What's Missing

Before Dave and I watched "Win-Win," I browsed through some reviews and their replies. One reply summed: "The only good part of this movie is the acting."

Do you remember when good acting was enough? When things didn't blow up or transform or strip down to nothing, but when dialogue was rich and actors' eyes told stories?

Story telling. It's falling behind on the media fast track. But, sheesh, when we experience it, it really is something.

Last week, Dave and I went to a local storytelling night. Six random community members spoke on one theme: "Love Hurts." There were big laughs from the audience during a tale of two tussling roommates, some sniffles over a marriage that evaporated without warning.

Each story was an authentic conversation between the talker and the listener. For days afterwards, this conversation lingered: a phrase, a word, the raise of an eyebrow.

There was thinking and feeling.

Which makes me wonder.

What are we doing when we're watching "Fast and Furious...5?"

I Don't Seem Like That Kind Of Person

Today I took my writing classes to the college library for a teensy schpiel on the perils of plagiarism, as well as to gather some info. for the upcoming Big Paper.

There are all kinds of topics: health care, corn syrup, quitting smoking, female snowboarders, faith-healing, dieting fads.

One younger man came up to me at the end of class and asked how he could flush out his essay on the history of the NBA.

Well, I told him, you could integrate the anthropological implication--like how Dr. J's game and attitude and image were completely different from Allen Iverson's. What would the legendary Larry Bird say about a guy like LeBron James?

These troubled, trash-talking, tattooed players are role models. Even though they don't want to be. Should they be held accountable for values? That could definitely be explored.

So could the media's exploitation of them.

Then there's the economic implication: the salary the players are getting--which is controversial in itself--and the cut their agents and owners take.

Plus, there's the politics: the draft, recruiting, contracts, unions...

My young student looked at me with big eyes. "Wow," he said. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would know all that."