Glee Episode #6: Vitamin D

Word of the Day: Competition. It happens when two parties want the same thing, and sharing is not an option. One trophy. One job. One man. Sometimes competition is real, and sometimes it is only perceived.

Will: Competition. Every one of these people or elements was a champion in their own right. But they use competing with each other to make themselves even better.
Kurt: I don't understand how lightning is in competition with an above-ground swimming pool.
Those who have a good understanding of competition are the ones who become better. They realize that the focus is on becoming better than they were before. Those who are overcome by competition only focus on being better than others. As for the lightning, I'm pretty sure it always trumps swimming pool. Every other time, the pool's just lucky.

"A mashup is when you take two songs and mash them together to make an even richer explosion of musical expression." - Will
A mashup is a good metaphor for the positive spirit of competition. Two songs come together but do not destroy the other in order to emerge as the dominant sound. Rather, what results is something beautiful and each song is better than before. For some good mashups, check out Norwegian Recycling on YouTube.

"Every time I try to destroy that clutch of scab-eating mouth breathers, it only comes back stronger like some sexually ambiguous horror movie villain." - Sue
Sue is one of those people who doesn't understand the spirit of healthy competition. She finds success by destroying others rather than bettering herself. Glee on the other hand, come back stronger because Sue's attacks don't expose weaknesses but rather give them opportunities for improvement.

"Don't bend or break, baby, don't back down." - Bon Jovi
Persistance wins competitions. I knew Bon Jovi was wise.

Rachel: I know everyone expects us to be enemies and be in competition, but I don't hate you.
Quinn: Why not? I've been awful to you.
Rachel: That was before you knew what it felt like to be me. An outsider.
Competition isn't always real. I think that's when it can be the most damaging, because you are unnecessarily focused on an imaginary prize. You take others down, even if they are not standing in your way. I've found myself in competition with others, though they were unaware of it. I lost a friendship because I saw my friend as an enemy instead. It wasn't until I realized we were on the same side that we became friends again. (Truth is, there was an unexpected third party. My friend and I rekindled our relationship when we realized we both lost, and we understood what it was like to be the other person.)

"I know you have this thing about being clean. Now I can't promise to pick up my underwear or squeegee the shower door, but I can promise to keep you life clean of sadness and loneliness and any other dark clouds that might float into it." - Ken
This doesn't have anything to do with the theme of competition, but I gotta say, who can compete with this speech?! Ken is probably one of the more sensible adults on the show, as much as I may hate to admit that. And though I'm a female, I think I am most similar to Ken out of all the characters.

"You might think there's some kind of competition going on between you and I, but that's like saying a nail is competing with a hammer." - Terri
I've been on the receiving end of this statement before, though at the time, I was also the one saying the words. During my imaginary competition, I always saw myself as the nail and my friend as the hammer. I wanted to win so badly but kept telling myself that I never had a chance. Sure, the nail could put up a good fight, but there was no way the nail could beat the hammer. I realize now that I was my own hammer and could never win against my negative thinking.

I guess I get caught up in the competitive hysteria too. My goals are too selfish. It's time for me to stop competing against everyone and start competing alongside them.
It's like a mashup. Instead of trying to destroy others, how can you work with them to create something even better?

Glee Episode #5: The Rhodes Not Taken

Word of the Day: Why. It is probably the most important question we can ask of ourselves. Honest answers to the question "Why?" give us a better glimpse of who a person is and who we are. "Why" shows us what motivates a person or what is considered important. The answer doesn't always come right away - if we want the real answer. That's probably why it takes a whole episode for the characters to understand their reasons why.

"We have obligations as teachers to give kids opportunities for growth and enrichment." - Emma
If only all teachers acknowledged this obligation as their reason for teaching. There are too many teachers who focus on the salary (however much or little) over the students. The best teachers out there are the ones who make you better people, not better test takers. They're the ones who teach you about life and academics, and help you to realize your full potential.

"If Glee's gonna win, I need to give her a second chance. She is a talented performer, and I really think that the kids are going to learn a lot of valuable technique from her." - Will
Will has a couple reasons for keeping April around, both seemingly focused on his students. His first reason is to help April and allow her to achieve what she was 3 credits short from achieving. His second reason is to help his current students become better singers and performers. At the root of it all, though, is Will's desire for Glee to win and reclaim his glory days.

"You need to think about why you're doing this and what you're willing to sacrifice to get it." - Emma
Not only should you think about what you're willing to sacrifice, but you should also consider whether "this" is even worth the sacrifice. And is the "why" worth the sacrifice, too? Is the businessman willing to sacrifice family time to get the promotion just because he wants prestige at work? Am I willing to sacrifice a couple homework-less years of my life to get my Master's degree in order to pursue my desire to work with college students? Is Will willing to sacrifice the integrity and innocence of his students in exchange for April Rhodes just so Glee can succeed?

"I just know that I want to spend more time with you now." - Finn
Goodness, who knows how many times this has been my reason why...

Kurt: Maybe Quinn is lactose intolerant.
Artie: That doesn't explain all the crying.
Tina: Maybe she just doesn't like the group.
No amount of speculation about the "why" behind Quinn's recent behavior can replace Quinn's personal obligation to face the truth.

"I need to get a music scholarship so I can go to college, so I can get a good job, so I can take care of my kid. And I can't do that if you don't come back to glee club." - Finn
I remember the idea of college driving my decisions, even down to the courses I studied in junior high. I needed to take the right classes so I could get into a good school, so I could get a good job. But that's all. Finn's motivation is much weightier and goes beyond just having a good job. He wants a good life, something that college can provide.

"I realized being a star didn't make me feel as special as being your friend. If I let you down when you needed me the most, I'd never forgive myself." - Rachel
Rachel said in the pilot episode that "being a part of something special makes you special". She thought that "something special" was glee club, but now she realizes it's the friendship she has with the glee kids. The relationships we form are often the strongest reasons why we do anything.

The Beauty of Relationships

For someone who enjoys relationships so much and draws energy from being with other people, I haven't had the best track record with maintaining friendships. My elementary school friends didn't carry over to middle school, middle school friends didn't carry over to high school, and my high school friendships exist only on facebook. When I got to college, I decided that this pattern of dropping friends in times of transition needed to end. After all, college was suppose to be the time when you make the friendships that were supposed to last. Now that my friends are scattered around the country, I'm realizing how much effort is required to maintain the relationship. It requires communication (thank goodness for facebook and AIM) and interest.

But the beauty of the relationships that are worth the effort is that sometimes it's almost effortless. I have this one friend who was probably the first friend I made in college, but after graduation we didn't really talk to each other for about 2 to 3 months. When she got engaged, we talked to each other on the phone and the conversation was like not a moment had passed. This weekend, I get to be around campus because of a job interview in town. I have the opportunity to get together with friends while I'm in town, and I have a feeling that it won't feel like I'm visiting. These friends will make me feel like I'm just hanging out with friends - 2 hours from home.

Two Things

There are two things that give me life, probably more than anything else. People and dance.

This weekend was such a life-giving experience, because I got to go to the beach with three of my friends who also just graduated from Messiah. It was the first time we had seen each other since graduation, and it was great to spend some time catching up and sharing our plans (or lack of plans) with each other. Though the sun didn't come out until the afternoon, there was plenty of adventure and laughter. Plus we were at the beach, and that didn't hurt. Soaking in the rays, daring to stand before the waves, mocking the abundant high school population in spite of our own juvenile games - it was a great day for the beach.

And DANCE! Tomorrow night begins my favorite part of the summer. So You Think You Can Dance! For the next few weeks, SYTYCD treats me to bits of choreographic genius and sheer artistic talent. I sit for two hours with a smile on my face, hugging a pillow with excitement, as couple after couple takes the stage. It's quite a joyful experience.
FOX - Wednesday 8pm (performance), Thursday 9pm (results)