When I think of halloween as a boy in high school, the average things that really come to mind for costumes, are of course as an adolescent boy, girls with costumes that push moral and social acceptance, boys in banana costumes or a sports jersey with a headband, and then golden costumes. These golden costumes, are as the name implies, golden. To me, these have no definite criteria, no black or white definition as to what they are, they are just awesome costumes that always say something. Costumes that aren't necessarily the most showy, or attractive, but the ones that make you think at-least a little bit. Since this is suppose to be about rhetoric, I'd say that these golden costumes are the costume that best champion rhetoric. For instance, I would find someone dressed a burger with a sign that says "Stop childhood obesity" is much more funny and interesting than say, a scandalously clad girl dressed as a tele-tubby. The burger person's message is one of irony, and makes you thing, the judgement bringing tele-tubby girl's outfit is pretty direct in it's message, but lacks in any real meaning. So on this halloween, I'm going to dress like myself, and work on my analysis paper, which is ironic because on halloween you are suppose to have fun and dress up. Yes that is directed at you Ms. Prokott. That is directed at you. :(

"Why don't you love me Jenny? I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is."
-Forest Gump
Looking at Pathos

The statement it's self is pretty simple. it's a serious subject with a very sad setting and scenario. But the fact that it's so simple is what's so special because like the statement, Forest is simple. I don't mean that negatively, but it's true. He's a man of simple taste and a genuine heart that is absolutely unfathomable. As I hope everyone knows, he constantly gives of him self for the benefit of others and he doesn't even think of seeking repayment or equality of giving so to speak. Except here. Here in this dramatic scene where Forest is standing in the door way, looking up at Jenny, with the rain pouring in the background and the sound of thunder. His statement of "Why don't you love me Jenny?" with his unquestionably serious, and concerned face just kicks your soul in the places that it hurts because all you want for this hero, this incorruptible man. It's so simply put, and the setting so sad, that it's actually raining pathos outside. Then he follows with the equally simple "I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is." Now his words found a gang of friends to beat your crying soul, it is such a sad moment. You can't help hate   Jenny a little. Jenny then walks up the stairs, with a somber smile, hopefully going upstairs to cry and be dumb. Forest's audience with this statement is unquestionably Jenny, his childhood friend and only love with this sort of rhetorical question. He knows she's not going to answer, and this shows when he leaves before she can answer, but again it just hits so close to home.

In the summer of 2007, I think mother nature was just fed up with my neighborhood for some reason because she sent down a storm of the ages. I can still feel that sickly feeling of looking outside, and everything is more green than it should be, and there is absolutely no sound in the pre-storm quiet. Then, out of no where it came. There were rain drops falling that could fill a table spoon with one drop, hail the size of golf balls, and worst of all wind that I will never forget. We have two big oak trees in my back yard and in this storm, you could see the whole tree bending from the strain the wind was pressing on it. So, as you may have guessed from this storm, the power of course went out and it was later at night. Since I was a young, little boy then, of course sleep was not even an option in all of this excitement so my whole family sat up that night together. Just reading by candle light, or telling stories, taking in the smell of the scented candles, basking in the rhythm of mother nature's parade of power. That is one of my most fond memories of the four of us together. It didn't happen all that often where we were all together, without anything we could do except just be together without the distractions that our worlds put between us. This blog is suppose to be about darkness, but there in the glow of candles, there was nothing dark about it.