Roots of Magic

18 MAR 17
If magic were real, ever since mankind has been around or even earlier, what would it look like? What shape would it take? I pondered this question as I rewrote a section of a story today. 

To me, the beginning of magics might start with cavemen hunching away from the winds and the rains, shaking in primal fear when the lightning and thunder come a calling. Maybe they appealed for protection from a beloved ancestor remembered for his bravery and strength against the elements. Maybe they make a gesture at random and the falling snow lessons and the storms subside. Do they find magic in the world around them, to keep them warm, provide shelter or food? Magic may have been one of the first 'inventions' of mankind, along with stone tools/weapons, the use of fire, and boats. Primitive magic could be considered a further control of the elements as man shaped stones, tamed fire, and mastered water. Air would have to wait.

But let's go back even further. Let's go back to the times of dolphins, sharks and trees.

Dolphins are thinkers, no reason to fudge around about it. And life started in the sea. Heck, sharks are about 50,000,000 years older than trees. So magic use, if magic were real, would probably have started with dolphins, our finned, smart, mammal friends. If ancient man could figure out elementary magic, we can assume thinking dolphins could too, unless humankind is just special. Sea magic. Dolphin magicians. The power of tides and currents. How would they conjure? By waving their fins? Swimming in certain patterns? What would spell-casting dolphins do to the world? Mystical fish calls for meals? Fend off icebergs and predators? Conjure up glowing lights at night to see by? Would dolphin warlocks swim through the air, using magic to explore the 'upper waters' as they might call the atmosphere? I can see that, a school of dolphin mages swimming through some clouds, looking down at the cavemen on the ground. Would dolphins use magic to protect themselves from intruding men in boats? From sharks? Would sharks use magic? 

Speaking of the roots of magic, how about plants? They've been around a lot longer than man as well. Started in the oceans too. Might they know secrets from before the land times? Seaweed might use magic for what? Or is seaweed too basic? Maybe plant magic starts with more advanced species, like trees. What would trees use magic for? Protection? Movement? Reproduction? Plant magic would be strong, strong as the oaks.

So many questions. Lots of story ideas in there.



Today's picture: I don't know why the scaly creature in the pic is using a tome, maybe he stole it from a land-dweller. But yeah, sea-magic, ocean-magic, water-magic.

Life is Beautiful Grazie and Danke

08 MAR 17

First off, a big shout out to everyone around the world who is reading these missives! Nearly a dozen other countries are showing up in the stats! Thank you! Danke, Grazie! Domo Arigato!

Thank You!

No matter what subject I teach or where I am teaching, I always try to slip in the award-winning movie Life is Beautiful sometime during the year. If you've seen it, let me know in the comments what it is about the movie that affects you so, good and bad. I wish I knew enough Italian to enjoy the movie in the original language, it sounds so musical. I can understand enough to watch it in Italian with English subtitles and follow it all right.

The reason I mention the movie is because I had a pretty cool thing happen in class a few weeks after we watched it. My students were quietly working away at an assignment and one of them sneezed. Normally this elicits several "Bless You's" from other students and a "Thank You" in response from the sneezer.

Today however the student who sneezed said, "Grazie," like Joseph, the son in the movie. Then someone in class whispered, "Danke. You're supposed to say Danke." And a few of the students nodded and smiled. It was kind of a touching moment. Right then I knew the movie had become something personal to them, a treasured memory that they would cherish for many years to come.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, go see it! I'll wait right here with a cup of tea and hanky. It's a holocaust movie, so if that isn't your cup of tea, well, you should see it anyway. It's a great movie.

There is a pivotal moment where the young son Joseph (who is an Italian Jew) is eating with a bunch of German children inside of a concentration camp. He is masquerading as a German and is getting his first good meal in a long while. But when he is served dessert his manners come to the fore and he says 'Grazie' to the waiter, which means 'thank you' in Italian. Oh no! But he is pretending to be German! He should have said Danke! The German waiter knows something is amiss and leaves to raise the alarm and get someone to haul this impostor child away. The father, Guido, is nearby, serving food as well and has a few moments in which to think of some way to save his son's life.

When we watched the movie earlier in the year, I timed the day's viewing to stop right at the moment when Guido is trying to figure out how to save his son's life. Students screamed their outrage! How could I stop the movie right then! I assigned them homework: Put yourself in Guido's shoes and try to figure out how to save your son. 

The most amazing thing happened the next day. Several students came to me and said they couldn't wait till class and they watched the movie online. That's when you know you have their attention! I even had one student cry at the end of the movie, she was so emotional. The movie really stuck with them.

Again, if you haven't seen it, go see it! Let me know what you think, good or bad. The first half of the movie is a little silly, the second half more serious. I have a few favorite scenes. Go ahead in the comments and let me know what your favorite scene is.

Two pictures for today, both from one of my favorite moments in the film:

 "First prize is a tank!"

"These guys get to play the part of the mean guards who yell all the time!"

Guest Post over at Our Write Side

04 MAR 17: The good folks over at Our Write Side were kind enough to ask for a guest post on the writing process.  I gave it some due thought and the whole shebang is posted over on their site:

My post over at Our Write Side

The post is about how I write short stories. I am actually going to write the tale detailed in the article (The War of the Woods) when I get a chance. It is indeed one that is in the hopper for development. It was pretty cool to do the whole 'how do I get from point A to point B' when writing something. Never really done that before. 

Picture for today, a beautiful, mystical elephant. Will he turn into a story? Who knows what the future may hold.