As usual, your writing is brilliant! I never thought about this comparison, especially the part about both the vampire and bully thrive by taking something away from other to fulfill what they lack in themselves. I look forward to your next post!
Thanks so much Anne. Always great to hear from you. And I do appreciate the kind words. I think by the time I finished this one, I was desperate to find some humanity in the monsters of the world.
Great reflection, Danny. Well, I’ve always had a soft spot for vampires (mostly on the neck). Bullies, not so much. Have you read A Monster Calls? Tackles the subject brilliantly. Hope it gets sorted for student. Back to our toothy fiends though, and setting aside thoughts of Kate Beckinsale, there’s tremendous pathos and curious intimacy in the blood dependence and prolonged half-life existence. Can’t quite shake the fascination. Might be a Catholic thing!
I agree Adrian. I also love vampire movies. This is why I tried to find some sympathy for them here! For me, the 80s did it. I LOVE Fright Night and Lost Boys and movies like that. But you're right, there is also a deep religious resonance there too. Have you ever seen John Carpenter's Vampires? A very interesting religious angle there. Also Wes Craven's Dracula 2000 - fascinating origin for Dracula.
Thank you for your writing. It is often the highlight of my inbox. This one in particular hit home and made me stop and think. It is so hard to find the balance and it is often hard to see the other side. In today's society we often forget to look at all sides. I feel our kids are programmed to only accept one view.
Thanks so much! You're right. We have such a hard time grappling with complexity and I think that has terrible consequences for how we live together. Thanks so much for the kind words.
This meditation is giving me a lot to think about today! Bullying is such a pervasive part of elementary school. I feel compelled to ask myself, how can I build up kids so that they do not feel the need to tear others down?
It's so hard, Adrian. I get depressed sometimes because it seems impossible. We all root for the right people in the stories, but we can't imagine that WE are the villain sometimes.
I've the same problem with my preferred "high horse virtues" for lack of a better term. I don't even demand that people treat each other decently anymore—I find that to be too high a bar a lot of the time. If you try and fail at it—like, try to be accommodating and in so doing become even more offensive—I'll still allow a lot of latitude. I mean, okay, you're trying. But those who couldn't be bothered with an attempt at acting decently? Yeah that grinds my gears so much I'm in danger of becoming a problem, too, at that point. I've heard that it's good for us to learn how to grieve humanity. I think I'm still working on that.
As usual, your writing is brilliant! I never thought about this comparison, especially the part about both the vampire and bully thrive by taking something away from other to fulfill what they lack in themselves. I look forward to your next post!
Thanks so much Anne. Always great to hear from you. And I do appreciate the kind words. I think by the time I finished this one, I was desperate to find some humanity in the monsters of the world.
Great reflection, Danny. Well, I’ve always had a soft spot for vampires (mostly on the neck). Bullies, not so much. Have you read A Monster Calls? Tackles the subject brilliantly. Hope it gets sorted for student. Back to our toothy fiends though, and setting aside thoughts of Kate Beckinsale, there’s tremendous pathos and curious intimacy in the blood dependence and prolonged half-life existence. Can’t quite shake the fascination. Might be a Catholic thing!
I agree Adrian. I also love vampire movies. This is why I tried to find some sympathy for them here! For me, the 80s did it. I LOVE Fright Night and Lost Boys and movies like that. But you're right, there is also a deep religious resonance there too. Have you ever seen John Carpenter's Vampires? A very interesting religious angle there. Also Wes Craven's Dracula 2000 - fascinating origin for Dracula.
Upon your recommendations, I can once more hear the cries of the undead high over the mists of a cold November night.
Thank you for your writing. It is often the highlight of my inbox. This one in particular hit home and made me stop and think. It is so hard to find the balance and it is often hard to see the other side. In today's society we often forget to look at all sides. I feel our kids are programmed to only accept one view.
Thanks so much! You're right. We have such a hard time grappling with complexity and I think that has terrible consequences for how we live together. Thanks so much for the kind words.
This meditation is giving me a lot to think about today! Bullying is such a pervasive part of elementary school. I feel compelled to ask myself, how can I build up kids so that they do not feel the need to tear others down?
It's so hard, Adrian. I get depressed sometimes because it seems impossible. We all root for the right people in the stories, but we can't imagine that WE are the villain sometimes.
I've the same problem with my preferred "high horse virtues" for lack of a better term. I don't even demand that people treat each other decently anymore—I find that to be too high a bar a lot of the time. If you try and fail at it—like, try to be accommodating and in so doing become even more offensive—I'll still allow a lot of latitude. I mean, okay, you're trying. But those who couldn't be bothered with an attempt at acting decently? Yeah that grinds my gears so much I'm in danger of becoming a problem, too, at that point. I've heard that it's good for us to learn how to grieve humanity. I think I'm still working on that.