Roadblocks

There are many ways that changes can occur.  We are happily marching down the road of our lives when, all of a sudden, instead of reaching a fork at which we must make a choice, we encounter a roadblock that forces a change in our direction instantly.

Everyone experiences roadblocks and they aren't necessarily a bad thing.  Sometimes, the roadblock forces us to think differently about something we thought was a no-brainer, something we held onto for reasons long forgotten.

Think about your roadblocks. What are you hanging onto that no longer has any meaning?

Affluenza ??

So now we have a new made up word:  Affluenza.  It's the combination of "affluent" and "influenza" used to defend the actions OF a rich teenager who got drunk, wrecked his car and killed a bunch of people.  Supposedly, he is afflicted with a "disease" of the affluent that allows him to think he is above reproach, beyond the law, and able to make serious mistakes with little punishment.  And some judge agreed when she gave him the option to go to a rehab center for rich kids and have a ten year probation instead of a jail term.

What is going on within our legal system?  Are we so afraid to punish the guilty that we make up words to create a defense for them?  It's been going on for a long time, but I think we've had enough.  Where are Mothers Against Drunk Drivers when you need their voices to be heard?

I don't think anyone gets rehabilitated in a jail, and perhaps youngsters like him should go to special facilities, but to be released to the custody of a high-priced treatment center for a short stay just does not add up.

Everything legal seems to be spiraling downward in a country that appears to be losing its grip on reality, morality, and justice.

Wish I had the answer.  Any ideas out there?

Big Brother

Well, Big Brother has been watching for a very long time and, as far as I’m concerned, there’s little I can do about it.  If I was a white collar criminal or terrorist, I’d be more worried. 

The only time I got really upset about Big Brother watching me was when I got caught by a trafficam in Los Angeles.  I zipped through a barely-turned red light at a busy intersection, thinking I had cleverly decreased my travel time by a few minutes (it's a long light at that corner).  So much for being smug.  A few days later, I got a whopper of a bill in the mail with a photograph of me - albeit blurred - committing the crime and a time stamp showing I missed by 3 seconds.  Sure, I tried to fight it, but who can fight Big Brother and win?

We live in a different era and we are spied on from everywhere.  Do you ever use Google?  Then someone knows everything about you that they need to target you for a variety of legal and non-legal matters.  It's the way of the world today.  

All I can say is, if you cant' beat 'em, just shut up and endure 'em.  Your alternative is to shut off the computer, stay out of your car, don't walk into any commercial establishment with a camera setup and just shrivel up while you knit an endless array of sweaters no one wants.

Ain't life grand?
 

C-o-o-o-o-l

I get a lot of "news" from CNN via my Ipad.  Some of the video news elements are a real testament to what the "news" has become.  We can just disregard that they stretch pretty far to find newsworthy items to report. That is a given in the Internet world.  But when the newscasters LOOK like adults, but talk like teenagers, I begin to wonder at their competency.

For example, I was watching a video clip about the comet ISON.   The young meteorologist giving the report must have used the word "cool" about 15 times during her broadcast.  If the reporter, self-proclaimed as educated to some extent in astronomy, can only use the word "cool" to describe a natural phenomenon, I wonder at her overall capability.
 
If I am made to wonder about the story's veracity due to the childish presentation of the "facts", what other information has been distorted that I am just missing?  Houston, I think we have a problem.

Self Esteem

"Self-esteem" is a  much overused compound word that doesn't have a place in anyone's vocabulary except our own personal and silent one.  Nobody can GIVE us self-esteem. We earn it on our own through our own actions. Why else would the word "self" be incorporated into the phrase?  We think well of ourselves when we have accomplished something we didn't think we could do and no amount of outside praise equals the feeling from within of a job well done.

We think well of ourselves when we have contributed or succeeded and no one but us is in charge of that. Look at what has happened to many children in recent years.  They were rewarded every time they did anything at all positive and, consequently, they became dependent on praise in order to feel worthy.  

Now you put them in the marketplace where no one cares to praise their every move and what happens?  They get paralyzed, not knowing how to act on their own merit.  They can't make decisions because they are dependent on someone else's praise to motivate them.  They don't compete in the present because they haven't been required to compete in the past. Their expectations are exhaustingly high and yet their output does not merit the praise they thrive on.

To me, hearing  the catch phrase "good job" is like fingernails on a chalkboard.  It is such a patronizing statement, filled with false motivation and a brand of praise that magnifies the smallest accomplishment to absurd proportion.

Let's help our young ones to develop a respect for accomplishment that is generated from within.  It'll produce more self-confidant people in a world that needs them, for sure.
 

Sweet Bursts

I used to think it would be so wonderful to be retired so I’d have the time for my art and could do it uninterrupted for hours and days. But now that I am retired, I still have some trouble finding time.  Life is very busy in a 55+ community where there is every imaginable activity to pursue. But I learned quickly that if I wanted to “find” time for art, I had to “make” time for it.  So I decided that, since I could not possibly give up all the fun activities I participate in, I’d just have to put art before housework and bill paying and chores.  So that is what I do and I succeed at it very well, thank you!  

The most interesting thing about my art is that I am better at it in short bursts rather than long sessions – perhaps because I lately have the attention span of a flea?? So it’s pretty easy to work my art in around everything else – an hour or two at a time.  And since I have many different art interests, I can be working on lettering designs in the morning burst, found-object jewelry in the afternoon spurt and freeform crochet while I’m watching TV in the evening.  

Who’d a thunk it – time enough for the enjoyments, and it’s amazing how one thing leads to another in my art and  improves it because I do so much of it in those short, sweet bursts!

The Beez Kneez

I haven't written for awhile.  Sometimes life gets in the way.  First it was family matters, then it was my knees.  Jeez, knees, on top of everything else, I thought I was gonna have to stop playing sports. Then, it occurred to me that it wasn't my knees at all, but my back causing pain in my knees.  That was a relief since I know how to handle the back pain - EXERCISE and STRETCHING and BUYING NEW SNEAKERS. 

So, those of you who are young, are you getting the message?  Take care of your body and your body will take care of you.  At least until you get old and decrepit.  Don't work your body to injury, practice moderation, be smart.  How dull.  But how true it is when you get old enough to remember the good old days!!

Stay well, enjoy life, experience the good and the bad. But darn it, don't grow old gracefully.

Full Circle

Started out the morning with a throbbing headache and flu-like symptoms for the third day in a row, brought on by a voodoo treatment from my natureopathic doctor  designed to relieve my reflux.  Which it did.  But I apparently  traded reflux for the flu.  Huh? The doc claimed it was a detox of my system. Huh?  Who asked for a detox? I just wanted relief from reflux.

Next, I accidentally sent an e-chat from scrabble to the wrong person – in fact, to the one I was making an unkind comment about, for no other reason than I was feeling arrogant and superior at the 106 point word I’d made. But I MEANT to send the note to my OTHER scrabble friend. Sigh. So after getting over the sick feeling in my stomach – added to the throbbing headache, runny nose and sore throat induced by the aforesaid voodoo treatment – I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and do an errand.  After all, nobody, not even me, is perfect.

Went to Target to buy a new microwave because the old one died – “old” meaning 4 months – it’ll cost more to have it fixed than the original price.  Bought the new oven, bigger than I wanted, but that was all that was available, don’t ya know, and from sick-bed-to-Target was all I was up for. Shoulda ordered one online, but having company on Monday and need the damn thing NOW.  Anyway, waited 10 minutes for someone to help me out to the car with it and as he lifted it out of the basket, we heard loud tinkling.  Not a good sign. He opened the box and the whole front door glass was smashed. So we went back into the store to start over.

Finally got home, frustrated and tired out from my sick-bed-to-Target venture ( I KNEW I should not have gone out, but whaddya gonna do).  Message on phone from art gallery where I’m to exhibit next week said: Can’t hang your picture, wrong kind of hanger, fix it now or we won’t hang it.  So I had to go over there right away.  Sick-bed-to-Target-to-art gallery.  Needless to say, sick as a dog,  I was not very diplomatic when I told the woman  that no one had bothered to tell me I had to have a special hanger and why the heck couldn’t she have offered to help me instead of giving me ultimatums. This was met with total silence and I felt satisfaction, sad to say. Nobody gets past this mouth when the world is caving in around me. 

Do I need to repeat that I did not have a good day today?  I don’t know what you do with your bad days, but I’m going back to bed. I’d rather drink alcohol and drown my misery in a fog, but that would give me a reflux event and bring this story full circle.

Time

Time gets away from us sometimes.  It got away from me over the past couple of weeks.  But today, I was reminded that time waits for no one. 

I went to the 95th birthday party of a fellow who takes the same dance classes as I do.  Time may have gotten away from him, but it sure hasn't stopped him from enjoying his time here on earth.

It's important to stop each day and remember that all we really have is time, and the more wisely we use it, the more enjoyment we get from our lives.  Hats off to those who have lived long and well.

Vulnerabilities

Life has a way of reminding us of our vulnerabilities. We think we have all the bases covered.  We think we've finally gotten to the place of a smooth ride.  And when life events stir the pot, we wonder why we did not see it coming.  I'll tell you why. Because we all wear blinders so that we can control our world better.  If we don't see certain things, then we don't have to act on them; we don't have to confront issues that are too dreadful to command our attention until it is absolutely necessary.

But when these life events finally demand our attention, it triggers something and we have an aha! moment when we see the past and it's path to the future very clearly.  And then we ask ourselves, why didn't I put two and two together long ago?  It is humbling and not a little frightening to discover family vulnerabilities at the later stages of life, when it's harder to cope and easier to wear the blinders.

Every family has its vulnerabilities. Every family finds a way to cope with them. We don't get off easy in this life and we just have to accept giving up control over matters we couldn't foresee.

The Education Worm

I listened to the Secretary of Education today on the radio.  It's almost laughable the number of jargon-filled platitudes he used.  Sure, we want an educated population (which does not mean everyone should have a graduate degree), but his emphasis on everyone going to college so they can get a good job is ludicrous.  What jobs?  And how many of them really require a college degree?

Thirty years ago, America moved away from a manufacturing economy to become a service economy and the skilled jobs gave way to burger slinging and call center script reading.  Now there is a push to move back to a manufacturing economy and what is needed is skilled labor, not a multitude of college grads with the equivalent of a high school diploma flooding the market with the wrong skills. 

If I can figure this out, why can't those who are running the show? I'll tell you why.  Self-interest, territory protection, unwillingness to really embrace change. 

Education has been in crisis since I became a teacher over forty years ago. Nothing has changed.  We don't value it in America, we don't want to make the sacrifices it takes to provide world-class education, and we'd prefer to mollycoddle our children. And besides, we have to keep those kids in school longer because there are no jobs for them to go to when they get out.  

Things are in a mess and the old boys in Washington have no interest in fixing it. Let's face it.  The apple has a worm in it.

Weiner's Wiener

                                                                    Weiner's wiener, just a bit creepy,

He flashes it about without care.
He thinks he'll get away with it
Unfortunately, it's not rare.

Perhaps the world of voters will,
after careful thought, declare
Weiner's wiener can't fill the bill
Get him out of our hair.

Bad boys ever will be
But tolerate them, I dare
To tell those irksome jerks
Get out of site, and stay there.

Summer Heat

It's summer.  It's hot. I can't think of a thing I want to expound on!!  Must be because it is summer and IT IS HOT.  Living where I live, the summers feel like a blast furnace and venturing out is tough in the afternoon!  So I'm staying snug and cool.  How about you?

Here's a bit of my pattern art  to fill some space...:).  Maybe we can kick this summer heat to the curb!

Justice

There are two sides to every story.  Commentators try to present both sides, but bias seeps in.  I suppose it is difficult to keep it out.    Sometimes, the court of public opinion tries the case before it ever gets to the judicial system, and then it is doubly hard to try the case fairly. 

One thing I have learned from past jury service is to never criticize the jury's decision.  It is deliberate, studied, carefully determined, and whether or not we like the outcome, justice was served by the process.

We are lucky to have  the kind of court system we do in America. Whether I'd personally want a jury trial remains to be seen, and probably would depend on the crime,  but the system works in its own way and I would never think to criticize a jury for its decision.  They are the only ones who sat through the trial and listened to the evidence by decree. Then, they are bound by the judge's instructions and the limitations of legal definitions of what constitutes a crime.  They work hard and their decision is not made lightly.

Even in the appalling OJ Simpson trial, justice was served, as we define it in America.  

Lackluster

 
In my last entry, I wrote about my favorite word, heft.  That got me to thinking about my LEAST favorite word and I have decided that it is lackluster.  

I can tolerate just about anything in a personality except lack of it.  To me, a person with no oomph or passion, no flare or "zazzle," has nothing to capture my attention.  There is a sheen that envelops us, as though oil was dripped onto us to bring out our luster, and if we don't let that sheen emanate outward to the world, we cannot be very much fun to be around.

I want to be around a person who sends a vibe that says "Listen to me.  I have something important/funny/insightful/yearning to say."  You don't have to be loud or pushy about it.  In fact, some of the most interesting people I know have the least to say.  But when they say something, everyone listens. 

I want to see things from your viewpoint.  I won't always agree and, sometimes, you will make me downright uncomfortable or even stressed being around you. But I'll never accuse you of being lackluster.

  

Heft

I like The Actor's Studio TV program with James Lipton on which he interviews celebs. He always asks a series of questions, one of which is "What is your favorite word?"  I've been pondering this question for years, as there are so many to choose from.  I finally figured it out.

My favorite word is "heft."  It says a lot in four letters.  The dictionary says this: lift or carry something heavy; the weight of someone or something; heaviness; ponderosity; burden.  I see it as much more.  Heft signifies grit and strength, meatiness, depth, importance, capacity, mental acuity. It is a visual word for me. 

my art - is there heft in this?

There is a recent TV series called Boss starring Kelsey Grammer as a ruthless Chicago Mayor.  In one episode, asked by a political contender what Boss has to offer with his endorsement that he does not already have himself.  Boss replies "I have heft."

When you have heft, you have power, authority, respect - any number of influences.  Used well, heft can be a contributor to great good.  I just love the word and all its nuances.

Prescribe or Prevent?

Western medicine  pays a lot of lip service to prevention, but my experience tells me it embraces early diagnosis, not true prevention.  Also, I see that our doctors are

prescription-happy and it seems that they allow patients to drift into chronic diseases because it is easier to prescribe than to prevent.

It's hard to manage chronic ailments, even at their early stages.  With doctors seeing 2 - 3 times as many patients per day as is beneficial to either of them, it's no wonder the patient gets no attention.  

I have learned that the patient has to be her own advocate and while this is a worthy pursuit, the patient has not gone to medical school and consequently does not know how to advocate properly.  By the time she figures out what's going on, things have progressed, health issues are more complicated, and frustration is pretty high.  Alternative medicine works for some, but why must people be thrust into solutions that health insurance won't cover?

There has to be a better way.  Wish I knew what it was.

Memory Lane

 As we get older, we get nostalgic.  It's not that the "old days" were better (they probably were not), but, more likely, the accumulated memories remind us that we've had a life of interest and association.  Our worlds start getting smaller with passing time as we no longer rush into the workplace to meet the daily challenges, so the memories of all those interactions and associations, good or bad, take on a different kind of importance.

We seem to know when it's time to make an overture into the past, when it is time to seek out those few in our lives who impacted us in such a way that we don't forget.  We think of them fondly (or maybe not so fondly, in some cases) and the desire to stay validated in a changing world is worth the strain of finding the ones we liked and connected well with in more harried times.

I've sought out "old friends" a number of times in the last five years.  It's always been a pleasure to hear from them.  Sometimes they turned out to be completely as I remembered, and other times, my memory did not serve me so well. But in every case, the reconnection reminded me of a time in life when important things were going on for me - different important things than are happening now - and, in each case, the trip down memory lane was a treat.

It's a Couples World

The world appears to be made up of those who are "coupled" and those who are not.  The latter group is heavily populated with women for reasons of longevity and greater numbers, in general.  When I was a younger single woman, I often wondered why I was excluded from couples get-togethers and still don't quite get it, to this day.  I have one friend who  regularly included me in these gatherings, for which I've been ever grateful.  And certainly, others have included me over the years, but the general rule is that having an extra single man at the table is a treat and an extra single woman is avoided.

It finally occurred to me that I was a threat to many women's "coupledom."  The most blatant demonstration of this was the time I sat at one end of a sofa chatting with the husband of a friend who sat at the other end. When the wife saw this, she rushed over and sat between us.  What was she afraid of?  That I would physically attack her husband or more subtly try to lure him from her?  Puh-leez. Trust me, I haven't yet met another woman's husband that I would have wanted as my own.  They were great guys, but they were not available. Period. 

With all our "liberation" in these modern times, in many situations single women are like the plague - to be avoided at all costs.  It's a pity.  

Empty Brain

 
Another few days have gone by without even a hint of a great blog entry idea!!  I must be on brain freeze.

Maybe there's just too much going on right now!  I don't know, but it seems that managing a house gets more complicated all the time!!  It's a good thing I got to retire - no time for work these days!!

So to keep you tantalized, here's a little piece of my art - a little jester for a little laugh.

A Certain Thrill

There is a certain thrill that comes with joyful involvement.  It means different things to different people, but to me, when I am focused on something important to me - like my art, or redecorating, or writing this blog, I get a feeling that cannot be described.  It is more than satisfaction.  It is like moving forward with a twinkle.  

one of my whimsical art pieces

The feeling doesn't come from anything I can readily identify, but it is there and it is real.  Maybe it's just being committed to something that does it.  Or being involved in an effort that you would not normally pursue on a regular basis.  It's rather elusive, but, nonetheless, it is there and I can almost taste it.  

There have been many times in all our lives when the heaviness was palpable and we weren't sure we'd get through it.  Well, this feeling of joyful involvement is just the opposite of that heaviness. It is not a false euphoria that goes away as quickly as it comes. It leaves a residue of good feeling that contributes to overall well-being in the longer term.  Maybe it is just contentment, knowing we have achieved something close to a purr.

I like to think it's my whimsical side bursting out more and more.  What is it for you? 

Square Pegs in Round Holes

It just doesn't pay to be a square peg in a round hole.  The world is made for the mainstream, ordinary, and usual.  It is not set up for anyone who veers off the main course, even slightly.  It makes life tough for those who want things just a bit different.

For example, I don't like my garden trimmed with electric hedgers - makes everything look too formal. And since I like a more natural look, I pay extra for it. 

I don't like being forced to travel with a roommate.  But if I don't, I pay a lot extra for it.  When I make changes to my home, I like to have it my way - not the contractor's easiest way.  I pay extra for it.

When I have someone clean my home, I don't want toxic products used.  I pay extra for it.  If I have a medical need that Medicare or my health plan doesn't think I should have, I pay extra for it.

It would be better if I was a "yes" person - yes sir, whatever you say, sir. I'll take it any way I can get it, sir. OK, deliver it YOUR way, sir.

But square pegs don't go in round holes, no matter how hard they try.  Which are you??   

's

What is the problem with using apostrophes?  If there is one punctuation error that feels to me like nails scratching on a chalkboard, this is the one.    Has grammar become completely obsolescent?  While I'm probably preaching to the choir, here is the rule:

I'm not using THIS bank

Use " 's"  when you want to show possession. For example:  "This is Stefanie's blog."  The apostrophe before the "s" shows that I own the blog.

Use no apostrophe when you want to show a plural. For example:  "There are two Stefanies sitting in the room."

What is so hard about that rule?  Why does most of the American population think they have to put an apostrophe before any "s"??  This drives me crazy.  And here's a double grammar whammy I just came across: "Heroe's in my life."  Don't even get me started on how wrong this one is.

Eek-from a sign painter, no less.

I guess teaching grammar went the same way as teaching cursive handwriting.  Excuse me, but what do they teach in school anymore besides teaching for the tests??

My Funny Spare Tire

Here is a funny story that says something about forgetfulness or playfulness or who knows what.

I love whimsical art and so I made a crocheted wheel cover for the spare tire that sits on the back of my SUV.  People laugh when they see it, so I figure my mission is accomplished.  One day, shortly after finishing the project, I decided that my car just had to get to the car wash.  So off I went to the unmanned car wash near the grocery store. There was no line, which delighted me, and I happily went through the 7 minute wash - I got the works - extra clear coat and all that stuff. 

As I was driving through the big blow dryer, I glanced in the rear view mirror and realized I had not taken the newly crocheted cover off the spare tire.  Knowing that it was probably sopping wet, I just drove on home, laughing all the way.  What did the folks driving behind me think when they saw this sagging mass of yarn dripping all over the road?  

When I got home and looked at it, it was hilarious - it reminded me of those days at the beach with young children when the bottom of their swim suits get filled with water and sand and just drag around.  I kept laughing as I removed the sopping mess and put it in the clothes dryer.  I was lucky - it came right back to shape after it dried.  

I had a good laugh at myself  that day .  Do you get to laugh at yourself on occasion.  It's good for the soul!

The Wall

I've done what happens to all writers.  I've run smack into a wall.  Can't think of thing I want to say,  even with so much going on in the world.  So here is a piece of my art to keep you tantalized until my writing urge returns.

Has My Time Passed? Or Is It My Lost Patience?

I like to learn new ways of doing things.  I seek out classes and videos and webinars to help me learn.  As a former teacher, I understand what good teaching is and I am disappointed more often than not with the classes and lectures I find. 

Here's an example.  I want to lean more about promoting my Etsy shop for my art.  I signed up for a class that was supposed to do this.  What I got was a very young social marketing fellow who has no idea how to teach or even where to start in the teaching process and it was just so much blah....blah....blah.  He jumped from topic to topic with no cohesion between subjects. I already get that I must "drive traffic" to my shop, but how to do that was a jumble of jargon and gobbledy-gook, not a well-thought out, step-by-step presentation.  

Just because there is a venue for getting the word out there does not mean every Tom, Dick and Harry is going to use it effectively. When I find the right presenter, I'll be in heaven. Or maybe I won't because the marketplace is geared to a youth population that already "gets" all the internet jargon.  Sigh...............has my time passed???

Who's in Charge?

Have you ever wondered why some people want someone else to make all the decisions for them and others want to do it all themselves?  There must be a difference in brain structure, I'd think. 

I'm one of those who likes to delve into the details of my projects and I usually don't want a standard, cookie cutter approach.  This brings extra aggravation, but it also brings a lot of satisfaction.  The problem is that the business world is set up to get things done the quickest way for the business, even though it's not always the best way for the buyer!  

But a little persistence usually gets the business to accommodate the customer.   I, for one, urge everyone to push a little harder on their goods and services providers and get exactly what they want!  It's much more fun that way. 

Which type are you?   Get it done the standard way, quickly?  Take more time, dig into the details, and get a more personalized product?  Either way works.  Maybe it's just a function of your brain wiring!!

Time Well Spent

At this age, every day is a new adventure, never knowing which bone will ache or what new symptom will occur. I've learned not to procrastinate.  If there is something I want to do, I do it NOW.  If there is a chore that needs to be done, it comes AFTER I do what I want to do.

 Life is way too short to spend it on chores and most of us have given too many hours to them over the years.  In my case, it's easy to decide what to do with my time because there is no one else living in my space whose need must be accommodated. There is a certain joy in knowing that every minute of time is my own to do with as I please.

The downside, of course, is that I don't always have someone to share the experiences with. And aging alone has its problematic side - but that is a whole other issue.  Your view on living alone may be very different if you never have. Do you consider it a good thing or would you dread the possibility?  

Talking Out of Both Sides of My Mouth

I have mixed feelings about the death penalty. I used to strongly favor it, but I'm not so sure anymore.  

My moral compass tells me that it is not right to take a life, even of a murderer. Wouldn't life in prison without possibility of parole be sound justice, so that the perpetrator has plenty of time to live with his/her crime? But  my sense of outrage over horrific crimes leads me to want "an eye for an eye" justice, not to mention it would save a lot of tax dollars used for housing criminals. 

It's a tough call, but I'm just not sure we have a right to take a life, even of a twisted monster.  Ah, but here's the rub.  Out of the other side of my mouth, I support first trimester abortion - and by some people's standards, this is "taking a life". I sure don't like  talking out of both sides of my mouth, but I haven't figured out how not to, as yet.  Are you conflicted, too?

Save the Children

What is going on in this world when children are abducted and held captive for the sexual pleasure of a deviant who rapes, beats, and starves them for becoming impregnated,  and then fools the world into thinking he's an all-around guy? It is sickening.

Life seems to have taken on a horrific tone and the media have contributed greatly to the problem.  Mental illness is escalating in serious proportions, or being noticed more, but there has to be a way to stop accidentally aggrandizing the actions of sick people while  keeping the main focus on how to keep our children safe.

John Walsh, whose own child was abducted and killed, is a real hero in my opinion. He works tirelessly at the grass roots level, finding ways to place the focus on the worth of the children while tracking down the deviants.  The media has it the other way round - they focus on the deviants - and the more disgusting the crime, the more attention they get.

I want society to take care of its children so things like this never happen again.  Am I just a dreamer?

Protecting Incompetence

Educator Rita Pierson, at a TED Talks Education event, said this:  "...where are our standards for educators?  Why do we allow incompetence to remain?  .........I am not aware of any corporate entity (other than schools) that passes incompetence around in a circle." 

To the contrary, Ms. Pierson, there is no lack of incompetence in corporations.  They feverishly pass failing executives around in a circle and incapable managers rise to their true level of inability, regularly.  Often, it's done to just get them out of the way.  Must you look any further than the recent finance industry mismanagement to see this happening all around you?

It's not a matter of seeking competence, rather a matter of covering mistakes.  Incompetents in any field are protected to avoid the embarrassing reality of poor hiring and unwarranted promotions.  It is easier to move personnel around or let staff become scapegoats than to correct a hiring error.

If you think that there is more incompetence in the field of education than in the corporate world, then you are not paying attention.  My sister always said the wheels of business are square. She's right.

Reality Check

 I read in a book recently that history is that which is agreed to by consent. It strikes me as both right and wrong, all at the same time, because the idea appears to negate that there is any reality other than perception.

I don't know if that is true but it sure makes me wonder what really happened in the past. Did events occur as I was taught?   Or were they simply a precarious conclusion based on the reporter's viewpoint? Until there is backward time travel, will we ever know?   Do we even know if our personal memories detail the real events or does our personal overlay cloud the truth, making it into something more tolerable?

My mother always told me I saw things that were not there, came to conclusions that were not real, remembered things that had not occurred.  Who's to say.

Round and Round We Go

My latest crochet wall hanging

We run around in circles trying to accomplish everyday things.  We make endless calls to companies trying to get our service needs met and we get empty apologies for poor service from robots reading scripts in far off Bangladesh; then nothing really changes.  One rep tells us one thing, another rep tells us the opposite. 

We are forced to cancel plans and wait around for hours for some tech to show up. Promises are made, little “preventive” service offered.  Except for occasionally, like today, when the service provider rewired my whole house “just because” he saw things that weren’t perfect. And he did a few things he wasn’t supposed to do, either.  Sh-h-h-h. I’ll never tell.

But really, what an exhausting cycle we are generally in.  Pay our bills, ask for the service we pay for, get much less than expected, fight to get the right thing done. Over and over in every area of our lives - communications or medical care or trade services. Everyone seems bent on cutting the corners – to the extent that the customer has no way of being satisfied.  What’s worse, we get so worn down that we are actually grateful for what little we do get, finally, except for that one worker, once in awhile, who makes us believers in the American work ethic again.

Round and round we go, in a spin, NOT lovin’ the spin we’re in.