Define Hobbie

Someone once said there is a fine line between a hobby and a mental illness. That line becomes particularly blurry when your hobby is composting. The concept itself (carefully tending a pile of decaying organic matter) seems squarely outside the realm of normal human behavior, and I find my involvement with this hobby led to some slightly bizarre behavior.

For example, this afternoon I was explaining to Phillip the need to add some dry material to the compost pile to keep it from becoming a slimy mess full of smelly, anaerobic bacteria. My husband politely reminded me that we were having lunch, and asked if we could continue this riveting conversation later.

As for the aforementioned dry material, since I lack a yard to supply fallen leaves or lawn clippings (which you can dry out and then add to the pile), I have to seek alternative sources of dry stuff. I find I’m almost excited to get junk mail these days so I can shred it and add it to the compost pile. If the credit card pushers start slacking off, though, sometimes I have to load Baby into her stroller and pay a visit to a neighbor that doesn’t rake their leaves very often. I’m sure they appreciate the anonymous disposal of their yard waste, but I can only guess at the thoughts of passing motorists who watch me with slightly furrowed brows.

Sobering News

This evening, my brother sent me a link to Utah's Deseret News website. I was happy to learn that Elder Wirthlin's "ailment" during Conference was just a case of locked knees. However, the main reason Andrew directed me to the site was an article on what Utahns Google.

The good news is that Utah ranks number one in the nation for searches on things like "Jesus" and "family history." Oh yeah - and "Lord of the Rings" and "Mitt Romney." The bad news is that it also leads the nation in searches for "pornography" and other more unsavory words which shall not be written on this blog.

I should clarify that the Google Trends site employed for this article measures the ratio of searches, rather than the total number. That means that even though highly-populated areas like California may have a higher total number of "Jesus" searches, if you compare an average 100 Californians to an average 100 Utahans, the Utahans are more likely to search for Jesus. And porn.

Experts cited in the article speculate about why such a highly religious state would have such shady internet habits. Some point out that in a society where there is lots of pressure to conform, there is also temptation to rebel. Others suggest that since immorality is so strongly forbidden among Mormons, many become curious and use the anonymous internet to explore what all the fuss is about. Some specialists also raised the question whether those searching for wholesome subjects and those searching for unsavory ones tend to be separate people, or the very same people. The Trends site offers no clues on that one.

The most sobering statistic in the article was the estimate that 35% of Church members view shady material on the internet (that's slightly lower than the national average). This doesn't mean they view it every day. Apparently most of those people wander to questionable sites, then catch themselves and sheepishly log out, only to repeat the process a few months later.

So why am I writing about this? I don't usually like to post depressing things, but I felt we need to be aware that this problem is not restricted to the rare reclusive stranger. Most likely, people you know personally struggle with it - not necessarily every day, but enough to haunt them and slowly poison their lives. If we're aware of the danger, perhaps we can prevent it or help someone who already has a problem get help for it.

How tragic that people who have access to so much light are still so tempted by darkness.

Happy Blog Unmasks Fallacy

I stumbled across an interesting blog today. It's called The Happiness Project, and the author has set a personal goal to try practically every existing theory, principle, and tip for increasing happiness, then report what works for her and what doesn't. Interesting idea. I might just choose a few promising theories and try it myself.

Today's THP post particularly resonated with me. She discusses the "arrival fallacy" - the assumption that we'll finally be happy if we can just attain or achieve a certain thing. That future-focus blinds us to sources of happiness in the present, and it overlooks the fact that our desired achievement (be it a baby, a job, or even just getting your little apartment clean) often brings with it not blissful euphoria but additional responsibilities (e.g caring for baby, learning new job skills, or KEEPING the apartment in its pristine condition). As the saying goes, life doesn't get "better"- it just gets different. Moral of the story: enjoy the journey.

Conference Reflections

Conference weekend has come and gone again. I’m still trying to process everything, but one thing I will say is that I love the calling of Henry B. Eyring to fill President Faust’s seat in the First Presidency. He embodies all the qualities I so loved in President Faust: gentleness, dignity, and messages that always resonated deeply with me.

I must also say that the most memorable talk of the conference was Elder Wirthlin’s on Saturday afternoon. Halfway through his talk he suddenly began trembling terribly, yet he continued on for five or ten more minutes, determined to finish his message. Elder Nelson (who is a doctor) came to his aid immediately, and stood protectively by his side until the end of his talk. The principle Elder Wirthlin felt was so important to teach was Christ-like love, and I can think of few more powerful lessons on it than the image of those two apostles side by side: one feeble and trembling, yet determined to teach us a crucial truth; the other tall and strong, eager to both protect and support his friend

Doing Violence to a Book

I'm glad that the success of Harry Potter, Narnia, and other fantasy book/movies has convinced the movie studios that such family-friendly films can be a worthwhile investment. Unfortunately, they still don't always understand and honor what made the books popular in the first place.

Case in point: This week saw the release of "The Seeker," a film loosely based on "The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper. I say "loosely" because whereas the Harry Potter people worked closely with J. K. Rowlings to stay true to her vision, the folks behind The Seeker made such major changes to the plot and characters that Cooper sent them a letter requesting that they make alterations (which I don't think were made).

For example, the book's main character is a cheerful 11-year-old British boy from a well-adjusted family. The screenwriter apparently decided audiences would relate better to a 13-year-old American struggling to adjust to life in Britain, cope with a dysfunctional family, and deal with relationship angst. Oh yeah, and save the world.

In a radio interview, Cooper said she deliberately placed her hero at the end of childhood rather than the beginning of adolescence because he would still be figuring out who he really is, rather than how he (and his hormones) relate to others. She conceded that you can't avoid "doing violence to a book" when you try to translate it to the screen, but you could sense the disappointment in her voice as she discussed how her book has been reworked.

I suppose that pain I heard in her voice was what made me want to write about all this. I couldn't help thinking how difficult it would be to I pour my heart and soul into into a story, then see it transformed into something I barely recognized. It seems almost like a sad form of plagiarism. The story's been reworked so much that it's no longer really Cooper's, yet the new version borrows so much from the old that the writer can't really claim it as his either. Perhaps if he'd added a subtitle: "The Seeker: An Unauthorized Retelling."

This sad business alone was enough to turn me off of the film, and since most reviews range from lukewarm to outraged I don't feel any great temptation to go see it. As one critic put it, the studio took a charming children's adventure and removed all the adventure and charm.

Someone Called for Chocolate?

STM, these are for you (and anyone you care to share with).

Because sometimes life's just a bear.

Life and Death

My friend Snow Dragonne recently complained about a show in which her favorite character sacrifices his life for the cause and to achieve his own redemption. Of course, this happens right as he finally begins dating his long-term love interest. SD wanted to know how come our media often equates heroism with sacrifice and death, rather than just letting the good guys live happily ever after. Her frustrations got me thinking about how (or whether) media reflects life.

We all know that triumphs purchased cheaply are valued cheaply, and pain and struggle strengthen our character far more than ease. Of course, I don't enjoy or invite tribulation, but on the other hand I know God didn't send us to this world to take a vacation. Life is supposed to be a mix of happy and hard, because if it were all easy and fun it would actually be a waste of our time. It would be like trying to work our muscles with inflatable dumbbells.

As for wanting to see the good guys live happily ever after, there are actually many shows and movies where that happens. They're produced by a company called Disney. I like those scenarios, but what I'd like to see more of is the sense that death is not the (often tragic) end of a story. Most of our tales treat death as the worst possible tragedy, to be avoided at all costs. If a beloved character dies, there is wrenching grief, but rarely any mention of hope for a reunion or that they have gone to a happier place. One of the things I love about the last Harry Potter book is the concept that death is merely an (admittedly intimidating) gateway that leads a good person on to something better, and to loved ones who are waiting eagerly to greet them.

Don't get me wrong--I am not overly eager to experience tribulation or death. However, I think it's important to remember that life is SUPPOSED to be hard, that trials serve an important purpose, and that the death of a good person is neither a tragedy for them nor a permanent separation for us (assuming we're good, too :).