by emma | Dec 11, 2007 | Film
Last weekend while in Dublin, Jill and I went to see “Into The Wild”. Wow.
IMDB describe it as follows:
INTO THE WILD is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
I knew before I went to see it that it would be fairly appropriate for me at the minute, but it resonated with me on so many levels it was scary. There is an entire section of dialogue that I could lift straight out and apply it directly to my life right now – I laughed at that – Jill just looked at me while it was playing out on screen with that knowing look!
It put words on a lot of stuff I’ve been feeling this term, such as who says I should have a degree? Who says I’m supposed to have security, settle down, have a career? I guess it helped me to put words on emotions. Perhaps that will help me to process and work through some of the issues.
“Mr. Franz I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don’t want one.”
[Christopher McCandless]
This film really is unlike anything I have ever seen before. I highly recommend you go see it. You can find the trailer on the official website.
by emma | Dec 10, 2007 | Photography
by emma | Dec 9, 2007 | Everything Else
“Think where man’s glory most
beings and ends,
And say my glory was I
had such friends.”
[W.B. Yeats]
I’ve been reminded over the past few days of how incredible my friends are.
by emma | Dec 7, 2007 | Africa
I read a report in todays Guardian about the situation in Darfur again.
In it Robert Booth discuss the current situation: the lack of governmental aid, Western indifference and so on. I was struck by a paragraph in which he relates how the African Unions 6000 trooops on the ground haven’t even been paid their subsistence allowances since August. It struck me that in the west we would not tolerate this. We hear cries daily of “Supprt Our Troops”. It feels like it has almost become the constant refrain of this generation. But what about their troops? Do we support them?
I’m constantly frustrated by our disregard for our common humanity. People are dying daily in Sudan due to lack of food, clean water, access to simple medications. Things we take forgranted. Things we would not stand for if they were not provided for us. Where is our love for our neighboor? Where is our shared humanity?
We are all human.
We said after Rwanda, “never again.”
We lied.
by emma | Dec 6, 2007 | Words
“Hope begins in the dark. You wait and watch and work. You don’t give up.”
[ Anne Lamott ]
by emma | Dec 5, 2007 | Photography, Travel
A few pictures from the past weekend in Ireland are now online at my flickr… had a very needed few days in some beautiful places and with some beautiful people.
Went to visit my favourite place on the planet. Watched Jase and Denver laugh so hard they cried (haven’t seen that in a long time!). Went to the Yeats exhibition at the National Gallery in Dublin. Went to see Into The Wild (go see it… seperate post soon).
by emma | Dec 4, 2007 | Music, Words
Today I bought Jon Foremans new EP, Fall. It is beautiful. You should all go buy it.
I’m not sure why it always goes downhill
Why broken cisterns never could stay filled
I’ve spent ten years singing gravity away
But the water keeps on falling from the sky
So here tonight while the stars are blacking out
With every hope and dream I’ve ever had in doubt
I’ve spent ten years trying to sing these doubts away
But the water keeps on falling from my eyes
And heaven knows, heaven knows
I try to find a cure for the pain
Oh my Lord, to suffer like you do
It would be a lie to run away…
by emma | Dec 3, 2007 | Africa, Social Justice
Right now more than 1.1 billion people in the world, mostly in developing nations, do not have access to safe water.
charity:water london just launched their first water campaign…
The £10 bottles of water will be selling in selected TopShop stores with 100% of the proceeds going towards building wells in central Africa. Please consider helping them out… these guys do great stuff.
by emma | Nov 30, 2007 | Everything Else
I’m heading back to Ireland for 4 days…
You know those people who you become friends with, and you just know God has brought them into your life for such a time as this? I’m off to spend time with one of those friends this weekend.
I’ll spend some time in Belfast, Portstewart, home, and then we’re off on a ‘road-trip’ for 2 days… she still doesn’t know where we’re going 🙂
See you on Monday…
by emma | Nov 30, 2007 | Social Justice
Check out this great organisation/movement type thing…
[ I can’t find the video to embed it here, so drop by Ryan’s blog here to watch it – no, really, go check it out please. ]
Because Christmas was meant to change the world.
Recent Comments