Why I'll Never Forget Going to See The DaVinci Code

I read the book and enjoyed it, especially all the clever puzzles and clues. It was probably the first fiction book that kept me running back and forth to the Internet to look up things such as Fibonacci numbers and the Dead Sea Scrolls. It made feel bad for Mary Magdalene, maligned as a prostitute all through my Catholic upbringing and reminded me that most institutions, religious and political, often gain the most power when they marginalize a portion of the population.

What the book did NOT do, was somehow destroy my faith and beliefs - in fact, it brought religion, a long silent subject in my house, back into everyday conversation. Add to this a renewed interest in history, mythology and symbolism. It made me remember a debate I had over Halloween parties and whether innocent children were really doing the devil's work by coloring Jack O'Lanterns. It made me go back and find the Letter to the Editor I had written so many years ago, outlining all the signs, symbols and artifacts we encounter every day that at one time were religious symbols.

I was anxious to see the movie, wondering how all this research, knowledge and clue-solving could be incorporated into a Hollywood production. I was afaid that Robert Langdon would somehow end up a cross between Indiana Jones and MacGyver. But thankfully, I was wrong.

The movie is good. It moves along and weaves in flashbacks, historic interpretations and mythology. To his great credit, Ron Howard let the characters be played straight out of the book, he didn't try to muddy the water by creating some sort of love interest between Robert and Sophie (something Hollywood is notorious for). And as for the portrayal of the Catholic Church, Catholicism, Christianity - to me, it actually played a small part in the overall tale. There are worse stories involving the Catholic Church and what has gone on over the centuries, and much of them are TRUE.

If theology must be debated because of this book and movie, perhaps it should be to question why this is so controversial to begin with. Obviously, back in the early days of Christianity it was somehow impossible for Jesus to have been both God, who is all powerful, and a man who was capable of normal human relationships and even procreation. To me, this a ridiculous argument. An all-powerful God means just that, "all-powerful." To suddenly put restrictions on that doesn't make sense. But maybe I am just in over my theological head here.

So, I left the movie feeling that I had just seen a pretty faithful representation of the book, complete with enough explanation to spark thoughts for those who hadn't read it. There were enough car chases and killings to satisfy the action movie fans.

But, none of this a why I will never forget going to see the DaVinci Code. As the credits rolled, I was soon alone in the theater, the rest of the audience not interested in who the key grip was. As the cleaning crew began piling in, one young man almost ran me over with his pail and broom. His companion yelled at him, "Watch out you almost ran over THAT OLD LADY." Before I could react, Mr Broom and Bucket waved his hand and replied, "come on, she's not THAT OLD."

Now, I'll never be able to disassociate my entry into old ladyhood with the DaVinci Code for the rest of my life. So, I can't fully reccomend this movie without one caution, it may age you.

Farewell, My Friend

This new, online world where so many of us have choosen to spend time is often criticized as the place for scammers, pedophiles and dangerous encounters. Yet, as a microcosm of the real world, it is also the place for knowledge, information, and comraderie.

In 1997, while dealing with my new status as a single mom, working two jobs and fighting to make a new life for myself and my children, I joined AOL, and after stumbling around for a while in chat rooms more interested in "cyber" than comraderie, I found a group inhabiting a place called the Writer's Cafe. I entered a world of diverse personalities and conversations that were many levels above "hey, baby, what are you wearing." The place had its share of heated debates about the world, and yes, even on occasion, about writing. Less a workshop and more an escape hatch, the "cafe" became to me the place for stream of consciousness discussions with writers and others, who, like me, were taking a break from the day-to-day.

In this cafe, I have met, both virtually and in-person, a wide range of people that I would never have had the chance to meet in my regular day-to-day routine. I've seen photos and read stories of places I will never get to visit. Quite a few stories, poems and other writing has come out things I learned or people I met because of stopping by at the Writer's Cafe.

And, like any far-reaching group, we have had our share of joy and sorrow. Marriages, births, and deaths. Losing a fellow "cafer" is a painful experience - for even though these are people living far from us, people we may never have met, our online chatroom has provided many of us with the chance to share our common experiences, find kindred souls, and to, for a time, maybe to feel part of a dynamic, living experience.

This morning, our dear friend, known in the cafe as SkaWrites, died, surrounded in person by those who loved her, and embraced, spiritually, by her host of online friends. Ska and I both wrote similar "slice of life" columns, hers more focused on family, mine more often than not, about rodents. We shared our work with each other and had some heart to heart chats late at night about the issues of life faced by women such as ourselves.

I know that while her light has left us, it now burns brightly in another place - a place filled with family, friends and the other "cafers" who had gone on ahead of her.

Ska, dear friend, we will always leave a seat open for you in the cafe, and a cup of coffee brewing in your name.

Mother's Day with the Snakes and Rats

I've just spent a portion of my Mother's Day indulging in a rare pleasure - sitting down and reading a book, cover to cover. The book I picked for this honor was "Rattled" by Debra Galant and as I read it I found myself wondering if somehow I had been cloned without my knowledge or if Debra and I were twins separated at birth. I say this because, not only is Galant a clever humorist, but she includes in this book almost all of my favorite essay topics - most specifically, the state of living in New Jersey ( and the proliferation of "McMansions"), the ridiculous extremes some parents go to for school functions, and, yes, laboratory rats also play a large part in the story. The star of the book, however, is the New Jersey Timber Rattlesnake, a species that I never knew existed and that I blogged about here last August:

August 17, 2005
Is This Really News?
I understand the concept of a "slow news day," and how that is the time when news outlets may run the more unusual story, or that meritorious human interest story that there was never time for. But exactly how slow of a news day is it, when the headline is something like "Police On the Lookout for Snake." Sure the occasional wayward 50 foot boa constrictor that is peeking up from someone's toilet is an amusing tale, even a cautionary one - but usually the closing story on televised news on a "slow news day." Yesterday, apparently, despite a multitude of world events screaming for attention, it was a snake story that was the lead for hours on an New York City all news radio station. I know this because I was traveling from central New Jersey to the Bronx, New York, in daytime traffic. I heard the snake story at least 4 times. Police were actively searching for a copperhead snake that had the unmitigated gall to bite someone. Of course, this was a someone who was trying to get the snake out of the middle of the road, and was rewarded for his concern in typical snake fashion.There is nothing funny about a poisonous snake bite. It is an important message to tell people to avoid handling snakes or any wild animals with bare hands, no matter how good the intentions. But the impression from the news coverage was that this snake was being relentlessly pursued by local police, with the same voracity as a bank robber.So, I thought, well, maybe this was important and unusual because this was a snake that didn't belong in New Jersey, and like the wayward boa constrictors, had been let loose by mistake, was out of its natural element, and needed to be captured. We certainly don't need a wild, poisonous attack snake pouncing on the unsuspecting. However, in checking the web, and most recently this web page, Township of West Milford Search , I find that not only is the copperhead snake native to New Jersey, it is one of TWO venomous snakes here - the other being the timber rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes? In New Jersey? I'm never going out without heavy boots again ... So now, I'm thinking, not only was this an important lead story for news radio, it is something that the populace of New Jersey need to be aware of - immediately. I'm wondering if it is too late to joing the posse and bring that criminal snake in for some Jersey justice...


Thanks to Galant's book, I now know that Timber Rattlesnakes are actually an endangered species in New Jersey. In that case, one can hardly blame them for being poisonous! The survival of the species is a at stake! Anyway, I reccomend "Rattled" as a fun read.

Greetings from the Bordentown Iris Festival

Greetings and thanks to all of you who stopped by my table yesterday at the Bordentown Iris Festival. I really enjoyed meeting and talking with you, hearing your own stories about turning 50, turning 60, turning 70 and beyond. I was especially tickled to meet Barbara, who was actually celebrating her 50th birthday yesterday! Barbara, right before meeting you, I got a phone call from a family member announcing the birth of a new daughter, proving, once again, that 13 is a lucky number!

I am hoping that I can attend more of these events with my books and photographs - thanks to the organizers of this event, especially CJ - for opening it up to authors! For more information on the Festival and other upcoming events in this lovely, historic town, visit: Bordentown, New Jersey