The Walking Dead

Mid-season finale (whatever that's supposed to mean) tonight at 9:00 on AMC.

Rasslin'

Anyone who knows me knows I am a fan of professional wrestling...Well, not so much now as I was of the glory days of Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling, and Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, all of which were under the banner of the NWA. I never really liked AWA or WWF as their wrestlers and commentators seemed one-dimensional, unlike Gordon Solie, who could call a match with the greatest of ease. I'm not here to talk about commentators (for surely Jim Ross could give Gordon a run for the money in today's market), but wrestlers; more specifically, tag-teams. Who were the greatest tag-teams of all time? There has been much debate over this throughout the history of the sport (or is sports entertainment the more appropriate term?), but no difinitive answer has ever been given...UNTIL NOW!!!!! This is my list of the greatest tag-teams ever, and while you may recognize some names and not others, or doubt the importance I have placed on one particular team over another, just keep in mind that this is my personal list. Yours may vary, and you are free to post your own. That being said, and without further adieu, I present to you The Ten Greatest Tag-Teams of All-Time.

10. Abdullah the Butcher and Maniac Mark Lewin. They weren't together long, but they devastated everyone they ever wrestled against.

9. Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden. WHO? WHAT? Yup. Mid-South's underdogs who always found a way to pull out victories against such teams as Jos LeDuc and Mongolian Stomper, The Von Erichs, and Abdullah the Butcher and Iceman King Parsons to name just a few. They deserve a place here, if for no other reason than Robert Fuller was Col. Parker, who, in his later years, managed Harlem Heat.

8. Degeneration X. Of course they are going to appear here, just not as close to #1 as some may like. They were the precursors to the WWF's "Attitude" era, and they performed in that regard very well.

7. Mr. Wrestling and Mr. Wrestling II. This one may just be purely for nostalgia's sake, and if it is then so be it. They rocked!

6. The Rock and Roll Express. High-flying, exciting to watch, tough as a two-dollar steak. These guys were 100% pure adrenalin.

5. The Steiner Brothers. They were collegiate wrestlers before "going pro," which meant they brought to the table the skills that should have made them life-long champions.

4. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. They were the core tag-team of the Four Horsemen, and it wasn't brag because they could back it up.

3. Ole and Gene Anderson. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew. The well-oiled machine. How many people did they cripple along the way?

2. Mike Graham and Steve Keirn. As far as in-ring presence, these guys had it all: pure wrestling ability, likability, and the fact that on any given night they possessed the tools to defeat every tag-team out there.

1. Every knee must bow and every tongue confess that The Hawk and The Animal, The Road Warriors, be placed here, and I'm not talking about the crappy WWF version, but the team that dominated NWA and WCW.

So there you have it. I'm sure teams such as the Von Erichs, Harlem Heat, the Briscos, Paul Orndorf and Jimmy Snuka, the Valiants, Shock Troops, Assassins, Spoilers, and others could have found a place in the top thirty, but that is where they belong. Oh, and what about the Dudleys? What about them? As for the Superpowers (Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff), the Megapowers (Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage), NWO (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) and the Sheepherders (The Kiwi Sheepherders were better by far), look for them in the top 30 as well.

G or J?

When did the G in Ghengis Kahn's name go from a hard "G" to a soft "J", to be pronounces Jhengis Kahn?

Is Self-Justification and Self-Rationalization Equal To Truth?

The question, as it stands, is legitimate if for no other reason than truth is abstract. Truth is not complete facts, just the facts as we know them, or rather, choose to believe them. Yes, I am getting to a point here, so bear with me. A completely heterosexual male may meet and become attracted to any given female on any given day. If the male likes her well enough, he will pursue a relationship with her. If, during the course of their courtship, the female discloses she is actually a hermaphrodite, and the male accepts this of her, is their continued romance equivalent to a homosexual relationship? Obviously, the female has no control over how she was born, and the fact that she has lived her life as a female states how she identifies herself in terms of gender. The male, however...His acceptance of the female is based solely on how he perceives her--which is how she perceives herself--thus he is not categorized as homosexual. If the female's penis raises in the male a "Bi-curious" feeling, would exploring that necessarily make him homosexual? Is he, in fact, committing a homosexual act by simple virtue of the fact that he wishes to sate his sexual curiosity of the penis? This is touch and go in that even though the penis is on the female, it is still a penis; yet hermaphrodites do not have a clitoris. Why is this? What, exactly, is a clitoris? It is the remnant of a penis. With that fact exposed, are all males who perform oral sex on a female secretely fulfilling a desire to perform oral sex on a male, or phallys of any kind? Does the fact that one may prefer a larger clitoris to one more miniscule prove that individual has tendencies greater than another? My point is, we call a clitoris a clitoris and a penis a penis when the fact is they are one in the same. So, is the male who wishes to perform oral sex on the hermaphrodite's penis committing a homosexual act? Is he fulfilling a homoerotic fantasy by doing so? Does he justify this by classifying things as I have just stated? Self-rationalization and self-justification are the keys to answering this. His truth may say no, and someone else's may say yes. Take this a step further. Same scenario: Man meets a wonderful woman, yet this woman discloses she is M2F Pre-op Transgender. The man decides he will continue dating her anyway. If she chooses to live her life as a woman, and he chooses to accept her as a woman, is she not a woman? During sex, is the clitoris/penis issue really an issue? Yes, she does not have a vagina, but she has what is referred to as a penis and can be referred to as an extremely large clitoris. Does the mindset of the male play a factor in this, does HIS truth mean anything, or do we judge him by what society says should and shouldn't be? The bottom line is this: We live in a world where love...Real, true, honest acceptance of two people..is a rare thing. Allow those who find happiness to keep their happiness. Our truths matter so very little where other's lives are concerned.

Analysis of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

Duncan S. Jackson

English 2130

Mr. Ruddle

T/R 3:30p-4:45p

Analysis of “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”

Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” appears in Chapter

5 of Legacies (51-61) under the heading “Crossing the Genres: Identity and the Body.”  While a

perfunctory reading of the story may leave some readers satisfied with the notion that we have

before us the tale of a promiscuous young woman who, much like her teen-aged friends (and all

teens for that matter who believe they will live forever), throws caution to the wind and eventual-

ly becomes the target of a crazed sex offender and his silent but willing partner, a more circums-

pect perusal reveals the overwhelming depth and outright genius employed in bringing to life not

just a story with real, identifiable characters, but a timeless piece that could be introduced in this

day and still retain its symbolic significance. While this offering by Ms. Oates quite literally

draws upon facts detailed from Charles Schmid’s murder of Alleen Rowe, her story is steeped in

Biblical lore as well, from the title itself right down to subtext, and what she has provided us

with is nothing short of Satan attempting to beguile the lead character, Connie, with no promise

that she will make it safely through the ordeal.

Connie is no angel; let’s establish that from the beginning. At 15 she is a vain, promis-

cuous, lying teen-ager who has wished her mother dead (51), and it is that very same mother who

is not shy about pointing out that “…her (daughter’s) mind was all filled with trashy daydreams”

(51).  Connie knows what she wants, and has no qualms (or apparent matters of conscience)

when it comes to attaining these things, which translates into a blatant worship of worldly plea-

sures while exercising a complete and utter disregard for spiritual fulfillment which, as Biblical

scholars and theologians both will agree, is an invitation to allow Satan to be the predominate

influence in one’s life.

     Ms. Oates has made several very real references to the true identity of Arnold Friend, both as

Schmid and as Satan. His name itself—Arnold Friend—can be deciphered in many ways: Are no

friend; An old friend; An old fiend just to name a few, but is it coincidence that the number of

letters in first and last name add up to 6 and 6? Ms. Oates plays around with other forms of sym-

bolism in the story as well as offering flagrant hints as to Arnold’s true identity.  First, the car:  It

is referred to as a jalopy (52) painted gold.  “Jalopy” is defined as “Old and dilapidated,” (962)

and dilapidated is defined as “Having fallen into a state of disrepair,” (522). Satan is old, and

theologians could attest that, since his departure from Heaven, he has fallen into a state of disre-

pair as he was once the most beautiful of all angels. The gold color of the car represents his abili-

ty to maintain some semblance of beauty, but it can also be viewed as his ability to manipulate

and attract those who desire worldly possessions, and has gold not been the most precious, most

sought-after “worldly possession” throughout history?

On the car, in black, tar-like letters, is Arnold’s name. The color black has always been

representative of evil, and the fact that it is “tar-like” may represent decay or rot.  The numbers,

33, 19, and 17, can be looked at in two ways. First, 33 (3+3=6), then 19, 17 (19+17=36, square

root of being 6, thus 6x6), so what we are left with is 666, the number of the beast. Also, if one

were to count backwards from the last book of the Old Testament, Judges would be the 33^rd book

of the Bible (counting backwards is symbolic of Satan being the opposite of God), and Judges

19:17 reads, “And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the

city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?” (396). This is a direct

link to the title of the story.

“Man the Flying Saucers” was an adage employed by persons of the period to mean

things are not what they seem, or one should beware of that which they saw.

     Perhaps the most compelling words on the car are, “Done by a crazy woman,” in reference to

the smashed left rear fender.  In the aftermath of the beguiling of Eve, when God has confronted

both she and Adam and it has been revealed that Lucifer was the entity responsible, God said,

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall

bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, [12]). We can draw a parallel here

between the rear fender of the vehicle—front to back = top to bottom = head to heel—and the

heel; one is smashed, the other bruised, but both done by a “crazy” woman. Commentary into

this passage states, “This verse contains the first implicit promise of God’s plan of redemption

for the world.  It predicts the ultimate victory for humankind and God over Satan and evil by

prophesying of a spiritual conflict between the “seed” of the woman (i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ)

and the “seed” of the serpent (i.e., Satan and his followers). God promised here that Christ would

be born of a woman (Isaiah 7:14 confirms this with, “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you

a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [1005])

and would be “bruised” through His crucifixion. Yet, He would rise from the dead to completely

destroy (i.e., “bruise”) Satan, sin, and death for the sake of the salvation of the human race.”

A lot of speculation has been given to Ellie Oscar’s part in the story, but I believe it to be

a metaphor for those who follow along without conscience, unquestioningly, along for the ride

regardless of the consequence. He will sit in the back, Arnold says time and again, like that voice

in the back of one’s head he or she will not heed. Connie even makes the comment, “He’s kinda

strange” (57), like a voice of reason one has all but forgotten.

The prevalence of and reference to flies proliferate the story; flies have always bespoken

pestilence, evil, and death.

More hints to Arnold’s true identity: Is the X, his sign, a corrupted cross, much like the

Nazis employed? Was his off-balance stature the result of his loose-fitting boots, indeed hiding

cloven-hoofed feet?  His glittering eyes, the sunglasses (used to hide the horns on his head?) are

all sure tell-tale signs, but in the end I think what we are left with is simply this: Ms. Oates did

employ the use of Satan, but simply as a metaphor. Mankind is inherently evil, and I believe Sa-

tan was used to symbolize the evil in (Charles Schmid’s, thus) Arnold Friend’s heart, and not just

Arnold’s but Connie’s as well.

1,235 words

References Cited

Legacies (51-61) 4^th ed. Schmidt, Crockett, Bogarad. 2009. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Bos-

ton, MASS.

The Full Life Study Bible (KJV; 12, 396, 1005) Stamps, Adams.  1992.  Zondervan Publishing

House. Grand Rapids, Michigan

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 3^rd ed.  Houghton Mifflin Co. 

1992. 

Let Me Be Your Diary

Let me be your diary

Your journal, if you will

A sheet of paper blank, unmarred

That you would hope to fill

Tell me of your every thought

Your heartaches, your desires

All the things that no one knows

Those things not spoken prior

Tell me how your day was

Whether good or bad

The what and who and how and why

The happy and the sad

Tell me how your night goes

As you start to wind on down

Of the dreams that visit every night

Of the curious little sounds

That seem to take you far away

To a land of long ago

Where memories of joy and pain

Both, from your heart, flow

Hopes and dreams, ideas, beliefs

I want to know them all

Build them on this paper

And not some mental wall

In case you haven’t guessed by now

I’ll tell you that it’s true

I want to know all of these things

Because I want to know all about you

For how else can I share your dreams

Stand there at your side

If it is not in me, your destiny

Whom you choose to confide?

Great Expectations

When it comes to finding the "perfect woman," are my expectations too high? Is it too much to ask that she shares my conservative values, love of literature, warped sense of humor, and allows logic--real analytical rationale--to dictate her every thought and action? I guess what I am in search of is a Lilith Crane type, yet the line from "Going to California"--"Looking for a woman who has never been born"--seems more appropriate. Physical beauty is a mere afterthought when compared to the aforementioned traits as I prize intellectual stimulation above all else. So, where exactly is she?

Poetry...

The young man fancied himself an artist.

He did not have the artist’s soul.

A child stares through incest’s eyes:

Terrored.

Angered.

Helpless.

Cold.

She cries upon the night.

I cannot hear her scream.

The other children hear the scream

Yet ignore it.

The adults hear the scream

But choose to dismiss it.

The local constable heard the scream and chose

To act upon it.

A hero now, soon to fade away.

The villain has faded from the flesh

But always remains close to the heart and mind.

As the school bus draws near

She is aware of the talk.

The villain has faded from the flesh

But always remains close to the heart and mind.

NO RED HERRING

Boom box

Reeboks

Little kids with chicken pox

Mainland

Gangland

Another in the promised land

Street-smart pool shark

Just another fucking narc

B.K.’s

D.K.’s

Killed for choosing these today

Drive-by homicide

How many more are sure to die?

Retaliation for the group

Annihilation absolute

Suicide for you today

The only choice for some, they say

Needles buried in their veins

Forever rid of all life’s pains

Diseases here both old and new

Condoms still not being used

Babies born of white and black

Begin their lives addicted to crack

Fighting wars to preserve the peace

Will the gunfire ever cease?

We hear more talk of taxes, inflation

And this is our kinder, gentler nation?

SONG FROM THE STREET

I write the songs of men gone mad

Of beggars, hoboes and the such

Of homeless women slovenly clad

Their counterparts with just as much

I see their children on the streets

I feel their pain within my gut

Return do they when parents holler

Return do they to urban squalor

Out on the streets

Or in the sewers

In cardboard boxes

Alleyways

In makeshift shanties

Hoovervilles

Anyplace will their heads lay

Our eyes are blind

Our ears are deaf

Their voices now cannot be heard

We walk right by with minds so closed

It’s not our problem

We mutter no words

But come Thanksgiving, Christmas Day

All our prejudices seem to give way

To open hands and outstretched arms

We love to help

Or so we say

But then, day after holidays

It’s back to work and back to play

It’s back to life as was before

It’s not our problem

Or so we say

CHICKEN FEET

Simply sitting as the chicken feet go by

The black in the coffee making stagnant noises for you and I

Go away, leave me be

But you don’t because I can’t see

And the chicken feet silently creep by

My pen now crying out for me

No one hears it, only me

I finally take it to my hand

Only to find it has been banned

And the chicken feet walk on by

In every tongue, for every nation

I send this dire proclamation

But that gull of madness, that speckled loon

Sends his goosey squad of goons

And the chicken feet trod on by

Not every nation, but the world

His loony wings, he hoped, unfurled

The time has come for his superior race

To put us asunder and take their place

And the chicken feet proudly march by

They come by land, they come by sea

This giant, iron war machine

With razor claws to seize their prey

And live to fight another day

And the chicken feet mightily stomp by

Bear and Eagle join the fight

To bring an end to this worldly plight

“We concede!” Their leaders yell

But not before ten million fell

Now the chicken feet wearily stammer by

But more, yes, more was even lost

In this time of holocaust

We never forget, we do rebuild

And set monuments for loved ones killed

When the chicken feet dared pass by

PERSONALLY, BY ME…

Darkness falls and night time cries

Sleep calls to mine weary eyes

I look about at things seen before

A curtain shade, an olde oak door

So shall I see them ever more.

I rise at night when sun goes down

At night do I embrace this town

I look about at things seen before

And the gothic dreams I do implore

So shall I see them even more.

In busied parks and alleyways

I seek the actors of this play

I look about at things seen before

The ebbing life of one no more

So shall I see it ever more.

On darkened streets I seek my prey

Those who lay for monies paid

I look about at things seen before

With awesome might I embrace this whore

So shall I see her nevermore.

Sunrise calls but still night cries

Sleep calls to mine weary eyes

I look about at things seen before

A curtail shade, an olde oak door

So shall I see them ever more.

THE UNSILENT MAJORITY

Johnny’s dead

Yes, he is

Johnny’s died

Who gives a fuck?

He died without a cause

When he was sent to Viet Nam

Now look at the fucking place

Yellow people all over the place

Not an American in sight

He died for nothing

The Communists still have their plight

Public Speaking Persuasive Speech (6 minutes)

Persuasive Speech

TOPIC:

Abortion Should Not Be an Alternate Solution worth Consideration

GENERAL PURPOSE:

To persuade those who are not like-minded that abortion robs us of the happiness that a child brings into our lives

SPECIFIC PURPOSE:

It is my hope that by the time I have concluded my speech, others will place the same value on human life that I hold.

CENTRAL IDEA:

Through the use of statistics, images, and personal anecdotes I hope to persuade skeptics and/or complete nonbelievers from their notion that abortion is solely a mother’s right; the unborn child has a say in this as well.

INTRODUCTION:

(I sit in a chair in front of my audience) I want to ask a favor from each of you: I would like for you to close your eyes. I promise this will not take long; I would just like for you to indulge me this one small request as I attempt to help you visualize something from my past. Are everyone’s eyes closed? Good. I want to take you on a journey twenty-three years into the past, when I was but twenty-three years old. It was Thanksgiving Day, and after much food, drink, and revelry with my girlfriend’s family, she and I returned to my apartment, and as we lay together on the sofa, just holding each other and enjoying one another’s company, she told me she was pregnant. She was happy, excited…a whole range of emotions showed on her face as she told me it was all she could do to wait until later in the evening when we were alone to tell me. The first words out of my mouth, I am sorry to say, were, “I want you to get an abortion.” I want you to visualize her beautiful, almost angelic face as it melted from purest joy to a thing most unrecognizable. If at all possible, I want you to visualize what was going through the mind of the prospective father, I, who had had so many plans for the future and saw each and every one of them slamming into a brick wall called “responsibility.” (Wait 3 seconds) You may open your eyes now and thank you once again. (I stand to deliver the remainder of my speech) Good evening. My name is Duncan Jackson, and I will be speaking this evening on why abortion should not be an alternative worth consideration. I find it necessary to state that during this presentation I will be employing the use of some very graphic illustrations, but hopefully not to the point of detracting from my speech.

BODY: (Begin first power point)

I.                   “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” This quote, from John Keats’ epic poem Endymion (1818), spoke of the beauty of our relationships with gods and goddesses just as it spoke of the beauty of humans in communion with nature; and what is more natural between man and woman than to procreate, to bring new life into this world? When I told my girlfriend that I wanted her to get an abortion I knew even as I was saying those words that I did not mean them, and I was quick to let her know that. I had lived my life to that point with the belief that abortion was murder, and I knew I was no murderer; more importantly, how could I take life from someone who was not yet able to defend him-or herself? I often think about that moment, though. It seems that one moment has remained engraved in my memories above all others. Even as I think of it now I ask myself, “What if…?” What if I had gone through with that decision? What if it were she who pushed for the abortion? I think of every little thing—good and bad—that would have been lost to me, such as my daughter’s first words, which were “Da-da,” or her first steps, the hours spent on potty training, the boo-boos, the honor roll, achieving first chair in band, her getting married and giving birth to my first grand-child…If either my girlfriend or I really pushed for that abortion, these particular things would have been lost to me.

II.                Before I begin this next segment of slides I would like to address a few issues that are sure to come up in any discussion where abortion is the topic. While it is important to keep in mind that opinions differ greatly, I have already stated that I am a firm believer that no one person or persons should have the right to decide the fate of a human life in matters of abortion. People tend to be careless. I can freely admit that I was careless by not practicing safe sex, but just as millions of people had done before me and since, I recognized the responsibility I had to this life I had helped create. Some may ask, “What if it is a single woman who decides the man with whom she had sex is a bum? What if the mother’s life is at stake? What if the impregnation of the woman came about as a result of rape or incest?” I know this is where I will more than likely lose some of you, but in every one of these cases I stand firm in my convictions: No one has the right to decide the life or death of an unborn child. I want to tell you about a woman I have been most honored and privileged to meet. For the sake of this speech, I shall call her Rebecca. I met Rebecca at Wild Adventures some years ago; her children and mine knew one another from school. They tried to play matchmaker, and I eventually asked Rebecca out. After having dated for a few months, Rebecca confided in me that her twin girls were the product of a rape she had endured from when she was stationed in North Carolina—she is still in the Air Force, by the way. She told me that her first inclination was to get an abortion because—as she put it—“Just knowing that son-of-a-bitch’s children were swimming around inside of me made me feel dirty to no end.” But something changed inside of Rebecca. As she spoke with doctors, nurses, crisis centers, support groups, her parents, her priest, and her god, she came to realize that the children were not at fault for what the rapist had done to her, and decided she would carry the children to term. Her philosophy became, “Something this beautiful came from something that evil.” You may find Rebecca’s story to be a one-in-a-million example, but the fact is that many women who have been raped have decided to keep their children for exactly this same reason. These are the heroes, and equally heroic are the persons who meet these women pre-or post-delivery, accept the situation for what it is, and go on to share loving relationships with them.

III.             (Begin Series II slides) These images may be difficult to sit through, but I want each and every one of you to understand exactly what abortion means, and exactly what it does. What you are looking at are images of aborted children from as early as five weeks after conception. Do you see the tiny arms and hands and fingers? Can you detect the legs, feet, and toes? There is a head and torso, complete with a brain and beating heart that—No, no. That is not correct at all. The heart of this poor child stopped beating the moment he or she was ripped from his or her mother’s womb. These are the children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends we will never know because someone placed absolutely no value on their lives. According to the Guttenmacher Institute (2011) 1 in 3 women will have an abortion by the age of forty-five. Furthermore, approximately 1.25 million women per year have abortions in the United States alone. This figure does not reflect the number of unreported abortions—those performed in secrecy by the mother herself or an unqualified technician due to shame or regret—that can account for another 50,000 per annum added to this already outrageously high number. If a child is not wanted, why should abortion be the answer? There are other solutions, such as having family members or friends take the child in, outright adoption or for those whose motives are completely self-serving, there are the black-market adoption services that will gladly pay upwards of $10,000 for a newborn baby. Anything is better than…this (point to screen, end slideshow).”

CONCLUSION:

Most people who embrace the notion of pro-choice are liberals or socialists; it is these same people who believe they have every right to kill a defenseless child while speaking out against the death penalty imposed upon someone who has raped and murdered children. It is these same people who will advocate animal rights while taking away the rights of the unborn child.  When I told my girlfriend to get an abortion, I did so because I was scared; I did so because of the uncertain future that fatherhood promised. Even so, deep in my heart I knew I was wrong for even suggesting such a thing. My beliefs are not theological, nor are they political; how I choose to categorize them is “ethical,” and while I know that how I choose to define ethics may vary from you or you or even you (acknowledge with incline of head), I also know that we share more ethics and morals than any of us may even know. As I bring this speech to a close I would like to ask just one more favor of you. I would like to ask that you embark on another journey with me. No, you do not need to close your eyes for this, and no, you do not need to share my radical views. All I ask is that each and every one of you gives your children the same opportunity your parents afforded you; give them the gift of life. Won’t you join me? Thank you.

SOURCES:

Guttenmacher Institute. Characteristics of U. S. Abortion Patients. Pg. 3, May, 2010. Rachel K.

Jones, Lawrence B. Finer, Susheela Singh. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/US-

Abortion-Patients.pdf

Guttenmacher Institute. Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States. August, 2011

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.pdf

Keats, John. Endymion. Poems. Taylor and Hessey. London, 1818.

The Post-Parental Phase of Human Development: Exploring the "Empty Nest" Syndrome

The Post-Parental Phase of

Human Development:

Exploring the “Empty Nest”

Syndrome

An Essay

By

Duncan S. Jackson

            The term “Empty Nest” originates not so much from a viewpoint of child(ren) leaving the

home but how the parents—more specifically the mother—reacted to the end of an era when her

life was defined by her role as child bearer and primary caregiver (Raup and Meyers, 1989). Fur-

thermore, the “sexist and ageist attitudes” perpetuated by society’s penchant for “barnyard lan-

guage” in reference to women (“birds,” “chicks,” “gossiping biddies,” and “old hens”) may have

lent credence to the ideology that only women suffered through this loss of their children (Oliver,

1982). Further investigation into these two fallacies has shown that not only are both parents af-

fected by the moving out and moving on of their children (psychologytoday.com), but the empty

nest syndrome generally comes at a time in the parents’ lives when other psychological issues

are prevalent and in need of address.

            Social and medical clinicians tend to agree that the term “mid-life” as it applies to hu-

mans can be defined as individuals between forty and sixty years of age. During this period we

see a myriad of changes come about in adults, the chief of which being menopause in women

and the midlife crisis in men. Menopause marks the end of an era for women in that they see

what defines them most as a woman—the ability to give birth—no longer characterizing their

existence. Rampant hormonal changes that bring on hot flashes aside, women must deal with

pre—, peri—, and postmenopausal depression as well as certain mood disorders. The midlife cri-

sis, first introduced by Elliot Jaques in 1965, tends to characterize men who revert to not so

much a second childhood, but a period in their past when they were free of the responsibility of

raising a family. A certain kind of compensation comes into play during this period as we see

particular cases of men ignoring their familial obligations, at times substituting faster cars, tren-

dier clothes, and a promiscuous nature (in effect, adopting a narcissistic demeanor) for the stabil-

ity their home life offers. He will find justification for these actions, even to the point of ration-

alizing the most illogical of choices he has made so he can continue to feed his newly reemerg-

ing ego. The term “Social Darwinism” has been used to explain adverse behavior to the point

of reverting to more brutish and/or ignorant tendencies, but I offer “Social Freudism” in its stead

where the midlife crisis is concerned as the individual’s subconscious seems once again to be

locked in battle, the immediate satisfaction of the Id struggling against the rationale of the Ego,

only the ego is all-too willing to give in.

            The introduction of the empty nest at this point in the parents’ lives serves only to add to

what other psychological and physiological changes may be making themselves manifest. Par-

ents struggling with the absence of their children from their everyday lives must find newer ways

to connect or reconnect with other loved ones or even life itself. Throwing oneself into his or her

work will serve only to distance him or her from their loved ones, just as smothering those who

remain will not compensate for the feelings of incompleteness left by the other. We spend twenty

years of our lives preparing our children for the world, yet when it is time to let go we try in vain

to hold on, even if for one more day. If the parent(s) has raised the child to be courteous and res-

pectful, knowledgeable of the world into which he or she is going, and with an overall sense of

good ethics and morals, I feel it is a sure bet that even though the actual nest is empty, the hearts

and minds of the parents will remain filled to capacity through their remaining years.