Dear River,
POSTED BY: asarian
UPDATED: Thursday, December 21, 2006 20:00
VIEWED: 3702
PAGE 3 of 3
Thanks for the words, Dave. See below for more on this.
________________________________________________________________________
Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by FollowMal:
I went back and read my post pretty carefully and I didn't see anything that I said that meant that I thought you should not express your opinion. If I made you feel that way I apologize. That was not my intention. I was merely pointing out my own feelings about the "letter". Perhaps I strayed in making my first sentence appear to be addressed to you and not making it more plainly generic? I will be more careful with my words from now on.
That's the nice thing about our fandom. There's room in it for lots of different feelings and opinions. I don't think anyone here would want you to not say what was on your mind, anymore than they would not want me to say what was on my mind.
Freedom of expression here is intrinsic to the board.
My opinion of what is expressed by this "letter" is just different from what you see expressed here.
I don't see "extreme" or "weird".
I see an artistic representation for his words.
FM,
Thanks for your explanation--it really helped me to understand where you're coming from. I think that I was pretty insensitive (and for that, I apologize, to everyone in this thread, other than maybe Kane). I think it's true to say that this is one of the more generous fandoms when it comes to freedom of expression. I won't claim to understand the more emotionally intense folks around--I'm just not that way myself personally. But I guess I need to make more room for that, in the spirit of openness. One thing I've learned being around here is that folks are, for the most part, pretty darned tolerant (except is some RWED threads!). But that tolerance has to go both ways. If I'm going to ask to be taken seriously, and to have my opinions respected, I'd damned well better extend the same courtesy. Thanks to all for calling me out on that, and for doing so in a way that made me realize my mistake, instead of just being overly defensive. God, I love this fandom!
________________________________________________________________________
Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
God, I love this fandom!
Yup. A nicer group of people I have not met.
David
"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
God, I love this fandom!
Thank you, Causal.
I love these discussions... they make me try to be a better person. And I love this fandom too!
Go to www.goodworkspresents.org to find out how to honor the Captain!
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Dear FollowMal, follow me for a mite, please. :)
People say I wear my heart on my sleeve. That's not entirely accurate; I wear it on my tongue, rather. :) With conviction.
The River persona was written so we would feel for her. With true feelings. To me, that's why Firefly transcends every other show: not because it's a great story about humanity, but because it makes my own humanity participate in an active manner. It makes me, to reuse an existing pun, the tenth crew member. Not that I fancy myself part of the crew, not even in fancy, but simply because I'm a conscious observer of my own soul, and I watch my heart get involved in a most real manner. As I watch, I realize -- and in the beginning with astonishment -- that if I had a real sister like River, I would myself not hesitate to go after her, and try and keep her safe. And when Mal opened the box, and Simon held River in his protective arms, I knew, with all my heart, that I wanted to protect and shield her, too.
It is said that every soul needs just a momentary spark to be incited to the realization of its own good nature. In my very post here I wrote that Firefly makes me want to be a better human being. And this certainly ain't untrue. But the more I think about it, the more an even more glorious truth starts to sink in; namely, that perhaps I'm not such an unloving person to begin with.
As for writing River, it seemed like the thing to do. Perhaps precisely because she's not real; precisely because I cannot attribute real gratitude about otherwise real feelings, short of writing Universal or Summer, or do other half-stalky things. Perhaps I just wanted to express my Love in this non-intrusive manner, and just air and see it dissipate to the 'verse at large: not in the hope of really being heard, but simply because I needed to say it.
There's a saying that goes: "One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." I resolved, long ago, not to be like that. And have never regretted it.
"Why the hell'd that fan go an do that, Nathan?"
"Ain't about you, Summer. 'Bout what they need."
--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by asarian:
it makes my own humanity participate in an active manner.
Quote:
if I had a real sister like River, I would myself not hesitate to go after her, and try and keep her safe. And when Mal opened the box, and Simon held River in his protective arms, I knew, with all my heart, that I wanted to protect and shield her, too.
This is the power of Story.
I don’t know how I would react if I had a sister and was placed in the situation Simon is placed in. To be more exact, I didn’t know prior to this story of River and Simon. Through Story I find out about myself. I find that I’m moved deeply by River and Simon. I find I want to be more like Simon. And in this way, if the time ever comes where I find myself in a situation where my brother needs me, it just might be that the Story of River and Simon will have real affects on my effects.
My humanity is affected by this Story. That is no little something.
That is the power of Story.
My signature...Rhae.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Hey.
Just wanted to give some thoughts on this thread.
My first set of thoughts pertain to the nature of the letter. I do not mean to attack you Casual, so please take the following words as such, I fully respect your opinions and your right to have them and express them. And since you already expressed desire to be more open and accepting, it is moot for me to respond to you but I will respond anyways, just to give my take on this.
I can see how one might think this is a bit disturbing, it is true that if a person can not tell the difference between fantasy and reality, then that is cause for some concern and can be a source of problematic behaviour.
However, I do not see evidence of that here, and that to write to a character is just a literary device to add, one can say emotional depth to the piece, and to convey how much the story of that character's journey has affected the author. I do not know if it is asarian's intent, he did not seem to convey it, but to me really, this format brings forth more emotion.
In my second set of thoughts, I also wanted to convey my thanx to Asarian to writing this piece, and I also wanted to express how much her journey and specifically her relationship to her brother has touched me.
It has hit a bit closer to home for me specifically. I won't go into details, but I had a sister but she passed away a few years ago. She had severe Down's syndrome, so severe, she didn't have the faculty to speak, or convey complex ideas, or feed herself etc... she was basically a 24 year old baby. A soul trapped in a severe condition. She got the greatest care from my parents who have sacrificed to make sure she got good care at home, and was fed, her diapers changed, etc. But even in that situation she still had a presence that affected us. And so the story of River, a genius and a wonder trapped in a psychosis, really strikes me. And how devoted her brother was to her to hoow much he had to sacrifice just to save her, strikes a chord in me. I never had to do such a thing for my sister, and I do not know if I would have the courage, but I would like to think that I would do the same thing if I was in similar circumstances, and I admire Simon's devotion and courage, even if ficticious. The story of the Tam siblings touches me, and almost mirror's my love for my sister.
So that is all, I just basically want to echo how River's and Simon's journey speaks to me.
Prakash
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by kurya:
Hey.
Just wanted to give some thoughts on this thread.
My first set of thoughts pertain to the nature of the letter. I do not mean to attack you Casual, so please take the following words as such, I fully respect your opinions and your right to have them and express them. And since you already expressed desire to be more open and accepting, it is moot for me to respond to you but I will respond anyways, just to give my take on this.
I can see how one might think this is a bit disturbing, it is true that if a person can not tell the difference between fantasy and reality, then that is cause for some concern and can be a source of problematic behaviour.
However, I do not see evidence of that here, and that to write to a character is just a literary device to add, one can say emotional depth to the piece, and to convey how much the story of that character's journey has affected the author. I do not know if it is asarian's intent, he did not seem to convey it, but to me really, this format brings forth more emotion.
In my second set of thoughts, I also wanted to convey my thanx to Asarian to writing this piece, and I also wanted to express how much her journey and specifically her relationship to her brother has touched me.
It has hit a bit closer to home for me specifically. I won't go into details, but I had a sister but she passed away a few years ago. She had severe Down's syndrome, so severe, she didn't have the faculty to speak, or convey complex ideas, or feed herself etc... she was basically a 24 year old baby. A soul trapped in a severe condition. She got the greatest care from my parents who have sacrificed to make sure she got good care at home, and was fed, her diapers changed, etc. But even in that situation she still had a presence that affected us. And so the story of River, a genius and a wonder trapped in a psychosis, really strikes me. And how devoted her brother was to her to hoow much he had to sacrifice just to save her, strikes a chord in me. I never had to do such a thing for my sister, and I do not know if I would have the courage, but I would like to think that I would do the same thing if I was in similar circumstances, and I admire Simon's devotion and courage, even if ficticious. The story of the Tam siblings touches me, and almost mirror's my love for my sister.
So that is all, I just basically want to echo how River's and Simon's journey speaks to me.
Prakash
For starters, thank you, Kurya, for a memorable post.
When I heard River's birthday was coming up, I thought: "What shall I do? Normally you write a person a birthday card or some such. So, I toyed with the idea of making a BSR item, perhaps. Or to write something about how the whole River-Simon arc has affected me. Been there, done that. But that has a tendency of getting a bit essay-ish. And, like you so keenly observed, I wanted to bring forth more emotion.
Still thinking how I was unable to go to Flan2 (even though I knew Summer wasn't gonna be there), it DID bring up for an earlier convo with a friend here, about what I would do if I actually met my BDH. First of all, I'm not per se a fan in the manner that one would expect. Which is to say, I feel no all-pervasive need to meet the real actors. How can I explain this? Like with Summer. I've seen the real-life person interact in, say, the specials on the Serenity disk. And in interviews. And she's a true delight, that much is certain. Graceful, intelligent, and very gentle (especially the latter really impressed me). And genuinely beautiful, of course. So, overall quite a lovely lady. :) But Summer's not River; and the feelings which River stirs up in me, not to sound too irreverently, have almost nothing to do with Summer. Save, of course, that I feel gratitude towards Summer for having played River so well.
To get back on track, coming back on gratitude, I believe I told my friend that, if I ever were to meet my BDH, I would probably foremost do just that: thank her for having portrayed a cha
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME