Mothers and souls

My comment about the kids' souls wasn't so much a condemnation of their actions as a sort of motherly surge of anxiety. It just seemed to me that they were having to face a ton of more disturbing things, and they seemed so young. Part of it was their more mature clothes. You know the thing parents always say, "They grow up too soon!" I don't know where that is coming from in my case, but I just want to protect them. Not that that would do them any good. So it was a strictly emotional comment, not a moralistic one.

To respond to the moralistic critiques, though, I would say that Harry's breaking of the rules is not necessarily laudable but certainly understandable. I think realistic characters are good. I don't know what kind of fiction these conservative fathers read. Probably none.

About the ineffectiveness of the adults, I think that's true to a certain extent. There are seemingly a lot of bumbling adults. But I think a lot of it only results from the kids' refusal to be helped. Dumbledore is just what Harry needs - a powerful person he can trust - but Harry avoids him. He's always afraid to tell him the truth. It is the classic stiff-necked Israelite scenario.

Sirius is an example of an adult with some serious flaws and insecurities. Lupin has some problems, but I think his power is understated. So is Dumbledore's. Understatement is one of the things I most admire about the books. J.K. Rowling is able to let misunderstandings remain for a long time before she corrects them.

Many cities

He left me crying late one Sunday night, outside of Boulder.
He said he had to find himself, out on the road.
- Jo Dee Messina, "Stand Beside Me"

Last time I saw her it was getting colder
But that was years ago.
Last I heard she had moved to Boulder
But where she's now I don't know.
- Garth Brooks, "What She's Doing Now"

The next challenge is to find or write songs that include the names of all the cities I will spend a night in before July is over. They are:

Eugene, Oregon; Chicago; London; Addis Ababa; Mekelle, Ethiopia; and Philadelphia.

Bonus points for including cities where I have a layover: Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Amsterdam.

Good luck.