Life Ambition

My high school yearbook, unfortunately, did not have your ambitions listed next to your name. But I've always had {especially with hopes of becoming yearbook editor--to no avail} one in mind. To coin a term. As I studied United States History, term after term would splert out. Terms for eras, movements and the like were coined by so-and-so or so-and-so. The one that sticks out in mind is The Gilded Age; a term coined by Mark Twain. It's a brilliant term. Speaking of the years from 1870 to 1890, Gilded means dressed up to look fancy and appealing--a gift really, but what is inside is not truly something worth having. The time slot held a great deal of progression in railroads, small factories and expansion in Western fertile farmlands. Philanthropy thrived and the wealthy were wealthier than ever. But the slue of technology led to slums; and huge waves of immingrants filled them. So what appeared to be a great and gifted era, was excessive and wasteful. {uh and p.s. if the Gilded Age just really turns you on, here is an ametuer essay on the New Guilded Age for all you liberal historians!} ANYWAY, brilliant term, right? So. That is my one and only life's ambitions: to coin a term. It is quite an ambitious ambition quite frankly. One would have to get really pretty far on the latter of social Darwinism to have truly coined a term. But...that's why they call it ambition. Shakespeare taught me well..."Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;" I once told of my life goal in my Language journal and my teacher wrote back..."Great ambition! Now I want to do the same!" So feel free to add it to your lists. Or start one for that matter.

But tonight, coining a term, shall stand alone no more. As I was exploring J.K. Rowlings site, I found a note from Rowling: "Once again the Harry Potter books feature on this year's list of most=-banned books. As this puts me in the company of Harper Lee, Mark Twain, J.D. Sallinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck and other writers I revere, I have always taken my annual inclusion on the list as a gerat honour. 'Every burned book enlightens the world'. - Ralph Walso Emerson." As I read, I realized I had no idea what a 'banned book' is. I learned that it is just that. A book that is banned {from various..or any, I imagine, organizations}. I did research little further and found the official list of banned books. Well, you can guess what my ambition number two is. {Do not forget that these are life ambitions. Not summer goals! :)} This is a list of about 150....it could be worse right? I have read 15 on the list {HP 1-7 helped a wee bit!} They are all classics. I'm thrilled about my new ambition.


ATTENTION: Staff members of the Yearbook of Life.

Please add another 'ambition' next to Amy's portrait.

• To Coin A Term
• Read all 'Banned Books'