Journal Exercise: Day Two:

Read a book or magazine article that intrests you. Write about what you find intriguing and how this information relates to you.

The Soulforge by Margaret Weis

The inital thing that drew me to this book was the main character. Of all those presented in the orginal DragonLance triliogy, it was Raistlin Majere that caught me and drew me in fully and completely to his life and who he was. This book details the begining of his journey to actually finding himself. How at six he learned he had a talent for magic that would rival most adult mages. His trials through school, as he was quiet, smarter, and physically weaker than most others. He was a target for bullies as such, simply because he was more talanted than them, and no one trusted him, as he knew it, and kept to himself. It takes the reader through his school days, and up to where it is time for him to take his tests to become a ‘real’ mage (as they must pass a test to be aloud to consider themselves as such). Raistlins’ test was particarlly hard, as their was another force out there wishing to take control of the young man, and in a way, it did. Though almost being destroyed in the process, Raistlin does indeed pass his tests, and though he is broken physically even more so than he was to begin with, he still prevails.

*looks up* Okay…That so sounds like a book report. *headdesk* But I do find Raistlins’ struggle through growing up, and reaching the first of his goals an intriguing tale. He is a fasinating character, most of those you run across in such books are all about their physical strength first, and their mental strength second, if at all. This is one of the rare instances where the character must rely on his mental strength, and on occasion the sheer strength of his will power and desires to get him through difficult challenges.

As for how it related to me…Growing up, I was the one being picked on. The kids who thought they were bigger, stronger, better, used me as their target. I would say I should be greatful that it was verbal rather than physical, but 1) Despite my small stature, I think I might have surprised them had someone tried something more physical and 2) The physical hurts would of healed a lot quicker and easier than the hurts caused by the words. In magic, Rastlin found his inner strength, what could keep him from subcoming to the tortures put apon him by the other children. I think, for me, the closest thing I would have, perhaps would be the writen word. As I have always wrote something it seemed. And in the writing, I could be the one in charge of it all. I was the hero, the popular one, the smart one, the best one, etc.

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*growls to self* The poem I wrote back in high school, I unfortantly wrote in computers class, and only had it saved there. And forgot to print it out before I lost access to the school computers…So my poem about Raistlin is lost for all time…

So instead…*digs through pages*…You all get this one instead.

All the Things        November 2, 1997
All the things that were
All the thigns that are
And all the things that shall be

All the things that were
   Still whisper in my mind
   I turn around to look for you
   But you I never find

All the things that are
   Whether thrust apon or chose
   The memory still lingers
   Of a red and a black rose

And all the things that shall be
   Are coming on their way
   I sit and wait
   For the return of the day

The past is far behind us
     The present is all here
          The future seems far away
                 But in all honesty it’s near