Sheron Long's Blog, page 45
March 18, 2013
Seeing Things Differently: The Homeless Woman
A woman from a shelter in Lynchburg, Virginia, where residents are trained,
encouraged, and educated.
© Kelly Reece
I have passed the homeless women in my community many times. I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t thought much about them. That is, until I learned their stories.
A 77-year-old retired teacher. After educating our community’s children, when she could no longer work, she had nowhere left to go.
A 24-year-old new mom. If she can’t find a place to live, she will lose her baby.
A 70-year-old cancer victim. After chemotherapy, she crawls back into her tent in the park.
A private school graduate who owned a small local business. When the economy turned, she lost everything, including a place to live.
A 60-year-old who was a housekeeping supervisor at a prestigious resort. She never earned quite enough to save for retirement.
A...
March 14, 2013
Creative Expression Glows In a Crowdsourced Sunset
The day says adieu in this sunset over the Pacific Ocean in Cambria, California.
© Sheron Long
Shared Creativity
A few years back, standing with friends on the edge of the western world, I caught a glorious sunset in my lens. It was a moment of creative expression as we laughed at pelicans diving for dinner against the glow.
We were about to dive for dinner too, but first we each had to create a tasty dish. Then we feasted on our shared creativity, a kind of friend-sourced dinner.
At work this week, I collaborated on creating our free ebook—50 Dos and DON’Ts for Living and Laughing. The team lived through the arguments during photo selection (by applying some of the advice in the book), and we laughed a lot. When it was over, there was some of each of us in this team-sourced book.
Shared creativity has been a theme of my life, a great way to stay connected with...
March 11, 2013
What Seeds Vertical Farms? Creative Problem Solving!
Vegetables growing in water at The Plant, Chicago
© Plant Chicago, NFP/Rachel Swenie
How “The Plant” in Chicago Inspired Me
You may have heard that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Headed by John Edel, the team at The Plant in Chicago is putting this concept to work—in farming. Their creative problem solving is directed at achieving truly sustainable food production.
Housed in a former meatpacking plant building, The Plant is an indoor vertical farm with a closed-loop production model. How does it work?
Aquaponics
First, there is an aquaponics system which occupies one-third of the former factory. Fresh-water tilapia fish are raised in large tanks. The fish produce waste, which becomes watery fertilizer for the vegetable plants growing nearby in hydroponic beds. In absorbing the fertilizer, the plants clean the water, which is...
March 7, 2013
Secrets of Success on Leon Panetta’s Walnut Farm
Morning light on Leon Panetta’s walnut farm
© Robert Long
Welcome Home, Mr. Panetta
The morning light illuminates Leon Panetta’s walnut farm in his beloved Carmel Valley, a place as unpretentious as the man himself. Fences here are a little bent, a little rusted and hardly the type that you associate with the words “Department of Defense.”
Yet, this walnut farm was home to Panetta whenever he could leave Washington, where he most recently served as Secretary of Defense and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
As he said in a 2012 interview with 60 Minutes, “I always thought it was important to get out of Washington . . . to come back home and kind of get your humanity back.”
Home Is a Walnut Farm
Leon Panetta, a man with a smile
Leon Panetta’s accomplishments are well known. He has dedicated his life to public service, honoring his...
March 4, 2013
10 Cultural Do’s and Taboos: Chatting Around the World
It’s a good idea to know cultural taboos before you speak!
© Thinkstock
Hot (and Not So Hot) Topics
There are certain things you just shouldn’t talk about.
I’ve had a few Oh, I see moments around this—what is a culturally taboo topic in one place may not be in another. And, on the flip side, what is acceptable in one country, may be taboo in another. Sometimes it’s not until you’ve made the mistake that you learn the rules.
In some countries, including the United States, Indonesia, and Sierra Leone, asking adults about their age is generally considered taboo. In Vietnam, however, it is an important inquiry. The way you address someone older than you is different from how you address people younger than you.
“Are you married?” is a harmless question most places, but, in Afghanistan, it is considered rude to ask a woman...
February 28, 2013
Apps for Apes Point the Way to a Happier Life
What should we do today?
© Thinkstock
Making Choices Count
“What do you want to do today?”
“Dunno. How about you?”
“We could hang around for a while, then get something to eat.”
“That sounds good. But we do that everyday.”
“We could try that virtual drum app on the iPad.”
“Yeah, I like that one. Awesome rhythms.”
“Or the koi pond app. I love those shimmering fish swimming in the turquoise water. It’s relaxing. Even when I’m calm, though, I like to tap that screen and watch those koi scatter.”
“Bring on the iPads!”
This conversation could be among any group of friends. In fact, however, it’s how I imagine Bonnie, Kyle, and Iris start their day at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C.
They’re orangutans. And, like many others...
February 25, 2013
This Life Lesson Ain’t No Lie
Lies tend to catch up with you.
© Thinkstock
Have You Lied Today?
I did, even though one life lesson I’ve surely learned is: Don’t lie.
I was at this restaurant where the service was impossibly slow and the food mediocre. I had to go into the kitchen to summon the server and request my check. When she sauntered out and gave me the bill, she asked: How was everything? My answer: Fine.
No, it wasn’t! But it was easier to tell a little lie than to have a confrontation.
According to a 2010 research study (Serota, Levine, Boster), on average, adults lie 11 times a week. Consider the US adult population of about 240 million x 11 lies a week x 52 weeks a year. You can see where the math is headed—we had 137 billion lies floating around in 2012! That’s 261,187 lies per minute.
No surprise. Lies have been with us since ancient times:
...
February 21, 2013
Life Changing Moments: One Billion Rising in Paris
One Billion Rising in Paris
© Meredith Mullins
Stop Violence Against Women
A convergence of forces.
Start with . . .
An ongoing annual event on Valentine’s Day to stop violence against women and girls (organized since 1998 by Eve Ensler, women’s rights activist and creator of “The Vagina Monologues”).
Fuel it with . . .
Recent brutalities, including the gang rape of Jyoti Singh in India, the shooting of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, and the alledged gang rape of a young woman in Steubenville, Ohio, by members of the high school football team.
Punctuate it with . . .
A world cry that enough is enough.
Decide . . .
To make this year’s Valentine’s Day a global day of action.
Add . . .
Media momentum and star power (Jane Fonda, Anne Hathaway, Anoushka Shankar, Rosario Dawson, the prime ministers of Australia and...
February 18, 2013
Language Speaks Volumes About Cultural Differences
Language can reveal so much about the values and priorities in a culture. That’s why I love learning about different languages and discovering the richness of cultural differences. Perhaps Rita Mae Brown best described the connection between language and culture when she said:
Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.
One Thousand Names
What would you call this animal? To me, it is simply a reindeer.
There are 48 terms in the Northern Saami language for the shape of reindeer antlers.
© Thinkstock
People in Norway rely heavily on reindeer like this one for transportation as well as for food. Owners need to easily identify their animals. So the people have developed very precise language to talk about the animals.
Dr. Ole Henrik Magga reports that, in the Northern Saami language in Norway, there are...
February 14, 2013
Creative Ways To Say “I Love You”
The Marvelous Spatuletail and his elegant tail feathers.
© Crawford. H. Greenewalt/VIREO
Valentine Love Stories Reveal Life Lessons
How can you send a meaningful Valentine’s message in a memorable way?
Chocolates
Flowers
Romantic dinner
Soul-revealing poem
Champagne toast
A truthful pledge to your loved ones that you think about them every day and not just on the Hallmark holidays?
As you ponder how best to show your love on Valentine’s Day, we offer some wacky/weird love stories and “Oh, I see” moments—creative ways to say “I love you” from our feathered and spiny friends.
Are there life lessons here? Read on . . .
The Marvelous Spatuletail: Good Looks Aren’t Everything
The Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird really doesn’t need the word “marvelous” in his title at all. He just is. The...
