A Post for Jenny

Bethany is wary of her own blog. I'm wary of people reading it and thinking all sorts of things about me. I've always been unduly concerned with this, but enough of that, more on that later (perhaps). I have had my first request for my blog address. Who is it from? Jenny! So, as not to disappoint Jenny, I will post some sort of new post :). Here we go:

Right now I am reading Jane Eyre. I love this book! I am at the part where Jane has just been admitted as the governess of Thornfield Hall and has only encountered the mysterious Mr. Rochester twice. Right now in my reading they are discussing Mr. Rochester's personality and how his knowledge differs from Jane's. He has traveled over half the globe and is nearly 20 years her senior. She has lived all of her life at her aunt's house for 10 years and then at Lowood School (50 miles away) for the next 8 years. Doing the math, that makes her 18. Mr. Rochester asks Jane if she would agree that, because of his wide knowledge of the world and the time that he has spent in it, he has the right to command and direct her. Jane replies: "I don't think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experiences."

Each individual lives in a different situation, each has a variety of experiences. No matter the position in which we have found ourselves or put ourselves, the thing that matters most is what we "have made" of our time and experiences. An individual's character cannot be made out by their age or by the experiences that they have had; rather, one can learn a great deal by studying what that individual has made of what life has given him. I'm convinced we can all be happy. And now, I think I'll keep reading...