SerenityMovie.net

[Lemming]

So, if you listen to Seson 4 show 2, you'll hear the article with this title.

This is the place to leave your feedback.

What is *your* Serenity?

And before anyone asks, here's my example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nick_edwards/2242205233/

As described in the show

Now, get writing!

Nick
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[kbachelder]

For me it's immersing myself in online fan communities.

I really enjoy being able to interact with other genre fans to read and share stories about how great shows like Firefly, Farscape, Buffy and others have impacted people and their lives. There's a real sense of bonding that occurs regardless of where in the world they live, their age, their sex or any other 'classification'. It's very comforting to come to a forum like this one where I've been involved for years and it's very exciting to join new communities like the Buffyverse since I just completed my Buffy journey a few weeks ago.

I love my wife and two daughters (ages 15 & 23). I also love my 24x7 IT support career but things in those worlds can often times get quite crazy and out of my control! When that happens I know escape is only as far away as the nearest computer.

Kevin
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Fan of SciFi or Fantasy?

The Seeker Cast
http://www.theseekercast.com

Tuning Into Scifi TV
http://www.tuningintoscifitv.com

The Signal
http://www.serenityfirefly.com

The ScapeCast
http://www.scapecast.org

[h0stile17]

My Serenity is getting together on the weekends with my mates that live in my neighborhood. When we are not hanging out in our tattoo shop and pushing ink as a night job we are usually in one of our basements pretending to be punk and classic rock stars with a full ensemble and rhythm guitar and vocals by your truly. Then when the weather turns warm you can find us on our motorcycles riding through the North Georgia Mountains enjoying the challenges of the curvy mountain roads (Nick You'd love the Dragon's Tail)..........and we usually finish that day out with a good European beer of some sort (preferably a Black and Tan) and a good movie or TV show......including Firefly.

-Wayne Hutchinson

[leaf on the wind]

My Serenity is my Sunday afternoon Role Playing with my group of friends.
Here is why:
I started role-playing in the mid eighties, when I was a teenager, D&D and Call of Cthulhu especially.
When I first came to study in England I found a group at the University where I was an exchange student and through role playing I met a lot of people I would have never met otherwise, they in turn introduced me to many things I would have never experienced if I have not known them.
Then I went back to France but because of many reasons I stopped playing. When I came back in the UK, I started my PGCE training and after that I started teaching and I never seemed to find the time to meet up with my old role playing friends from University even though we only lived a few minutes away. Life went on for 3 or 4 years… at which point my job sucked very much, to the point that I often considered driving through a red light on my way to or from work … so one day I decided to go and knock on my old friends’ door on the odd chance they would still live there. They did and straight away invited me to their next game: after that first game it was like I was alive again, the few years we had been apart seemed to have never happened. Role-playing and my group of friends kept me sane and gave me a very much-needed escape when I needed it most and for this they are and always will be my Serenity.
We still play every Sunday afternoon, we even play Firefly!
_________________
Oh god! What could it be? We're doomed! Who's flyin' this thing?.... Oh. Right. That'd be me. Back to work!
<a><imgsrc></img></a>

[Dani]

When I heard the call to tell my own Serenity, I laughed, because I was looking at a picture of her!

My Serenity is a ship called The Prince William. She is a two masted, 18 sailed, square rigged brig, and she is my boat, my home, my serenity.

Well, ok, she isnt exactly MY boat. At nearly 60m long, she is really a ship, but I have taken to calling her 'my boat' (much to the consternation of the senior crew) Plus she doesn't quite belong to me either, I mearly pay for the the privilege of being working crew. (she takes a crew of 67)



I first found out about PW (just to shorten the name) when I read a news paper article in 2003. Of course at that time, i was still in school and hadn't really got either the time nor the money to do anything quite like that. In fact, it wasn't until 2005 that I remembered her again. That December, I embarked on my first ever voyage. From Hull to Portsmouth (to those not familiar with UK geography, its all the way down the east coat of England, through the channel, and along half of the south coast)

That trip made me a sailor, there has been nothing more I have wanted to do but sail that ship. I loved every minute of it, I felt i was home. (so much so that when I got home, I was straight on the phone booking my next trip only a few weeks later. I have sailed her around the canary islands and across the irish sea so far) Everything from climbing the 45m tall masts, learning how to take a shower when the boat is being tossed very violently by the sea, being able to haul on ropes at the same time as being sick over the side (i was quite proud of that) to the really calm (if very cold) nights stood on look out or at the wheel, staring at the stars and seeing them all the first time, the different colors, shapes and shooting stars.

Just like Serenity, PW isn't the most beautiful ship you will ever see. The interior resembles a passenger ferry, and her decks have been strewn with the additions of the raised bridge, chart room and galley destroying her straight line. But she is so beautiful to me.

oh, and lets not mention the fact that she isn't quite perfect. In fact, her hull was made for a 3 masted schooner, which now means her weight distribution is slightly off. The toilets are always getting blocked, and on that trip there were a couple of generator blackouts. Plus storage space for 48 voyage crew to hang up their oilies and harnesses is almost non existent.

Now, I dont mean to paint a poor picture, but its all these flaws that make PW my serenity as well as all the great bits.
The best night sleeps I have ever had have been on PW. The pipe cot bunks are the most comfortable thing ever. Plus, when it gets a bit choppy on the waves, you cant fall out

The meals that we get served are amazing. At times, it can almost resemble silver service. There is always a choice (take breakfast for example: Toast, porridge, cereal, or a cooked breakfast..... or ALL of them) and everything is very well prepared.
Happy hour is immense fun, although, after an hour scrubbing the green mile, my back started protesting.
Even the watch system become second nature (3 hours on 6 hours off) so much so that when i get back home, I often find myself waking up in the middle of the night to go on watch.


But to the important bit. Everything I have discussed so far has been physical. But we all know that Serenity doesn't exist. The 'verse doesn't exist. All our BDH's are fictional characters. So what makes this brig so special to me?

Its very simple, to quote another famous fictional captain. A ship isnt just a hull, some sails and a keel, its freedom. Crewing PW is freedom. Nothing at home, in my real life matters any more. I dont check my phone for messages, or my email or the news, its just not important. The only thing that matters in my life for that short period of time is The Prince William, my boat. Its my job to be part of her crew that makes sure she gets where she needs to be on time, and that she does that as smoothly as possible. When I sign on as crew with 45 other people I dont know, we all become an instant family. We are united in having the same goal and ambition. I have stayed in contact with so many from the different watches I have been on. Some of them have become life long friends.
Now I know this is going to sound really tacky, but its also about self discovery. Trust me, climbing 20meters in heavy swell while its raining and DARK to stow away a sail is not easy. You learn a lot about yourself in those moments that you believe impossible, times that should only exist in the movies, the split second when your brain catches up with what your doing and you think to your self, OMG, I cant believe I'm doing this. From something as simple as tying a gasket on the bowsprit, and looking down through the safety netting and seeing dolphins dancing in the bow wave, and then realising that you are the only one privy to the spectacular, mesmerising show.


Now i know I shouldn't have gone on for so long, but there is a reason. Just like Fox took away Firefly from us, The Prince William has been taken away from me. As of the 12/11/2007 the Prince William has been laid up. It was deemed too expensive to run both brigs at the same time (she has a sister ship) I can see their point. A charity doesn't want to be spending £3000-£5000 ($6000-$10000) per day on running costs, so she is now out of service and up for sale for £6million ($12million)

I have said this quickly, because I am still very upset. Its still something that I dont want to come to terms with. I found something so amazing, something I dream about constantly, and to have it take away from me is heart wrenching. I have lost my serenity. And I know that you all understand, because in a sense, everyone reading this is in the same position.


If anyone is slightly interested I have a load more pictures HERE
The Prince William was run and is still owned by the Tall Ship Youth Trust, if you ever see a tall ship, think of me, and maybe give it a go.

Again, I apologise for the length, and I hope you understand why.

[Browncoat Bill]

My Serenity is Yosemite Valley (located in the heart of Yosemite National Forest in California).

When I was in high school I had the opportunity to go with a group of students each year to take part in an "outdoor classroom" put on by the Yosemite Institute. We would make the 6 hour drive from Southern California to spend a week of learning and playing in and around Yosemite.

We would learn about team work, the history and science of the area. We'd hike and explore areas most park visitors don't know about. We'd get to know our friends, ourselves, and the land.

This was a much welcomed break from the stress of school. A time to bond with friends. A time to put into perspective all the things we learned from books about nature and the world around us. A time to reflection on what kind of a person I am and the kind of person I want to become. In that natural surrounding there were no distractions.

It was there that I truly found God. I grew up in a religious household and was taught about God from my very early youth. But I was not visiting Yosemite with a religious group. In fact, most of the people I was with weren't particularly religious at all. So it's a bit odd that it was through that secular experience that my faith was strengthened. Surrounded by all that natural beauty and wonder I felt I had discovered God and Yosemite has become a temple to me.

I am now 35 and my high school days are long past, but the memories of my first visits to Yosemite seem like yesterday to me. I've had a few chances to go back over the years and it's always a very sweet experience. It's like going home. The majesty of the valley welcomes me, relaxes me, brings peace to me soul. I was able to take my children there for their first visit last year, and it was such a treat to introduce my children to such a very old and dear friend.

[Lemming]

[this appeared on the email, but fits right in here. Cross posting, so sue me Nick. ]

Listening to the Signal this week, it made me think of 'my' Serenity. In September 2003, six months after I passed my driving test, I inherited a blue Ford Escort from a family friend who died. I was returning to university to study for my MA, and I took this car with me. It was the first car I had ever owned, and I fell in love with it. After a really tough week I would sometimes climb in the car, drive out to the coast, and go for a walk. She always got me there safely, and brought me home again. Using a Haynes manual, I taught myself to carry out a service, and I learned my way about under the bonnet. I didn't clean her as often as I should have, but she was in a beautiful condition for a G-reg car (1990), and passed her M.O.T. every time. Sometimes at the start or the end of a journey I would sit behind the wheel and just feel thankful for her. If I had been away from home I used to go to say hello to her before I took my bags inside.

On the 9th of October last year someone crashed into my car. I was stationary waiting for the car in front to turn; they were doing 40mph and were not looking where they were going. My car was crushed from behind, and could not be salvaged. I was off work for a few days afterwards (apart from sprained back and neck muscles I was ok) and I was very, very low. Part of me felt so very guilty that my poor car was going to be scrapped, and I thought that it was being written off because it was an older car and they didn't think it was worth saving. I later found out it would have cost over £3,000 ($6,000) to repair, and it made me feel a little better to think her engine and insides were in great condition, and another car lover would buy them from the scrap yard and use them to heal their own.

I have a new car now, a 2001 silver Ford Ka. I like her, but I don't love her as much as my first car. I don't hink that the person who hit me could have realised how much my old car meant to me, and how much I still miss her several months on. She really was my Serenity, and when I saw Out of Gas for the first time, I recognised the expression on Mal Reynold's face at the end. I had felt it often enough on my own.

I love the show, thank you for keeping the Verse alive,

Sarah K
Cambridge, England
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[Lemming]

[BrownCoat_Tabz]

My serenity:

http://pics.livejournal.com/sl_podcast/pic/0017cakg.jpg

My babies. Whenever I'm having a bad day, they snuggle up with me and make life just seem so better. I know they're cats, not people, but sometimes, when you've had enough of people - its nice to get unconditional love.

With them I don't have to dress up, or say the right words, or pretend to care.

They're my serenity.
_________________
Tabz, Slayer of the Podcasts.

[MrDave]

I have to say as I was listening to Nick read about his winding roads and motorcycles, I was struck by two things. 1) I need to get out more, and 2) I have my own Serenity. Mine is a little corner of my house filled with electronics. It has my computers (plural) and my iPod, it has a VCR and a separate desk where my wife is often seated, like a copilot on the Internet.

Since I was first introduced to computers as a wee lad, I have been very at home with one under my fingertips. I have written on them, written for them, listened to them, modified, hacked, and played with them and I even collect them (kinda).

I met my wife through one. She and I came to know each other intimately online and she (graciously) moved here to the US from Australia to be with me. I'd be lost without her. She is my Zoe. I, on the other hand, am a blip on the screen. (Watch me hum!).

I lose myself in my computers, often to my wife's aggravation. But she is one of the few things that can pry me away without a resentful grumble (okay, not always but less often than most things I have to divert to deal with). I always come back to them and I would not want to live in a world without them.

Computers also represent a point of victory for me. My parents were well-loved and well-respected. My father, an Educator, and my Mother a social worker weach made a distinctive name for themselves. I was often "Mary Beth's boy" or "Chuck D---'s son". Once I got into computers, however, I was soon able to out-pace both parents in knowledge and expertise on these (at the time) new things.

I was able to make a name for myself as knowledgeable, approachable, and helpful with computers. People came to me by my name and not my parent's for help. I had come out from the shadow of Mom and Dad because of computers.

So when I think back wistfully of the single thread that has stiched together the diverse parts of my life I see the distinctive wires of network cable and the familiar glow of a CRT. And I think of Serenity.
_________________
If you didn't want to know, why did you ask?

http://wildandbad.com:8181/

[Lemming]

[BrownCoat_Tabz]

The black one is Myboyfriend... Gray tabby is Tigger. hehe
_________________
Tabz, Slayer of the Podcasts.

[CaptainVickHartnell]

I would have to say I have two responces to this topic. One of them I thought of immediately when I heard Nick introduce the topic, but I'll start with the other one, which I thought of when Nick mentioned that one's Serenity can be a place. For me it's my Grandma's house at Snell's Beach, a small place about an hour's drive north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand (I live in Melbourne, Australia so I only get to go there about once every two years or so). My Grandma is a prolific artist, so her house is litterally filled with paintings, mainly abstract, with swirling colours and shapes, they remind me of the photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope of nebulae and other great cosmic bodies. Though what I think I like most about Grandma's Place is the garden, it isn't a very big garden, although it's not exactly tiny either. The front yard is filled with overgrown ferns and other plants, it used to feel like a jungle to me when I was little, and the backyard has the most fantastic view of the Bay of Plenty and the Coromendel Peninsula, with Kauau Island in the middle of it and at the end of the garden is the edge of the steep cliff that goes down to the perfect, calm secluded little beach. It's never crowded down there, and it's the most relaxing beach I've ever been to. The best thing about the backyard though is at night time, when the moon is full. Theres a small gap between the edge of the bay and the Peninsula where one can see all the way out to the horizon, and when the full moon rises through this gap, and you have the reflection of it on the glassy water, that's just magical. But for me, the best thing abouth Grandma's Place is seeing my Grandma, because she is just one of the most amazing people, she bakes THE best scones and rhubarb tart, and she's a real eccentric arty old lady. She's 87 and still sharp as a tack, because she's kept her mind working with all her fabulous artwork. She always inspires me, and if I'm half as together as she is when I'm 87, I'll be a happy man.

Now for my other Serenity, I might not be as long winded about this one, but it means so much more to me than anything else. My second serenity is my girlfriend Clair. The reason I thought of her immediately when Nick mentioned the topic was because I've always thought of her as my Clarity, which is the name of her character in the Firefly-universe novel we're writing together (My charachter obviously being Captain Vick Hartnell- my real name's Nick). I refer to her as this because, and I know this is going to sound corny, she really did bring clarity and serenity to my life. I met her in mid 2005, about the same time Serenity came out in cinemas (coincedence?). I met her at a weekly drama class, which was kind of my one last fun thing in my life as we were both doing year 11 at the time, which is the second to last year of high school here in Australia, so pretty serious. Everything was really chaotic for me, and also monotanous and repedative at the same time. Basically I didn't really have anything to look forward to and keep me going on a weekly basis, then suddenely I met her, (and you have to understand even though I was 16 I'd never really had a serious girlfriend before then) and everything made sence in a way. I had something to look forward to, to get me through the week, and not only that, but she's just the most wonderful, amazing person I've ever met. We have so much in common, and she's even more of e nerd than I am. I won't bore you anymore with the details of our relationship, but basically, the two of us just work, we've been together for nearly three years now and we've never so much as had a crossed word, and I can't see this ending anytime soon, or at all for that matter. So that's why she's my Serenity, and my Clarity, because she literally is, she brought serenity and clarity into my chaotic, mundaine life, and I love her more than I thought was humanly possible.
Thanks for your time y'all.
_________________
I used to work for the Alliance, then one day I woke up and discovered they'd stolen three years of my memories. Three years of my life I got no idea what I did, now I want them back.

[Lemming]

(fwd from our email where Mac posted this while the forum was moving servers)

Hello again, Signallers.

You might remember me from last year - one of the conversion stories in episode 12. Well, I just wanted to let you know that there seems to be some kind of PHP bug in the forum system you use, as I got some kind of weird "General Error" message when I tried to register there - something to do with a miscode in the "emailer.php" file. Wish I could be more specific, but that's all the error message gave me.

Anyway, the reason I bring up this error is because I was intending to tell you what my Serenity is. It's my car - or rather, the spirit of it, for lack of a better term.

You see, I used to own a 1994 Chevy Lumina - the sedan, not the van - and when I got it , it was already about eight or so years old. The previous owner'd taken pretty good care of it, but the clearcoat on the hood was starting to bubble and flake, and I managed to get myself in a bit of an accident with it a month or so after making the last payment on it. (Nothing that would have grounded her, but you could definitely tell I'd hit something.) Naturally, the first name that popped into my head for the car was "Serenity".

Well, late last year I found out that the bearings on the piston rods were starting to fail. it hadn't gotten too bad yet, but there was the possibility that they would just suddenly go. Truth be told, I was crushed that I'd have to give up this battered beauty, but it would have been more than she was worth to fix her, and I really couldn't afford it at the time. So, I had to part with her. Truth be told, I got a fairly good deal on the trade-in (then again, I'd gone back to the place where I'd got Serenity), and I looked around the lot.

Well, the first car I spotted was a 2004 Impala. I took it out for a test drive - and I'll be a gorram Mudder if the Impala didn't feel just like the Lumina had when I first got her! Sure, she was a bit larger, and had a slightly more powerful engine . . . but the way I felt behind the wheel of that car was almost exactly the way I'd felt on my first day in Serenity. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it felt like something from the older car was there in the newer one. I don't know what it was - call it a spirit, a ghost, or a mutant space goat if you like - but it was there. Still is, as a matter of fact - and I have a feeling that the spirit of Serenity is going to follow me to the end of the line. (Or maybe I'm just an utter nutball - you decide.)

Anyway, there you have it - the story of my Serenity.


All the best from West Shokan,

Mac
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[Lemming]

[capnfatpants]

My Serenity would be my bride, my darling wife of almost 14 years.

I can take a few minutes at work to call her, or she'll get a break at work and will call me at home, and hearing her voice brightens my mood. I just look at her and my stress-level decreases. Sometimes she'll look at me, and - I don't know how she does it, but her eyes actually twinkle: that just turns me into a pile of mush and makes my day.

Whether we're sitting on the couch together reading books or watching TV, or sitting down to a family dinner together with our three kids, or sitting together at church, or on a date away from our kids, being with my wife is my serenity.

--Kev
_________________
--Kev
My blog: http://thebayerfamily.blogspot.com/
re: my username "capnfatpants" - because I'm... you know "fat", and I wear pants

[Journey]

My husband is my Serenity, because he gets me. He knows how to make me happy, calm, silly, what have you that I need. My wedding gift for him was a pair of Celtic knot cuff links. The gift he gave me was Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Choose Collection" box set. He knows after hard day at work when I would love to kill my clients I need a fix of girls kicking it righteous. He gave me an iPod that I listen too while at work, it keeps me sane.

We we started dating we would spend time at his place watching Firefly.

My most recent Valentines day gift for him was the Serenity Firefly Blueprint Reference book. I was listening to an old Signal podcast and heard the great description of the limit edition blueprints. The iPod was connected to speakers and My Serenity walked in and overheard, and his eyes lite up like a kid's in a chocolate factory.

The next thing that made him as happy as a pig in sloop was the person that did the blueprints.

He might be my Serenity, I hope I can take care of him as well as Kaylee takes care of the ship.

[CaptainVickHartnell]

[Lemming]

[h0stile17]

Hi everyone!

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE HEARD!!

These are some great stories and we are just left wanting more!

Now that you've all had time to hear our stories and put some thought into your own Serenity story now is the time to contribute to this thread. We are still looking for stories to put on the air so take a few minutes out of your day and share with us right here and now. It's quick and easy and results are guaranteed! Act now!

-Wayne

[Adlan]

For me, My Serenity isn't a physical object, or a place. You could call it a sport, maybe, or a Skill, maybe a Hobby. But for me, my serenity is Archery.

I've always had a love of archery, raised on stories of Robin Hood, Crecy and Agincourt. As I grew, my interest Expanded, the Huns, and in particular, our prehisotirc ancestors, and the Native peoples of the world, who relied, and some still do rely, on the Bow as their source of sustenance.

No one aspect of archery holds all my love. I am an Archer, a Bowyer, and a Fletcher, there is Joy in working with a stave of wood, and turning it into a Bow. Then, there is a Joy is using a Bow, a well made one by someone else, or one you've produced yourself. And then, the simple Satisfaction of making arrows, binding fletchings or knapping flint for arrowheads. It strikes a Cord within me, to be doing somthing that has been apart of human life for millenia.

Archery has kept me Sane, and through lucky chance, has brought me amazing opportunites. Bowhunting in Texas, Sponsorship and Friends.
_________________
I am what I am, Thats all that I am

[h0stile17]

Excellent story Adlan. I am also fascinated with archery and spent a great deal of time practicing with a traditional longbow, compound bow and I even have a small crossbow but that's mostly due to a Buffy obsession.

I'm left handed also which proves to be difficult when using a crossbow. I have to use my right hand for the pull and the whole eye dominance thing really messes me up.

Thanks!

Wayne Hutchinson
Signal Crew
wayne@serenityfirefly.com

[Lemming]

[ironbandit]

She's a 1979 Suzuki GS750E, last year of the roller bearing crank. Got her right after I graduated the MSF Beginner Rider Course as a student, in 1990.
She was one of my friend's motorcycles.

Still have her, too. All in pieces for a complete overhaul, has been for the last 10 years, and is 1800 miles away from me at present. As she will be repainted, the signet from our ship in the movie will adorn the sides of the tank, under the clearcoat. I had intended to place the emblems on another motorcycle, a 1983 Yamaha Vision, but the signet will look SO much better on a black background than a copper one...

[Lemming]

<bumping this from our gmail from Diana Jowell - Nick>

Hey guys! I just got an ipod not too long ago so I am
playing catch up with the season 4 podcasts. So I am
not sure if you are still taking what is our serenity.
But still, when I heard it, I got to thinking. What is
my serenity? The thing that poped in my head first is
my books. I love seeing all of my books on my bookself
and it puts a smile on my face. As long as I can
remember, I have always been in love with books. I
can't pick just one that I love more than the rest. I
guess my answer when ever someone asks, would of have
to do with what mood I'm in. Books soothe me in a way
that few other things can. If I am up set, or had a
long hard day, I can sit down to a much beloved novel
and everything thing seems right with the world. I
wouldn't know what to do if something happened if I
couldn't read anymore. That would be a sad, sad day
for me.

Anyways, I just wanted to share that with you. I hope
everything is going good for yall and stay shiny!


Diana
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[Lushy]

I have waited much too long to post this!


This may not be a shocker to anyone, however I will share it with yall none the less. My serenity is my computer room and all of my books.

I have a chair in the corner of my computer room that was my grandmother's. It's small, worn and needs to be reupholstered, but I can sit there any day of the week, turn on the floor lamp behind me, prop my feet up on a stool, and its like all the stress of the day leaks out of my system. I am not picky about the books I choose. As long as there are characters I can identify with, I can slip into any world. Be it the future, the past, the present, or a fantasy world, I can immerse myself for an hour, if that's all the time I have, and it helps me get through the toughest parts of my day to day life.

Up until I hit 30, I didn't sleep many hours each night. As a small child I would pretend to sleep and use a flashlight under the covers to read until the wee hours of the morning. When I was about ten, my mother finally gave up trying to make me sleep and found me a little book light that would hang on the bedpost of my bed so that I could read to my hearts content without the light coming out of my bedroom keeping them awake at night.

So all my life books have been a big part of fulfilling my life. Before computers, books were the only thing I had to fill those dreaded hours between midnight and when the birds began chirping in the morning. I would watch reruns on Nick at Night or old movies on TNT until my mother would go to bed and I would have to turn the television off.

The stack of books that I keep has continued to grow since I bought my own house. Even now there are stacks of library books in the bedroom and on the kitchen table to be returned. There is a stack beside my living room sofa. There is two book shelves full in my spare bedroom. There is a box in my hallway of books I plan to swap or donate. And there are the stacks surrounding my little comfortable chair that I inherited when my gran passed on. I guess that's truly my Serenity. That tiny corner of an already small room that no one appreciates more than me.




Thanks for this topic Nick. I think its always good to appreciate the things that sometimes get overlooked by the day to day hustle of real life.
_________________
Miranda
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www.serenityfirefly.com - Serenity is worth fighting for!
www.fireflytalk.org - For Fans, By Fans, Starring Fans

[Lemming]

[fortinm]

My Serenity is the French Language.

At first sight, she looks like a beaten up vessel. A variety of deformations such as barbarisms and incorrect usage threaten her coherence. Modernity, youth and ill-education sometimes pervert her, but can also enrich her. Despite her numerous scars, she's able to survive.

Her greatest threat probably comes from the evil Alliance that is the English language*! Day to day anglicism and assimilation of vulnerable French populations (Canadians, Cajuns, etc.) constitute never-ending battles.

She's also all patched-up. Some parts come from time immemorial and look a bit strange. Other parts are borrowed (from other languages) and barely fit into the ensemble. But, when viewed in its entirety, this almost baroque construction makes for a very beautiful ship to sail on.

Not surprisingly, the French language needs a talented and dedicated mechanic, or linguist, to understand all her inner workings. She's not a simplistic ship. She's got her share of nook and cranny and can sometimes be capricious. But a good mechanic will be able to master her and do wonders.

Personally, notwithstanding these previous flaws, I found her beautiful. In her company, I feel safe, comfortable and at home. Every day I find some new richness to her. Getting to know her is task of a few lifetimes.

But, to many of us, the single most important thing is that she keeps flying. Like Serenity, her crew seems to be fighting a lost cause. We live to... well, live another day. We may have lost a war, but we'll keep fighting to survive and protect our culture. It's a battle worth fighting for.

Vive la différence!

Michel

* P.S.: It is not my intention to offend anyone. Even though English constitutes a real threat (particularly for us French-Canadians surrounded by English cultures), the comparison to the evil Alliance was not meant as a derogatory comment. It was only a failed attempt at being witty.

[TageRyche]

My Serenity?

That's easy. It's the sport of basketball. More specifically coaching basketball.

I've been a coach in my town's youth basketball league since I was 14 years old after three years playing in the league. I know it seems a bit young to become a coach, but my actual playing talent was shall we say limited.

It's been 23 years since I started coaching and I'm pretty well known around town simply as "Coach" and to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is what I love to do. More than anything else, I love coaching. The teaching aspect in practice and the game intensity. I know it seems a bit odd to cross the term "serenity" with "intensity" but during games and practices is when I am strangely the most comfortable.

I love teaching the game to the extent of my knowledge to the kids. And it has paid off down the road as I've had 4 of my former players come back and become assistant coaches with me. Heck, I've even coached the kids of former players at this point.

I coach both boys and girls teams and while the boys are always willing to do whatever it takes to play, I take particular joy in raising the expectation level of the girls. Last year when I took the girls team to a college basketball game to see the game played at a high level, they were thrilled and "Coach" was hero of that day. It also led them to working that much harder to improve their own skills. So it was a perfect teaching tool.

I can be a bit single-minded about the youth league. Yes my life pretty much revolves around the 10 months out of the year we are running our winter and summer leagues. The summer program is my baby actually. I'm the director of that league. When my sister was getting married the first time, I actually told her that she had to get married before that October 2nd or I couldn't guarantee I'd be able to go to the wedding. Okay, sure I would've gone no matter what, but when I said it, I was being serious.

My fandom for science fiction, music and other things is part of my lifeblood, that will never change. But above all else, there is simply my coaching.

Through all the good (championships, watching the light go on as the kids "get" whatever particular point I'm teaching, the friendships made) and the bad (attitude problems, the death of my coaching mentor, overzealous parents), the one thing that always remains is how much I love having the opportunity to be a positive role model to the kids in the community through my coaching.

As I write this I'm actually getting ready to head off to sign ups for this year's winter league. So in closing, when I pass which will hopefully be a long time from now, if I'm remembered as "Coach", I will be eternally happy and grateful.

[MerryK]

What's my Serenity? Well, truth be told, I wasn't sure I'd have an answer for this. I'm not that much of a sentimental person, or one for traditions—I'm not sure I even have comfort foods. But Serenity isn't just about the physical object, and so I give you this: my Serenity is a state of mind. When work is demanding and when projects are lined up all the way to the horizon, I find my Serenity through my writing. Day-to-day life can make me routine and complacent, and sometimes I just need to indulge in something creative to remind me that that's why life is worth living.

But it's not just an occasional hobby, just like Serenity's not a rental ship. I even think of my writing as a creature of its own, sometimes, a side of me that's separate and apart from the me that has responsibilities and schedules. All day long the writing me is sitting there, quietly, finding the sparks of inspiration in all that's everyday. The real world is like a mine of characters and dialogue and situations to the writing me, all to be cataloged and stored away until I need them. But sitting down in front of a blank screen and letting the words flow out—that's when I truly feel home. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, I am most comfortable and true to myself when my imagination's at work.
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"Well, my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood."