Posts Tagged ‘books’

Meryl Streep said it herself — Y’all are probably sick of me by now.

Okay. Well, she didn’t say it quite like that, but take away the southern accent and that pretty much sums up what she said after being awarded her third Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

“When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no. C’mon! Her, again?’ You know. But, whatever,” Streep said.

I couldn’t help but wince a little for the other nominees. I mean there was remarkable talent among the bunch — Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, Glenn Close, Rooney Mara.

Don’t you imagine that Glenn Close felt like the bridesmaid once more? She’s been nominated for the Oscar six times and has yet to win. Sure it’s an honor being nominated but let’s face it, sometimes a girl just wants the public accolades for working so dang hard for so darn long.

Boys feel that way, too.

To finish reading this please click here. 

I was in graduate school working on all things education when a professor pulled me aside one afternoon and told me I was a writer. I was 38 years old. I’d grown up in a 12 x 60 in West Georgia. “I’m pretty sure I can’t even spell, much less write,” I replied.

Turns out I was right about that spelling thing, but that writing thing? Well, looks like that gentle soul of a professor had pretty good insights.

I get asked a lot for advice about writing from people who want to be writers or some who just want to be famous. In fact a cowboy stopped me outside the grocery store the other day, tipped his hat back and said, “How’s the writing going? You making any money at this?”

Now anyway you look at it, that’s a rude question. If I am getting rich off this, what business is it of his? And if I’m not, what business is it of his?

I sighed and said, “That was never the point, Cowboy. I do this because I believe I’m called to it.”

He went on to tell me that he’s planning on writing the next great Agatha Christie mystery and that he intends to get rich from writing it. I walked off shaking my head and recalling something my wise professor taught me.  A lesson that has carried me during the times when I’m making money and times when I”m not (Thank you, Mr. Sponsor, for the health insurance and Starbucks). What the proferssor said was – ”Ignore all flattery and all criticisms and just keep writing.”

That was singularly the best writing advice I’ve ever received.

The reason all that comes to mind is because I overreacted to the CNN essay about teens being “Fake Christians.”  And I didn’t do my homework. I should have contacted the author of the book — Miz Dean — and asked her if she said all those things that CNN reported. I could have asked her what she meant by all that.

Turns out Miz Dean has been catching a lot of heat for that article. (You can read about it over at her site .)  Most of it from people who for one reason or another are disappointed in Christians, or the church. Then I come hop-skipping along and say my two cents worth, which is the point of being a commentator and southern woman.

My old professor he taught me one more thing as a writer — he said if you need to explain your point to the reader then you didn’t make it very well to begin with. You only have to take a look at the comment section to realize I did a lot of explaining this week.

Not that I think that’s bad. I think discussion is a good thing and I hope that people visiting this site feel like what they say matters, even if we are at cross-hairs with one another on the issue.

As one fella noted, it seems that Miz Dean and I are not at cross-hairs. We both are hoping for the same thing — teens who are wholly devoted to God. I came at it from an ancedotal, experiential method and she’s coming at it from a reasoned, analytical approach.

I will confess that I often feel out-of-step with the rest of the world, like maybe I’m the fake.  When Anne Rice announced that she can no longer tolerate bickering Christians and thus is leaving the fellowship of the Catholic Church, I respond by recalling how the church stepped into my life when I needed it most — as a teen — and provided me with a safe haven. Some of my dearest friendships were formed during those years over car washes and hot dog suppers. I had the blessed fortune of having a wonderful youth pastor and the life-long friendship of the senior pastor, both of whom I wrote  about in my memoir.

The people of Rose Hill Baptist Church stepped into the gap in my life and I will forever and always love them for that. But it is also true that today, Rose Hill is a dying church, supported primarily by the old timers who’ve been there forever. Rose Hill is located in a primarily black neighborhood and it never served the people next-door. It was always about white people driving in from other parts of the community to worship there. There were big fights about all that back in the day. So I reckon on some level Anne Rice is right — we are a cantankerous lot.

And while I have not read Miz Dean’s book, I take it from the discussion that occurred here and at her site that she’s worried about things like that — about the church losing it’s ability to mark the life of a child — the way Rose Hill folks did for me.

I, on the other hand, am not depressed by what I see in today’s youth. I am inspired by them. I think it takes more courage and more discipline to stand for Christ today than ever before. It thrills me when I see faith in action in a kid’s life. I suppose because it takes me back to such a tender place in my own life.

The one thing I am never about and never want to be about here at this site or even in my own life is being right. What I long for above all else is to live the redeemed life. The kind of life that I witnessed Pastor Smitty living, and The Marine, and The Redhead and the Giver and the Veteran. The kind of life I see in Whitney Ferrin and Jordan Foxworthy and hundreds of other kids.

I sent Miz Dean a note. I’ll tell her all this and ask her forgiveness on the phone when we speak but meanwhile I wanted to tell you. Just because a person’s got a calling on their life doesn’t give them permission to run stampede over somebody else’s life.  Passion is a good thing corralled. Unleashed it can be ugly.

If you’re a parent raising kids up in the Lord or a person working in ministry, you’ll probably get a lot of insights out of reading Miz Dean’s book. And if it’s wrangling with issues you’re seeking. this is probably a pretty good stop along the way.

(Editor’s note: For previous post, please go to http://karenzach.com/2010/your-kid-isnt-a-real-christian/)