Well, I'm gazing into the 321st century, man. There's a lot on my mind.
About ten years ago, during a high school basketball game, I chased a fast break pass out of bounds (thank you, Katrina!) and ran full-steam into a concrete wall. My head hit the wall first, and I was knocked unconscious. I woke up in the locker room during half time. The next day I walked into my coach's office and he was sitting with the entire boys' team, watching the video of the game. Not the whole game, no. He was watching me chase the pass, crash into the wall, and fall down. Over and over and over. In slow motion. LIKE IT WAS FUNNY.
Run, run, run. CRUNCH! Topple. Rewind. Run, run, run. CRUNCH! Topple. Rewind. Run, run, run. CRUNCH! Topple. Rewind.
This week? I feel like I am trapped inside that video. Like I keep slamming into a wall - head first - again and again and again. And also? I hear the faint sound of chuckling.
In Love Actually, Hugh Grant says that when he gets gloomy about the state of affairs in the world, he thinks about the arrivals gate at Heathrow International Airport. When I get gloomy about the state of affairs in the world, I watch The West Wing, and pretend that it is my actual government.
In a few days, Georgia's 10th District is holding a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Congressman Charlie Norwood's death. The front-runner is an ultra-conservative Republican, Jim Whitehead. He says he wants to follow in Charlie Norwood's footsteps.
Awesome.
Norwood was famous for saying (loudly and longly) THAT YOU ARE FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION OR YOU WANT TO MARRY TERRORISTS! Last August, he oversaw a 2-day panel on immigration. The entire experience displeased him. ""What I wanted," Norwood said, "was witnesses who agree with me, not disagree with me."
This is one of my favorite quotes by Norwood's hopeful successor, Jim Whitehead: "Left-wing political activists [are] intentionally registering illegal aliens to vote, including known Al Qaeda terrorists."
Riiiight.
Oh, and also Whitehead is not so much a fan of the Gay People.
My sister lives in the 10th District. I am encouraging her to write in Jed Bartlet's name. I don't think I'll have to plead too hard; she's the one that gave me the West Wing DVDs.
Here's a video I wouldn't mind being trapped inside.
Comments
hope the head banging gets better!
and.. good thing for mercy, uh?
Posted by: sarah | June 13, 2007 11:58 AM
Want some Advil? Or cookies?
Posted by: Jennie | June 13, 2007 01:08 PM
the fact that you capitalized Gay People is the second best thing I've read today.
(the pound sign is silent)
Posted by: Jenn The Sister | June 13, 2007 01:16 PM
p.s. zomg, how much do I love that clip?
Posted by: Jenn The Sister | June 13, 2007 01:17 PM
That scene is one of the absolute best, in a show that was filled with best scenes.
Also? Anyone chuckling at you smacking your head is on my bad list for a really long time.
Posted by: shari | June 13, 2007 01:29 PM
Good night nurse that is possibly the best scene ever!!! what season, what episode is that? I smiled the entire time. Ab. Fab.
Posted by: HAC | June 13, 2007 01:40 PM
When I get gloomy about the state of affairs in the world, I watch Love Actually.
Posted by: Abigail M. Schilling | June 13, 2007 01:46 PM
I am guessing this is not the time to say that Hosea starred in Jim Whiteheads pictorial campaign? :) Maybe you can make the room in your heart to at least forgive Hosea... :)
Posted by: Ashlie | June 13, 2007 01:58 PM
What was wrong with your coach? That is cruel.
Posted by: Jenn (the not-sister) | June 13, 2007 02:46 PM
I also like to pretend like The West Wing is our actual government. Yep. And that's about all I can say intelligently today.
Posted by: Jill | June 13, 2007 03:41 PM
Except technically my last comment wasn't very intelligent because I used "like" as a conjunction when grammatical convention prefers "as if" in that situation.
Posted by: Jill | June 13, 2007 03:43 PM
I just jumped around and did a little dance without watching the West Wing clip because that was the day I fell in love with Josiah Bartlet.
I think the 'skin of a dead pig' part is when I threw myself at the television and told him that he could have his way with me.
Posted by: Heather B. | June 13, 2007 03:53 PM
Well my head banging and egotistical basketball buddy...at least I passed you the ball! Which is more than I can say for the rest of the team!!!!
Posted by: Katrina | June 13, 2007 04:58 PM
North Hall High school...I just re-lived the whole moment. i. luvs. u.
Posted by: the Outsider | June 13, 2007 04:59 PM
Oh...and speaking of basketaball. If you havent been to the store lately, Pat Summit is on the front of the Wheaties Box this month.
Posted by: Katrina | June 13, 2007 05:01 PM
Oh no that sounds REALLY painful and shame on your coach. I've always been more of a spectator of sports but even that is dangerous. I was at one of my brother's basketball games when I was young. A player got mad about something and kicked the ball. I was looking at something else (probably a cute boy at the other end of the court) when everyone started yelling to "watch out". I turned just in time to get creamed right in the nose with the ball. That hurt for a week.
Posted by: bevvy/beverly | June 13, 2007 05:31 PM
OK, that is the first West Wing clip I've ever seen but it totally makes me want to watch every episode of every season RIGHT NOW.
Posted by: Jennie | June 13, 2007 07:01 PM
Jennie - I soooo agree!!!
Posted by: HAC | June 13, 2007 10:08 PM
OMG, love the clip. Thanks to you, I might have to get hooked on West Wing now. I have a few more months of vacation, after all.
Crossing my fingers for the election.
Posted by: Lindsay | June 13, 2007 11:05 PM
If only we had a President Bartlett... how different our world would be. Sometimes I let myself imagine it too. As for running into the wall, I'll just say ouch... with me it was usually sports equipment that I got injured by, not actual buildings.
Posted by: NTE | June 14, 2007 02:35 AM
Heather,
ZING! Oh man, he's awesome. How far into the seasons are you?
-Svarit
Posted by: Svarit | June 14, 2007 02:42 AM
Well, I am, for the first time, going to stick my neck out and make a comment that may make me unpopular here. Shame, but I somehow think this crowd can handle it.
First off, I just want to tell you that I am not "anti-gay" in the sense of "Us against them." In fact, I have written fervent letters to my paper condemning this very condemning attitude. Jesus made them. Jesus made us. Gossiping is in the same list of really bad things as homosexuality, and who hasn't ever gossiped in their lives, really? I have several dear friends that are homosexuals. Do I agree with their chosen lifestyle? No. Does that make us not-friends? No.
However: am I proud of my gossiping? No. Do I demand special rights because I gossip? No. Do I flaunt it? No. I repent of it.
That, to me, is what bothers me most about the Gay Rights movement. While homosexuals should by no means be segregated from society because of it, they do not need to be held captive by it any more than I need to be held captive to my gossip, or someone else needs to be held captive by alcohol. And they should not be celebrated for it.
To be honest, what bothered me the most is that in this video clip, the president made the lady in green look like a fool, and all they used were Old Testament references to the Mosaic law. While in the New Testament, it clearly says "we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not the old way of the written code." (Romans 7:6) Meaning, that law is no longer applicable. But ALSO in the New Testament it says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolators nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers [gossipers] nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [This is where most "us against them" types stop reading.] And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
Christ does not differentiate between sins. He loves and accepts us all, and died for us all. Praise God for his grace and mercy! And also, that he offers deliverance from every sin.
"'Everything is permissible for me'--but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible for me'--but I will not be mastered by anything...By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." (I Corinthians 6:12, 14)
I thank him that he delivers me from gossiping. My cousin Cherilyn thanks him that he delivered her from homosexuality. She has now been happily married for almost seven years.
I love that you want to stand up for the down-trodden and bind up the broken-hearted. We can love people, Heather Anne, without loving what they do. I know you of all people know this.
Love you.
Posted by: Talena | June 15, 2007 10:48 AM
Republicans or Democrats, people have a tendency to focus on one narrow portion of the Bible - and out of context at that. Its a sad shame that we would want to glorify ANYONE (real or fiction) who is ignorant about Gods word. But more frustrating is the general acceptability that it is not acceptable to lump liberals into "Al-Qaeda lovers" it is acceptable to lump conservatives into the "gay haters" category.
Posted by: Kassi | June 15, 2007 03:44 PM