Zipping Through What Keeps Me Down

Zipping Through What Keeps Me Down

Unfortunately, today has been one of those days when very little seems to even have potential for going right. As an eternal optimist, this really bugged me (and still does a bit). I like being an optimist, finding the silver lining hiding somewhere in every single situation, even if it’s tiny and I have to look really hard for a very long time.

Today this was much harder for me, due to certain individuals around me deciding I’m the best dump for their venting, yelling, and other icky feeling…junk. Having a nasty head cold and a gross feeling of allergies starting probably doesn’t help the whole situation, so I’ve put myself into my ‘Silver Lining Search’ mode. This helps me Zip through the crap, and then Zip it away to deal with it later in my writing – it’s surprising just how much I can use these days when I get through the junk, put it away for a while (I like to let it simmer until I need the passion that forms), and then choose a time to just write my heart out and see what comes out.

When temperatures (weather ones in this case) make things even tougher, I recommend a good nap in as cool of a place as possible, to help lower my internal temperature, which will then allow me to not let the junk get to me so easily. Today has been a surprisingly warm day (mid to upper eighties), and I was in a computer lab 95% of my work day, with less ventilation than I’d like, and that area of the A/C turned off while the maintenance department tried to solve the ‘it’s broken’ problem. When they realized that they had done that to the lab in the warmest part of the school day, I got quite a few apologies, and several students accepted those apologies with amazing amounts of grace.  Talk about a major silver lining – students who had been working on required testing, and had just been asking me about the heat in the lab, responded to people they had never met before with wonderful examples of grace. WOW!

Those moments are what help me Zip through the junk – the small tidbits of happiness, of kindness, of hope. A random surprise of a note from a friend, a wonderfully kind response to a necessary e-mail that could have inflamed recipients’ stress levels to extreme status. These things make it so much easier to get through the junk, and then be able to use it in the future.

I know there are stages to grieving and loss. I consider these to be a lot like the stages of zipping through the crap and then zipping it away.

First, denial, and often isolating yourself from the crap that feels like it’s attacking you. I never want to believe that someone is treating me badly (yeah, I see the good in everyone), and so my first instinct is that I misunderstood – even when I know I didn’t misunderstand at all. Then, I want to separate myself from the situation. Part of this is to protect myself from more being shoved at me while I deal, and part is to protect others from any chinks in my armor while I deal. I don’t want to take anything out on others, especially just because it happened to me. Plus, I’m usually an introverted loner, so being alone helps me to figure things out without any outside influences. I know this won’t work for everyone, but it does work for me, so Wahoo! =)

After the denial and isolation comes anger. I don’t lose control, but I do allow myself to get ticked off and snarl a bit. I usually vent into a journal, or to someone who will let me just vent (at this stage, I neither want nor need advice. Just a listening ear). I’ve had people who tell me that I shouldn’t get angry. Why the heck not? I’m human, and I feel all kinds of emotions. It’s healthy. The key is to make sure that I am in control, not my emotions. Plus, feeling the anger, in any form – usually frustration – allows me to make sure I don’t bottle it up and end up exploding (that sounds too painful, anyway), but can rather end up using it toward something useful – a really great workout, letting myself write a painful part of a story, really getting those stubborn weeds out of the garden, focusing better in my meditation – until the focus takes over – that kind of thing.

After anger comes bargaining – trying to regain control with figuring out why it happened (could I have prevented it, or can I make a deal somehow to prevent it in the future). This isn’t always a part that can happen for my situations, so I usually try to focus on how I can deal better in the future if I can’t avoid it completely.

Depression is supposed to follow bargaining, but I don’t do depression. Yes, I get down at times, but my version of a funk can be tossed in an awesome workout, writing, and snuggling my dog. Plus, there’s always reading and napping. When I start to feel down and don’t want to deal with it for very long, I try to do something nice for someone else – let my brain, body, and heart focus on making someone else’s life a bit better, even for a moment.

Finally, here comes the stage known as acceptance. Now, I don’t have to accept the way people treat me, I just have to accept that this happened, deal with it somehow, and move on. When I reach this stage, I know that if it happens again – even if I am pretty sure that it will, given certain circumstances – I’ll be better prepared and able to deal.

Zipping through stuff might not always be super speedy, but it is so worth it when I get there and can zip away the circumstances for a while. Moving on and then coming back and checking in with my reactions to the situation and what happened at that point helps me make sure I’ve actually recovered and moved on. Then, I can use the whole thing for a character, a scene, an emotion that I need to express in some way.

Then, I can take a nap, and catch some ZZZZZZZZZZZs! J

Thank you for your time!

J

Yay for Y!

Yay for Y!

The letter Y amazes me. It allows us to ask a question while texting, saving a whole two letters (man, my thumbs love that break, don’t yours?); allows us to learn the 25^th letter of the English language while watching Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard do his amazing work on NCIS; takes on the challenge of acting as a consonant or a vowel – impressive resume, right? – and lets me celebrate with my Yay! response to students!

As an educator, I keep hearing how I need to tell students what they can and can’t do…and, unfortunately, that often turns into more telling kids what they can’t do rather than what they can do. I think it ends up being a self-preservation thing and almost an easier way to help sent boundaries for students to be safe. I’ve never really liked it, though, and yesterday and today I got to experience a training that I think will help me and my coworkers turn the ‘you can’t do this’ response into ‘you can do this other thing’ – which makes  me incredibly happy. Yes, making changes, especially this late in the year, does lend to the possibility of more resistance than we’d expect otherwise, so we’re taking a slightly different approach. Instead of changing all the rules from random to common ones this year, we’re just going to add a couple new games this year, get the kids excited, and show us all – students, staff, and community – that this is going to rock!

I love being able to say yes to students when they want to do something. I know I can’t always do that, but when I can, the warm fuzzy that fills me when I see the student(s) smile – is amazing! I’m hoping that this new program will help us get more yeses going on, which will then lead to celebrations and my beloved ‘yays’ – this is going to work, I know it! I’m not going to say a massive amount about the program right now, since I’m new to it, and can’t really give a whole lot of information, but I will say that the program is called Playworks – and can be found at www.playworks.org. Our trainers were Michael and Lynn, and they were completely wonderful. They said I can spread the word, so I am. I have a lot of hope for this program merging into our school’s community and culture, which feels absolutely stupendous.

Students – especially the young ones like those I work with – need boundaries. These boundaries help students feel safe and secure, which leads them to feeling better about themselves and more likely to try new things with new friends. The fact that the program will help us feel more success with making game rules the same across the board will ease stresses over the years as different staff members work with different students as those students grow up through our grades and new members of our community come in – we hope this will help alleviate the fears that so often come with joining in on the playground at a new school.

If we can get students engaged, we can help them learn more and more – about themselves, others, and all kinds of other great areas – and become learners for Life. That alone is work the biggest Yay I can give.

YAY!

What makes you cheer – what’s your Yay today?

J

X’s eXtraordinary Resume

X’s eXtraordinary Resume

Today, while contemplating what to write about for X Day of the A to Z challenge, I realized just how many things the twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet does every single day for us. Quite a few letters work hard for us, like the letter B, who helps us make the motor sounds for a toy boat; S helps us speak to snakes; M allows us to express satisfaction with the taste of something; Z shows us snores and the sound a bee and mosquito make. All kinds of letters, all kinds of sounds, and all kinds of amazing things that each of them does to help us communicate. The letter X, while not used in this way. Does have quite an impact on our lives

Kisses

I have received many a letter and card from some amazing family members over the years that had kisses sent along with the mail included at the end in the form of X’s. I’ve heard arguments that the O’s that often accompany the X’s are the kisses, as they are shaped like kissy mouths, and the X’s are hugs, because some people feel they look like arms. I see the O’s as complete hugs and the X’s as kisses (pursed lips), so I will go with that. J X’s at the end of a letter let the recipient know how much the sender loves them, and receiving love is always a great feeling.

Treasure!

I have absolutely no idea whether real treasure maps exist, and if they do, do any of them actually have an X marking the map where the treasure can be found (provided the map was carefully followed, of course). I admit my dorkiness in life does extends to finding it completely hilarious when a movie involves a treasure hunt and the scenery actually includes a gigantic X under the characters’ feet denoting where the treasure can be found if they just look down. Yes, I do appreciate the far more subtle ways that movie makers of magic have characters find treasure, but the obviously dorky is sometimes the perfect solution. Plus, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of happiness that maybe, in some specific cases, things might end up being that simple. Every once in a while, anyway.

A Signature

I work in education, as I’ve mentioned many times before (running an elementary school library), so I definitely know the importance of literacy and how it can positively impact a life, and its lack can and will do the exact opposite. I love explaining to students how some people, who didn’t know how to write their names (this totally shocks them) would make their mark or X in place of their signature. I find this proof of illiteracy and the effect that it had on people’s lives is one of the best real world links for my students. Even my students with the most reading and writing difficulties can sign their names. That gives some of them great confidence. I’ve had students – at various reading ability levels – take that information and decide to improve their reading skills in order to get as far from that level of illiteracy as possible. Do I think less of those who cannot read? Absolutely NOT. I’m just really glad that so many of my students don’t want that as part of their futures. It gives me a great deal of hope.

Whether X marks your spot, shows you where you signed or indicated something, or makes you want to lay one on someone special, I wish you the best (and may all of your X’s marking countdowns toward something special rack up as quickly as possible).

XX (Kisses! What were you thinking? Tsk! J),

J

Weekends

Weekends

I love me some Weekends. A few years ago, I had an interesting conversation with…I’m pretty sure it was a student, but I can’t promise…about why Saturday and Sunday are considered the weekend. The result of the conversation was that we felt that the weekends should either be longer, or show up more frequently.

My job is fabulous and totally worth time and effort, but weekend are very symbolic for me. They stand for time – to breathe, sleep, do something I choose, on my own schedule, and with whomever I want. On a typical weekend, the majority of my chosen activity goes back and forth between sleeping and reading. As one of my fabulous nieces has said (and I totally agree) is that she and I are best friends with our beds. We cherish those relationships and refuse to let our best friends feel lonely or miss us. J As I write this, I am at an all-day meeting, writing this on my breaks. She, who is visiting this weekend (she just volunteered as one of the group counselors at my school’s Outdoor School event), is probably  - I hope, anyway – still asleep, as it is only mid to late morning.

I am not a parent to any human children. My babies of choice are of the canine persuasion, but I do believe that children, especially during those ever so fun teenage years, need a great deal of sleep. I keep reading more about how everyone – general population-wise – needs to get more sleep and receive all of those fabulous health benefits that decent nights of sleep apparently bring along for the ride (what, and miss out on working and stressing every second of every day? What are they thinking?). I go with the train of thought (choo-choo!) that children need more sleep than adults, due to the stresses on their bodies due to growing up. Teenagers, though, need even more beyond that of younger children because they have the added super stresses of the introduction of hormones to their systems wreaking havoc on everything.  *Insert big and impressive speaking voice: So, I say, let them sleep – and then let them sleep some more!*

As this lovely topic has me wanting to go and take a nap – apparently frowned upon while I’m in the meeting – I’d better switch topics! Weekends allow us to breathe, sadly a rarity for so many in the work force who are just trying to make ends meet (or wave at each other in a friendly fashion). So many people I’ve spoken to recently have been trying to get a second job – and I’m unfortunately looking at joining those ranks – which of course takes time, and makes breathing feel much more difficult.  I don’t relish the idea of giving up my Weekends, but realize that sometimes in order to achieve result A, preference X must be postponed for a bit. We shall see, I suppose. I’m kind of hoping to find out that I’m actually independently wealthy (by some weird timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly manifestation of a distortion in the space-time continuum) and can figure out things from that perspective. J

Understandably, quite a few people spend their Weekends catching up on what they don’t have time to do during the Week – laundry, grocery shopping, weeding the garden, and countless other needed chores that don’t seem to manage to complete themselves throughout the week. A good chunk of precious Weekend time often goes toward these endeavors, but at least they make the coming Week easier to manage.

Whether your Weekends are fun, boring, filled with Work or play, scheduled or random – I hope they are Wonderful.

J

Victory

My apologies. I wrote this post on time, and forgot to post it - something about falling asleep super early due to extreme exhaustion. I'll work on that. =)

Victory

I feel like I should have a t-shirt that proclaims ‘I Survived Outdoor School 2014’ – or ‘I Didn’t Drown at Outdoor School 2014’ – yeah, it was that wet.

I am so very proud of everyone at Outdoor School – ODS – because this was the wettest ODS I have ever seen, and we managed to get everyone through every part of the program, even though we had to make some adaptations in order to survive the deluges, like bringing one set of evening games inside so we didn’t drown the kids in the field that day (yep, deluges – impressive even for our areas – but we survived, so go us!).

One of my favorite Victories this year was that zero of our students had to go home early. We have the caveat  for ODS that if a student does something extremely unsafe, we call home, and that student’s parents drive up to pick up their student. At times, we have had students with such severe homesickness that we have had to call the parents to pick them up for that reason. Our focus and goal is always what is in the best interest of the each individual, as well as the whole group. This year, we had some homesickness, as expected, but all of our students got through it – yes! We even had students asking to stay over the weekend. While that didn’t happen, it was nice to hear that it was wanted.

Victories in public education are rarely about whether a student passed standardized testing (though we know it must be considered, and we do celebrate those successes) – at least at the local and individual school level. For those of us on the front lines of education, the Victories that truly matter are those that serve the individual student – moving up a reading level, learning a set of math facts, writing a really great paragraph (or, for earlier successes, writing a full paragraph), learning an new social skill, trying a new food or game, or something else that is individualized to a student. We know  - boy, oh boy, are we aware – that we have to have students complete their required testing, and we do so and hope that students do well in that area, too, but that is not truly the way we find Victories. I like our way better (but I also do a great deal of testing at my school, so that might have influenced my feelings on the subject just a tiny bit).

Victories can be miniscule or vast, public or private, and any combination of those or other qualifications. Victories can be having the most points, or achieving a personal record; reading that book you have been dying to complete for years, or having a house plant not die in over a year. They are personal, even when they apply to an entire group.

May your trials always end in Victory.

J

Understanding and Umbrellas

Understanding and Umbrellas

Greetings! I’m sticking with an Outdoor School RAD path, as you will hopefully be reading this on Thursday, while I’m still at Outdoor School! If not, I’ll post it when I get home on Friday! Today we’re talking about Understanding and Umbrellas.

Umbrellas are not allowed at Outdoor School – too many things can go wrong (makeshift sword fights, favorite Umbrellas that were gifts from Uncles or second cousins twice removed – drama ensues, I kid you not), and using them removes students from the experience of...experiencing. No matter the weather, Outdoor School goes outdoors. We all prep for this, and go outside and learn, experience, and start to Understand. The one regret I have for no Umbrellas at Outdoor School is I can’t use that opportunity to get some of my more musical students to do a rendition of “Singing in the Rain” with me, which is a sad state of affairs. *moment of silence* I’ll deal, though, to help my students Understand more and better.

Understanding their nature-based surroundings is not something these kids are used to doing if it isn’t at a mall or home in front of a game console – or taking care of younger siblings while parents work long hours to make ends meet. This is one of the many reasons why I love that we have an Outdoor School program. Take a bunch of 5^th graders, give them an opportunity to learn Science outside, away from the school, their families, their responsibilities to everyone and everything except being a kid who is learning…and you get amazing results. I’ve had students who thought they would ‘simply die’ – their words – without their precious cell phones who take said phones from parents when they are picked up, tuck the cell phone away, and ignore it. A few have even handed it back with a ‘nah’ – much to their parents’ shock. More students tend to want to go outside after Outdoor School, so our potential for students who move, exercise, and get fresh air increases wonderfully.

Having students Understand themselves better after Outdoor School – yes, they CAN survive away from home for a couple days, and even have fun! Yes, they can try new foods, go to bed at a reasonable hour, and not overdose on sugar and caffeine every day. They can go outside and try new things. They can learn science where it lives – what a concept, right?  They, too, can become field researchers in science, and even those who have the greatest trouble with it otherwise, can Understand an amazing amount of information and number of concepts.

So, their hair may get messed up by the rain since they have to go without Umbrellas, but that rain sinks into their brain and sloshes around with some ideas Until a new Understanding is born.

It’s a gorgeous sight to see!

Thanks for your time,

J

Trees

Trees

Hi there!  If I am able to schedule my posts to actually post as I hope and plan, you will read this while I’m surrounded by Trees at my school’s Outdoor School program for 5^th graders. I think I will be getting ready to Teach a class we call Tree Time. This class is a great class to help kids understand Trees and what’s going on around them, hopefully helping them gain an appreciation for the world in which they live. The fact that it is a very simple class to Teach is a major bonus. One year, the kit for the class got left behind on accident, and I was put in a position to Sink or Swim.

So, I made stuff up to entertain the group I was with (until someone could bring up the kit), and – since I knew some stuff about Trees, thank goodness – ended up giving them the info that was in the kit to a pretty good extent. Though the Tree Time kit has Tree cookies in it, which are always cool for the kids.

Step one: Take a Tree cookie – this is a slice of a Tree branch or trunk that shows a complete circle and allows the Tree’s rings to be counted and observed. I dare students to count the rings on their Tree cookie. The outer ones are pretty easy, and watching them go cross-eyed as they try to keep track of the inner rings adds extra entertainment for me.  We talk about what they notice and how each one is just a little bit different because they come from different Trees. We have a piece of a Tree where a branch attaches to the trunk, so students are able to see what that looks like (pretty cool, I must say), and compare that to their Tree cookie.

Step two: we Take a walk. The camp where we have our Outdoor School program is surrounded by Trees, and has definite paths, so it’s a safe and easy walk to take 5^th graders on and not worry about losing them. We always pass two Trees that have been a buffet for woodpeckers, and I love hearing what the students think caused those holes. My favorite over the years had something to do with an alien treasure box being  accidentally transformed into a Tree, and the very tiny aliens were coming at night to try to dig another hole in the trunk to find their treasure. This took all ten of us – counselors, kids, and me, to come up with – we obviously rocked it!

Step three: well, step Two and whatever throughout the lesson. A couple years ago, my best friend/brother-from-another-mother came to volunteer as a counselor. He had a great group, and we decided on the spot that whenever  we called out a time (12:47!), they had stop everything (movement and noise), and point to a Tree. Our reasoning was that the class is called Tree Time. It worked, and has continued since then. Yes, we are dorks. Yes, we own it. J

Step four: return group to starting place, and wait for new group. See? Not a hard class to teach. I only will do it Twice, I think, since I’m covering for someone who can’t make it up until afternoon one day, but I plan to have fun with it.  My favorite part is seeing what the 5^th graders – who think they will die without their phones and gaming systems for three days – notice and how excited they get over a Tree and it’s life story.

1:36! (Did you point? J)

Go have some Tree Time for yourself! Enjoy your surroundings. Take deep and cleansing breaths. And Relax!

Enjoy!

J

Saving the Scenery and Species

Saving the Scenery and Species

Happy Earth Day, my fellow Earthlings! Today, I spent quite a few hours in the car, driving to pick up one of my fabulous nieces and bring her home with me for the rest of the week. She’s volunteering as a counselor at my school’s Outdoor School program for our 5^th graders. As I drove up, I kept thinking about how absolutely gorgeous this state is, and how lucky I am to live here (I’m in Oregon, USA). I didn’t think that when I was dealing with some…special…drivers in the middle of a downpour, but I thought it otherwise! J Keeping with the S theme for today and the fact that today is honored as Earth Day (though I am one of those who considers every day I’m alive Earth Day – when I’m dead, I don’t care so much?), so let’s talk about Saving – the Scenery and Species.

When I was in high school, I went on a trip with a youth group. We went to San Francisco, and the surrounding area, each year doing some things just a bit differently than the year before. One of my favorite bits was the year we went to Marine World Africa USA. I am not as fond of zoos and other places like that when they don’t provide the animals they are supposed to be saving with enough room and such, but this place looked good, and the animals looked happy. At the entrance to either the park or an attraction, I saw a sign with a quote that has followed me ever since.

In the end, we will save only what we love,

We will love only what we know,

We will know only what we have been taught.

~Anonymous

This is one of my favorite quotes – so thanks, Anonymous! It’s true that we work to save what we love, we love what we know, and we know what we have been taught – by teachers, parents, society, our randomly sprouted interests, a book, a beautiful sunset or picture of some place. Anything can and does teach us. Many of those things will teach us to love something, and that will help us when it comes to saving what is important to each of us.  I won’t go near religious stuff right now – I could so easily start a debate on some of those topics, simply because I love to see how people reason, but I’d rather not start a fight – but I will say this: this is our planet. I truly believe it is not handed down to us by our ancestors, but is rather on loan to us from future generations. In my heart of hearts I know that it is my responsibility – and my honor – to do what I can to leave a better place than what currently exists for my nieces and nephews and their kids and kids’ kids, etc.  There are so many Species that are going extinct, and by human hands and/or actions (or lack of action). The Scenery is gorgeous, but can be made better – if not here, than somewhere in the world.

What we do in our own lives can truly affect what happens to this entire world. I’m hopeful that we will, as a society of human beings, choose to Save the Scenery and the Species of this world. Maybe we’ll end up saving our own Species in the process.

Thanks for your time,

J

Relaxation

Relaxation

You know the sensation that if your ears go the tiniest bit higher, they will suddenly attach themselves to your ears? Or the one where your head feels about as great as it would if the current world champion of weight lifting were to start squeezing it between his hands? That evil S word that comes into our lives so much  (psst, stress)…and is so hard to counter…then Relaxation comes 

in to save the day!

Well you COULD have pretended to hear superhero sound effects with that, you really could have. *sigh* 

Relaxation. That fabulous aspect of life that we – as a rather stupid society in this case – do not participate in nearly enough.

Why relax? It lowers stress, allows your body to recover from the ‘fight or flight’ adrenaline that we often get into, even in just a mental status; essentially, it allows us to recover from the annoying bits of Life, mentally, emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.

Now, I have to put this out there as it was part of a rather heated discussion between some of my friends a few years ago: I do NOT believe that there is any one way that is best for everyone to relax. If there were, that’d be rather boring, which would distract me from actually relaxing, and then I’d worry about not relaxing enough, which would undo all the work I did while relaxing (yep, that is essentially what I said when I was dragged into the argument, but with a bored tone of voice, apparently J). Yep, that’s right, my friends were not arguing about ways to relax, but the one best way for everyone to relax, which I happen to think is ridiculous. Person A will relax best to weeding the garden (please come and relax in my garden areas!), some relax best by cleaning and organizing (come on over), and some need a certain type of music, or a specific book, or to run several miles (I have friends like this. Yes, they are very sick). Here’s what my arguing friends couldn’t figure out during that argument – there are even people who have lots of ways to relax, and use them in *gasp* varying combinations! Why? Because (drum roll, please)…we are all human (and the crowd goes wild).

Yep, my friends have some weird arguments at times.  Typically, they entertain me on some level or another. That one just bored me. I’m one of those people who has so many ways to relax, it’s often amazing that I have enough tension in my body to stand upright. In fact, writing these blog entries gets me into a zone of sorts that relaxes me nearly to sleep each day. My sister loves it when I feel antsy while visiting her because she never knows what will be cleaned during my relaxation process – she especially loves it when I have the urge to iron. Yes, iron. No, I won’t come and iron all your stuff. I’m busy this week. Maybe next time. Of course, I also sing, dance, act, nap, mediate, people watch, avoid all people, walk the dogs, snuggle the dogs, write a scene out that comes to me randomly, watch a marathon of certain shows, and who knows what else will help my brain and body shut up enough for the rest of me to do its thing. I love finding new ways to relax, and when a certain way to relax decides to work for me in a new situation.

I can’t figure out why, in this day and age, with all the advancements we have beyond those of yesteryear – heck, yesterday, in some areas – why we are burning ourselves up so darn fast. I do hope it change soon, though. There are some amazing people out there that I’d like to meet, have a cup of tea with, and then randomly break into song – in public – simply because we can.

What are your favored ways to relax?

J 

Qi

Qi

Yesterday’s post ended on perception and how we both perceive and are perceived. Just after I posted that, I went onto an online forum that has one of those live chat rooms where everyone talks over each other and if you aren’t used to following twenty conversations at the same time, you’re pretty much screwed in one of these rooms. Seriously…I think brains might explode. And that’s before all of the arguing can begin. Luckily, the arguing was to a minimum, and the main thread of conversation in that chat room at the moment centered around Qi.

So, what is Qi and how do you say it (especially with no u after the q) – the main focuses of the short time I was in the room. It got even better when some brave soul pointed out that the word can be spelled in different ways. Yep, brains exploded, I’m thinking.

For those of you who are actually wondering, Qi – also spelled Xi and Chi and Ch’i (and those are just the spellings I’ve seen) – is pronounced ‘Chee’ – no, I don’t think it’s supposed to be related to Cheetos, but you can check into it and let me know.

Qi, in as simple of terms as I can use – and I beg pardon if I’m inaccurate in this, as it is a compilation of what different people have told me as well as how I understand it – is in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Philosophy what makes up everything and links it all together. Okay, simpler terms?  Think of the Force from Star Wars and how it links everything together. Combine that with how Neo was able to see how things were made and linked together in The Matrix,  and you’ve got a general idea of the very basics. Qi needs to flow, and in the human body, blocked Qi equals pain and illness and all sorts of icky things.  Qi has duality aspects to it – masculine and feminine, or yang and yin – and is not always understood in Western medicine and society. It is often perceived as a con or something that cannot possibly be – Tai Chi, a martial art form, focuses on using Chi/Qi as part of its forms, and while it is often used as terrific exercise and great for balance (it’s both), I have heard people say that it is a wussy kind or martial art. I’d love for those people to see my Tai Chi instructor from college who threw a former Marine across the room when they were sparring.

Qi can be gentle, and it can be ferocious. It is assertive and receptive. In its ideal situation, it is all of that, and it is balanced. It shows up in many forms under even more names in all kinds of cultures and religions/spiritual paths. It has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and can definitely work well with Western medicine.

Qi also begins with the letter of the day, Q, which fulfilled a need for my writing.

May your Qi be balanced and flow freely,

J

Please and Perceptions

Please and Perceptions

Please is a word that several of my friends have moaned is going out of style and usage. Well, they actually say something more like ‘no one ever says Please any more’ – and I totally beg to differ! Maybe the word itself isn’t always used, but Please still exists in my world. A lot of the time, it comes across in tone, body language, or a combination of the two. Many of my students use the word quite often. They also use thank you and you’re welcome. Please still exists, and is easily taught. The most effective way to do so is to model its usage. I think that goes for any result we want.

I believe I have said before that I’m Proudly in Public education. I have a terrific job, and am lucky to work in an elementary school (students ages five to ten or eleven). I get to be in on the Primary education for these, our future leaders. I know that not all of them have the easiest home lives, and some are more likely to hear ‘shut up’ than ‘Please’ – but those kiddos still know the word and how to use it. In fact, those students seem to take to using it more readily than some of the others. I wonder if this is because they can feel the impact of that simple word when used appropriately. I know that it’s a ‘thing’ to say older generations sit around and complain about younger generations and how they have it so easy and are lazy, rude and such – sorry, generalization, but I have heard it a great deal. I, however, disagree. Yes, there are those who are like this – but they can be found at any age, in all kinds of circumstances. Both ends of the spectrum can be found if you look.

At work, I have students in all grades who are rather demanding and come across as rude, so I help them learn how to Politely address someone – I first wrote an adult, but really it benefits working with any age, since people deserve manners. At the same time, I have quite a few students whose manners are wonderful; then the rest are somewhere in between (weird, right?). My point is that they all know how to use Please and other manners, and are constantly receiving gentle guidance as to when and where to use it. My students – even when they drive me bananas – give me such great hope for the future. On the days when I feel down and really tired, hearing a student use the word Please (especially when speaking to a despised ‘enemy’ as happened recently with one of my students)…hearing that term used, well, it makes me happy and grateful that people are still teaching their kids these manners. Are the kids perfect? Nope, thank goodness. I’d be really worried about Pod People if they were – and my students are many wonderful things, and I’m glad perfect is not one of them. They are caring, compassionate, hard-working, intelligent, unique, wonderful individuals who I hope will continue to grow after they leave our school. I want them to achieve their dreams and move mountains in their chosen field.  I want them to go where no one expects them to go, and for them to help make this world an even more amazing place. Using the word Please simply helps them pave the way to their goals, and I hope they realize that.

Perception

I had a discussion with a coworker today about Perception, and how individual Perceptions of a specific instance can completely color the resulting observations. I don’t think I came across as this being a bad thing – I hope not, since I think it’s great. If we all thought the same way, had the same experiences, and followed the same Path, I think it would be overdone, boring, and quite crowded. 

Our histories make up ur points-of-view to a great extent as they shape us and our views of the world. Take a couple of people and toss them into a situation and observe their reactions. A great deal of those reactions will be based on the point-of-views from which the individuals encounter the situation. A young child will see things much differently than an elderly individual. Different aspects of our lives and very beings will color our Perceptions and how we do and view things. Does that mean we can’t get along, since some of us are so vastly different? Nope. It just means that we then have a terrific opportunity to see things from another Perspective, opening our horizons and making the world a better place through what we learned from that experience.

Please have a fantastic day.

Thank you,

J

Oklahoma!, Organization, and Optimism

Oklahoma!, Organization, and Optimism

Evening!

Yesterday’s post ended with a short bit about the musical Newsies. Today, when I realized the letter was O (yep, it was the type of day that I had to REALIZE the letter after N is O), and I instantly had songs from the musical Oklahoma! going through my head (as I do now, all jumbled together a bit, in a mash-up gone horribly wrong). Since I love musicals, and Oklahoma! has always been a favorite, this is not a  bad thing – a bit of a confusing thing since the songs mixed up in my head don’t exactly mesh well together, but not a bad thing. I’ve been tagged recently on another site in a picture of a musical poster from my high school. A show we did my junior year of high school – Fiddler on the Roof. Many of us have been talking in the comments area about what those times in music and theatre meant to us, and tiny bits of show memories are cropping to the surface, reminding us of how much fun the utter chaos was during production. I played, as I’m calling it now, a dream zombie (Grandma Tzeitel), as well as a – live – villager, in that production. Some of my best high school memories are from that musical, and I will always be incredibly grateful that I participated in it. The organized chaos from that memory reminds me of a more recent conversation I had about Organization.

Organization

The conversation I keep thinking about was about internal versus external organization. I am much more of the former than the latter. I can keep all kinds of stuff organized in my brain, including some weird trivia that likes to pop its head up every so often to give a cheery ‘ello! to all passersby. 

My external organization, on the other hand, makes sense to me alone. And if someone should move something in order to ‘help’ me, I have to completely redo the project – or at least the organization of it – or I will never get it done. I often have several projects in motion at once, partially because of the whole lack of saying ‘no’ thing, and partially because my job has a crud load of work to it, and I’m constantly working on five things at once in a desperate hope to not fall too far behind. I’m getting better at making my form of external organization more understandable to those around me…but I think that is due to sheer desperation to have people leave my stuff alone so I can actually get something done. On the internal side, I’m lucky to be able to remember and keep track of a ton of information, and constantly have people make comments about how they have no idea how I can track everything I’m doing. Well, ADHD meets OCD and they become best buds, I guess? That might just be my innate Optimism speaking up, though.

Optimism

I totally admit to my status as an eternal Optimist. What that means, in ‘non me’ terms is that I can always find the silver lining when it’s at ‘dark and dreary’ status. Sometimes I have to look really hard to find it, but I’m blessed to know that it is always there, somewhere. Yes, I go through the same emotions and such as everyone else. I just do so with a center of ‘it will work itself out if we do our parts and give it time’ – which I admit does seem to drive some people bonkers – which results in entertainment value at times for me. Whee! Now, there are times when the silver lining appears so stinking huge (at least in my eyes) that it overshadows the dark and dreary. These are the times when I am asked whether I ever get mad. Well, I get upset and angry, but I don’t lose control of my temper, even when I’m doing the angry vent. I work with my students to help them realize that losing control over myself would be handing control to someone else, and I’d rather remain in control – easier to do what I want, when I want. I try to not downplay anything that bugs me, but rather I do my best to not let it sink its teeth into me too far. It’s not always easy, but it’s so definitely worth it – no ulcer medicine!

Okay, I admit it, the earworms from Oklahoma!, and the other musical numbers that have decided to join in on the fun, are driving me a bit batty as I type this, so I think I’ll end it here and dig out my headphones so I can zonk out to something relaxing – and without lyrics. Maybe my dreams will be less…insane…this evening.

May your life be much like a musical: full of fun dancing where everyone knows the steps, great music and lyrics, and – at least in your case – a happy ending that makes your audience sigh in happiness and leave the theatre with a bouncy step.

JBB

No and Newsies

No and Newsies

Believe it or not, keeping in the mindset of the R.A.D. game I’m playing this month, my mind really went from Moon and Moments to No. You see, I’m one of those people who absolutely sucks at saying No, which decreases the Moments that I have time to experience.

I like to help people. I’m a major loner and an introvert, but when I’m around people – like at work – I like to help out. Sometimes I like to help out so much that I take too much on. I’m working on that. I even have friends at work who like to tease me whenever they see that I’m listening to a ‘pitch’ from someone that may end up adding to my list of things to do. I work toward balance in this area especially, because if I commit to too many things at once, I will miss out on so many moments. I see it as my saying No to one thing that I don’t necessarily need (or want) to do leaves me more time to say Yes to something I want and/or need to do…like listening the Newsies soundtrack and dance around whatever space I happen to be in at the time.

Newsies

I love me some musicals. I not only own up to that, I celebrate it – often with ad lib dance moves (yes, even at work – why not?). Newsies is one of my all-time favorites. Basic story that won’t give too much away…turn of the century, newsboys fought for fair treatment from the big publishing giants, fighting for themselves and more – and all to awesome songs with great dancing! I’ve only seen the movie version, but I love the music from Broadway’s show, and can’t wait to see that take on it.

Newsies represents so much to me – I’m a proud union member, I believe in fair treatment for everyone, I’m very into theatre, singing, and dancing – and there are definitely songs in the show that give me goose bumps. I absolutely love when a story, song, or moment in time gives me goose bumps. Those goose bumps mean I feel a happy ending, a sense of hope, or something like that. Sometimes, the reasoning behind the goose bumps isn’t always easily explained. In fact, there are often times I have no words for the feeling, but getting it still feels absolutely great!

What can we say No to that will let us have a Yes or two? What is your version of Newsies – what show or book or whatever gives you that goose bump feeling?

Thanks for your time! I hope you have a splendiferous day!

J

Moments and Moons

Moments and Moons

I love the Moon. The moon always changes, yet repeats itself enough to offer comfort during trying times. The Moon pulls at us, helps by providing a tide so young beachgoers have waves to jump (yep, that’s the reason for the tides, I’ve decided just today!) and surfers can hang ten, and it reminds us of days gone by, and the possibilities of those yet to come.

Last night was a full Moon eclipse – we had ourselves a blood Moon – and at work, you could definitely tell it’s a full Moon kind of day. The Moon pulls at the Earth’s waters, causing the tides to exist, and in education – especially elementary education – it also pulls at the students. Today there were far More issues involving emotion (something the Moon is said to effect and/or have control over) than anyone expected, and this kind of thing reminds me to appreciate my Moments. 

Yesterday, my internet decided to die, right as I was wrapping up my Blog o’ L. I was a bit frustrated, but decided to go to bed early and read – more of a rare activity than I’d like to admit, at least as of late – since my cable/internet provider was having issues and wouldn’t be able to restore service for a while. As I was relaxing with a couple good books and a couple of even better dogs, wondering if I’d end up staying up to watch the eclipse (nope, I zonked, and it ended up too cloudy to see, anyway), but I got a moment of comfy coziness in during that unexpected Moment of snuggling with book and pup.

The different phases of the Moon represent different things – waxing, or growing bigger, Moon phases represent times to think about what we want to bring into our lives, while waning, or shrinking, Moon phases are times to reflect and act upon what we want to remove from our lives. Dark Moons are times of fresh starts, and full Moons are times for protection…and sometimes perhaps a bit of extra romance, MMM? Just as the phases of the Moon differ and are for different types of reflections, so are the different Moments we have, and I try really hard to appreciate these Moments as often and as Much as possible. Whenever I am blessed to experience one. Example: I’m the testing coordinator at my school, and was helping a student log out of her reading test today. She was holding her breath oddly, so I walked out of the computer lab with her, and asked her if she was okay. As it turns out, even though she was the last one in to test during that session, she was trying really hard to follow the rule of not talking during the testing sessions. That rule was designed to help prevent student A from disturbing student B, or vice versa, but she was so determined to do the right thing, she held her breath as she walked out of the room. When I asked her why she held her breath, she told me she was so excited that the reading test was so much fun! She had been worried she couldn’t do the test, since she’s a lower reader, and told me that she hadn’t really believed me when I told her I knew she can (my Mantra for my students)…and then she said she believed me now, and SHE knew she can do it!  Then she squeezed me in a stomach-level hug, and pranced (I kid you not) off to class. That Moment of a student being so excited about believing in herself that she held her breath to make sure she still followed the rules – wow! It never ceases to impress me how considerate my students truly are when they flip that switch into awareness of others.

What Moments have you experienced recently?  I hope they are wonderful!

JBB 

Locks and Lines

My apologies for a late post: my internet decided it was taking the evening off yesterday.

Locks and Lines

Greetings!  K day made happy noises centering around Keys, and now we move on to the Logical choice – Part of me SO wants to say Zebras, but no – Locks.

Locks

The fact that Locks are needed saddens me slightly. What is up with society to the point that we have to Lock our stuff up in order to assure that someone else doesn’t take it?  For that, Locks can be picked, sprung, and other nifty words that associate themselves with Lock-picking (which comes in handy when we Lock ourselves out of the house and/or car – personal experience). It saddens me that the Locks are needed, or that we feel they are, but my heart grows Lighter knowing that those Locks can be opened – and done away with – when we choose to stop holding ourselves back. I hear and see so many stories of people ‘coming out of the closet’ – due to sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs, or any other tidbit about an individual that, thanks to society and the stupidity of fear, sends a beautiful individual into hiding even the tiniest molecule of what makes that person wonderful – and these closets to me are merely prisons whose inmates have decided to break out, do away with the dumb Locks, and risk censure. Yet, these courageous individuals who get rid of those Locks, and risk coming out of ‘safety’ into a world where safety should be as natural as oxygen existing, those individuals are inspiration to me, and I think to others. We all have secrets, Locked behind barriers, but what does that Leave for us?

Are we Living nothing more than a partial Life when we allow ourselves to be Locked – by our own doing or that of others – behind metaphoric doors? I have my own situations in this area to consider, and I’m constantly wondering what is the worst thing that could possibly happen if I were to ‘come out’ and break the blasted Locks. Something inside me says that my Locked up secrets are nowhere near the size of others’, but I still hold back, waiting, hoping, that I’ll someday decide to break those Locks…and color outside the Lines.

Lines

There are times when Lines hold us in – when we color within them, as we are taught at a young age (which, until I got into education and talked with a kindergarten teacher, I didn’t realize that it helps hone fine motor skills – Learned something there, didn’t I?) – and Lines that identify us, including those  Lines that make up the Letters, words, phrases, and sentences that describe us and fill out our official paperwork. Do those Lines define us, any more than the secrets that we keep Locked up prevent us from Living full and wonderful Lives? Are the Lines in our Lives restrictions, guidelines, or something else? Indicators of possibilities, maybe?

Have you ever seen a doodle art start?  For those wondering what on Mars I’m talking about, it’s essentially a quick squiggle of any kind on a blank piece of paper. Someone then takes that paper and turns it into a picture. A sharp V could be turned into a nose on a face, a coil could be turned into a curl of hair or – when turned a different way – the line in a cartoon showing someone running really fast. It’s all about possibilities, and that’s why I Love me some Lines. All kinds of Lines. There are Lines on this computer page that allow me to communicate my random thoughts with you out in Cyber Land. There are Lines that help guide drivers on the road, helping prevent accidents. There are Lines we know we don’t cross with certain people if we want to maintain any kind of a relationship, and Lines we won’t allow anyone else to cross with us. There are Lines that we toe, and Lines that we turn into something amazing. Lines can hurt, much like a whip’s Lash, and Lines that we work hard to scrub from our Lives.

Locks and Lines both can restrict, both can guide, and both can make safe until we are ready to break free, doodle ourselves a different kind of Life, and breathe deeply.

Thank you for your time,

JBB

Keys

Keys

Keys are amazing creations. They allow us to open locks that keep us from entering homes, diaries, and – in adventure stories – let us into an area of magic and wonder, where knowledge flows freely and answers abound.

Metaphoric keys also amaze the heck out of me. That one clue that lets a detective – trained or otherwise – solve a mystery, or that one piece of a puzzle that unravels a horrible plot that would destroy characters and all they have stood and fought for…letting the happier plot furl out its own pieces, wrapping into place to resolve those pesky loose ends.

Keys in books open doors to rooms where parents who have passed on have left memories and information for a coming of age child to learn about herself and her roots; they allow a boy to bring his toys to life and meet some great individuals. These keys don’t always appear as keys, though. Some appear as a letter delivered by an owl, to the annoyance of certain uncles – opening up a whole new world to a young boy – or the touch of a special goblin. They also appear as golden tickets hiding wrapped around bars of chocolate that open a world of candy, hope, possibilities, and a wonderful future for a family. They can even open a certain passageway to a child finding out that a beloved aunt is in fact the sister of Santa Claus, and within that journey also learning the true meaning and impact of that special man’s job. They can open books to allow the good guys to control the evil horde of mummies brought to life, and can help a young man learn about, accept, and deal with his father being a high minion to a supreme evil dude and the fact that he kissed his twin sister (fine, unknowingly! Sheesh! Lol).

Keys have meaning and stories for each unique form. Some, however, are utter...hogwash (I love those keys!).

I have been blessed to participate in a great program twice – the Oregon Writing Project, a local branch of the National Writing Project. It’s a month of amazement and exhaustion as educators come together to network, share lesson plans and ideas to help students become better writers, and – the main attraction for me – to work on their own writing craft.  I liked the first time so much, I applied a second time and got to go as a ‘helper participant’ – and had more amazing experiences!  The second time, I heard a story about an educator who wore a key around her neck and told her students the story of what it meant to her and how it was passed down from a couple generations prior, and how it had led a family member to some amazing event/place/something that I can’t remember. The story was completely made up. It was a key that the educator had purchased, strung onto a ribbon, and worn as a necklace. Why? To get those students going on writing, trying something, making up a story to see what a single object might hold inside its existence that writers can write about to share with an audience.

I love this kind of writing. I take an object, and write a story that involves that object. The story can revolve completely around the object, or it can play a minor role in the storyline itself. The main thing for me is that whatever object I’ve chosen – or had chosen for me – is the inspiration, the key, to my unlocking that story in my mind.  I’m currently working on one of these stories. I often plot out the basics of a story, to make sure I get the needed bits and pieces into the project. I do this for stories, articles, poems, songs, plays, essentially everything (some of the planning is in my head, other bits are sketched out, key words written, whatever comes to me). Except my train of thought pieces…like this blog, and that story. With these two projects, I’m just riding along, seeing where they go for now. Later, I will go back over the story and do major revision and such. 

For now, though, I’m enjoying writing a story that came to be based on a name suggestion. A first name was my start, my key, and it’s unlocking a great deal of potential as I get to know this character and his world.

What keys will unlock possibilities for you next? What will they unlock?

JBB

Just because

Greetings! I hope you had a wonderful day of Ish. Today I was enjoying an Ish moment when I overheard a snippet of conversation that had something to do with why – for what reason – someone chose to do…something. I didn’t hear much of the conversation, but it triggered my brain into thinking about reasons, the ‘whys’ we do things. To earn money, to pay bills, because it’s the right thing to do, because this person does it, because *insert deity here* proclaims it thus, because I want to...the list could continue beyond my lifespan, so I’ll focus today on my favorite reason: Just because.

Just because

We all know there are a kajillion reasons why we do what we do, most of which seem to revolve around necessities. We need to eat, so we buy and cook food. We need to pay our bills, so we have jobs. We need to rest and recover, so we sleep. We do many things ‘because it’s our job’ – the job of whichever role we are playing at that time: spouse, parent, teacher, friend, employee, employer, human being. My absolute favorite reason is multi-faceted, but I love its summary: just because.

Why do we do certain things for which we have no explanation? Could it be ‘just because’ we felt like doing it? Why do we randomly bring treats into work? ‘Just because we felt like doing something nice. Why did you do that person you cannot stand such a huge favor? ‘Just because’ that person needed something nice to happen. Just because is part of the whole Ish way of life. We constantly, as members of society, strive to do things for the ‘right reasons’ – and maybe our best reason is ‘just because.’

Just because I wanted to see a smile on your face; Just because you deserve to feel loved/appreciated/special. Just because you are special/you light up my life/your presence makes my heart Jump for Joy. Just because.

Maybe we don’t need to always have a clear-cut reason as to why the heck we decided to do something nice. Maybe, we Just do it because it will make the world a better place, a brighter place, a more beautiful place. Maybe, Just maybe, we did that special something Just because.

May your Just becauses bring your life abundant Joy.

Just because.

JBB

Ish

Welcome back – or for the first time, perhaps – and come on in for the I’s Have Today!

Keeping on the trend of things I am Grateful for, and those that make me Happy…this time with I words…here we go!

Ish – this is a wonderful book by Peter H. Reynolds. You can check it and his other works out here: http://www.peterhreynolds.com/. I love Ish not only as a picture book, but as a concept. We focus as a society so Intensely on being utterly precise, which I admit is vital in some cases – like brain surgery. However, there are times when Ish is okay, wonderful, and the best option. We do not have to be so freaking precise, people (can anyone tell that I’m also talking to myself here?)! When we are less precise in at least some areas, so much beauty can free itself to share what it knows with the world. I try so very hard to be so precise and exact and accurate in so many areas of my life that I relish the times I allow myself to be Ish. Often these times come at night, thanks to Insomnia.

Insomnia – I know this sounds odd, but I am Incredibly grateful for the many years I spent dealing with Insomniac  and Insomniac-Ish nights. I still deal with them every so often, but lately I’ve dealt with them by staying in bed and plotting a story, arguing with a character, or figuring out how to be as efficient as possible the next day so I can get the ‘needed’ junk done and move on to the ‘wanted’ part of my list. Yes, I do lists. Lists make me happy, too! Plus, I need lists, thanks to the way my brain works, to make sure I get certain things done, don’t forget to bring along certain items for errands, and avoid foods that I’m allergic to, like Ice cream.

Ice cream – one of my first jobs was scooping Ice cream, and I am so grateful for that experience. I learned so much in those months, Including how to properly scoop Ice cream despite my not learning properly at first and ending up with carpal tunnel symptoms. That experience taught me to learn for the dorky videos presented to me, whenever they show up, to accept a range of what is acceptable (ooh, Ish!), and to strive to make it natural. Plus, I learned which Ice creams are mean to order during a rush (peanut butter fudge, chocolate mousse anything), how to slice a banana without ever touching the fruit itself, how to upsell when it’s appropriate, but not make anyone feel pushed into something they don’t want (I can’t stand pushy sales people. I prefer helping people find what they need and want and what is best for them), and how to keep track of the orders of several small children during a rush while they are only semi-watched by a harried adult. Result: my patience went up quite a bit, which can only help me for the rest of my life, I Imagine.

Imagination – I work with children, and the greatest thing about them is a combination of their wonder and their Imagination. I heard somewhere that we learn best when we are young because our brains are still forming and other scientific and nifty-sounding reasoning. I think it’s that, definitely, but more so, because we are still open to possibilities. We don’t automatically dismiss something because it isn’t possible, because – as children – it still is possible. No matter what those silly adults think, say, or try to persuade us. The Imaginings of so many people have brought us Inventions, art, progressive movements, life-saving techniques and devices, amazing movies, plays, and books. Hello – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Need I say more? I didn’t think so.

What do you Imagine you can accomplish if you allow yourself to Ish?  Yes, I did just turn that into a verb.

Ishfully yours,

JBB

Happiness

Hello!

I hope this day has treated and is treating you well. Today, I shall follow up my G-day post about Gratitude with one listing some of the H-words that give me reasons to feel Grateful

Humans – we have so many ways we can and do help the world, each other, and the future. Wow! The potential that is within each of us…let’s access that stuff and get to work! J

Hope- I always have this, and count that fact as one of my biggest blessings. When Life feels rather on the ‘suckage’ side of things, the kernel of Hope for better circumstances on their way brings a 

Huge wave of Happiness to me.

Hugs – these are the best, especially from kids and dogs.  At work, I’m blessed that I constantly have students asking me if they can have a Hug. Yes, in this day and age, we have to be really careful with certain boundaries, but when a young student comes up and is so happy to see you that he or she wants to Hug you – man! That feeling rocks!

Hearts – the Hearts I see in so many people – Huge, I tell you! We have our school’s annual outdoor school program in two weeks, and we have so many volunteers, from other staff members and former staff members, to community volunteers, to High school students who are willing to miss class (and still have to make up the work) and other activities to help make our science curriculum-centered program succeed and help get these students out to enjoy and experience and learn to love nature – WOWZA!

Huskies – well, dogs in general. Neither of my fur babies is a Husky, but it was the first type of pup that I could think of that begins with an H. I love dogs. I love all kinds of animals, but dogs are a major soft spot for me. Their ability to love so generously, even after being treated badly (both of my pups are rescue babies), and after having to stay Home every day while I go to work…they always greet me like I’m their favorite person, and they forgive me for leaving. Even if I was only taking out the recycling!

Humane Societies – neither of mine came from a Humane Society, but the work that these places and people do gives me the warm fuzzies!  In the US, you can go to http://www.humanesociety.org/ to find out how you can Help out!

Helpers – at work, I constantly hear students asking if they can Help out with some project or another. Sometimes, it’s washing tables after their classes eat lunch, picking up balls after recess, carrying the bathroom passes for me while I’m on recess duty (so I don’t have to strain myself with those Heavy pieces of plastic, one student actually said, lol). I even have a crew of students who come and help me in the library, since I’m the only one in there otherwise.  I also see a great number of people Helping out others – just because – all over the place: holding doors, picking up dropped items, unloading a cart at the market, making a cranky child smile or giggle or just look at them like they are bonkers (giving the parent with a headache from the whining a small break).

High-fives – I had a student who was working really hard on a test today, harder than this student typically decides to work. When the student was done with the test, the student went back to class, then got a note from the classroom teacher to come back. The student wanted a high-five, which I often give when I see someone working really hard. This student waited while I wrapped up the testing session with other students, then asked for a high-five. We high-tenned. It was SO worth it!

Horticulture – first of all, I love that word. It’s such a great-sounding word. I love to garden. Helping things grow – especially if they’ll help Honey bees (and others) survive or will give me a yummy piece of fruit or vegetable to eat – what a great feeling!

These things make me Happy. What makes you Happy?

JBB

Grateful

Yesterday’s Day of Fs ended with Fuel and what Fires shall we use the Fuel to…well, Fuel? This leads me to my word today:

Grateful

I am a very lucky person. I have a great deal for which to be Grateful. I have a job. One that pays and comes with benefits. Is it ideal, and is my pay enough for me to completely live with no help or anything like that? Absolutely not, which makes me even more Grateful that I have that job. I shudder to think of what my life would be like if I didn’t have that job, and its benefits. Benefits that are offered as a group plan – I’m in public education – so my preexisting conditions (that I didn’t know about for the first 27-ish years of my life) cannot make it so I am denied insurance. My preexisting conditions are ADHD, OCD, and TS. I am Grateful for all of these conditions because they help me to understand other people on so many extra levels that I would not be able to connect if I didn’t have these three neurological conditions.

Technically, the medical field terms ADHD, OCD, and TS as neurological disorders. To me, disorders indicate that something is wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with me, nor with anyone else with these conditions, so I don’t use the term. I prefer ‘different orders.’  Without having the experience of actually having my version of alphabet soup, I wouldn’t necessarily think of them as different orders, rather than disorders – very powerful connection, and a very powerful perspective that I am very Grateful is part of my life.

My work in public education gives me a large number of reasons to be Grateful – on a daily basis. I work in an elementary school, and get to see so many educational miracles take place. From watching a student who proclaimed on the first day of school that he hates books and can’t read and will never learn to read and will never like reading (ooh! Personal challenge!) who – a few measly years later – comes up to me and tells me that I had been right when I challenged him that first day, and he loved to read! Students who come in barely communicating in English who learn to read, write, and communicate in their second language – wowza! There are so many examples of reasons to be Grateful at my work – and so many are due to the beyond amazing work of my coworkers as they guide these young minds to not only think, but how to think, figure things out, make decisions and connections, and then apply them to so many parts of life. WOW!

I have a wonderful family – including some amazing nieces and nephews (thanks to my siblings and their spouses for supplying me with those)! I love each of those amazing people, and the cool thing is that I like every person in my family. I know, right? Who gets to be that blessed?  The answer? This gal, right here!  See why I’m so Grateful?

Most people don’t believe me, but I’m a major introvert with a sometimes side of extrovert goober-wackiness.  I have the gift that I get to nurture that side of myself outside of work, and can save those urges for weirdness to hone my love of sharing books with students and staff.  While it is sometimes annoying that many disbelieve me when I express how I’m so introverted, I’m actually quite Grateful for their disbelief, because that means I’m playing the needed part at work well enough that the vast majority thinks it is the only side of me. Dang! I’m a darn good actress! J

I’m sticking with one thought for my G-Day, because there is so much for me to be Grateful for, my brain – and heart – decided to stay on the one topic. For me that is quite the shocker, so I think I will just enjoy it while it lasts – with Gratitude.

What in your life makes you feel Grateful?

See you tomorrow for the day of Hs!

JBB

Fueling Freedom Fires

Greetings! My last entry ended with Endings (irony or redundency?….hm), which brings me to my first F-word (yep, I decided to go there): Freedom

Freedom

I live in the United States of America. I am fully aware of the fact that I am incredibly lucky to be living in this country at this time, because the way the country is set up ensures that I have certain Freedoms. I have rights, and, with them, responsibilities. I have the Freedom to say what I want, believe what I want, and all kind of other nifty Freedoms. However, something I think we all need to be aware of - some just more aware of - is that our Freedoms and rights end where another person’s Freedoms and rights begin. I love that I have these freedoms, and I fully recognize that my rights do not supercede those of others, and if mine infringed upon others, I would be in the wrong. I also recognize that the reverse is true. What saddens me is that I see and hear about so many people trying to shove their points of view down the throats of others who don’t view things the same way, or who don’t believe or live the same way. We are all living beings, and deserve to be treated with respect, yes. But we don’t deserve to expect others to feel or live the same way as we do.  Hope for it, sure. Expect it? Heck, no! Yes, in this case there is a big ol’ Fire under me.

Fire

I like Fire. Not in the scary, I’m in need of therapy sense, but in the ‘wow, science is amazing and this is pretty’ type of deal. I love the warmth, the cozy feeling that comes with a nice Fire in the Fireplace, the many moods that can be assisted by candle light. Many traditions are centered around and supported by Fire - an altar or meditation with lit candles; a bonFire to celebrate a big game win; a romantic dinner with candlelight or a warm Fire nearby...I’m sure if I were to look into different cultures and their rituals and such, that my list would go on for quite some time. There are probably a rather large number of items on the list that many of the cultures have in common - a nice aspect of all humans having things in common.

There are some who can see images in flames, some who can read the Fire and tell you of different things, maybe even things to come. Some don’t believe in this type of thing, and some are so against it due to teachings, fear, or something else, that they believe those who can do this are evil, and other negative descriptors. I think it goes more that different people have different talents, just as different people have different associations with Fire. Some feel fear due to a bad experience with Fire – maybe a house Fire or other scary instance – some Feel a sense of responsibility and a job that needs to be done (thank you all FireFighting personnel! You all rock!), and some Feel a sense of comfort and of coming home to a special place reserved just for certain times, or to a Family home where wonderful memories of roasting marshmallows with grandparents and parents while hearing family stories.  I’m pretty sure we all have at least some sort of association when it comes to Fire – including the Fire in our belly (not indigestion) that gets us revved up to take action – Fuel for our Fire.

Fuel

Fire needs fuel to burn, to live. What we are passionate about needs the same – fuel to keep our interest hot and moving. What I feel is the most vital in this area is what we are allowing to Fuel our Fires. Will we choose to use hatred, fear, and lack of knowledge to Fuel the Fires of our passions and actions. Why do we use these?  They are easier to produce, as they are lower level Fuels. They easily come into existence, and can produce quick, hot Fires…but those Fires are mere Flashes in the proverbial pans. Love, support, hope, and knowledge require more time and energy from us, but the Fuels that they produce are longer burning, more reliable, and are FAR less likely to destroy us as part of their Fuel.

What Fires you up, and what will you choose as Fuel for those Fires?

See you tomorrow for G Day!

JBB