Easy Choice

The news today is filled with stories that are mostly frustrating and flabbergasting.

Locally, a high-profile group is about to fill an equally high-profile position with an individual who is not-yet certified for the position. The search to fill this position has appeared tainted from the start, which only serves to add to the impression that the members of this high-profile group are somewhat lacking in common sense and a sense of public stewardship.

The public cannot be surprised by this story.

Another local story profiles a publicly-held business whose bottom line seems more connected to the depths of local quarries than profits in any economically acceptable range. The leaders of this business have displayed the all-too-common traits associated with the me-first mantra heralded on Wall Street as of late.

Shame on them.

Another story that is capturing headlines these days details an online business that specializes in finding love interests for married people. The founder of this business portrays himself and his business as providing a 'safe' service for subscribers. He is unapologetic about his dating service's capability to act as a destructive element in marriages and families.

He says he can explain what he does for a living to his young children.

Right.

Now for the good news.

What an uplifting story about a local young man who suffered a recent spinal injury and is fighting back with all the strength and determination he can muster! His story will inspire many more people, young and old, than any of the adults alluded to in the previous paragraphs. He is truly a giant among us all.

Ancora imparo

Definably Related?

There are many pairs of words in our English language that appear so similar the reader has to look very carefully to ascertain the difference. A pair that came to my attention recently are Calvary and cavalry.

Curiously, word pairs seem to fall into one of two categories: Synonyms or antonyms. Calvary and cavalry, at first glance, may seem very dissimilar, but, after some morning reflection, I believe that a strong case can be made for a connection between the two words.

"Send in the cavalry!"

We've all heard this statement, often uttered in one of two ways: An urgent plea for help and assistance - usually related to a job-related disaster looming largely on the horizon; or, as in "I'll send in the cavalry" - usually associated with the same job-related disaster but the offer comes from someone observing the crash and burn about to happen. A hundred and fifty years or so ago, sending in the cavalry meant safety and security - depending on which end of the canyon you were located in.

Which brings me to Calvary.

In days of yore, when the Wild West was being won (or taken, depending on your viewpoint) AND today, if the cavalry doesn't arrive in time, Calvary may be right around the corner. Both are nouns that are symbols of safety and security. Bringing in the cavalry denotes responsibility, leadership, loyalty, faithfulness to a cause or group. Calvary signifies love, self-sacrifice, devotion, forgiveness and humility. Occasionally, you will hear a reader stumble over one of these words, accidentally mispronouncing one for the other.

Consider that these two words are more interchangeable than ever before imagined.

If we reach Calvary, is it because the cavalry rescued us?

Ancora imparo

The Benefits of Procrastination

Procrastination is highly undervalued in our society.

Unlike our financial nest eggs and investment, procrastination is about the only process these days that is collecting or growing anything.

For example, consider the act of procrastinating about doing the laundry.... or dishes, for that matter. The piles grow and grow, at a rate of return that would make the Federal Reserve green with envy and envy is the only green that banks are growing today.

If I procrastinate about cleaning my residence, I can increase the number of hours I have spent reading books or magazines.

Procrastination of pulling weeds and other noxious plants results in fewer sore backs for most of us.

Procrastination has resulted in great literary compositions. One of my favorite books, Gone With the Wind, saluted procrastination in its final scene. Scarlett O'Hara gave the herald call of all procrastinators when she uttered the words, "After all, tomorrow is another day."

So, here's saving all that can be saved for another day!

Ancora imparo

No Laughing Matter

You've heard me say before that part of my psyche was frozen at the middle school level. I'm convinced that is why I had such a heart for teaching middle school-aged students.

I'm also convinced that individuals who are in my subject area, music, are also actor-wannabees. The fact is, to be a middle-school teacher, one has to be part actor, philosopher, authority figure, sage, counselor, nutrition expert and clown - for without a sense of humor and love of the bizarre, you would never survive in today's middle school classroom.

With that said, I've been enjoying adopting a clown persona once a year for the past several years. It is a legitimate way to make a fool of myself! A friend of mine is a kindergarten teacher and each year her class puts on a circus, complete with acts, props, and..........a clown.

Enter me as the clown. This year I decided that my career as a clown needed an update. I needed a new face, costume, and attitude. I found a clowning mentor who took me under her wing and, this morning, we met for an instructional session.

I had no idea!

Clowning is serious business - pun intended.

I learned that there are books galore on the subject of clowning; I discovered that the props are endless; that miming is the most effective way for a clown to communicate; that the face is the 'piece de resistance'.

A large chunk of our time together today was spent on what face make-up to use and how to apply it. I was amazed at the tools needed and the application process required. Clown-facing goes way beyond slapping on some colors and walking out the door. I learned that applying my 'face' correctly will take well over an hour, if not longer.

The lesson has been given, the instructions written down, the tools purchased, and the props readied. Next comes the practice session. I hope that I am able to walk outside my house after removing the make-up. I wrote that down in red ink!

What I learned today is that clowning around is no laughing matter!

Ancora imparo

All Shapes, Sizes and Ages

I watched a village at work today.

This village consisted of children small, smaller, and slightly bigger. Assisting the children were many adults..........all young, of course. The adults were not afraid to wade into the water, so to speak. Some were actors, some prompted the children with lines, one led dancing, another directed, others made props and costumes - all so that the children could shine.

The entire village was engaged, from beginning to end. You could see nervous children, other children looked and sounded completely at ease. Beautiful faces and voices. Clear, confident voices, others less confident but still with a beauty that only can come from a child.

Confidence wasn't commensurate with age. Some great confidence and skill came from the youngest of the children. Prompting came from each other as well. They were all in the game together.

Vision, planning, more vision and planning, working, and practicing all came together this morning. I would imagine that most involved are breathing a huge sigh of relief at this time, although, somewhere, one of the children has said, "I wish it wasn't over! Let's do it again!"

Next year another village will.

Ancora imparo

Must It Be So Difficult?

We purged our residence and garage today of sensitive documents and hazardous waste materials. The collection process has been on-going for the past few weeks as we prepared, sorted, scoped-out, scooped out, and shoveled out - OK, maybe not shoveled out. This is a once-a-year task that seems to require a Papal dispensation and divine blessing to accomplish.

Ridding our files and drawers of out-dated, sensitive documents is a tedious task and it took my SO many hours to complete the chore. We are dedicated, daily shredders, dedicated to the point of.........well, let's just say that nothing gets sent,out of our home, in our local waste hauler's recycling bin that includes any sensitive, personal information, including name and address.

In order to save our cross-cut shredder from certain death due to over-exertion, we decided to take advantage of a community service, offered today by a local bank, to have documents professionally shredded by a gargantuan shredder, right before your eyes. Then it was on to a site where county residents can properly dispose of hazardous-waste materials. For us, this is about a forty-minute trek so it is a trip that is planned around other errands. Additionally, the drop-off location is only open one morning a week. It is an important service provided to county residents and one that is vital to our environment.

Here comes the title of today's post: Must it be so difficult to properly dispose of these materials? Oh, it is not difficult once you get there. The dedicated people who handle and collect the waste are highly efficient and any line of vehicles moves along quickly. My issue is the lack of readily available locations throughout the county. It is possible that the driving distance automatically ensures that many toxic substances go all-too-readily into garbage bags and into our landfills, or get dumped into drains that leach through septic fields or run into home drains connected directly to sewers.

If our local communities and their governing bodies are truly determined to become more environmentally conscious then let's provide more locations throughout our county where hazardous-waste materials and items can be safely disposed of.

If you build it, they will come.

Ancora imparo

Bedazzled

Last night my SO and I had the pleasure of attending a performance of "Riverdance".

"Riverdance" is in its final tour and our immediate geographic area was fortunate enough to have booked a three-night run. Not being familiar with the 'story line', we went expecting just a lot of Irish dancing.

Except, our expectations were way low and were infinitely exceeded.

I was blown away by the skills demonstrated by the small-but-mighty band, which consisted of five musicians: Keyboard/synthesizer, percussion, violin, soprano sax, and another man who played various Irish/ethnic instruments, the names of which I cannot fathom. These musicians played for well over two hours with nary a note of music before them. And this was not a performance of jazz improvisation where each performance will be slightly different. These dudes were accompanying dancers whose routines depend on accuracy and repetition - where each beat must be accounted for or dance routines will flounder and disaster will strike.

The fascinating percussionist was like most of the really good percussionists I have taught: Hyperactive and bordering on lunacy. He had a myriad of instruments to play and he moved through his 'area' as if he was powered by nitroglycerin. He bounced, he leaped, he jumped........he was a bundle of energy from beginning to end. He had the percussionist's ultimate dream - to have two dozen or more percussion instruments before him - and try to play them all within a three-minute window.

The dancers all appeared relatively young and their winnowy bodies moved with grace, agility, precision, incredible strength, and eye-popping speed. At times, just keeping track of their feet movements was all my human eye could manage.
The footwork was amazing, to say the least.

My SO and I did not realize that singers would also be present in the show, so we were thrilled to hear the superb vocals that were part of the story line. Each vocalist was spot-on but a stand-out was an African-American baritone. His part did not come until about the last third of the show and what a show-stopper he was. He was imposing in stature and vocal prowess. He could have sung for hours and I would never have tired of listening or watching.

A first-class evening from beginning to end, made possible by a wonderful lady named Diane. Thank you, Diane!

Ancora imparo