UNCLE TOM'S CABIN AND LASTING EMOTIONAL IMPRESSIONS

UNCLE TOM'S CABIN AND LASTING EMOTIONAL IMPRESSIONS

My blog entry of March 30, 2012 was about classics.  Since then I have been in the hospital for lymphoma with 6-week periods of 2 chemo sessions each.  During my first 6 weeks I read the classic Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  It was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe who became convinced that Christianity and slavery were absolutely incompatible.

 

I don’t believe any book has affected me as much as that one did.  I was so moved that when my husband called me at the hospital I couldn’t talk for choking back the tears.  No words could come out of my mouth.  I can’t remember a time when that has ever happened while reading a book.

I cried, rather sobbed silently, when little Eva was dying.  I was saddened when Tom died and didn’t get to be reunited with his family.  I was spiritually uplifted when Tom would share his faith and trust in God and would not do wrong even when horrendous wrongs were done to him. 

 

As I was reading the book, I was impressed by the spiritual tone throughout the novel. Tom read his Bible and often talked about trusting in God, no matter what happened.  He taught those around him about the love God had for everyone.  He knew that no matter what the cruel masters did to him, if Tom was faithful to God, God would reward him, if not here in this life, in the eternal life.  What a witness he was for the Lord, even while he was dying due to the cruel whip of an evil master!

Could the fact that there is a strong Christian theme throughout the story be one reason for banning this great work in these modern times?  Many who want to ban this classic say it’s because of its alleged racist portrayal of blacks and the use of the “N” word.  These people are not looking at the real picture.  This book was written to show Godly people the sins of slavery!  It was written to make people aware of the horrors and inhumane treatment of a race of people who had no one but God to trust in to help them. It was written to shame the hypocritical Christians into action and abolish slavery.

This classic, written during a troubled period of time in American history, should be read by everyone to remind us of man’s inhumanity to man and not repeat such actions.  It should be read to remind us of our Christian heritage, which like it or not is part of our history. 

I'm A Poet And Didn't Know It!

Hi Everyone,

I noticed that it is time to add another post to my blog.  I was cleaning up some of my files on my computer and came across one that had some poems that I had written years ago.  Back in the day (before computers!)  when I would hand-write greeting cards, I enjoyed putting a personal touch to some of them.  I made up verse to fit the occasion.  Today's blog will be about that.  Hope it will be an inspiration or at least entertaining.  Hope you keep looking in to my blog and seeing what I'll have next.

These two are for birthday wishes.  As you can see by the dates, they were created a while back. 

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS by Debbie Carrell 1987

“That Special Time Of Year”

            Won’t be long

                        It’s almost here.

            That day rolls around

                        Once every year!

            HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 I was usually late in getting birthday cards sent to many of my friends so I came up with a cute note for just such an occasion.

BELATED BIRTHDAY GREETINGS by Debbie Carrell 1987

“A Late Birthday Wish”

            Sorry to be late to wish you one.

                        Hope your day was full of fun.

            Birthdays come and Birthdays go.

                        Next year I’ll try not to be so slow.

            Wishing you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I often sent Thank You notes to people and wanted to write something personal.

 THANK YOU NOTE by Debbie Carrell 1985

“For You In God’s Service”

For giving so much of your time ample,

For the thoughtful things you’ve done,

For showing by your example

How God lives in everyone…

For all your kindness through the year,

For help in big and small ways,

A “Thank You” and a special prayer

That God will bless you always.

 I love James Stewart and especially the movie It's A Wonderful Life.  I loved the line when Donna Reed was giving 3 gifts to the owner of the new house.  I used the line in a card and a house warming gift I gave to a young couple starting out in life.

HOUSE WARMING GIFT CARD 

                               BREAD—that this house may never know hunger. 

                                                

 SALT—that life may always have flavor

                               WINE—that joy and prosperity may reign forever. 

 As a Christian, I look at death as the final door to eternity.  It is graduation time and nothing to fear for those who love God and want to be with him.  This poem was written with that in mind and the words of the Lord in Matthew 25:21.

SYMPATHY CARD  by Debbie Carrell 1985

"Death’s Life"

“Life is so fleeting,” we often lament.

“Live life to the fullest,” too often the comment.

Life’s many mysteries, we ponder and seek.

If we are but patient, to us God will speak.

Of His great wisdom He will reveal

To us lowly creatures His mysteries He’ll unseal.

So, if in Death, a Christian we be found,

To see His Great Splendor our Joy will resound.

We will claim the Victory on that Great Day.

When God, our Father with His words will say…

“Well done thou good and faithful servant.

Enter into Eternal Life.”

ANYONE SEEN MY DIARY?

In May 2012 I was reading Not For Packrats Only by Don Aslett which made me want to clean out drawers, closets, shelves, etc.  As I was decluttering some desk file drawers I found some of my old diaries.  My very first diary was a birthday present from Step-Mom (Billie) and Dad on my 14^th birthday, October 1967.  I didn’t start writing in it until January 1, 1968 for some reason.  I finished that 5-year diary in 1971, and my next diary was 72-76, followed diaries for 1979, 1985, and 1998. 

My very first diary

Have you ever gone through your diaries or journals and read things that were important at the time but not anymore, or you wrote things you wouldn’t want anyone to read while looking over your shoulder because you would be embarrassed.  There are some events that I jotted down and had totally forgotten about.  There were many entries about boys I liked at the time and had a crush on them, which now I have forgotten who they were.

Much of my entries were facts about what I was doing or what was happening in my life. I wrote about my feelings in some of my diary entries.  I wrote about classes in the schools I went to.  As I read through my old diaries I saw the person that I was but had forgotten.  Here are some examples of a few entries in my diaries and explanations about them in white letters.

January 19, 1968, “I know what I want to be when I grow up, a teacher at Perkins Institution for the Blind.”  I didn’t remember thinking that at all.

January 22, 1968, “I know how to knit now.”  I must have forgotten how to knit because I had to learn again in 2011!

May 6, 1969, “Steve signed my autograph book.  So did my singing lab partner.”  This Steve was not the one who would become my husband.  I didn’t even remember having singing lab in high school.

My diaries over the years

October 1974 to December 29, 1974, I had my first real steady boyfriend whom I met at the hospital where I worked. 

June 13, 1975, “Karen and Dorothy got here.  I sure was glad to see Karen.  She looked good, but I don’t think she’ll like it here because there isn’t anything to do.”  Karen was my sister who had been sent from Texas where we lived to Indiana where our mom (Dorothy) lived.  It didn’t work out and I had Karen come and live with me a few years later.  She liked the night life and would find it boring where I lived.

June 1975 to August 1975 was my second steady boyfriend, again from work.  And then…

October 1975, along came the man I would marry.

We humans are childish and fickle in our early stages and as we get older, hopefully, become more mature and reflect on events in our lives.  As I read through the memories of my life I could see the changes that had taken place.  It is good to do this.  If you still have your diary, flip through the pages and go down memory lane.

LOOKING FOR THE HONEST

This was written when we lived in Higashi Tokorozawa, Japan so it must have been between August 1993 and November 1996.  As I wrote in the mission statement of my blog, I'm writing from notes I took on many subjects years ago.

Looking For The Honest

 It is refreshing to see someone other than "Honest Abe" willing to go that extra mile to return something that didn't belong to him.  This is exactly what happened recently to Steve, my husband.

Steve was helping some friends move their belongings into an apartment because they were to be married soon.  As he was jostling boxes and items from the car into their new abode, his bank book slipped unnoticed from his jacket pocket, which often happens.  It wasn't even missed until two days later when he was preparing to go to the bank and withdraw some money.

Examples of Bank Books

He was frantic!  Where could he have lost the bank book?  He searched the house, then the car, then his briefcase, then the house again.  No bank book to be found.  Steve racked his brain to think about where it could be.  Thank goodness his bank card was not with the bank book because without the card money couldn't be withdrawn.

Later, when he went to the bank to report that it was lost, they told him someone had found the bank book and had taken it to the nearest police station.  Steve breathed a sigh of relief.  Now the only problem was getting to the right police station and claiming the lost item.  So, two or three days later, when the police station had been visited, papers signed, and the bank contacted, all was back to normal and things were set right.  The honest man was also called and thanked profusely for his kindness.

Interestingly enough, a few weeks later, we had a similar incident in reverse.  We were near the Yokota Air Force Base area and saw a bicycle on a trash heap.  Usually we just pass those by, but this one looked practically new.

Our son wanted a new bike, so we thought we'd take it, thinking someone had thrown it away.  We wondered about the new condition of the bike and noticed the key to lock it was still in the lock.  Then we remembered the kind person who returned our bank book, and  we decided to take it to the nearest police station.  We found out the bicycle was registered with the police, which is the law now.  The police had us sign papers and wait for several weeks.  If no one claimed it we could keep it.  One week later the owner was found.

Abandoned Bicycle

Since that time though, we have noticed an increase in bicycle theft, especially among teens.  They steal a bicycle from the train station, ride it to a place near their destination and dump it along the sidewalk or trash dumping place and leave.  Most people in Japan have always followed the practice of "if it's not mine, I don't take it" and report things to the nearby police.  Sounds like a Biblical principle of "do not steal" doesn't it?  But times are changing here in Japan. 

Bicycles left behind

Coming from a country like the United States, where thieves run rampant, nothing is sacred from robbers, and purse snatchers and pick-pockets roam the streets, it is refreshing to see people who are honest.  It also reminded me to "do to others the way I would want to be done to".  The next time I see something in the street I will be sure to take it to the police, so that someone else will be reminded that "honesty is the best policy".