thoughts on the news of the day: teachers

hmmm…..

            I was talking to a member of our church the other day who had been a teacher before he retired 20 or so years ago.  He mentioned the fact that when he still lived in the town where he taught, grown men and women would come up to him and introduce themselves as someone he had taught over his career.  The students always seemed surprised that he didn’t remember their names.  No telling how many kids had come to his classroom over the years, but while he didn’t remember their names, they always remembered his. 

            Isn’t that the way it is?  I remember several of my teachers in school.  One was the bane of our existence.  Her name was Sister Amata (really, I’m not kidding).  She was a little bit smart, a little bit senile, and a little bit mean.  We gave her fits, but we remembered her.  Then there was a teacher named Sister Victima (not kidding again.)  She was the nice Sister.  She loved us and we knew it.  One day she gave me a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary because I was the best behaved kid that afternoon.  I cherished it for a long, long time.  If they are still alive, I am sure they wouldn’t remember my name, but I will always remember theirs.

            Teachers have a huge impact on our lives.  There is probably not a person in our country today who doesn’t remember at least one teacher who had a positive impact on their life.  We seem to take them for granted.  Wonder why?

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: prom

hmmm…..

            There’s an article today on the internet about a teenage girl who made a prom dress out of Starburst candy wrappers.  In the photo, the young lady looked fabulous and the young man with her looked very happy and even proud.  Other photos of unusual prom attire were included in the article: dresses made out of duct tape, monkey sock dolls, newspapers and even plastic, clear bubble wrap.  What fun to be inventive and creative on a special night when most prom attenders are dolled up in sparkly dresses that cost hundreds of dollars!  Although, I have to admit that a dress made out of 1800 candy wrappers would not be cheap either.

            I remember my first prom dress from  a long time ago. Since I was a budding fashion designer at the time, I thought my original white linen, black polka-dotted ball gown was quite creative.  The photo of me in my dress with the red carnation corsage and my date in his black tuxedo, red carnation boutonniere,  and carrot orange hair (natural) is probably still in an old scrapbook somewhere in my garage.

            Anything goes these days.  The queen of the unusual attire is probably Lady Gaga.  I mean anyone who would wear a dress made out of meat has to be a little on the creative and inventive side—or else maybe just a little bit crazy.

            I am glad that kids are stepping out today to make a statement that prom dresses or any dresses for that matter, don’t have to be in a certain mold or a certain style.   Creativity can be fun -- unless the dress you are wearing belongs in a freezer. 

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: where the wild things are

hmmm…..

            We have lost some significant children’s book authors this year.  First, Dr. Seuss and now, Maurice Sendack, a prolific writer who is most well-known for his best selling book, “Where the Wild Things Are”.  Sendack passed away yesterday in Connecticut at the age of 83. 

            To me, the most amazing thing about both of these authors is their ability as artists to visually entice us.  They were able to picture the characters in the stories and then create a message for both children and adults in their works. These are the books parents don’t mind reading to their children because they are so inventive.

            I wonder what will happen to the children’s book industry as digital reading becomes more and more popular.  It has been an easy adjustment for me to go from paper to my kindle; easier than I thought it would be.  Most folks think they will miss holding a book in their hand and I did, too.  But I found that holding a kindle is about the same; plus the screen is illuminated, so there is no problem reading in dim light.

            But what about those classic children’s picture books?  Tasha Tudor’s soft watercolors could never be reproduced on plastic.  Probably, “Cat in the Hat” and “Where the Wild Things Grow” are out in electronic versions … but is the quality and the texture well-reproduced on the lighted screen?

            Myself, I have a collection of children’s books.  I have gotten rid of a lot of my fiction and non-fiction paperbacks but the children’s books will remain. I want my grandchildren to know what The Little Prince really looked like in Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic.  On a lighted screen, it just wouldn’t be the same.

            hmmm…..

hmmm.....: thoughts on the news of the day: employment

hmmm.....: thoughts on the news of the day: employment: hmmm…..             A friend of mine recently went back to work for a call center.  For those of you who don’t know what a “call cente...

thoughts on the news of the day: employment

hmmm…..

            A friend of mine recently went back to work for a call center.  For those of you who don’t know what a “call center” is, it is the place where the live person works that you eventually get to when you call a large company with a problem or question. Its not really that great a job.  You sit in a cubicle for most of the day and deal with the problems of folks who aren’t really in that great a mood.  My friend  is over 50, had been downsized at his old company, and had looked for work for a year and a half while his unemployment pay was in effect.  Hoping for a better job, he kept looking in spite of the fact that in this economy, there are few jobs to be found.

            I think he is glad to be working again.  Being around people, feeling productive and having a paycheck are all nice things to have after a long time of hiatus.  There is a lot to be said about honest work done on a regular basis.  It’s easy to take our jobs for granted.  It is easy to think that the pay is too low or the boss is unreasonable or the hours are too long. But really, in this economy, we are lucky to have jobs at all.  It is one of the gratitudes we can count. 

            If you are feeling grumpy this morning because you have to go to work, try gratitude for work to do and a place to go.  

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: blog

hmmm…..

            I haven’t written my blog very consistently for a while.  Maybe you have noticed … maybe not.  It’s funny how something that has become such a habit falls by the wayside so easily.  I miss writing it every morning and was not even sure why I had stopped.  Was it just laziness?  Was the thrill of seeing my writing in print and available for others to read gone?  Was I just out of the habit? 

            It was probably a combination of all three of these things, plus a little more thrown in.  But if I look closer, there is usually an underlying cause for a change in my habits.  It takes some self examination, but if I am intentional about it, I can eventually find the culprit for the new variation to my routine.

            In this case, it didn’t take all that long.  It began with an awareness that my outlook was becoming more cynical and negative.  My point of view was deteriorating toward what was wrong with a person, place or thing.  It spilled over into my writing.  My blog was no longer hopeful, creative, imaginative or winsome.  For me, at times, it almost felt sinister.  Really.

            But I got over it.  Well … not completely, but I am working on it.  All it takes is catching myself in the act of being negative and changing it as quickly as possible.  Wish all my bad habits were that easily broken!  I hope to get back on board with my daily blog.   I miss the creative energy that comes in crafting thoughts into words.  Writing is a great way to start the day; and a positive attitude never hurts.

            hmmm…..