It's Nice to Share

Remember being told that "it's nice to share" about a bazillion times when you were little? Remember telling your own off-spring, siblings, neighbors, etc. the same thing about a bazillion times?
I've found myself saying that to various schools all morning; it's an idea that I think might just save a lot of kids from being doomed to failure.
Over the past century, school after school after school has been nurturing people to live and work in isolation. We hide our papers; we don't collaborate on projects because how do we split up the grade; we partition ourselves from one another in the library and learn through reading in silence. Who's idea WAS this?
Earlier today I enjoyed lunch with a delightful table of people who were strangers this morning and are fast becoming vision-sharing friends. The age-old conversation comes up time and again--we don't have money, we don't have resources, we don't have people who want to become involved. I have an idea; let's just solve those problems once and for all and then we don't have to waste valuable time on those wheel spinning perplexities.
We don't have money--so what? We have brains, we have Internet resources, we have high school kids who want to be teachers, we have churches and libraries even in the smallest of towns. All of these resources can be used and it takes very little revenue. We use our brains to think so far outside the box that we can't even FIND the box. We use our Internet resources to network--our kids that live in the country, in the inner city, in the burbs can go virtually and visit with the person that's in the process of climbing Everest, swimming the English Channel, or in the lab discovering the next thing that's going to save the quality of our lives. We give those high school kids that chance to try out their dreams by helping them learn how to tutor kids, and, in turn, giving those little ones the chance to have a positive role model that doesn't come on a Wheaties box resulting in a much more attainable goal for the kiddo someday to return the favor to the next generation. We go into our churches and libraries and barbershops and coffee shops and ask them to post websites for the school, to host community meetings, to share resources and people power.
How did we ever get so far away from such simple solutions? It makes me wonder. Physical isolation doesn't need to mean emotional isolation--we're human--we need one another.
Let's start being community once again.
Have a fine day.

Something About a Hammock

There's just something about a hammock. They look rather odd, come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, and frankly, can be a bit menacing to the person attempting to climb into it. Nevertheless, once there--the magic happens. No matter how hard you try to read that book, newspaper, or magazine, the hammock has special powers that it will cast over you. Before you know it you're waking up to find that, in the midst of that interesting reading, you've fallen sound asleep. It does it to me every time.

I can remember as a kid that on one Father's Day we bought my dad a hammock. It was one of those canvas pieces with a bit of fringe (never did figure out the utility of the fringe) and some loops that fit onto a metal frame. It didn't matter that it wasn't the prettiest or most handsome of hammocks. It worked. I have a picture of him snoozing away contentedly under a tree on a summer day. The magic of the hammock.

I normally don't get too excited about gifts for most holidays and special days, but one particular Mother's Day several years ago I decided I desperately needed a hammock. A stressful job in a former life lead me to believe that time in a hammock might make life a bit more pleasant. So, the creative duo of husband and son shopped and found a true hammock...huge and magenta and hand knitted by some nice ladies from some far-away island. It came with two posts for holding it--two coconut tree seeds. Needless to say my dynamic duo knew this would never work, so they dismantled the no longer used huge wooden swingset from the back yard, flipped it upside down, added wheels and a handle and I had a hammock frame. (See why I love these guys?)

Over the years I have spent many a wonderful time in the hammock. My now deceased Siamese cat who liked very few things loved lying on my stomach and snoozing away.

And today, as usual, I attempted to read articles of great interest. The process was slowed dramatically when snoozing won out, but the restorative feeling from a good nap in a hammock was well worth the price.

Change--I'm All For It--On My Terms

The past twenty-four hours have been a time of change in my little microcosm. Be aware that nothing earth-shattering in any way, shape, or form has happened--no need to lead you down the wrong path. Nevertheless, it has played with my over-all mood from one of just going about my business to being more edgy. I find that it takes very little "rattling" of one's day in day out to make our bodies react.
To 99% of the population, these "changes" of which I speak are not even noticeable; to the 1% of the population that has developed the lifestyle of contented seclusion with periods of going out and about, you'll understand completely :).
So...the excitement has all centered around cows. Yep--cows. And snapping turtles. And helicopters. Who could not be intrigued by that?
It all started calmly enough with a good friend of ours out looking for snapping turtles; we have a pond, so we happily allowed him to look.
Next came a couple of guys showing up in our hay lot; another occurrence that doesn't necessarily cause alarm since guys come by to check the fields, etc. It's a farmer thing. They got in their truck and left. A bit later, another vehicle showed up and drove down to the pond; this time it seemed a bit off kilter, so Tom walked out onto the deck to find out that they had lost some cattle and were out looking. Once again, our sympathies go to them, but having had cattle at one time ourselves, we know that drill. No cause for alarm.
The change that rattled my little microcosm started this morning. As I walked out onto the deck, oblivious to anything other than grabbing one of the kittens and wiping its ick eye, I hear an engine, look up, and see a vehicle coming up from the pond and into the yard...wasn't ready for that one. So, I spun around, back into the house, and in about 14 seconds made myself "presentable" in case said contents of car stopped. It didn't. At first I thought it was a friend of Turtle Guy. Later I realized this was the Cow Search Car. I settled back into my routine of work.
A bit later I felt a vibration and heard a very loud engine; needless to say, back to the deck I went only to see a helicopter practically touch the top of the shed and drop down even further into a surrounding corn field...wow! My first thought was that it was looking for plants that didn't resemble corn or beans. That happens sometimes when you're surrounded by fields. A bit later, another helicopter--same scenario. Not quite as low this time.
At noon the Cow Search Car returned with a couple of frustrated cow searchers. Sorry--no sign of cows. About 15 minutes later--helicopter buzz again. Not long after that, Turtle Guy.
All this excitement has lead me to believe one thing for sure; perhaps the animal and reptile kingdom are smarter than us--neither of the species have been spotted; and I like change--but on my terms. Otherwise, my cage seemed the only one rattled. I'm guessing the turtles and cows are out there living it up. :)

Where Do We Draw the Line Between Health and Environment?

We live in interesting times. Once "modern" science kicked in, our world kind of went head-strong into eliminating many things that once plagued our health. Miraculous cures for diseases that once riddled and killed all ages of folks were virtually eradicated. And we rejoiced--with good reason.
Spin ahead to 2010--we're now confronted with the evil twin all the "curing"; now we're seeing the environmental costs of cleanliness that keeps many illnesses and general "ick" at bay. As a result,that proverbial pendulum is swinging back with a vengeance. The phosphates that helped keep our dishwasher-washed dishes clean has now been removed; the super-hot water that washed dishes and clothing takes a great deal of energy to provide the heat. And so on...
One particularly disturbing thing is the resurgence of bed bugs...yep, bed bugs. When I first read about this issue last spring, it stuck in my mind. As a moderate visitor of hotels for business and pleasure, it kind of made my skin crawl (no pun intended) to think that my accommodations were, well...infested...yikes!
Just this morning over coffee yet another report is read of the growing spread of these little varmits. Unfortunately, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky are beginning to see their share along with the rest of the country; in fact, according to the report, Indianpolis was #12 on the list of most infested hotels--encouraging, eh?
The report goes on to say that the pesky critters are making a resurgence is due to the elimination of past treatments.
I'm sure hoping that all of us will take a futuristic look at this and other similar situations and not just throw our hands up in dismay or go back to our old habits of destroying our surroundings. I have confidence that there's someone in some lab someplace that can figure out the next generation of cures that won't make us choose between giving up our health or giving up our environment. It seems we were put on this earth to thrive on it and with it; not in spite of it. Hope springs eternal! Have a fine day.

Evolution in Education: Custom Fit

I made it almost through to the month of September before having to write a blog entry on education. I think I could've held off even longer, but I read an excellent article this morning in the Atlantic entitled "The Littlest Schoolhouse" by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I then read an article in The Futurist entitled "Youth At Risk: A New Plan for Saving the World's Most Precious Resource" by Gene Stephens. Both have different approaches on how to get kids back into being active learners; both are excellent. I invite you to read either (or both) the articles; I'm guessing some Googling would bring this to your screens.
To summarize the articles, two things need to be in place for all kids to learn. First you need to make sure that the child's learning style is understood and utilized; we don't all learn the same way. We can't all be taught the same way. It's okay to diversify and let some kids just plop on the headphones and work away at the laptop...they're just wired that way.
Second, we need to have community involvement. Not the type of involvement that sits in judgment of and waits for students to fail; this is the type of involvement that pulls in smart people with futuristic ideas about how kids as adults will be able to be successful in their lives. This takes mentoring, this takes patience, and this takes a sharp learning curve of those involved so they can be helpful. You put all this together and guess what...it works.
We're going to have a tough time helping people get through change on the education front. It's going to be challenging in the least. With added pressures of "making the grade" on a national level, it's going to be sometimes downright frustrating. BUT...it can be done when people think of the future and they think of the individual, not the group.
I see an exciting future...have a fine day.

Living Simply: It's Complicated!

I'm a real advocate of living simply and simply living. I think most humans, at heart, are as well. However, the idea of "living simply" has become a more and more complicated process...we're goofy that way.
Henry David Thoreau preached to us to "Simplify, simplify, simplify..." That seems like a great idea. The now ubiquitous "Keep it simple, stupid" has been branded into our brains. So what happened?
We are, as humans, a walking paradox. Talk to anyone and before the conversation is over they will lament about the fact that they would be much happier if their lives were less complicated. Yet, we then turn around and make it MORE complicated. What gives?
It's easy to say that we want to scale back, sit back, and give back all the stress that comes with our frantic lives. But giving things up is not easy for us...not our nature. We like to feel in control, even if it's a microscopic bit of control. Giving up that "immersion" into all the craziness makes us think we'll be missing out on things and the world will pass us by...really?
This year I am following Thoreau's other axiom of "living deliberately" by simplification. It's a wonderful world and simplifying most all things makes it all the better. Come join me in the challenge; "living simply and so others may simply live" (Thoreau) is a fine path to follow.

Taste Buds

I found my mind wandering as I was peeling apples for a pie and, of course, it was wandering around the perimeters of food and human behavior--seemingly two favorite subjects of mine. I was thinking about how my tastes had changed as I got older and how now I DO very much like snails, anchovies, and the like that a few years back I would've never considered even trying. From there my mind wandered to the development of taste buds. Maybe I like these pretty heady flavors now since my buds are a bit more mature, i.e. older. Maybe when I was younger there was just too much taste there to be palatable.
From the point I really began wondering if anyone had ever tracked the developmental patterns of taste buds throughout life; other developmental processes have been tracked (we all know of the love/hate relationships we have with those crazy "what your baby should be doing now" books). Learning applications have been tracked based on the development of the brain...but I wonder if we've done it with taste buds?
Maybe this would once and for all help the age-old dilemma of the school cafeteria lunch battle. If we had a definitive list of categories of tastes that really make a kiddo happy, then we could look at the nutritious and economical foods that would win them over. Just as importantly, let's look at the things that drive them to distraction and not serve those. Hhhhmmm...that sounds almost too simple, doesn't it? Most things are until we get to the over-thinking stage.
I may have to do an extra bit of Googling tonight...now I'm wondering...

have a fine day,
t

Politically Correct/ Incorrect??

I guess I'm too much of a mid-westerner to get too excited or too over-wrought about the topic, but does anyone really understand the current status of being politically correct--or incorrect for that matter?
I can remember a time when "correctness" was just another name for "manners"...one didn't say something hurtful in another's presence. We all remember being told by someone that if we couldn't say anything nice about someone, then we weren't to say anything at all. That seemed to do the trick.
Then, someone got the great idea to have to point out every little detail that might aggravate, irritate, or infuriate someone even the slightest. This, in turn, then aggravated, irritated, and infuriated any person who disagreed with any of those details...and the cycle continued.
Then, after this madness went on, someone hashed up the idea that a 180 degree approach was in order, so then "political incorrectness" took center stage. People decided that the way to deal with all issues was to purposely aggravate, irritate, and infuriate everyone--that way no one was left out. Yikes.
So, I have a proposal...let's take a week and just head back to the middle. Let's follow some simple rules that don't take too much effort...how about treating others the way we want to be treated? How about thinking about others first before ourselves? That should do it :).

The Aging of Summer

Since the humidity finally and thankfully died down, I've been on a mission to battle and win the war on tall grass and weeds around the house. It's getting really dry here, so the dust tends to fly along with the grass once the weed whacker starts whirling.
The landscaping is beginning to show signs of aging; the leaves on the plants are starting to turn a more subtle shade of green, the flowers are becoming more muted as well. When I see this I know the inevitable--fall is getting nearer and nearer and with it cooler nights and eventually the first frost that changes our outdoor habits as we start the hibernation process which means, in our terms, less and less time on the deck.
Still, there's something beautiful in these more muted colors. The plants show the passing of time--it is the aging of summer. The flowering bushes aren't as vibrant as they were in June, but after such a hot summer, they are to be admired for their stamina.
We tend to gravitate toward the more obvious beauty in our world, but when you think about it, there's a great deal of beauty in most everything--even if it's weary and withered.
So, as the summer continues to age, I make the time to stroll around the yard an enjoy it in its maturity. It becomes much easier to look at nature not in the light of dissatisfaction that it's no longer the fresh; I can look at is for its richness of having lived its life to the fullest.
I guess we're kind of that way once we hit middle age; we're no longer as brightly colored in our looks or personalities--we mellow, we deepen, we become richer with time and experience.
Enjoy the aging of summer; its a great time of year.

The Tummy Rub

Greetings from Highbanks...

I started the day with the first cup of coffee out on the deck, a favorite habit of mine. The hummingbirds were up to their usual antics--I think we're up to 8 now. As I watched their performance, one of our middle-sized kittens can running toward me only to remember at the last minute that he didn't do that. He stopped abruptly; his eyes grew wide and he started to back away. Then he did something he'd not done before--he rolled over on his back and looked at me pleadingly to give him a tummy rub. Of course, this didn't happen; he wouldn't allow himself the pleasure. Maybe someday.
As I sat there enjoying the morning air, the coffee, the birds, and the kitten's antics, it occurred to me that we all, for various reasons, disallow ourselves from enjoying life to the fullest. We pause, for whatever reason, from saying hello to an acquaintance, checking in on a friend or relative, or just taking the time to truly enjoy a moment in life. I'm going to start being more mindful of those opportunities...I invite you to do the same. Nobody wants to miss a good proverbial tummy rub!
Have a glorious day.

"Life itself is the proper binge"--Julia Child