Ode to a new convert- longish by Chindi

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Ode to a new convert- longish

POSTED BY: CHINDI
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 11:24
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VIEWED: 593
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Monday, October 24, 2005 2:13 PM

I have watched the dvds again with a nephew… a new convert… and I watched Firefly again with amazement and awe at the construction of this ‘verse and these people who inhabit it. I am so sad that they were taken from us so soon. There are so many questions I have for them… questions that would have slowly and beautifully unfurled had the show continued… Many more times for us to laugh with Jayne, wonder about Book, grow with River, sense the tension and heat between Inara and Mal, be beguiled by sweet Kaylee, and most of all to watch the world weary Captain Reynolds as he skirted along the edge- protecting his crew; giving us beautiful examples of a man who has integrity and heart and righteous anger (much lacking in the current world’s examples and in the media).

I watched my nephew watch the show and become beguiled by it and I think to myself that THESE are the sort of people I would want him to emulate…funny, smart, resourceful, honest and oh-so-human. There is love in that ‘verse (real love); there is family and taking care of each other. There is self sacrifice and admitting you were wrong, when you did something unspeakable (jayne) and there may be forgiveness too…

This is a place where the creator of the show said- I assume the audience has a brain (and a heart, and a sense of humor). I do not have to dumb the material down. I do not have to cater to the lowest common denominator, I do not have to belabor the point…they will get it. This is a show where the nuances and the silences are as brilliant as the dialog. And this is a show that points out more eloquently than many what is wrong with TV and movies and popular culture.

We, the audience, love good stories. We love the characters of the stories. The fx are nice- when they SERVE the story. We like humor and pathos. We like to be challenged intellectually and emotionally. We like good music too!

So… there is no real point to this post. I just wanted to reach out to you all. And to say that there is a new little browncoat out there…who also understands integrity and heart, and who will grow to be a better man ultimately for having known Serenity, just as generations ago boys and girls grew to be better adults for having know Huckleberry Finn and Jim… and Atticus Finch…

Chindi

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Tuesday, October 25, 2005 1:19 AM

DONCOAT

Beautiful post, Chindi!

Do you know you're named for a Navajo ghost?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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Tuesday, October 25, 2005 3:49 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Great post Chindi! Welcome to the board, and congrats on introducing your nephew to the 'verse. The more the merrier!

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org

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Tuesday, October 25, 2005 7:58 AM

CHINDI

thank for reading...

not so much a ghost as a

spirit...

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Tuesday, October 25, 2005 11:24 AM

DONCOAT

Well, I was trying to keep my comment short.

As I understand it, a person's chindi is all the nasty, evil stuff that gets left behind to wander around on earth after that person dies. Traditional Navajos shun dead bodies and places where people have died so as not to attract the chindi's attention, and will abandon a house or hogan if someone dies inside.

From a Western perspective, the chindi idea seems related to the various food taboos in other cultures. With no germ theory of disease, the idea of "evil spirits" associated with dead bodies is a pretty good safeguard against epidemics.

... How off-topic is this?

Okay, so we'll bring it back to the 'verse. Wouldn't it be cool if some of the moons in the Firefly system were settled by traditional groups who preserve the old ways? A Navajo moon would be awesome.

--DonCoat, who appreciates other cultures, even if he wouldn't stand a chance of living in one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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