Wow!  Extreme Makeover Xanga Edition, huh? 

I thought what better subject to write about as a tribute to my new xanga than girls?  And what better way than to look into the great movie of Forrest Gump?  I love this movie for one simple reason.  It shows that for once, guys are not always the evil ones.  It shows that sometimes it is the girl that screws up a relationship.  It also shows the true heart and determination of one that genuinely loves.

Forrest Gump runs into so much history and so many great achievements that we tend to forget the backbone of this story.  As he goes through four decades of American greatness, the constant theme that ties all these decades together is the love of his life, Jenny. 

Jenny is a childhood sweetheart of Forrest's that goes off to live her own life away from their simple upbringings  in Alabama.  Forrest in the mean time runs into such unbelievable testimonies of what the American Dream is.  Fame, wealth, serving your country, helping society, charity.  Forrest finds all this greatness by accident.  And throughout all this success, the only thing he ever and constantly thinks of is Jenny. 

One scene after they march through Washington D.C. Jenny has to leave Forrest yet again and asks him, "Forrest, why are you so good to me all the time?"  Forrest answers her with a smile, "Because you're my girl."  Simple, yet sincere.

It is no wonder that after countless times of Jenny leaving Forrest, whenever they reunite Forrest explains, "We was like peas and carrots again."  It didn't matter that she left him before.  It didn't matter that she would probably leave him again.  All that mattered was the present and that it was spent with her.  All the fame and wealth didn't mean anything to him unless he had Jenny.

Forrest Gump. Congressional Metal Of Honor private at Vietnam, discovers Watergate, Olympic Gold Medalist for ping pong, major stock holder for Apple Computers, owner of the world's largest shrimping boat company, football star, running legend, and the best friend, son, and father anyone can even hope for. 

All this he would give up for Jenny.  I think the saddest line in the movie, and maybe the movie's most famous line, is when Forrest asks Jenny to marry him and she tells him, "You don't want to marry me, Forrest." 

Forrest replies angry and ready to rush out the door, "I may be stupid.  But I know what love is!"

This isn't a girl bashing entry.  It's just a reflection on one movie that shows a guy who is actually a great man that believes in true love and uses that to forgive the countless times he's been hurt by a girl.  It's rare to see in movies these days.  It's hard to see it in society as a whole, actually. 

Men.  Be good to your woman.  She might not deserve it.  But it's not like you do either. 

SLAPPED

By: Arthur Kim

April 18, 2007

It was 11:10am on a Tuesday.  Yesterday to be exact.  I was on campus and was running to my 11:15 class.  Running down the hallway I passed a pair of bathroom doors when a man in a wheelchair asks if I can open the men's room door for him.  He is a black man that had to be over 40 years old with a heavy African accent that I barely understood.  I said yes and opened the door until he was safely through.  I then realized that this particular bathroom had two doors.  One to get into a hallway and then the other door a little ways down to get into the actual bathroom.  So I go down the hall to get the second door open for him.  He goes safely through and I turn to leave.

"Excuse me, can you open the stall door for me?"

I turn back around with a "Duh, stupid Arthur!  What were you thinking, you jerk!"  mentality and opened the handicapped stall door for him.  After he rolled himself in I closed it just to hear him say, "Sir, I need to ask you for one more favor." 

At this point it is a few minutes past 11:15 and I am officially late to class.  I stay in the stall and lock the door behind me.  He asks that as he stands up, that I pull his pants and underpants down to his ankle.  I wonder why he can't do this himself but realize that in order to stand up, he has to use both hands to grab the railing and support himself.  He grabs the railing and his entire body is shaking.  The effort it took to just grab the side bar and lift his body made me nervous.  He asks that I help him up and on the count of three I lift him just to hear him yell with all his might, "OK! NOW PULL THE PANTS DOWN!"

I am hesitent to let him go because his arms, the only support holding him up, were shaking as if a gust of wind could knock them down.  But I also realize that there was a time gap of only a few seconds before he could no longer hold himself up and so I let him go and pull his pants and underpants down.  He sits on the toilet and goes on his business.  He was weazing, gasping and short of breath from just this simple exercise. 

By this point I am WAY late for class and a bit frustrated.  Agreeing to open the door for this man was one thing, but I did not sign up for all of this.  After he finishes we go through the entire procedure again, this time raising his pants back up to his waist, watching his frail arms shaking as he holds onto the side rail for dear life. 

We leave the stall and I am about to leave when he asks me to help him wash his hands.  He could not reach the soap dispenser, he could not reach the paper towl rack.  He could barely even reach the sink.  I basically washed his hands for him and as he finished I once again opened both doors for him to exit. 

I am upset.  I don't know this man.  I can barely understand him with his accent and I am late for class.  I had to go through an extremely uncomfortable situation with a complete stranger. 

But then he thanks me.  He shakes my hand and tells me that I am a very nice young man.  I realize right there how selfish I was being.  Yes, it was unfortunate that of all the busy students, he asks me to help him.  And yes, I was put in a very awkward situation.  And yes, I was late to class because of this.  But as he thanked me, I was silenced when I realized something extremely heartbreaking.  I realized that this man has to do this EVERY time.  Every time he is in a public venue; a park, school, mall or store.  Every time he has to use a public bathroom, he has to do this.  He has to wait around in front of bathroom dorrs and rely on the goodness of a stranger to help him go through such a mundane task of going to the bathroom that we all take for granted.  How humilliating it must be.  How frustrating it must be to wait outside a bathroom door just waiting for someone to help you. 

I tell him "You're welcome" and I turn to leave. 

I go to my Business class that I am now a good 15 minutes late to.  As I go in, my professor is announcing that we have a special key-note speaker for us later on the in the class.  About half an hour later, there is a knock at the door and as my professor opens it, the man in wheel chair rolls in. 

My professor smiles and says "Men and Women, I would like for all of you to welcome our speaker today, the President of the University of Ghana, Chancellor Tagoe!"

Never in my life have I been so humbled.  Slapped in my face of pride and selfishness.  This man, as great as he is, asked a simple student like me for help and all I could think about was myself.  I felt honored that I got to meet such a great man, let alone help him out.  I realized that day that when Jesus performed miracles and helped others, he never did it thinking, "Man, I am so late to my business class."

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" -Mathew 20:26-

PETER  LEE

One of my best homies left today to Thailand for missions

He won't be back till middle of next year

Please pray for Peter Lee. 

I miss him already.

One Love

"Watch out for the Clippers!"

-Magic Johnson (on TNT)-

It's Game Time!