In Between

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Book Info

Project Leader:

KarlLee

Participants:
The WEbook community

Who Can Write:
All Participants

Type:
Non Fiction

Genre:
Biographies and Memoirs

Language:
English

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Chat

OVERVIEW

IN BETWEEN

From the inception of our birth until the event of our death, we are destined to become orphans, unless by some act of fate our unfortunate parents live beyond our lifelines. On October 26th, 1998, my father died of heart failure. Six months later, on Mother’s Day evening, my mother passed from the ravages of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The anvil had fallen, resonating through time and space.   My perspectives of life were forever altered, tainted by the residue of personal regret and the vivid knowledge of mortality. My son was a little more than a year old, destined to be an only child as my wife, Kathy, and I knew that we would not be able to have any more children. The death of my parents shattered my prior interpretation of reality, and brought an emphasis to the limitations of life. I wanted to leave my son a lifeline, a place where he could derive support, a pat on the shoulder or a needed hug. Not for the selfish desire of media immortality, but to leave a physical record that he could resource, inspire his memories and perhaps use in his recovery from loss.

To Bear: This book contains my thoughts on life and death, and the perspectives in between. Pass this book onto the future generations of Lees; its presence owes its existence to the past, our forbearers. Add to it when you can...your own insights into life, into death, the aspects of living and dying. Make it not only profound, but profoundly yours.

This is the first volume. I hope it will continue forever, as we continue to cherish, learn and prosper. I have learned much from my father and mother, and I have learned from your insights and observations. This will be your book Bear. Add to it. Let it be your reference and depository, a place of refuge and a moment of respite.

Bear, you are now 7 years old, and have increased your capability to learn exponentially. These next passages are written for a time of introspection concerning the ability to learn and to focus. I do not doubt that there will be certain periods in which you may feel overwhelmed by the cacophony of memos, the litany of appointments or the errands that follow your life schedule. I hope that the following essays will help to guide you through those times, through the potential ignorance and enable you to perceive a positive balanced position between ambition and satisfaction. There will be stillness standing amidst the maelstrom of madness, if you proceed with intelligent judgment and faith.

A Theory of Time Management

A Saturday Afternoon. The ability to slow the perception of time, and therefore, its reality, to a slow dull crawl. Time manipulation. Not dull, such that boredom and ennui become a pervasive theme, but rather so fulfilling a moment of the present, such that the senses obliterate hesitation, transcends all moods and creates the existence of the present as the only existence that matters. It is thus to be immersed in the total use of one’s senses, where all time slows, and that ball which must be struck seems the size of a wish.

Attempt to notice everything, Bear. Every movement brought by wind, every underlying creak, one’s inner rhythms, the pulsating flow. Feel your weight filling your shoes, spreading through the carpet, the floor, and the foundation below. Notice nature’s rituals. Are the birds flying clockwise? To the north? Where is North from your present position? Taste the air for the possibility of an impending storm. Taste deeper than immediate pleasure. Hear for miles, and then, listen closely, for the rhythm of your heart. Smell freshness, and of death’s descent. Breathe to grasp the scent of power, power of potential. Touch to truly feel. Feel to feed upon the emotional tide. Feel the weight and flow of objects. Feel their justification and importance. If you can imbibe all in the moment, then in your own way, you can “own” a bit of time.

Sit, Stand, Remain.

Focus and take it all in. Sometimes just sitting on the front steps, licking dripping ice cream cones with you is enough to slow any progress of time.

The Speed of Light

Raking the leaves that seem to immeasurably fall, during the fall, you asked me if anything was faster than the speed of light. Knowing something of the Einstein’s theories of transmutability of energy and matter, I attempted to explain the concept of E = m x c squared, such that as matter accelerated to near the velocity of light, it transformed into light/energy itself. From this concept, in between pondering thoughts and the brown leaves, you asked if this energy was then permanent.

I suppose that if the energy is transformed and not vanquished, it must be retained in one form or another. In Newtonian physics, the energy inherent in an object would be a product of its mass multiplied by its acceleration. In a collision with another mass, there is conservation of energy, as the original energy transfers into the second mass and a concurrent dissipation of heat. Thus, it would maintain a semblance of permanence if not in its original form or intent. The existence of a greater concept would remain, a faith based reasoning. Understanding that there may be multiple perspectives of existence, special relativity, branes and the possibilities of alternative dimensions of measurements, energy may not only transform, but also may escape to other forms of existence. The next point of concern was then the conservation of the spirit or the soul, if the soul represented the energy of the individual.

“Is the spirit permanent?” you asked, prodding the dirt with a stick.   I nodded in agreement, as I didn’t have any proof, only a belief. “I would assume that to be true,” I replied.
So much of what we learn, what we believe is based upon faith. I can only conjecture. I look to you and witness the speed of life, and behold a creation unfolding. And everyday, every moment, with each rake of the leaves, I am eternally grateful.

book_central

In Between

This project is not a novel, a mystery or a biography. It is a bit of everything. It is the result of a desire to leave my son with more than memories, to leave him with something tangible beside pain. It is a collection of thoughts, perspectives, advice and hopes which will hopefully act as a guide for my son and all others in similar situations.

IN BETWEEN

From the inception of our birth until the event of our death, we are destined to become orphans, unless by some act of fate our unfortunate parents live beyond our lifelines. On October 26th, 1998, my father died of heart failure. Six months later, on Mother’s Day evening, my mother passed from the ravages of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The anvil had fallen, resonating through time and space. My perspectives of life were forever altered, tainted by the residue of personal regret ... More

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Earlier Feedback

8/1/2008 03:26 PM PT

ya i wish u the best tho

8/1/2008 08:25 AM PT

YOU'VE REALLY TOLD YOUR STORY!! IT WAS ONE THAT TOUCHED MY HEART IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!

7/31/2008 10:55 PM PT

Very well written. Poetry wasn't really my thing but you fit it in here seamlessly. I also like when you were talking about fishing how you talked about yourself and then moved it to your son. I like little details like that. Very well written. Good luck in the contest!

7/31/2008 10:47 PM PT

Congratulations on a courageous and wonderful work of written art that speaks to the soul.

7/31/2008 09:07 PM PT

Thank you for your gifts to your beloved son Bear and to all fo us for a level to aspire to. You are loving the life you live and lving the life you love. A true father spirit for all.

7/31/2008 02:41 PM PT

is it about you is all i want to know?
n if so it
was awsome
it makes me wana rite a book about my life
but it wouldnt sound rite
because all i can do is ryhme

7/31/2008 11:16 AM PT

This story shows experience in it. I liked it. However, if you took the dryness out of it and let yourself flow more with it, I think it would be a great story. Having said that, I will give you a five because it does impress me.

7/30/2008 11:23 AM PT

I thought it very eloquent and I like it a lot.. I give it a thumbs up.

7/30/2008 02:23 AM PT

Enjoyed the work and I like your style of writing. Good luck in the contest.

David McKellar

7/29/2008 11:01 AM PT

There is some good, touching writing here, but I agree with others who have said that it feels too philosophical and dry in parts. The tone may be appropriate for a father giving lessons to his son, but it is too distant and didactic to be accessible to a wider audience. You do a lot of "telling" and not enough "showing." Your son is definitely lucky to have you as a father!

7/28/2008 11:42 PM PT

Karl - good about Puerto Vallarta. Lovely place! I was in hospital there too with a suspected DVT. I love the Spanish.
I want to be honest about the book: not for me.
However, I am sure it will do very well indeed because it is exactly the kind of book judges really really like - rather full of very long words, taking the seemingly trivial and blowing it up into a philosophical sort of sounding thinggy.
It reminds me of our Prime Minister, Mr Brown. Nobody can understand him. He chews his nails. He has a funny grimace. He always wears a suit - even on holiday. He thinks that he is very intelligent.
I deeply regret - in spite of Mexico, that this book is not for me. But don't let that stop you - I am just one voice among many. Very best wishes for your success from one writer to another!

7/28/2008 09:26 PM PT

I really enjoyed the stories that clearly evolved from an experience you had, the fishing and the 5K story, they were an almost poetic prose, something unlike anything I'd read before. I would caution you against the stories that merely put forth an opinion or philosophy without the benefit of a corresponding memory. You seem to take a much more clinical approach to it until it becomes something akin to reading the very dry narrative of a philosophy text book.

7/27/2008 07:59 PM PT

to me i think this is something we all can relate to in one way or another and as a child or a parent... very nicely written

7/27/2008 03:46 PM PT

Actually KarlLee I related much too this project as it is something that my father would also , if he was one to have the time. Bear is very blessed to have this opportunity, and we are greatful that you have taken the time to share this with the world. Keep it up. I will continue to explore this project as time progresses.

7/27/2008 02:48 PM PT

Your writing style is very concise and your meaning is clearly conveyed.
I take issue with the pronoun 'we'. We all experience many of the same things in life. I, too, have lost both my parents young. However, we all experience these events differently. I would like to hear a more personal voice that describes YOUR experience, not ours. Then if I share your experience or not, I am with you because it is expressed in a personal voice. I'm not being told what I think or feel, but, what you do.
Many of your suggestions about how to live and view the world are excellent suggestions, but, again they feel impersonal to me. I want more stories about how you came to these conclusions and ways that you implement them. I want more details of the environment you are in when you have these experiences, smells, sounds, sights, there is very little of this.
I hear you talking to Bear throughout, that's very sweet and touching, but, I don't get a real feel for who he is. If you are writing this just for Bear, that's okay. But, since you are writing this for a wider audience, I want to feel that when you are speaking to Bear, I know him better, I want to be there with him, not an outsider looking in.
This is an admirable effort, but, I doesn't feel accessible to me.

7/27/2008 02:09 PM PT

Very nice

7/27/2008 01:22 PM PT

Very powerful. Excellent work!

7/27/2008 10:39 AM PT

You helped me with my grief. I lost my father five years ago.
I'm in between with my mother in the process. I never knew how important it was for me to be here on webook. Thank you for the memories Karllee.

7/27/2008 10:32 AM PT

I really get you at this moment, we share some common experiences, you are soooo cool. I love this part so much:
The future has an perceived end. I realize that now. After the “crossing,” there is a finite reality, one that approaches from the depths of our nightmares. I told you, Bear, that we do return in spirit. I really do believe that, not because I am seeking to placate your worries (and my own). I can see the spirit of my Dad and Mom in you. I believe that I contemplate death more than ever now, but I also appreciate life with equal intensity. There is greater satisfaction in the “little things,” the details of the routines of life: going to the grocery store, whether paper or plastic does matter; staring at boxes upon boxes of cereal, the clatter of preparing bacon and eggs on a Sunday morning, listening to wind and water, mentally taking flight with the arc of a paper airplane. It all matters. We may not realize it at the time.

7/27/2008 10:28 AM PT

I will remember this story forever. You are amazing and your son is so lucky to have someone like you. Your project should win.

7/27/2008 07:46 AM PT

Code of Conduct is superb and challenging!

7/27/2008 07:43 AM PT

This is a very well written poem and it is a wondderful example of a memoir. Beautifully written.

7/27/2008 07:34 AM PT

I love the richness of your words

7/26/2008 11:53 PM PT

Your style of writing is superb .I enjoyed reading this very much! Good luck in the contest!

7/26/2008 07:32 PM PT

You really love your son. He is the focus throughout the whole first part of this book. I plan to write a book of poetry with my dad as the main focus, but I don't know if I can express myself as you can.

I love how you kept yourself open to everything around you- nature, people- reality. And then, you added a twist of hope and dreams. Very nice.

I read this like a trainee learning from a teacher. Your philosophy feels like the reality of life, which seems to only change every time a thought is changed.

One problem- in "The Jar" section, I wonder what "Can you detect the beating of the wings of the butterfly?" really relates to. Not enough information links the meaning to the particular section.

(P.S.: Is you son's name really Bear? That's so cute!)

7/26/2008 07:16 PM PT

Very moving and very, very well written.

7/25/2008 11:32 PM PT

I agree with the others who have read this before I had a chance to do so. You have a very nice ability to bring your thoughts to the reader and to keep them interested in where the story or poem is headed.

Great job & good luck to you in the contest.
Renee

7/25/2008 08:04 PM PT

There is a lot here to think about. You have a keen ability to express your deepest thoughts. You write about what you think and think about what you write.

A wealth of useful information - well done.

Regards, Jake Rivers

7/25/2008 07:42 PM PT

I agree. I love the way you wrote some of your work, emotion is runinig throught me right now.

7/24/2008 08:49 AM PT

if only every father was so dedicated a father..........
I CRIED! ANYONE ELSE? very touching sir, your son is most fortunate to be brought up with such understanding.

7/24/2008 06:33 AM PT

very nice writing style

7/23/2008 08:21 AM PT

It's an interesting style to consider for a book. It's almost like a scrapbook, in how it has so many different tidbits, pieces of your life, given to us in focused pieces.
I'll try to read more as I go along!

7/22/2008 08:18 PM PT

I Loved it and the writing style is wonderful.

7/22/2008 02:00 PM PT

Fascinating. Your writing is eloquent and wonderful, your ideas clearly communicated. However, I feel that the focus may be too narrow and the subjects too broad to appeal to a wide audience. This is an amazing legacy to leave, but as a reader I'm not really picking up the emotional and logical imperatives that drove you to write it in the first place... which is too bad, because I would like to feel some of your passion.

7/22/2008 12:15 PM PT

Very Awesome story. I love it alot. very good.

7/22/2008 08:56 AM PT

this looks very interesting

7/22/2008 07:44 AM PT

That was sensational. Your emotions were portrayed through your work, which is the biggest of all goals in writing. its my biggest flaw.

7/22/2008 07:14 AM PT

You've been hurt a great deal, haven't you? I like your work. Like all good poetry, it's a depressing read. After all, art is the bastard child of disillusionment.

Good job. It might be a good idea to separate your poems next time. They deserve better presentation.

7/21/2008 07:02 PM PT

amazing

7/21/2008 06:58 PM PT

=) Great......!

7/20/2008 04:09 PM PT

Karl Lee, I found your story to be very captivating and real to life. Thank you for such an exciting read. I also enjoy your poetry. My novel is titled, 'A Chosen Journey' I thank you for checking it out.
Sincerely,
Tamara0449
www.spiritual-harmony.com

7/19/2008 05:52 PM PT

You have an interesting approach . . . which works nicely. You were very organized as well as heart felt. Emotional works sometimes get lost in the emotions, but you kept control and order and, of course, told your story well. Thanks for inviting me to read. Maybe we will see it in print. Good luck.

7/19/2008 02:16 PM PT

This book captured my attention, I was eager to read more. Interesting perspective on life and death.

7/19/2008 10:58 AM PT

Deep and emotional. Bravo
~Britt~

7/19/2008 08:22 AM PT

very definitive imagery and solid thought processes behind the words of self discovery.

7/19/2008 05:41 AM PT

Excellent!

7/19/2008 04:24 AM PT

From mother to mother ...ty

7/19/2008 02:15 AM PT

The descriptions are so vivid its like watching footage on a video camera, I can just see evveryone there at the river fishing.

7/18/2008 09:39 PM PT

Dr. Lee,

This is very beautiful. What you are doing with your son is something that certainly will make a positive impact in his life.
I like the style, the personal voice, the closeness as a Father, what you do with your worries and concerns and mostly with your Love for your Son.
I followed you in every single line of this writing. It feels like my own Father writing to me.
"Feel your weight filling your shoes"---> My favorite!

Thanks for sharing your writing with me,
Pegasee

7/18/2008 07:24 PM PT

a great message told in a very communicative way, understood by all and totally objective.
A great book for the world of today.
chord0

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