competition – Peaceful Reader

We are more than halfway through summer and the Olympics are hot (go Simone!), and so are politics in our country right now. As a young adult my dad told me to try and look at anything from both sides. I’ve tried in our current political climate but full on am going to say we’ve arrived in crazy town. I have to think if my dad were alive today he would feel the same.

I am most confused by religious people following this man like he is the second coming of Jesus. I could list off all the ways he is the opposite of Jesus except I don’t think it matters to his followers that he speaks about pussy grabbing, misogynistic and racist rants, and is cruel to most everyone except white cisgender men. He lusts after his daughter, he is uneducated, uncouth and most definitely not the person to lead our country.

It makes me wonder everyday why regular people like him, why women in particular love him. Is it novelty? Is it because deep down they are also racist and feel men should only be in charge? I used to understand why Republicans would vote for their candidate because they were one issue voters, trying their best to cancel abortion or they were just fiscally conservative. Those expectations are out the window (except for abortion) and DT has so much more up his sleeves like a creepy magician and one of his tricks is that his policies hurt his very base. He is not for the working class and instead will implement more tax cuts for the wealthy. The list is long of how he will dismantle programs that help the common citizen.

Kamala Harris is not my first choice but there is a very real possibility that if the stars align she could be our first female president and I welcome that because it will open the door for other women like AOC and Gretchen Whitmer. I hope we can change her position on Israel (we should absolutely not be funding them or shaking hands with Netanyahu) and that she walks in the Oval Office with thoughtfulness. Like ready to be a female president not just mimicking the vast amount of men who’ve held the position before her.

I’d like to be able to persuade at least one person to jump sides right now while it still matters. This guy you “love” is a sham, a trickster, a charlatan and nothing good will come of a second term unless you’re a billionaire like Elon Musk or you hate women and consideration for others. Our two party system needs to go, the electoral college is no longer relevant, and we need to dismantle the system from the ground up; start over but for now we just need to make sure he who will not be named does not make it back into office.

I am having a blast watching the Olympics. The opening ceremony was beautiful and I’m laughing at Americans judging it harshly because they’ve got to have their hand in everything. I love to watch the athletes compete and hear about their backstories. It’s a mind break from politics.

I finished this book over my Spring Break. What a great Spring Break it was, relaxing with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack (2011)

The cover of this one drew me in-ballerinas with their elegant tutus and delicate arms swooshing overhead. Hannah Ward is nineteen and been at dance academy since she was young. She doesn’t want you to call her a ballerina though as those are the stars of the show, she dances in the corps de ballet. Hannah is a wonderful mentor for us novice wanna-be ballet anythings. We see through her eyes the difficult struggle, the competitiveness, and the thrust into adult life, Hannah is living. One night she meets a boy though and through his eyes she sees how she just might be missing out on a thing or two.

I like this story although there isn’t any amazing triumphant crisis. I like that Hannah was upbeat compared to some of her other dance partners and her friend, Bea, even more so. It was very interesting peeking backstage, and listening in on dressing room gossip as Flack takes us into their personal lives as each of the corps girls struggle with weight, injuries, and Otto, the man in charge of it all.

Two interesting quotes that stood out to me:

“That’s why I had to tell them, over one of my mom’s hippie dinners of baked tofu and mashed yams, that this was the chance of a lifetime and that I was willing to take the risk.” (6) (sounds yummy!)

and

“Mai is incredibly thin, and Otto uses her as the model for the ideal ballerina body. I’ve heard that she eats only once a day, and then only white foods. As I look at her, I can believe the rumors, even though I don’t want to.” (137) (White foods like garlic mashed potatoes or vanilla ice cream? I think maybe she eats things more like bean sprouts or jicama.)

You notice lots of focus on food and the girls do smoke and drink which is kind of hard to take as they are young and ever so thin. This is a light read that transports you backstage and around NYC with a set of hip young friends.

Sophie Flack writes from experience as she trained at the Boston Ballet School, and at fifteen, was accepted into the American Ballet. Her experience is what makes this book worth reading. Find another review here at 4Dancers.

Tag: competition

Competition and Politics

Bunheads