Napoleon Dynamite and Other Rantings

I came to a grand realization last week. I am old and only 34 years old. I had always felt like I was up on what was the "in" thing if, for no other reason than to make a mockery of it. And, having spent 10 years teaching in a college and developing a great rapport with late teens and twentysomethings, I really felt like there was at least a connection to "youth." Well, I broke down and watched Napoleon Dynamite finally. All of my college students told me last year that I should watch it, but I refused. And, now I know why . . . I just do not get it. Now, there were definitely some funny parts. I do wonder about my skill level and that bit with the glamour shots was hilarious, but I just don't get it. I am over it. I guess I really need to look into my retirement portfolio.

I guess part of my feeling "old" was that a friend of mine from high school decided to try to find all of our graduating class. This is not so difficult when you consider there were only 39 in the entire class. It was amazing that she was able to find most of us in a short time. This process brought back some great memories and some awful ones as well. I was reminded of one of my most embarrassing moments. No need to go into that now, but it was a learning experience that I took with me into my adulthood. Just did not need to be reminded of it.

I guess my high school experience was on the whole a good one, but I was done when it was over. I always felt like there was so much more to learn than I was afforded at my private evangelical Christian school (Did you see the movie Saved?). Honestly, I am pleased that I have such a fundy background. It has grounded me and helped me to ask the proper questions of life and faith. Just because I do not believe things in the exact way that I did when I was growing up is not an issue of giving up on faith, but an evolution of faith. This evolution has meant that I have come to know myself and my faith a whole lot better. It has meant that I no longer have answers to certain questions any more. But it also means that I can rely on the mystery of God a lot more. I can say, "I don't get it. It's a mystery, but that's the way God is" and actually mean it. Now I can honestly say I don't care if we ever find Noah's ark or whether the sons of God in Genesis 6 are actually angels or the descendants of Seth or aliens (I don't believe they were aliens by the way). It does not affect my relationship with God one iota. Faith is just that--faith, something you believe without seeing. If I need to find the ark of the covenant to believe that it existed, what kind of faith is that? If the shroud of Turin ends up being a fraud, so what? And all of these things really have nothing to do with who Jesus claimed to be, and that is the bottom line for me. I digress.

I may not get Napoleon Dynamite, but I should have seen it coming. I have to confess, my pop culture references in my classes were beginning to receive glazed over looks. Can you believe, students nowadays do not know who Ferris Bueller was? I'll take Ferris over Napoleon anyday! Anyone? Anyone?