No debating The Great Debaters

Preparing for a wedding ceremony last week gave me cause to consider the differing ways people connect with media. The young couple selected a couple of musical pieces from one of my favorite groups, Coldplay. Wanting to understand the connection I spent time listening, reading lyrics and locating any back story on the two songs. These two young people found the lyrics expressive of the way their relationship brought deep and important meaning to their lives.

Undoubtedly when directors and producers select a movie script they often consider the same issues. We went to a later dinner and a movie with the staff of our church for a post-Christmas get together. Nathan suggested we see “The Great Debaters.” Others may be far better critics than I, but I suggest someone(s) ought to win awards for this one. Set in Marshall, Texas, the story of the debate team from Wiley College is nothing short of gripping.

Stories change lives. The intersection of Henry Lowe, Samantha Booke and James Farmer Jr. stirs us to  understand the way in which our relationships shape our very lives. Maybe this is an obvious assertion. But, in a day where we must constantly wrestle with an overconfident individualism, The Great Debaters does more than make us aware of the subtleties of a glance (like a son to a father or a father to a son). Thrown together on a debate team with an activist teacher makes for a window into just how redemptive relationships may be.

I do not want to spoil your trip to the show or your future rental. Instead, I would hope to encourage you to let the interactions of these students move to the deeper issues they unearth. Issues of power and control. Matters of race and religion. Actions of violence and non-violence. See if you are not taken by the closing argument of young James Farmer Jr.

Movies and songs offer little to debate when they beautifully expose the value of the “other.”

Road Trip … Day 1 …

"On the road again." When Patty and I moved to Dallas in 1985 we often made the trip north on I-35 to OKC. Christmas. Thanksgiving. Birthdays. Special Events. Funerals. Regular were our trips. We often sang that line from an old Willie Nelson song, "On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again." We have not been to Dallas as a family save one time since moving to Tuttle in 1994. When our kids  wanted to take a trip between Christmas and New Year’s we thought a trip south would be  both easy and fun. We left Wednesday about 9 a.m. and headed south on I-35. We were sure of two things - Interstate 35 would take us to Dallas and we would encounter road construction in both Oklahoma and Texas. It is just a staple of the trip.

We could not check-in to the hotel until the afternoon. We knew we would arrive around lunch time. The girls wanted to go to Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine. Nothing like the need to spend the "Christmas cash!" We thought lunch would be good before shopping. (Most of the time anything is good before shopping!) Craig  suggested we eat at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was good and the surroundings fascinating. The colorful saltwater fish in the huge aquariums offered quite the visual meal. Dancing gorillas, thunder and a fellow making balloon animals were just a few of the additions to the overall experience. Once we finished it was time to "crawl." The girls found some bargains and I confess to a few of my own. One sure stop was the anchor bookstore - Books a Million. I picked up a couple of magazines. Some years ago during my dabble at investing a stock broker suggested buying some shares of BAMM. What a disaster. Not sure why I would go in but there is little restraint for some bibliophiles like me. I did pick up a couple of magazines - US News and World Report’s Collector’s Edition, "Mysteries of Faith: The Prophets" and the current edition of Adbusters.

We made the short trip from Grapevine Mills to the Courtyard just off of I-635 and I-35E. The wait staff greeted us warmly. Our rooms were just right to be our "home" for a couple of nights. Free High Speed Internet allowed us to "Google" any potential destinations and get good directions. We checked out the whirlpool which we fully intended to take advantage of later in the evening. We took advantage of a little down time, some napped while others did some reading. Our next venture would be a treat.


Tommie and me had been to a movie at an IMAX theater in Branson, MO. We took in the second Matrix flick. The gigantic screen and the incredible sound were worth the price of admission. The IMAX was just down the street from the hotel. We had two options - Happy Feet or A Night at the Museum.  We opted for Ben Stiller. The  5:15 p.m. show was sold out and it was clear the earlier shows had been. We purchased tickets for the 7:45 p.m. early so we would be sure to see the movie. We waited for about  45 minutes in line and if our chosen time was not sold out it was awfully close. The movie was enjoyable. Everyone thought the IMAX experience a great choice for the evening.

After a long day it was time to relax. I am near certain only a handful of people were at the hotel and the empty whirlpool allowed us free range. The first day of our "Road Trip" proved fun and refreshing.

The water temp was just right!

More on Day 2 coming …