Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Breaking Dawn: Part I (I for Inappropriate)
Note: May contain spoilers. Do not read if you dont like spoilers but haven't yet read the Twilight books (And if you havent but plan to, you probably should cause they're on the fourth movie. Sheesh)
In 2008, the Twilight saga's first movie came out. I, being relatively clueless, had not yet heard of Twilight until about two weeks before the movie's debut. At first I thought "Vampires? No thanks." I snubbed them, as a person of literary snobbery usually does. I recall in high school when everyone was fawning over Harry Potter and I also had no interest. Fantasy smatansy. (I've always had a thing for true crime, mainly from my father's collection of books, and I was asked by my 5th grade teacher if my parents knew I was reading The Burning Bed, when I took it out for free reading time)
However, I went to the movie just to see what all of the buzz was about. Immediately after viewing the (let's face it, B caliber movie) I picked up the first Twilight book. Then the second, third, and fourth. I didn't tell a lot of people that i was reading these books, because they had gained a reputation of being for mostly tweens and teenagers, I felt embarrassed, at 22, picking them up from the "Young Readers" section of Hastings. I did get through the four books, although i felt that the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, was incredibly disturbing. It explained in graphic detail a sex scene between the two main characters, then detailed her drinking blood to feed this demonic fetus that had been spawned inside her, and her subsequent traumatic delivery of said demon. It creeped me out.
Let's just say that these movies will never win anything more than an MTV movie award. (Probably for best kiss). The movies are full of beautiful cinematography, but as for the acting, it leaves something to be desired. So why is everyone gaga over Bella and Edward? I think I have a few ideas:
1.) Edward is the "perfect" man. Other than the fact that he is undead, 17 years old forever, and mostly a freaking drama queen, teens and young adults (and even a 70 year old lady at my office) fawn over him. Why? Because to the teens, he's who they look for in a mate (what it's supposed to be like as teenagers in love). To the young adults, they strive to find that in the beer-guzzling frat boys that they are surrounded with, and to the older crowd, he represents chivalry, and an honest break from the ball-scratching, dirty old man that their once charming groom has grown into.
2.) The setting is realistic. Stephenie Meyer took vampires out from coffins and stakes, away from mansions with cobwebs and fangs. She placed them in our world- and made them closer to humanlike. They possess unbelievable beauty and poise, and money. They are not a threat to your world as they do not kill humans for their feeding. In theory, any man that we meet at a bar or at the supermarket could be an Edward Cullen.
3.) Everyone loves a forbidden love story. Romeo + Juliet. Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Sonny and Cher. All of these relationships were filled with tumultuous times, death threats, thinking that your brother was going to suck her blood... oh wait, that's just Bella and Edward. So we find ourselves rooting for the crazy kids, (or in some cases, Jacob, the werewolf) pining for them to find a way to live happily ever after. See: Every Katherine Heigl movie.
As I sat in Breaking Dawn Part 1, I realized how ridiculous the story line really, truly was. But that's okay, because we have enough real life stories out there. Enough broken hearted stories. Maybe what we all need is a little fantasy, something that, in our minds could just happen....
However, I went to the movie just to see what all of the buzz was about. Immediately after viewing the (let's face it, B caliber movie) I picked up the first Twilight book. Then the second, third, and fourth. I didn't tell a lot of people that i was reading these books, because they had gained a reputation of being for mostly tweens and teenagers, I felt embarrassed, at 22, picking them up from the "Young Readers" section of Hastings. I did get through the four books, although i felt that the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, was incredibly disturbing. It explained in graphic detail a sex scene between the two main characters, then detailed her drinking blood to feed this demonic fetus that had been spawned inside her, and her subsequent traumatic delivery of said demon. It creeped me out.
Let's just say that these movies will never win anything more than an MTV movie award. (Probably for best kiss). The movies are full of beautiful cinematography, but as for the acting, it leaves something to be desired. So why is everyone gaga over Bella and Edward? I think I have a few ideas:
1.) Edward is the "perfect" man. Other than the fact that he is undead, 17 years old forever, and mostly a freaking drama queen, teens and young adults (and even a 70 year old lady at my office) fawn over him. Why? Because to the teens, he's who they look for in a mate (what it's supposed to be like as teenagers in love). To the young adults, they strive to find that in the beer-guzzling frat boys that they are surrounded with, and to the older crowd, he represents chivalry, and an honest break from the ball-scratching, dirty old man that their once charming groom has grown into.
2.) The setting is realistic. Stephenie Meyer took vampires out from coffins and stakes, away from mansions with cobwebs and fangs. She placed them in our world- and made them closer to humanlike. They possess unbelievable beauty and poise, and money. They are not a threat to your world as they do not kill humans for their feeding. In theory, any man that we meet at a bar or at the supermarket could be an Edward Cullen.
3.) Everyone loves a forbidden love story. Romeo + Juliet. Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Sonny and Cher. All of these relationships were filled with tumultuous times, death threats, thinking that your brother was going to suck her blood... oh wait, that's just Bella and Edward. So we find ourselves rooting for the crazy kids, (or in some cases, Jacob, the werewolf) pining for them to find a way to live happily ever after. See: Every Katherine Heigl movie.
As I sat in Breaking Dawn Part 1, I realized how ridiculous the story line really, truly was. But that's okay, because we have enough real life stories out there. Enough broken hearted stories. Maybe what we all need is a little fantasy, something that, in our minds could just happen....
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Seizure Control
Note: I'm not a doctor, so please always call 911 if faced with a situation that requires medical attention. Also, I asked Adam for permission before I shared these stories with my readers. :)
When I met Adam in 2009, I knew he was different, (meaning he was the most charming, most adorable, wittiest person I'd ever laid my eyes on), but soon I found out that he had had some trauma in his childhood and was left with a traumatic brain injury. In addition to his brain injury, he has also had seizures since he was 16 years old. He spoke of it as any other every day thing, such as that he had three siblings and his birthday was the day after Halloween.
This terrified me. I have never been around anyone who had seizures before, and so the only image I had of epilepsy and seizures was what I had seen on tv and movies. And those aren't exactly happy representations of this condition.
At the time that we started dating Adam was having seizures once a week. Before we met they were as often as every day. I was on high alert. I didn't know how I was going to react. I felt, at the time, that this may be a dealbreaker for me. I may not be able to deal with it. How selfish of me!
So there we were, a month into our relationship, when he had a seizure. I cried. It was really hard to watch him in pain. It was over before I knew it and I remember thinking that it wasn't as bad as I had built up in my mind.
It's been two years since we started dating and Adam has had countless seizures since then. Some of them have been in public, and I see the looks on people's faces. It's part curiosity, part rubbernecking, part shock, part confusion. People just don't know what to do. After a late night catching a plane to Austin, Texas, Adam had a seizure on the plane. I put away my magazine and slid my hands over Adam's as he started twitching. I locked into his eyes as they filled with tears and said, "Just breathe. It's gonna be okay." A man across the aisle stared at him, and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind, thinking of what to do, if he should call the attendant for help. I made eye contact and smiled, and he smiled back, a knowing glance. He knew I had it under control.
Another time we were in a busy hotel getting breakfast when I heard a plate crash to the ground. Adam was standing there, biscuits and gravy covering his shoes, and he looked at me in a panic. "I twitched.." he said. Kids, adults alike looked at him. I sat him in the nearest chair and handed him a banana. (We've found that bananas have reduced his seizures significantly)
Instead of the once selfish Laylan that thought, "How will this affect my life?" I now look at these situations as a team effort. I did research. I made some of my own diagnoses. We regulated his sleep schedule, diet and he cut down on his smoking. He ate bananas and took potassium supplements. We used breathing and awareness techniques. Gradually, they slowed. Eventually, they stopped. Adam's been (mostly) seizure free for over a year. A condition that he's had since he was 16 years old has stopped. WOW. Isn't that amazing? I'm incredibly proud of what he has accomplished. Ahem. We. What we have accomplished.
What spurred this blog was that a woman on campus had a seizure today. Adam came out of his class and a group had gathered around her, gawking as she lay on the floor, cradled by a couple of other girls. Seizures are very scary and I understand that curiosity is natural. But understand that there is a person behind the condition.
If you are with someone who has a seizure: -First see if you can communicate with them. There are several types of seizures, and some seizures do not render the person unconscious. If they can communicate with you, ask them what you can do to help them. If they are unconscious, put them on their side. If you are not familiar with this person, he/she could choke. Placing them on their side will keep them safe. Do not- do-not- put a wooden spoon in their mouth. (Old Wive's Tale).
-If the person is not conscious, call Public Safety or 911. The dispatcher can walk you through actions until the paramedics get there. If you are unsure, call 911.
What I've learned from this is that nothing in life is as scary as it seems. Everything can be managed, and, especially in Adam's situation, with a little research and change of lifestyle, improved.
When I met Adam in 2009, I knew he was different, (meaning he was the most charming, most adorable, wittiest person I'd ever laid my eyes on), but soon I found out that he had had some trauma in his childhood and was left with a traumatic brain injury. In addition to his brain injury, he has also had seizures since he was 16 years old. He spoke of it as any other every day thing, such as that he had three siblings and his birthday was the day after Halloween.
This terrified me. I have never been around anyone who had seizures before, and so the only image I had of epilepsy and seizures was what I had seen on tv and movies. And those aren't exactly happy representations of this condition.
At the time that we started dating Adam was having seizures once a week. Before we met they were as often as every day. I was on high alert. I didn't know how I was going to react. I felt, at the time, that this may be a dealbreaker for me. I may not be able to deal with it. How selfish of me!
So there we were, a month into our relationship, when he had a seizure. I cried. It was really hard to watch him in pain. It was over before I knew it and I remember thinking that it wasn't as bad as I had built up in my mind.
It's been two years since we started dating and Adam has had countless seizures since then. Some of them have been in public, and I see the looks on people's faces. It's part curiosity, part rubbernecking, part shock, part confusion. People just don't know what to do. After a late night catching a plane to Austin, Texas, Adam had a seizure on the plane. I put away my magazine and slid my hands over Adam's as he started twitching. I locked into his eyes as they filled with tears and said, "Just breathe. It's gonna be okay." A man across the aisle stared at him, and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind, thinking of what to do, if he should call the attendant for help. I made eye contact and smiled, and he smiled back, a knowing glance. He knew I had it under control.
Another time we were in a busy hotel getting breakfast when I heard a plate crash to the ground. Adam was standing there, biscuits and gravy covering his shoes, and he looked at me in a panic. "I twitched.." he said. Kids, adults alike looked at him. I sat him in the nearest chair and handed him a banana. (We've found that bananas have reduced his seizures significantly)
Instead of the once selfish Laylan that thought, "How will this affect my life?" I now look at these situations as a team effort. I did research. I made some of my own diagnoses. We regulated his sleep schedule, diet and he cut down on his smoking. He ate bananas and took potassium supplements. We used breathing and awareness techniques. Gradually, they slowed. Eventually, they stopped. Adam's been (mostly) seizure free for over a year. A condition that he's had since he was 16 years old has stopped. WOW. Isn't that amazing? I'm incredibly proud of what he has accomplished. Ahem. We. What we have accomplished.
What spurred this blog was that a woman on campus had a seizure today. Adam came out of his class and a group had gathered around her, gawking as she lay on the floor, cradled by a couple of other girls. Seizures are very scary and I understand that curiosity is natural. But understand that there is a person behind the condition.
If you are with someone who has a seizure: -First see if you can communicate with them. There are several types of seizures, and some seizures do not render the person unconscious. If they can communicate with you, ask them what you can do to help them. If they are unconscious, put them on their side. If you are not familiar with this person, he/she could choke. Placing them on their side will keep them safe. Do not- do-not- put a wooden spoon in their mouth. (Old Wive's Tale).
-If the person is not conscious, call Public Safety or 911. The dispatcher can walk you through actions until the paramedics get there. If you are unsure, call 911.
What I've learned from this is that nothing in life is as scary as it seems. Everything can be managed, and, especially in Adam's situation, with a little research and change of lifestyle, improved.
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