Quotes, Ramblings & Five Among Friends~*

Today is a two-fer:  Five Among Friends with a bit of rambling and a couple of quotations and a leg of mutton.  Because what is life without mutton, I ask you?

This week's fab questions are thanks to the wonderful Lisa of Squishable Baby.  Yay!

1. What was your favorite book to read as a child? Would you recommend it? Why?

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, no contest.  I still adore this book & have several tributes to it in our house & multiple vintage copies of it in our library.  I resoundingly and passionately recommend it.  It is far darker and more cerebral than Alice in Wonderland and John Tenniel's illustrations were politically charged and topical {with many of the less attractive characters being depicted as caricatures of politicians and aristocracy of the day).  Quite risque for the quiet, reclusive Dodgson.

colorized version of Tenniel's pen & ink found here

Why I would recommend it, however, has little to do with the witty drawings or historic significance.  I recommend it because in all the countless numbers of books I've read over the course of my life, I've never read another book like it.  It is utterly and completely unique, and beautiful, and...well...weird.  It captures exactly what it is to dream.  Alice jumps from strange event to peculiar occurrence without any real acknowledgement of the oddness of it all.  And there are some truly bizarre occurrences, believe me.  And there is Alice, accepting the world around her and doing her best to deal with it-- whether she is trying to properly a-dress a queen, or stop a war, or serve a mutton she's been introduced to.

Its a metaphor for life really.

2. What sport did you play in high school?

Did I mention I was an pale, asthmatic kid?

I steadfastly avoided sports.  I was, however, a theater nerd in high school.  Not really a sport, but it was a school activity...

3. What is one prominent childhood memory?

Okay, okay.  I thought about this one.  Here's one of those memories from childhood that comes before you actually know you are remembering, if that makes sense, but that I remember clear as crystal.  When I was about 5, I think {Ma, help me out here} we went to Disneyland.  I distinctly remember seeing Pluto, and having Mom and Dad encourage me to go up to him.  And he gave me a hug, and for just a moment I looked him in the eye-- it was one of those mascot suits with "netting" over the eyes.

Anyway.

When I looked in his eye, I saw the human behind the dog and was woefully confused.  Now I understood that it was a man inside the suit with out a problem.  My dilemma came from wondering why this fellow wanted to lie to me and pretend he was Pluto like I was some sort of idiot.  I wasn't sure how I should respond-- should I pretend I am amazed by meeting Pluto? Should I be angry at the deception?  I was utterly confused by it, and very worried I would hurt the fellow's feelings.  After all, it had to be hot in there.

So there is that.  And here is this:

4. What were your dreams as a child?

To be Diana of Themyscira, Leia Organa &/or Sara Crewe 

Yes.  

I think I may have issues.


5. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you fulfill those aspirations?

Well, I wanted to be a revolutionary.  No joke, that is really what I said in high school.  I think, in a way, I did fulfill that aspiration.  I devoted my academic life to studying revolutionaries-- the people who weren't afraid to stand up against the status quo, who dared to demand more.

I started to write a list of people.  It got rather long.  I deleted it out of fear that I'd put you to sleep.  Trust me.  There are many of them...when you have a nation that was born in revolution and designed by revolutionaries, you end up with a lot of rabble-rousers.

Now go check out what my fabulous friends have for answers!