“Be bold—read much—write
much—publish little—keep aloof from the little wits—and fear nothing.”(Edgar
Allan Poe, 1843). AND… FEAR… NOTHING! These were the words I came away with
when I spent the day with poet and published writer, Edgar Allan Poe. Just the
sound of his name stirs dark, soulful metaphors like the doomed, fringe
caucuses idolizing tormented surrealism. To say I was very much addicted to this
reality is by its very definition an understatement!
During my time with Mr. Poe, he proposed
to me the intimate nature of writing and that there is actually a “philosophy
of composition”. The well-crafted lyrics, similes, alliterations, and allusions
known mechanically by educators are just the tip of the proverbial ice-berg
because it is how these “words” and ideas are artfully constructed and shared
with the reader to create the reality that writers wish to conveye. Mr. Poe is,
by all means, the master lyricist and master story teller. When he narrates, I
believe, we all share his vision. “How it hangs upon the trees. A mystery of
mysteries. Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness- for then the
spirits of the dead, who stood In life before thee, are again in death around
thee”(Poe, 1809).
In summary, Mr. Edgar Allan Poe
has shared his vision of writing and the grasp of emotional realism with his
trainee. Through artful manipulation of words and ideas, the writer (or story
teller) can impart a type of catharsis and identification with the players in
the tragedy, thereby sharing their story (and emotions) with the
reader/listener. The “philosophy of composition” garners favor of the
participants as they relate to the plight of the under-appreciated, persecuted,
downtrodden, etc…. Mr. Poe would describe it as such, “Be silent in that
solitude, Which is not loneliness- for then the spirits of the dead, who stood
In life before thee, are again in death around thee”(Poe, 1809)
According
to Christine Hammonds, MS, LMHC, obsession is "ritualistic" thinking
or behavior and addiction has to do with feeling "satisfied". For
example, "When you obsess, ritualistic routines are part of your everyday life.
Perhaps you comb your hair the same way you did as a teenager, you
recheck all of the doors at night even though you have been told it is
already locked, you replay the same conversation over and over again
just trying to figure it out".... However, in an addiction, we are seeking an escape. "...you never feel satisfied unless using the substance. Perhaps you drink
alcohol to relax, take prescription drugs to numb the pain, shop for
clothing to feel better about how you look, gamble to earn quick easy
money, exercise to get the adrenaline high, look at porn to feel
desirable, smoke to unwind, watch soap operas to feel romantic, play
video games to feel successful or eat sugar to get energy. All of these
behaviors have roots in escaping from an undesirable place to a
desirable place and in fantasy living" (Hammonds, C., 2013).
Had
awards ceremonies yesterday for the boys' respective classes. It
started at 9 a.m. and finished up at a little after 11. Of course,
having the kids at different levels in the spectrum made for a long
wait. It was pretty cool though. I was able to get a couple good
pictures of them and put them both together as though they were right
next to each other and finished the comp off with the "Iron Dragon"
roller coaster from Cedar Point. I thought it turned out pretty good,
but there are a couple of light spots around my oldest son's hair that
gives the photoshopping away. I'm fairly happy with it and could fix
those light spots relatively easily if needed. 
negative outcomes in one’s life. The person addicted to porn cannot
control the 