Rounding Third…Creating Logo December 10, 2009

After deciding the Train would be  my “thing,” I had to think long and hard about how trains related to each of my family narratives and entertainment. Back when I thought water would be the image in the center box, I was planning on using my snoopy fishing pole story as an allegory about good and bad always being present. “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together,” was going to be my metaphysics.  I also had my morality all ready. “Live Honorably” is the message I took away from The Little Mermaid. Even though good and bad are always present, one can choose to be good or evil. Living a good life, I believe, can be achieved by being an honorable person. However, by switching to trains, suddenly Snoopy didn’t seem like the best story to use. I was sorry to see Snoopy go.

My No Name Storm story was my most compelling alternative.  I thought about the power of this storm and how the magnitude of this storm is a lot like the power of a train. If a car gets stuck on the train tracks when a train is coming, the car is going to be totaled–without question. Similarly, floods can destroy whole towns: homes, cars, businesses, everything.

So I had my three stories set: The Little Mermaid, The No Name Storm, and David Yulee.  Now, how are they supposed to correlate to one another within my Logo…

When I think about my fifth birthday during the storm of the century, I think about my mom. She handled everything so beautifully. My father was at work, so it was just my mom managing everything: the terrifying weather conditions (although water never got into our house like it had my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s home, there was no way for her to have known that at the time), calling out-of-town birthday guest to inform them of the extreme weather conditions, getting her family from one side of the road to another, bringing what would have been birthday  food to the church for those in need, plus having two small children to entertain and comfort. Just look at that list. My mother is amazing. She never seemed flustered. I can’t say it was effortless, because a list like this demands effort (even from a super-human-puts-Wonder Woman-Bat Girl- and-Super Girl-to-shame kind of woman like my mom). My mom was able to roll with the punches and come out on top. 

The way my mom acted reminded me of a little saying she is always telling me, “Do the best you can with where you are at and with what you have got.” Just like that, my motto was solidified.

I went back to thinking about trains. I have always associated trains with persistence, diligence, and steadfastness. Probably because of my fondness of the Little Engine that Could (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…).  Trains are one of those few man-made objects that could just barrel though anything.

The Little Engine tha t Could reminded me of the Little Mermaid, in an odd way. The Little Mermaid pursued her goal of being with the Prince and gaining a soul without hesitation.  She suffered and sacrificed without complain, because she knew that is what it took to be on land near the Prince. However, the mermaid revealed  her strength of character, on the night of the Prince’s wedding to someone else, the mermaid’s sister told her the only way to  save herself and return to the sea was to take the life of the Prince who had forsaken her. Yet the mermaid could not harm the Prince, even though it meant the end of her life. It was this act of goodness, coupled with all her efforts and sacrificed to be on land, which caused the sisters of the air to take notice of the mermaid. The mermaid joined the sisters of the air, giving her the chance to earn a soul by completing good works—like she has been doing all along.  From here I pulled my Metaphysics, “Hard work and goodness is rewarded”.  However, this mentality is also shown in the No Name Storm story.

Yulee had a little bit of my Mom and the Little Mermaid’s fight in him as well. He was a self-made-man, working his way up in Florida politics, earning the title of Florida’s first US Senate, only to have that title taken away the following election. Did Yulee give up? No, he ran the year after and won. Then the Civil War happened, and Yulee left his position is the US Senate to dedicate himself to the state. His home was destroyed during the civil war, yet he never lost heart. When the war was over, he rebuilt like my mom, the little mermaid, and the Little Engine that Could, Yulee never gave up in when faced with an obstacle: he had perseverance.  

Looking back on everything, I was a remarkable good kid. I didn’t pout about not having my big birthday party. I understood that there were a few things out of my mother’s control, such as the weather. I wasn’t scared either. I just think that at five years old, I was oblivious to the severity of the situation. If I felt anything, I felt confused. However, once everything settled down, I saw that the storm happening on my birthday was an unexpected blessing. We were able to help so many people by donating food. Also, it was a Saturday. Had this happened on a weekday, would any one be around to make sure Granny got to higher ground safely? So my attitude or mood was confusion, and later understanding.

The image I chose to use to express my “thing”, was an actually picture of the railroad that once ran though Homosassa. It was called the Mullet Train, which is more than fitting for my little fishing village.  It was really important to me to find a picture that showcased the real Homosassa, because Homosassa is important to me. I altered the coloring though Photoshop to give the image a more antique look, but other than that it is an authentic depiction of my town, back in the day.

Metaphysics – My World View December 10, 2009

“Goodness and hard work are rewarded”

I believe this is how the world works. If you are hardworking, earnest, and kind, then things will work out the way they are suppose too. The Little Mermaid is a perfect example of this.

The Little Mermaid wanted to live on land with the handsome Prince and gain an immortal soul. So the Mermaid did what she had to in order to live outside of the sea. Although she had to sacrifice her voice and with every step her feet ached as if she were walking on glass, she kept doing what she had to do.

However, the Little Mermaid was unable to win the Prince’s love. On the evening of the Prince’s wedding, the Little Mermaid have they chance to returned to the sea, but only if she killed the one she loved. The Mermaid refused, and her good deed was ultimately reward with an immortal soul. Had the mermaid shed the Prince’s blood, she would have lived a long life, but she never would have earned a soul. One must work hard and do the right things, it can’t be one or the other.

 The Little Mermaid did have each of her dreams realized. She lived on land with the Prince and she was able to attain an immortal soul, albeit not exactly as she had hoped. The Little Mermaid shows use that by working hard and doing the right things, one will be rewarded.

Atmosphere – Training for Success December 9, 2009

 

The Train represented Perseverance. Not unlike ”The Little Engine that Could”, David Yulee put forth constant effort into everything he pursued. He won, then lost, and then won his US Senate seat. It takes a special kind of person to rally after a defeat and comeback stronger. Yulee is that kind of person. Despite all his hardships: having his home destroyed during the Civil War, his turbulent political career, and his time in jail, David Yulee kept working diligently towards his goal. He just kept chugging along… 

The Little Mermaid also practiced this steadfast diligent behavior. She knew what she wanted (the Prince) and she knew what steps she had to take (become a human) in order to have him. Although she had to sacrifice her voice and with every step her feet ached as if she were walking on glass, she kept doing what she had to do. She kept going along the track at full speed.

Revisiting Memories October 14, 2009

Once I knew that my Entertainment would be “The Little Mermaid” it was time to refine what memories I wanted to write about. The most obvious mermaid memories was my fourth birthday at Weeki Wachee Springs. I had countless memories from living in Florida, so close to the beach and rivers. One of my favorite stories to tell was going fishing for the first time and catching a shark with my Snoopy pole. One of my most vivid memories is from my fifth birthday, the day of the No-Name Storm. Just like that (*snap*) I had material for my micro-narratives.

Then it became the process of connection the memories to the entertainment, in order to craft a My Story. The mermaid connection was obvious. However, it wasn’t until I reread “The Little Mermaid” that I realized that birthdays were such a big part of the story. In “The Little Mermaid” birthdays were a right of passage. At fifteen, the mermaids were able to go above the sea, which was a huge deal. In my family, my mom always made our birthdays special. It was MY DAY.

Once I got on this mindset of connecting my three stories to “The Little Mermaid,” it changed everything. The assignment seemed so easy after that…which worried me a little bit.

Selecting Entertainment… October 14, 2009

I thought I knew what I wanted my Entertainment to be based on. There was a story I loved as a little kid called “Ever Green.” It was a story about a little blue bird that broken its wing and needed a tree to stay in for the winter. All the trees were cruel to this little bird, except for three trees. These three trees were rewarded by Jack Frost for their kindness. While all the other trees in the forest would lose their leaves and stand naked all winter long, the kind three trees would bloom and bloom and bloom and stay green forever.

Great story right? The problem was that this story didn’t fit well with any of my memories. So I thought a little more, and that is when I thought of my love for mermaids. When did that obsession begin? Having grown-up near the water, I would always “play” mermaid…in the springs, in the river, in a pool, the tub. I preferred the Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid to the Disney version, which is interesting.

Once I got a clear idea of what I wanted my entertainment to be, the memories came easy.

Felt – Mermaids October 14, 2009

There is the obvious connection between My fourth birthday party watching the mermaid show and the story “The Little Mermaid”, but the connection goes deeper then that. When I saw the mermaids, I wanted to be a mermaid too and partake in all their fun. When the little mermaid saw all the people on the ship, she wanted to be apart of their world. The mermaid was a sea creature that always felt a strong connection to the land, where I am a land creature who has always been pulled towards the sea.

The Little Mermaid – Resolution October 12, 2009

“The culmination is the lighthouse toward which the dramatist steers his ship, and the resolution is the safe harbor towards which that lighthouse guides him. ” - The Tools of Screenwriting

Unfortunately, the prince married another. After the ceremony, the little princess lingered on deck and leaned over the edge. She sees her sisters rising out of the water. They said, “We have given our hair to the witch, that you may not die this morning. She has given us a knife. It is very sharp. Before the sun rises, you must plunge this knife into the heart of the prince. When his warm blood falls upon your feet, they will grow together again and form a fish’s tail, and you will once more be a mermaid and return to us to live out your three hundred years. But either he or you must die as the sun rises.”

However, the little mermaid could not kill the prince. She flung the knife into the water, and then threw herself from the ship into the sea. She began to feel her body dissolve into foam. However, as the sun’s rays feel unto the princess, she did not feel as though she were dying. The little mermaid saw that her body, now transparent, and that she was rising higher and higher out of the foam.

She was among the daughters of the air. One said, “A mermaid does not have an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she winds the love of a human. Her eternal destiny depends on the power of another. ” The daughters of the air explained that, though they do not have immortal souls, they could earn one by doing good deeds for three hundred years.

The daughters of the air said, “You, little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do as we do, You have suffered and have endured and raised yourself by your good deeds. Now by striving for three hundred years in the same way, you too may obtain an immortal soul.”

The mermaid joined the daughters of the air, “After three hundred years, we shall gain immortal souls,” she said aloud.

The Little Mermaid – Obstacles October 12, 2009

“If the protagonist and his objective constitute the first two important elements in the construction of a story, the various obstacles collectively constitute the third. Without impediments to the attainment of the protagonist’s desire there would be no conflict and no story.” – The Tools of Screenwriting

Before the sea witch gives the little mermaid the potion, she tells her that with every step it will feel like treading upon glass. The mermaid accepts this. Then the witch says that once the mermaid takes human form, she can never return to the sea again. Also, should the prince marry someone else, the morning after he marries another, the mermaid’s heart will break and she will become foam on the crest of the waves. The mermaid agrees to all of this.

 

The primary obstacle comes in the form of payment. The sea witch wants the mermaid’s beautiful voice. How is the little mermaid princess suppose to get the prince to fall in love with her without being able to speak to him? Still she gave her voice to the sea witch and took the potion.

She drank the potion on the marble steps of the palace. By sunrise, she had legs and before her stood the prince.

The Little Mermaid – Objective October 12, 2009

“The character’s want or desire or pursuit usually focuses and intensifies as the story evolves; it is not a static, unchanging want.” - Tools of Screenwriting

What began as mere curiosity of the world above the sea, evolved into a full-blown infatuation. The little mermaid princess is head-over-heels in love with the prince and is obsessed with finding a way to be with him. 

After her encounter with the prince, her only comfort is sitting in the garden and gaze at a marble statue that resembles her prince. One evening, her sisters take her to the palace where the prince lives. Every evening after, she spends in the waters near the palace.

One day, she asks her grandmother if humans didn’t drowned, if they could live forever. Her grandmother said, “they too must die, and their lives are much shorter than our own. We sometimes love to three hundred years, but when we die, we become foam on the surface of the water. We do not have immortal souls. Human beings have souls that live after their bodies have turned to dust. Their souls rise up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water and behold the earth, they rise to unknown and glorious places that we shall never see.”

The little mermaid said that she would give up hundreds of years to have an immortal soul, and asked how she might gain an immortal soul.

Her grandmother said, “unless a human being loved you so much that you were more precious to him than his father or mother. All his thoughts and all his love would have to be fixed upon you, and he would have to take you for his bride. Only then would his soul glide into your body, and you would obtain a share in the happiness of mankind. He would give a soul to you and retain his own as well.”

After this conversation with her grandmother, the little mermaid’s objective is clear: get the prince to love and marry her so she can win an immortal soul.

The Little Mermaid – Protagonist October 12, 2009

“The chief characteristic of the protagonist is a desire, usually intense, to achieve a certain goal, and it is the interest of the audience in watching him move toward that objective that constitutes its absorption in the story” – The Tools of Screenwriting

The central character of the The Little Mermaid is the little mermaid princess. She is the youngest and prettiest of all the sea princesses. The little princess loved to hear about the world above the sea. She made her grandmother tell her all she knew of the ships and the towns, the people and the animals.

When a mermaid reached her fifteenth year, she is allowed to rise up out of the sea. So the little mermaid watched and waited as each of her sisters, all six one year apart in age, take their turn to rise to the surface of the ocean. After six years it was finally the little princess’s turn.

Her grandmother adorn her with a wreath of white blossoms in her hair, and in every flower she placed a pearl.  When she rose to the surface of the water, she saw a large ship. The little mermaid peers into a cabin window. Though the porthole she observed a handsome prince celebrating his sixteenth birthday.

After a while the waves rose higher as a dreadful storm approached. The ship groaned and creaked under the lashing of the sea as the waves broke over the deck, and the thick planks began to give way. The little mermaid swam among the beans and planks that floated on the sea, looking for the handsome prince. When at last she found him, she brought him to the surface and laid him on the beach.  She waited near the shore for him to awake, and when he did she swam back to the palace, longing to rejoin her prince on land.