I’ve missed out on a lot of classics. I have never read Steinbeck. Nor have I read Hemingway or Dickens. I was homeschooled. Whether that is good or bad depends on your outlook on life and love and everything inbetween. I grew up reading biographies of great people like Sojourner Truth, DL Moody, George Mueller, and other Christians who changed the world through their passionate love for Jesus Christ. I don’t regret my schooling, though at times I am frustrated by my lack of literature that is under my belt. Rather, somehow or some way, my mother and father instilled in me a desire to learn. I’m not necessarily good at it, but I enjoy it.
I think if I could choose anything to teach a child/youth in all of their school years it would be an eagerness to learn. I would put that above math, science, writing, or literature. The greatest success of a teacher is if they can inspire their students crave more. More biology. More 20th century lit. More finite mathematics. More basics of poetry. More…whatever. If a teacher, someone who has dedicated their life to teaching history, cannot show their students why that subject is so amazingly special to them, then maybe something is wrong. If you want to read some good thoughts on teachers, visit a friends old post here.
In that spirit, this week I read my first Shakespeare play. I read Othello. I read it not because it interested me more than any of his other plays, but because for some reason it was the only one that I currently possessed. Let me tell you that I loved it. It was great, even easy to read. I found myself not understanding whole strings of words and yet knowing the meaning of the paragraph. It was strange, but enjoyable. My favorite line, the line that I desire to leave you with, comes at the very end of the play. It was uttered following the suicide of Othello (sorry to ruin it for you) by Lodovico: “O bloody period!”
With that, methinks I bid you adieu
With that, methinks I bid you adieu
You should post a "Warning: Othello Spoiler," at the top of this post – lol.You're absolutely right, I can't imagine anyone being able to force themselves to learn very much, unless they learn to love learning. I applaud you (clap – clap – clap) for reading beyond the boarders of your education.Gina and I like to discuss literature. If you ever have any questions, just ask, we may not know the answers, but we usually know where to find them . . . if there are answers. We are also friends with Trey and Rush, who know a lot about the genres with wich we are not overly familiar.
AMEN!!!! If you need ideas let me know I am kinda like next door ya know…at least on Sundays
I love that youlike to learn. I also love that the biggest thing you got from Othello was, "Oh bloody period!"In some way that doesn't feel right.
Two things for DODYB.one: Do you have a blog anymore. I can't seem to get on it. ANDTwo: You do know how to choose a good book. I have to tell you that almost everyone of my sosn favorite books (and his very favorite right now!) are books that you gave him for his shower. He loves them all. Thanks!
Ugh… I'm so disappointed in you. The one thing that I am least looking forward to about teaching senior English is the Shakespeare. I hate it. Strike me down if you like, but it's soooooo boring. I know, I know… whatever. You should read Steinbeck everyday of your life. But I'm biased cause he's my favorite… So… Don't let your wife convince you to read that book that she likes… it's lame. Most British Lit is… Ugh… I have to take that too… I don't even want to teach anymore…
What? Have you ever read my favorite book? I think this is going to break us appart…Anyone looking for a breast friend??
I mean, don't get me wrong, I have read some other books (though not many). Mostly I've just read the most popular Russian classics from Dostoevski and Tolstoy. Outside of Steinbeck, does anyone have great suggestions?
What about the many leather bound books in your apartment that smells of rich mohogany?
Leave it to Lisa to make it about Mr. Ron Burgundy… Gabriel Garcia Marquez (yes… it's in english).Jess… we've been over this time and again. I tried to read your favorite book and kept falling asleep. Booooorrrrrinngggggg. If our friendship is not strong enough to hold up under the disagreement over a silly book, then perhaps you should find a new breast friend…
Ry, May I suggest Mark Twain? I absolutely love his writing style. He can crack you up and make you think at the same time. My favorite is Tom Sawyer, probably because it was the first book I ever read by myself. (Some people start with Dick and Jane, I started with Tom Sawyer. But it was a Children's Condensed Classic–a picture on every other page!)Actually, those little paperback Children's Condensed Classics are great–if they're still being published. They're cheap, for one thing. And you can tell people you're buying them for your son, but then you can read them yourself and you'll know the stories from all the classic books without having to spend a month reading the unabridged versions. Of course, to get the full effect of the author's skill and command of the language, it would behoove you to read the originals eventually. And I bet Jones will love them when he's a little older. They've got all the good ones: Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield (but don't think I'm advocating Dickens–yuck), Huckleberry Finn, and a bunch more I can't recall at the moment.
aaah, yes dwight moody…good times. i love that guy. as for me, i am retarded. i know that i have no learning disabilities, i can read well, im not dislexic, but im not a smart man. (or woman) it is sad but i dont enjoy learning, it makes me realize how dumb i am. but i am glad that you like it, cause you helped me in geom.
Tara, I'm not sure thats the kind of possitive self talk that my wife expects from all of us. Maybe you do enjoy learning. Maybe it's just not learning that requires reading classic litterature. You do make killer tshirts, scrapbook pages, a mean salsa, and other such delights. Maybe you need to not beat yourself up, but rather always look on the bright side of your life (I'm pretty sure thats what Monty Python had Jesus singing when he was carrying the cross in 'The Life of Brian'…kinda funny…kinda evil and goingtohellish)
Tara, some of us learn, and some of us look good. You're just blessed with the latter… THat's right. I said it.Tara: "Hey everyone! Come and see how good I look!"Ry, you should also read some Walden (Henry David Thoreau) cause it's nice.or just do what I do: go to the classics section at Waldens (haha) (cause it's smaller than B & N and bigger is a little intimidating) and just pick the book that has the best cover. Read.There's also a site called classicreader.com where you can read quite a number of classics online. A wonderfully cheap way to screw the man…
Yeah, it's not like the Classics authors need the money. (They've been dead for a while.)
Tara, I,too, feel like a retard. I don't want to learn but I do want to be smarter. All I notice are the things I don't know. When I think about a few things I do know, I only remember, like, half of it.Even high school, for me, was ten years ago. that's as smart as I am. I actually had to take a test and I am only half a year smarter than a senior in high school, which can't be completely true. I have a slight disadvantage. They just finished learning all there smart stuff, but not me. I have decided not to waste my time right now with reading classics or things of that sort. Instead, I will choose things I am passionate about and search for more knowledge in those areas. For those of you with no children, read while you have more time. I will only read while I have less time, maybe…
i was homeschooled too!!!and i LOVE shakespeare! i have two copies of his complete works . . . some favorite plays:two gentlemen of veronamidsummer nights dreammuch ado about nothingmacbethothellotaming of the shrewsigh . . . i haven't read any shakespeare since my honeymoon (we went to ashland!!) . . . i'd better start again (once i finish the hobbit).