A Wrinkle in Time – The Book, the Movie, and the Memories

Somewhere around the latter part of my elementary school days, I first read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Even then, I was quite the reader, so more than likely I read it a few more times over the next several years. For most of my adult life, I have proclaimed it to be a great book and one of my all-time favorites.

Cut to 2019. While scanning Netflix recently looking for something to watch, I came across the latest Disney movie version and a few days later had a brief conversation about the book and movie with my brother. We both agreed that the book was wonderful, and though neither of us had seen the movie, we both agreed it was probably terrible. (At least that was the opinion of most of the reviews I had read.)

Cut to the present. I’ve re-read the book and watched the movie. Of course, I have. What else does one do when you’ve talked about a book? You read it. And then, you go and watch the movie to compare it to the book. Right? So, here’s my (now) informed opinion on them both.

First, a word of caution. Reading a children’s book as an adult is a bit tricky. (Probably the best way is to read it aloud to your own child.) Be prepared. As is probably true for any book written for a young audience, it has a pretty simple and straightforward plot, and as an adult, I liked it, but I found myself wondering what had so captivated me about the book when I had first read it.

I suppose as a pre-teen, I loved the adventure, the idea of the kids saving the parent, the magic of jumping around the universe to different planets, etc. Even though I couldn’t appreciate the  wonder at my current age, I will say that I maintain all my fond memories of the book and I’m sure that it played a large part in fueling my love for reading that hasn’t been diminished by time. So, despite my waning enthusiasm, I would still highly recommend the book to the appropriate young audience.

And the movie? Well, again, not great, but still worth the watch? I’m on the fence. Honestly, it suffers in comparison to the book (as always, because “the book is always better” Can I get an Amen from all the English teachers out there!), but it’s not as bad as some critics have rated it. It is still a good tale of adventure with an upbeat ending, and there were some great moments, but overall, there were some problems, as well.

First, although it follows the plot of the book, the screenwriters felt the need to add several ridiculous scenes that do nothing but distract. (Did we really need the Mean Girls subplot? Or the silly tree/tornado scene?) The bigger crime (IMHO) is the way they failed to stay true to the characters, and I don’t mean their appearance. (Many people were bothered by the movie portraying the Murrys as a multi-racial family. I was fine with the casting and the acting was solid, but the writers made several characters into very different people, especially the three ladies. Mrs. Whatsit (the nicest one in the book) becomes somewhat mean and sarcastic. Mrs. Who (smartest, most knowledgeable) is now a moron who can’t even speak on her own. Mrs. Which (most powerful, mysterious, and frightening) is shown as a sweet, gentle, grandmotherly type. And her make-up and costumes? Just bizarre, to say the least. And why make Charles Wallace an adopted child in the movie?

Anyway, I could go on, but I won’t. As I said before, the movie did have its moments, and the music and some of the visual effects were good, but I’m rarely satisfied with movie adaptations of books I like. And by the way, how come no one ever told me the book had 4 sequels? And now I’ve gone and gotten too old to truly appreciate them!

Working at the Hotel

So, here’s the thing. I really do like people. After 35 years in the field of education, some private, mostly public, as a teacher, coach, and administrator, I spent a few years in retirement (otherwise known as poverty) while trying to establish myself as a writer.

Not exactly sure how to evaluate that one! I have successfully kept a blog going for the last year and a half, and I have published three books, so I guess I would at least have to give myself a passing grade. Maybe we’ll just grade this one on a Pass/Fail basis and call it a day!

Anyway, in search of part-time employment to supplement my Teacher Retirement annuity, I stumbled upon my current position working at the front desk at a local hotel. It’s an interesting job, and to return to my original thought, it’s mostly interesting because of the people.

First, let me mention my boss and my co-workers. Having worked for some truly difficult people in the past, I must say my current boss is great! (For the record, Sharon Williams, my principal at Pine Forest Christian Academy is still #1 – Best Boss Ever!) The other hotel staff members are also wonderful to work with and overall, I think we have a fantastic team. Again, having worked with difficult people, I can truly appreciate my current co-workers. You guys are the best!

So, now for those pesky guests! Is there anyone who has ever worked in any form of customer service and not encountered those unhappy miserable souls who complain about every – single – solitary – bleeping thing? Of course, we have guests like that here at the hotel, but honestly, they are the exception, rather than the rule. Therefore, I will say truthfully that greeting every guest with a smile, showing courtesy, doing whatever I can to ensure they have a pleasant stay, and other such assigned tasks are the easiest parts of my job. Because, I guess I just like people!

So, I have great conversations every day with travelers from across the state, and the country, and occasionally even from other countries. I get to hear interesting tales, in interesting accents, of the daily lives of people whom I would never otherwise encounter. During check-in, I strive to be quick and efficient, to allow our weary travelers to settle in and rest, but at breakfast and other times, most of our guests are eager to talk, and they seem to enjoy the attention and the chance to visit with those of us who live here. And I greatly enjoy their stories. And who knows? They might even show up in a book some day!

Videogame Nostalgia - Recapturing the Glory Days

I recently mentioned on social media that I was enjoying playing the videogame Tomb Raider Anniversary. Having played the original games long ago, I was experiencing the pleasant nostalgia of days gone by. My son Scott and I worked together to complete the games and we always loved the mix of puzzles and acrobatics that characterized the early games in the series.

It was a good bonding experience. I was good at exploring and finding hidden areas and artifacts, while Scott had the young, quick reflexes to time the near impossible jumps and runs that frustrated me. Together we had the skill sets to conquer the games and we completed them and declared ourselves Tomb Raider masters!

Skip to now, and without my trusty sidekick to handle the heavy lifting, I found the pleasant nostalgia being rapidly replaced by the desire to throw the controller across the room and utter unkind words about the game designers and their lineage. Bottom line – I did not enjoy the game! At all!

Just a quick aside about the game. Tomb Raider Anniversary is basically a remake of the original game with an improved game engine. The levels are somewhat expanded, the graphics are greatly enhanced, and our protagonist, Lara Croft has access to a number of skills and abilities that were not available in the original. (Primarily, grappling and wall running which look really cool until you realize that getting her to jump from the wall to the appropriate ledge or platform is occasionally impossible to manage.) About halfway through the game, I spent a week and untold hours trying to make one particular jump and finally gave up.

Despite the best advice from a number of online walkthroughs, she continued to jump forward instead of backward or left toward the platform leading to the exit. Even more frustrating was the fact that every time she missed the jump and fell to her death, I would be forced to go back to the last checkpoint which involved making several near impossible jumps just to reach the last one. And did I mention, all of this just to exit! Having accomplished all the goals and objectives of the level (and even finding all the artifacts), I was just trying to leave the stupid room!

Eventually, I cheated (used a savegame from the walkthrough), so that I could continue the game. (And for the record, I would never use a cheat in anything other than a single player game.) I’m not one of those gamers who brag incessantly about having beaten a particular game, but I do like to be able to finish a game and experience the entire story. My favorite games have always been RPGs (Role-playing games) with a strong story, which to me is very much like reading a good book. I can’t quit without knowing how the story ends! (By the way, how do people read books and not finish them?)

So, having completed Tomb Raider Anniversary, I’m ready to move on to the next one. Batman: Arkham Knight? Or Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor? Action or story? If you’ve played either, let me know your thoughts!

The Mainstream Media and the Culture of Hate

Two new mass shootings this week and the mainstream media and Liberals everywhere are responding in their usual and predictable ways. It’s the President’s fault and we need more gun laws. My personal opinions are somewhat different.

Blaming Donald Trump is the new national pastime for the Democratic Party. Doesn’t matter if he’s enforcing policies put in place by former Presidents (including Democrats), or saying things that are word for word identical to previous occupants of the oval office, or just being the President, they love to scream and call him names at every opportunity. It’s likely that he will continue being blamed for anything that happens in the next century. Which of course serves no purpose other than spreading negativity.

And we can also expect another all out assault on the Second Amendment. Because blaming the gun, not the shooter makes so much sense. The 20+ Democrats running for President now have a new (old) talking point for their next debate, more restrictive gun laws, because we all know how well criminals (including mass shooters) follow and obey the law!

But let’s get to the real problem. As much as I hate to admit it, our country has become an uglier place since the election of Donald Trump. But let’s be honest about why. And about where all the hate is coming from.

It’s easy enough to figure out that one. Turn on the nightly news. Or check social media (where Conservatives are being shut down daily). Every. Single. Day. The media and the Liberals attack. With hate and venom. Trump is a racist. Trump is a misogynist. Trump is evil. Whatever. Who fills the airwaves with a constant barrage of hateful rhetoric? The media and the Liberals.

And what about actual violence? Consider Antifa, the left-wingers who show up with masked faces wearing riot gear and physically attacking those Horrible Conservatives and destroying property every chance they get. And others. Any guesses how long it will take for Dana Loesch and the rest of the NRA to start getting their latest round of death threats? From the Left, of course.

How long until Hollywood chimes in with their hate-filled opinions? DeNiro, Midler, Milano, Baldwin, Goldberg, Behar, etc. Let’s see how kind their tweets are this week. Or in reality, let’s see how mean and nasty they are this week as they condemn our President. And blame him for this week’s events.

So, yes, we live in a country that is quickly developing a culture of hate. And anyone with half a brain can see where the hatred and violence originate. And just a hint, it’s not starting in the White House.

Finally, as a Christian, allow me to shine a light on the true root of the problem. This is not our home. We live in a fallen world. A world ruled by Satan who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) So, as Christians, we offer up our thoughts and prayers (rejected disdainfully by the Liberals) and we pray (the Lord’s Prayer) longing for the day His will is “done on earth as it is in Heaven.” In the meantime, be nice to someone this week.