The Damnation of Tara (née Scott) Dahle

In which our rogue Heroine recounts Wickedness

I’d like to tell a tale of wickedness now.  This will contrast nicely with my comments yesterday on prayer.  I was always a solid A- student: pretty good, but just lazy enough to fail a little.  With this said, I always expected at least my A-.   It is a sad, sad story when an admittedly partial failure will get furious when not receiving her expected due, but this is the case.  I was taking an American Humanities at BYU and we had a regular assignment of a single-spaced one page paper due every Monday on a text or piece of artwork.  I had been receiving low B’s so far that semester on these assignments.  Let us just say that the anger was building into a mushroom cloud by about the half-way point when on one fatal day I received a solid C.  “This is ridiculous!” I thought loudly, and with a hard and mean tone in my head.  I knew it was time to do something different.  Disliking the beg-for-my-grade approach, I opted out of stalking down my professor in his office.  Besides, I liked him and didn’t want to unnecessarily antagonize him.  Which we all know by now, is something I could really do with style. 

Our assignment for the next week was on a book entitled, The Damnation of Theron Ware.  I found the book depressing and had no interest whatsoever at that point in agreeing with my professor’s assessment of it.  The issue question: “Was Theron Ware damned?  Support you conclusion either way…”  I remember feeling angry as I sat down in front of the computer.  Suddenly, I felt a terrible need to swear my way through the paper.  What better time to do it than now, I reasoned.  The excuse is in the title.  I began.  From the beginning, Theron Ware was damned.  It felt strong to start out that way, and not because of the swear-word.  Here begins one of my most important moments in learning how to write. Anyway, I continued to use the word d— in every form possible and as many times as I could throughout the course of the paper.  The solid A I received the next week let me know I was onto something good in my writing approach.  I finally understood what a thesis really was.  So much for being right. 

So sorry about how I seem to need to recount wickedness periodically.  None for next time though.  Instead, stay tuned for some Alaskana.  I will recount the touching though somewhat delirious saga of my move to Anchorage and some of its painful and wonderful aftereffects. 

Breaking Boundaries, Moon-walking Style

In which our excellent Lady contemplates Internet Noise

Every time I hit the Post button, I imagine the sound you often hear on spaceship or first-contact-with-alien movies.  You know, the one with the radio static, followed by a news reporter, and then baseball game commentary: “and so-and-so has the pitch…,” applause, followed inevitably by Armstrong’s voice, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  And in my head, my blogging words stream forth to add to the noise.  I can only hope with each click of the mouse on the Post button that my words will compete somehow with the din.  

There is so much out there to compete with! It was in a training meeting last April that Mary N. Cook of the Young Women’s General Presidency discussed the amount of time that the Young Women were spending online, especially Facebook.  And then she said that they were like a captive audience, and we should be trying to fill some of that online chatter with uplifting things.  It seemed to me to be a novel idea at the time.  I have wondered to myself why this is.  I mean, it’s not like its rocket-science (thank you, Armstrong).  Upon further reflection, I have concluded that it is actually a part of my BYU education to not mix religion with all secular things.  I was taught that there are boundaries with some subjects.  For instance, a good scholarly paper on the humanities should have the best sources in the field of humanities—never is it acceptable to throw in quotes from a general authority on the subject, because it is not their area of expertise and it is a random inclusion at best.  Its just not professional.  Also, if there is a nasty piece of artwork considered necessary for the artist or art historian to know to further their career, then you bet it will be included in class.  The professor may warn the student, and it will be taken with what could be considered a spiritual grain of salt.  But in the end, the boundary is drawn to the left, the art shown, and the religious view is left behind in favor of something else. 

I suppose we Mormons also have the cultural problem of not trying to wear our religion on our proverbial sleeves.  As far as the internet goes, I tried a few times to put something spiritual on Facebook and I felt very un-cool and awkward.  Kitchy, even.   It has been a great leap to even put this kind of thing on my blog.  But this is the story of my cancer (kind of a big deal), and I promised myself at the beginning to tell the whole truth, and that includes my churchy self.  I wasn’t sure how my reception would be to all of you if I did put it all in.  But to the contrary, I have gotten so many comments about the religious posts that I would characterize you all as hungry for the spiritual.  So, into the great din-filled universe, I send out my messages in the hopes of doing what I should do, and making a difference.