The Force of Misery

The ability to choose gives human beings the ability to take part in
shaping human destiny. The impact of human choices is found in chance
encounters and dramatic decisions between good and evil. The choice of
how to respond to the force of suffering and misery has a profound impact
on human destiny. Jean ValJean of the novel Les Miserables and Anakin
Skywalker of the dual Star Wars trilogies are two tragic characters that
exemplify the power of choice. Similarities are present throughout their
stories, but they each have a distinct path from fall to redemption. They
are two unique men, influenced along different paths by the force of
misery as they encounter rules and opportunities for power.




Jean Valjen and Anakin Skywalker both experience enslavement, fall from
favor, salvation and redemption. Jean ValJean is imprisoned for stealing
bread, is released, receives hospitality from a bishop, falls into
disfavor by stealing from him, is immediately redeemed by a debt enjoined
on him by the bishop and spends the rest of his life working out his
salvation. Anakin Skywalker is held in slavery, his freedom is purchased
by a Jedi, he falls into disfavor by choosing to serve a dark master to
gain powers, is redeemed by the sacrifice of his son years later and dies
working out his salvation by destroying his dark master.




The rules of a society and the enforcement of these rules set the
groundwork for how people interact with each other and have the potential
for causing much suffering. Jean ValJean is sent to jail for breaking a
window pane while stealing a piece of bread (Hugo 18). So that he can fill
his need for something to eat. The rules of society continue to punish
him as he rebels against them through multiple escape attempts (Hugo 19).
At the center of the confrontations between Javert and Jean Valjean is the
conflict between the societal rules that require Jean ValJean to return to
prison and his sense of justice that demands reparation. Jean ValJean
responds to the rules with the demand that what he feels are the demands
of justice he must fulfill to be carried out but also accepts the
punishments set forth by the rules of society. Jean ValJean’s acceptance
of punishment grows and is demonstrated by his first escaping from capture
(Hugo 104), to giving Javert his address (Hugo 490) and then having Javert
accompany him to his residence to take him to jail (Hugo 522). Even his
attempts to escape from custody are driven by his obligation to take care
of Cosette (Hugo 579). With ultimate consideration of justice for others
Jean ValJean moves from disregard for rules toward following them more
closely.

 In convergence with Jean ValJean’s reactions one finds the
reactions of Anakin Skywalker to the rules of society that he comes into
conflict with along his path. In The Phantom Menace, Anakin starts as a
young obedient boy who bends the rules. In one of the climactic scenes in
the fight for the planet Naboo, Anakin is told to stay in a fighter
spacecraft inside a hangar with the obvious intention of him not leaving
the hangar. The fighter spacecraft takes to the air on auto-pilot into
the midst of a battle but upon gaining control of the fighter spacecraft
Anakin Skywalker refuses to return to the planet because he is following
his orders by staying in the cockpit (The Phantom Menace). Anakin moves
from bending the rules to flagrant disregard of rules as he gets older.
Anakin is now sent to guard Padme Amidala leading to his eventual secret
marriage, which is directly against the rules of the Jedi Order (Attack of
the Clones). Anakin deepens his transgressions against rules from
breaking to outright manipulation of people by abusing how rules are
applied. In the battle scene between Mace Windu and the Emperor
Palpatine, Palpatine claims to be losing power, becoming too weak to
survive. At this point, Mace Windu decides to break the rules and kill
Palpatine. Anakin pleads that Palpatine “must stand trial,” “it’s not the
Jedi way,” and “I need him” (The Revenge of the Sith). These three
instances show how Anakin Skywalker moves from being a slave under total
control of the law, to bending of rules, on to breaking them and then
finally manipulation of how the rules are applied to serve his selfish
ends. He has a need and desire to keep Palpatine alive for personal gain
and not out of a sense of justice being fulfilled.




These two characters interact with power given to them in very different
ways. Anakin starts as a young boy setting out to help others and prove
himself as a pod-racer on the planet of Tatooine. He finds out he
possesses a special ability to manipulate the force to such a high degree
that it may be more powerful than anyone has ever possessed. His natural
inclinations with this power are enough to save him but not his mother
from slavery (The Phantom Menace). In Attack of the Clones we again see
Anakin wield his power in an attempt to save Obi-Wan and his mother. He
is unable to do so by himself and almost loses his love, Padme, as well.
Facing Count Dooku for the first time, Anakin rushes fiercely into battle
to defeat Dooku and he fails to defeat the Count. Anakin faces Count
Dooku a second time in The Revenge of the Sith and in this duel he openly
states that his “powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count.”
Dooku shows the audience the peril Anakin is in when he retorts, “twice
the pride, double the fall.” Dooku is defeated by Anakin and executed him
without due process when he is defenseless. Now, Anakin is placed on the
Jedi Council by the Emperor and Anakin desires the title of Master that
goes with the position but is denied it. He is denied the prestige,
privilege and power to command what he feels is due him. In the final
scenes with Padme on Mustafar, Anakin talks about his power, gaining it
for Padme, making “his new Empire” the way that he wants. He is furious
when Padme refuses him, similar to the way that he feels the Jedi turned
away from him. He no longer serves any purpose other that his own designs
for greatness and power. Upon being confronted by Obi-wan Kenobi he
states “I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi” (The Revenge of the
Sith). Ironically, it is Anakin’s son refusing to take power and refusal
to strike down Anakin, in the person of Vader, that brings Anakin’s
salvation (The Return of the Jedi). Up until that moment Anakin continues
to show his want for more power as an end in itself.




Opposing the desire for power is the idea of being a servant that we see
in Jean ValJean. He starts to repay his debt by running a factory so that
any of the poor could find work and just wages as an act of service.
ValJean’s rejects of the position of mayor that is given to him by the
king, showing his public rejection of the position and power (Hugo 42).
Then, after no longer being able to avoid the title of Mayor and charge
over the police, he is content to be a simple gardener without even his
own name, serving the sisters of the convent that instruct Cossette (Hugo
214). ValJean continues to serve the poor and less fortunate, even to the
point of it being a flaw, as he promises to pay rent (Hugo 289) for people
who turn out to be his adversaries, the Thenardiers, and they attempt to
rob him (Hugo 318). The greatest level of service comes at the barricade,
through protection of lives by risking his own life to bring people to
safety. He accomplishes this without attack of another or defense of
himself, his only objective was to just render aid to others (Hugo 495).
Finally, as he loses strength and is at the point of death he leaves to
Cosette the information about money that is hers (Hugo 565) and he
continues his service to poor, leaving alms to be distributed to the poor
in his final breaths (Hugo 583).




Both of these men experience the force of misery and take different paths
to salvation and redemption. Both men die in the end, after being saved
and redeemed. The human choice of Jean ValJean and Anakin Skywalker in
responding to the misery they experience and how they choose to use the
power they are given are two of the integral things that make these
characters stand in contrast to each other. The fact that they fall, are
redeemed and saved makes them the same.

Works Cited

Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company: 1862. Google e-book.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. 1999. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Jake Lloyd .
Lucasfilm, 2001. DVD
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. 2002. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Hayden
Christensen. Lucasfilm, 2002. DVD
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. 2005. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Hayden
Christensen. Lucasfilm, 2005. DVD.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi 2004. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. David Prowse,
James Earl Jones, Sebastian Shaw. Lucasfilm, 2005. DVD








Matthew S.

The Deception Of Reality

To the tune of The Sound of Silence by Paul Simon

Hello journal my old friend

I've come to write in you again

Because a truth softly thought

Left its meaning while I was waking

And the reality that was shown

In my mind still remains

Within the deception of reality



In a crowded room, I worked alone

Round cubicles with muted tones

Under the glare of fluorescent lamps

I threw my trash to old and oppressed

When my eye was blinded by the flash

Of the computer crash that spilled the truth

And found the deception of reality



And in the dim image I saw

Ten million I.P.'s, maybe more

People texting without thinking

People blogging without reason

People making reality shows that

Were preplanned and no one dared

Disturb the deception of reality



"Blind," said I, "you cannot see

Deception like a shadow grows

Hear the truth so you might see reality

Turn around and see the light behind you."

But truth, like melting snowflakes fell

And drown in the wells of deception



And the people friended and updated

To the deceptive god they made

And the truth flashed out its warning

In the reality it was revealing

And insight said, "The words of truth are written

on the humble minds and loving hearts

not whispered by deceivers of reality.

Matthew S.

Prepared for the Worst Case Scenario

I have always taken the Boy Scout motto of being prepared very seriously. Even before I was a Scout, the idea of being prepared for things that might happen was very important to me. I remember being a child carrying a shoebox filled with baseball cards and a Bug Zoo with my pet grasshopper during every Tornado Warning just in case the worst case scenario became a reality.
I might suffer from WCSS, Worst Case Scenario Syndrome, causing the worst possible outcome for any situation to spring into my mind. No longer was I a normal person that read over and signed off on a two page birth plan. Why did I feel the need to have a sixteen page birth plan for the birth of my third child that was complete with maps, annotations, assignments of various duties to people, checklists, contingencies for severe weather and alternate routes just in case trains blocked the railroad crossings when they derailed?
Worst Case Scenario Syndrome isn't a true mental illness but a tongue in cheek way of making fun of my over-preparedness and reflex to think of the worst thing that could ever possibly happen. Ironically, I don't always end up prepared for any eventuality, and that is part of what drives my problem. Yes, I remember what drove me to a sixteen page long birth plan, I still remember that fateful, funny and memorable day.
It was the type of warm spring day that makes the blood in my veins flow with the beat of new life. All around me green leaves were bursting up through barren black dirt and out of naked tree branches. As I was finishing my work for the day a storm was springing up out of the thin air. The air was thin only in appearance, but in reality was filled with moisture and the excitement that pressed heavily upon my body and invaded my mind with anticipation for the building storm.
Being a volunteer for the local emergency management I started driving towards the storm so I could observe it for severe and tornadic conditions. The excitement built in me with every strike of lightning, electrifying my soul with anticipation of what I was going to see this time out. Maybe this would be the time I would get on the back side of a wall cloud and see a tornado being born.
The musical 8-bit tone of my phone ringing interrupted my excitement.
"What are you doing?" asked my wife.
"I'm getting ready to drive into a storm," I said.
"I need you to come home."
"But," I tried to rebuff and keep my chance at seeing a tornado today alive.
"I'm in labor."
I rushed home quicker than any storm could rise up across the wide open prairie. My second child would soon be born and I needed to be home for that event. Part of the rush was due to the fact that one of my fears starting to come true. What if we were stuck at home and couldn't get to the hospital because of the bad weather?
My wife had always dismissed my fears as being too extreme and not realistic, but now I was driving in a severe thunderstorm to my wife who was in labor. Fortunately, my fears were alleviated as I arrived home to find my wife still in very early labor. I wouldn’t have to drive through a hailstorm to get my wife to a hospital before our baby was born.
My wife and I discussed how labor was progressing, I watched the weather from my base station at the house, my parents came and picked up our oldest daughter before her bedtime rolled around and then I took a nap. My wife's labor just kept rolling along, slow and steady, with no real progress. Everything was prepared for; my wife and I were both resting, ready for a long drawn out labor.
The waiting and worry that this would be a long labor led me to jump when my wife woke me up a few hours later saying that labor was getting harder and she needed my help. We called our doula to come to the house to help us and began using the things we had learned in our childbirth class to help my wife labor through the contractions.
My wife and I had hired a doula, a hired labor coach, to help my wife labor through the contractions without medication. My get tough, you-can-do-this approach did not translate well to my wife as a motivational speech. The doula was another way for us to better prepare for this birth.
I talked to the doula when she arrived and she thought my wife and I were doing fine and said that it was up to us when we wanted to go the hospital. We didn't really know when the right time to go the hospital was because we didn't want to go too soon and have labor stop and we didn't want to go too late and give birth in the car or at home, eventualities we had not prepared for.
Even though my wife's water had not broken we decided it was time to go to the hospital as the contractions were intensifying. The doula worked with my wife while I loaded all of the things we had planned to take to the hospital. This was a chore as we had planned to bring a large variety of things in preparation for anything that might happen. We needed a crock-pot to keep some compresses warm, CD player, CD's, clothes, toiletry bag and of course a copy of our four page long birth plan.
As I was coming back into the house I called my brother, who was living at home in my parent's basement, telling him to go upstairs and let my mom and dad know that we were going to the hospital soon. I told my wife it was time to get up so we could go to the hospital and she informed me that she couldn't move. I tried to help her up and she let everyone in the county know that she needed to push. In an attempt to stay calm I recalled the fact that with our first child it took my wife forty-five minutes to push the baby out. Doing some quick math I realized we had nothing to worry about, fifteen minutes to the hospital, fifteen minutes to get upstairs, no problems, time to spare.
"I can't move," slipped past my wife's breathless lips.
"You need to decide right now if we are going to have this baby here or in the hospital," ordered the doula.
"I need to puuuuuuush," she loudly replied.
"We need to check and see if we can see the baby," said our doula.
We moved down to see if the baby was coming out and the bulging motion was a clear indicator that time was short. The doula ordered me to call 9-1-1 for an ambulance and I went in to auto-pilot. I picked up the cordless phone to call for an ambulance, talking to the dispatcher over my wife's guttural womanly screams as nature swept over and took control of her body. As I picked up my cell phone I realized my parents would be going to the hospital and not find us. Obviously, this would cause some type of evil and negative consequence that I just didn't have time to think up and so I called my half asleep brother back. All I had time to tell him between putting towels in the dryer to keep the baby warm and answering a few questions for the 9-1-1 dispatcher was that we weren't making it to the hospital.
I hung up with 9-1-1 after I told them that I had my hands full. At this point I saw what looked like a balloon appear out of thin air and knew that the storm of labor was getting more intense all around me. Upon seeing the baby's head come out, I remembered that my wife's water had not broken yet. This presented a whole new problem I had never planned for, I needed something to break the bag of waters with and I needed it to be in my hand. My first thought was of the long steel camping knife right behind me in the closet, not what I wanted my wife to see me holding right then.
At this point the house phone rang causing the doula to beg me not to answer it. I picked it up knowing that no one calls my house at three-something in the morning unless it is really, and I mean really important. Not that anything important was happening, right? I answered the phone to my mom wanting to know what was happening. She asked if I had called for an ambulance and I told her that I had called for one, was staring at a baby's head and needed to go. I hung up the phone and I am certain I set it down but I had other things I needed to spend my precious half-seconds paying attention too.
I urgently ran down the hallway to the laundry room to find something, really just about anything, to break the bag of waters. Thankfully, as I stepped around the corner into the laundry room I came across my one and a half foot long silver screwdriver. Grabbing it, I jogged back to the bedroom and my wife's side. The doula informed me that she had ruptured the bag of waters and I responded by grabbing my wife's hand as I hid the screwdriver on the end table hoping my wife didn't see it. As my daughter slid out into this chaotic world everything turned into a blur of memories.
I remember wrapping towels around the baby, rubbing her back to stimulate breathing, hearing her sweet and joyful cry reach into the night while realizing the ambulance hadn't made it to our house. I ran outside to see the ambulance crew down the road from our house circling in the intersection.
The world returned to normal as I talked to the paramedics and told them how my wife and new daughter were okay. Everything was fine, I hadn't been prepared but I had made it through. Everything had turned out wonderful and I held my beautiful baby as the ambulance crew loaded my wife onto the cot for the trip to the hospital.
It's amazing how calm the world is at almost four in the morning. The sun isn't up and hardly anyone is out driving on the road. Almost no activity, nothing bad could happen in this stillness. As I was thinking these thoughts I realized that I needed to call my boss and let him know that I wouldn't be in to work. I would hate to get fired for forgetting that! That may seem far fetched to you and I do admit, that it is probably the worst case scenario.

Matthew S.

Different point of view

Today is a snow day for many people. No school or
work starting late. Not so for me, work goes on
as normal, marching forward at the pace it always
does. I'm not complaining, it's what I signed up
for and it's the job I am doing.



The snow though does provide for some interesting
visuals. Things look different with that "warm"
blanket on them. I headed out the door for a few
minutes at the beginning of my lunchtime with the
camera to just take a couple pictures. Things I
see hundreds of times a year, going past them
almost daily, look different today.



So, time to look at things from a different angle,
a different perspective. They are still the same
things but I learn a little more about them and
how the world interacts with them. I see a hidden
beauty that isn't present most of the year when
the snow isn't neatly piled up with ripples
from the wind trailing across the drifts.



All these unique patterns and shapes and solid
white colors. Smaller details become important.
It is important we don't lose sight of them as we
are faced with this larger overcast of white that
is seemingly all the same. Let us remember to not
waste those things that are unique in the time we
have with them. My wife reminded me of that one
and I love her for doing that.

Matthew S.

A Little More Faith, A Little Less Me?

2011-02-08 Tue 18:10

The past weekend has given me some extra time to
be reminded of some important truths of living
life. First, I must remember that my family has
to be an integral part of my everyday activity and
focus. A driving force in determining my
priorities in life. The determining factor is God
and my family is what I am called to be a steward
over, caring for my wife and children, ensuring
their well-being.

Another thing I have learned is that I have to
take time for myself, I have to make sure that I
am emotionally taking care of myself and
acknowledge my feelings, not control them. If I
am not functioning I can't do anything for my
family.

I am trying to be more creative and write more.
To that end hopefully more things will start
appearing on my blogs and some of projects in my
main file will start to get filled out. Right
now my main focus, and for much of this week is
going to be editing my narrative essay due on the
14th of February. If anyone wants to read and
review it, let me know and I will send a copy your
way. After I turn it in I will be posting it up
here.

I am writing some more on confession and other
things doing with truth and goodness. These are
things I am running across as I work in preparing
a group of students for their First Communion.
These students are very challenging for me as they
aren't traditional students. Hopefully they have
been studying across these snow days we have been
getting around lately.

I was reminded today of an important truth that
two people, both are now bishops, work to convey
in their being and way of life. Truth is not a
thing but a person. As a Christian that is
something important I need to remember.

Matthew S.

Snowmageddon 2011

Well, I am getting ready to go to school again. This is my 2nd
session of English Composition, I am glad that they haven't cancelled
it tonight because I am taking this three hour class one night a
week and I really don't want to have to try to do that kind of
catchup.

Hopefully I get home decently well tonight because I am going to have
to get up early in the morning. Yes, we have the potential for snow
moving in over the next 36 hours is a certainty and could be anywhere
from 2 to 8 inches with lots of wind. This will be lots of fun but I
hope we don't have that much snow tomorrow as I do have Theatre class
as well.

Alright, all is well, time to get a few more things done around the
house and hopefully I will get a few of my journal pages typed in and
rearranged into nice pretty blog posts. Working on some on confession
and Mary to fit in with the First Communion class I am teaching on
Wednesday nights.

Matthew S.

Reflecting on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2011

Selection from Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2011-01-24 Mon 08:45    READINGS BIBLE REFLECTION

1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 1:10-17

[Portion in brackets, verse 14-17, is not part of the Sunday Mass
reading]


"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all speak the same thing and that there be no schisms among
you: but that you be perfect in the same mind and in the same
judgment. For it hath been signified unto me, my brethren, of you, by
them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among
you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am of
Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ
divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the
name of Paul? [I give God thanks, that I baptized none of you but
Crispus and Caius: Lest any should say that you were baptized in my
name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanus. Besides, I know
not whether I baptized any other.] For Christ sent me not to baptize,
but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of
Christ should be made void."

Some first thoughts on this reading

The first thing that strikes me is about the divisions in the
Christian Community. All of the protestant communions that keep
dividing and sub-dividing. Not to say people can't have disagreements
about the best way to do certain things but not about others. The
principles of faith and morals aren't negotiable. If you are going to
be Christian and follow Christ he has certain things that are right
and true and that's just the way it is.

Second thought

I like how it is said that Paul is sent to preach and not in wisdom of
speech because that would take away meaning of the cross of Christ.
Speech and logic aren't what makes Christianity meaningful. One of
the things I have learned is that no matter the logic (and it is
present and exists as a consolation for the mind) it doesn't give the
suffer meaning. The cross of Christ that we are called to take up and
carry isn't something we can do based upon logic but in coming to know
Christ and His love for us in the cross. Knowing that love, in the
sense that spouses know each other, and expressing back love to
Christ.



Third thought

The most important schism that I need to work to avoid is two-fold.
First, I must conform myself to Christ in His Church present here on
earth. Second, I must lead my family in unity. My wife, myself and
my children must act together. Not to say that we are never going to
have conflicts but we must learn to resolve them. We must learn to
work together better as family or we can never learn to work together
as a Christian community. It is a grave scandal when we have schism
and disunity. As a father this must be done in how I act and what I
do and not in logically convincing anyone.

Matthew S.

Starting to Blog again

Well, now that I am writing more and I have a decent way set up to be able to blog, it's time I do more of it. I have lots more thoughts going through my head these days and a distraction free writing environment, well at least on the computer screen. If any of you are interested I am using Emacs (a very simple but VERY powerful text editor). It may not have all the bells and whistles that other things have but I honestly need to focus on the writing part of life and it helps with that. I can always pretty things up later. It also allows me to take notes really well, organize to-do lists and write some basic programs. I use org-mode from Carsten Dominic for the orginizing features and functions. I have it running under cygwin (a unix like command line geeky environment) for the simplicity, geek factor and full screen covering up windows ability. I also am using dropbox to store all of my files, it backs it up to the cloud and auto places the files on another PC kept at home. This way, if the laptop breaks, I still have all of my school/agenda files. If you are interested in learning more about dropbox, let me know and I will send you a link (I get 250 mb of additional free storage per refferal). Matthew S.