to become so popular they are forced to give into societal pressures and make it into a movie.  Okay, yes…it’s a book review.  BUT IT IS AN AWESOME BOOK!!  So read on and allow me to try and Jedi-mind-trick you into taking time out of your life to indulge in this particular literary adventure.

With the release of the Twilight books, the young adult paranormal romance genre has EXPLODED in popularity among readers.  Believe me, I’m a writer myself, and I do my homework on what's hot in the marketplace.  If you go into a Barnes and Noble, there is a subsection in the Young Adults book section just for paranormal romance.  Now, you’re probably thinking “Are you trying to sell us Twilight knockoffs or something?” That would be a huge NO my dear readers.  Let me explain.  The huge leap in popularity of the YA paranormal romance genre has started to draw in the heavy hitters, the world champions of the Adult Romance world…and these authors are no one-hit-wonders.  My favorite, as I’m sure you have gathered, is Kresley Cole. 

My idol.

This woman is my idol (sorry Rowling, but you’re a close second).  Since her debut in 2003, she has published NINETEEN novels in three different series, including a new tangent series with its first book having just been released this past November (I’ve practiced incredible self-control in not buying it before the end of finals).  Nearly all of her books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with two of them hitting #1.  She has also won two RITA awards (look it up), her works have been translated into seventeen different languages, and she has written both historical and paranormal romance.  Cole has actually traveled all over the world, and does extensive research into history, mythology, culture, and whatever else she needs in order to create her characters and her worlds.  The series she is probably best known for right now is called the Immortals After Dark Series, which currently contains twelve books (plus the tangent series that interacts with it), with no end in sight!  I could go on and on about these books, but they aren’t the ones I’m trying to sell you on (yet).

The Major Arcana - The Tarot Trump Cards
Poison Princess, Kresley Cole’s first venture into the world of YA paranormal romance, is the first book of a series she has called The Arcana Chronicles.  Cole incorporates the Tarot cards into the story, focusing on the twenty-two trump cards, or the Major Arcana.  See that…Major Arcana…The Arcana Chronicles…yeah, Cole is brilliant.  The book’s main character is a sixteen-year-old girl named Evie Greene who lives in Sterling, Louisiana.  She is wealthy, pretty, popular…and has horrific hallucinations that she cannot begin to explain.  Having already been locked away for her “mental issues”, Evie is determined to have a normal, weirdness free life when she returns for her junior year of high school.  However, that wouldn’t make a good story now would it?  I don’t want to give too much away, but Evie’s hallucinations end up being visions of the future and a disaster of apocalyptic proportions decimates not only her hometown, but the rest of the world (this isn’t a spoiler because it says so in the front cover flap).  In order to survive, Evie has to turn to Jackson Deveaux, a rough-around-the-edges Cajun boy who has her on edge from the minute they meet.  I love him and want him to be real…that is all.  The story follows the two as they try to make their way across a ruined and dangerous southern United States, encountering other teens with strange powers similar to Evie’s along the way.

I read this book in two days.  I mean, I always fly through a Kresley Cole book, but this one grabbed me, shook me around a little bit, slapped me once or twice, and still wouldn’t let me go.  It kept me on my toes, making me laugh uncontrollably one second and chanting to myself “Don’t go in there, don’t go in there!” the next.  When I finished it, I almost cried because I wanted it to keep going (ask anyone who knows me…crying is not something I do).  I am not kidding you when I say upon completion of this book, I immediately hit up Google to see if there was news about a sequel (and yes there is a sequel coming out next year called Endless Knight).  The writing itself was fantastic, the story exciting, detailed, and from my perspective, flawless.  Cole doesn’t disappoint, throwing in quirky humor and adolescent angst amongst the mayhem and carnage.  Like all of her other books, she has done her homework, including such brilliant touches as Cajun French within the dialogue and incorporating the Tarot cards and characters into the story with ease.  Her characters are each unique individuals with developed personalities and characteristics, with their own goals and agendas to try and meet.  The romance parts aren’t cheesy or unrealistic, and will keep you on the edge of your seat as much as the action scenes.  Cole doesn’t hold back on detail, in any aspect of the story, which is a distinct trait of all of her books.  She keeps things pretty PG-13, though it does get pretty gory at times.       

Despite what you may think, this book is NOT just for crazy pubescent girls who scream a lot about nothing in particular.  This book has something for everyone (cliché, yes, but completely true).  Crazy awesome action, danger of apocalyptic proportions, coldhearted militia men, teenagers with freaking superpowers, a Ducati motorcycle, sexual tension, romance (of course), and on top of everything else that is going on there are zombie-like creatures roaming through all of the crazy.  They are called Bagmen, they are freaky, awesome, and perpetually thirsty (FYI, blood is an optional thirst quencher for these guys).  If that isn’t enough to convince you that you need to go buy this book, I’m pretty sure if you have an E-Reader, the E-book is on sale right now.

With Christmas time just around the corner, it is the PERFECT opportunity to go grab this book and lose yourself in it for a little while.  Actually, I don’t even really care if you read it…just go buy it and tell all of your friends and family to but so that movie-makers get the hint and start work on silver-screening this thing.  If ever a young adult book deserved to be movie-fied, it is this one (correctly, mind-you…no half-assing here)!  Seriously, though, if you are a fan of good writing and captivating plotlines that keep you wanting more, than Poison Princess is something you really should check out.  Trust me…I know what’s good for you.

Until Next Time World,

Erin B.        

Oh hey look at that...a handy-dandy link to take you to Amazon.com to find the book
Poison Princess at Amazon.com