R.A. White's Blog, page 10
April 6, 2016
Changing the World
For more than a week, I've been pondering the following quote from Dean Koontz's novella, Final Hour, in which a young couple strives to stop a vicious murder:
'Those who wanted to change the world were certain to do great harm to it, while those who loved the world as they found it, those who shunned politics and theories, might discover in themselves a grace to match that of the sea; they might live a life that would be a beautiful line of calligraphy written not in ink, but in sunshine and mist, written in the wake carved in the water as you navigated the face of a wave, every trace of it gone with you when you left the planet, no stain or wreckage left behind.'
I would argue that people who truly love the world might leave it without wreckage or stain, but they won't leave it without a legacy. They will leave something behind; the results of their love and kindness will not go on with them, they will remain here as a testament of the power of good works done in humility for love's sake, rather than for change's sake.
When the agenda is change, people are lost in the shuffle and struggle, and the point of it all usually gets lost as well. But when we let go of our own designs and turn our attention to truly understanding the world and its peoples, to truly loving them instead of to 'fixing' them, we will in truth change them for the better in a profound way. In The Eighth Habit, Mr. Covey says when we try to fix people, try to solve their problems for them (my very loose paraphrase, but I'm listening to it on CD and it would be a booger to find the exact quote), we are taking away their power to do for themselves, and in 'providing' answers for them, we're only feeding their weakness. The point of this isn't that we should never give advice, but that maybe we should be giving gentle nudges of direction and encouragement, rather than laying out specific 'how to's.
This is something I have to change in myself, this impulse to fix people and solve their problems. It's so hard because as an unemotional bystander I can so clearly see what they should do! (And how very humble of me to think so.) But instead, I need to just love them without trying to change them. The fact is that they rarely do what I say they should, anyway, and even if they do, they aren't really changing, they're just following instructions. But if I love them, express my belief in them as people and encourage them to do right, my influence by love and example could very well be enough to lend them the strength they need to make changes for themselves.
Besides, not even God changes people without their desiring it; who do I think I am?
So, beginning today, I will strive to love without striving to change, to be nothing more than a friend and example of life lived fully, lovingly, powerfully and purposefully.
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'Those who wanted to change the world were certain to do great harm to it, while those who loved the world as they found it, those who shunned politics and theories, might discover in themselves a grace to match that of the sea; they might live a life that would be a beautiful line of calligraphy written not in ink, but in sunshine and mist, written in the wake carved in the water as you navigated the face of a wave, every trace of it gone with you when you left the planet, no stain or wreckage left behind.'
I would argue that people who truly love the world might leave it without wreckage or stain, but they won't leave it without a legacy. They will leave something behind; the results of their love and kindness will not go on with them, they will remain here as a testament of the power of good works done in humility for love's sake, rather than for change's sake.
When the agenda is change, people are lost in the shuffle and struggle, and the point of it all usually gets lost as well. But when we let go of our own designs and turn our attention to truly understanding the world and its peoples, to truly loving them instead of to 'fixing' them, we will in truth change them for the better in a profound way. In The Eighth Habit, Mr. Covey says when we try to fix people, try to solve their problems for them (my very loose paraphrase, but I'm listening to it on CD and it would be a booger to find the exact quote), we are taking away their power to do for themselves, and in 'providing' answers for them, we're only feeding their weakness. The point of this isn't that we should never give advice, but that maybe we should be giving gentle nudges of direction and encouragement, rather than laying out specific 'how to's.
This is something I have to change in myself, this impulse to fix people and solve their problems. It's so hard because as an unemotional bystander I can so clearly see what they should do! (And how very humble of me to think so.) But instead, I need to just love them without trying to change them. The fact is that they rarely do what I say they should, anyway, and even if they do, they aren't really changing, they're just following instructions. But if I love them, express my belief in them as people and encourage them to do right, my influence by love and example could very well be enough to lend them the strength they need to make changes for themselves.
Besides, not even God changes people without their desiring it; who do I think I am?
So, beginning today, I will strive to love without striving to change, to be nothing more than a friend and example of life lived fully, lovingly, powerfully and purposefully.
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March 29, 2016
Shine
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
I may have posted this poem before, but I was listening to The Eighth Habit and heard this quoted in it. To me, it's a wonderful description of true humility, not thinking any more or less of oneself than is accurate.
Shine on!
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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
I may have posted this poem before, but I was listening to The Eighth Habit and heard this quoted in it. To me, it's a wonderful description of true humility, not thinking any more or less of oneself than is accurate.
Shine on!
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March 21, 2016
News and Trooper Stories
Hi, everyone! This is my first time visiting the computer in about a week... Funny how being on vacation can make it harder to do leisurely things like check email and blog, but of course I wouldn't trade it.
My family will be moving to Florida in May, which is more or less a dream come true, so we're super excited and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get packing. There's the melancholy aspect to it all, too, leaving friends, well trusted healthcare professionals, a great library, and all the fun festivals... But I'm more than ready for a change of climate and new adventures.
All these changes and traveling have totally thrown off my writing schedule, so it's hard to say how faithfully I'll be blogging and working on AQ for the next couple of months, but I'll make a real effort.
In reward for reading the previous paragraphs, I have a funny for you:
We had just ridden a fast, roller coaster type ride at one of the Disney parks, where you sit in what appears to be a race car. At the end, Trooper said, "I wanna keep this car!"
"No, you can't honey, it belongs to the park."
"Oh." His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Is that OK if I borrow it?"
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My family will be moving to Florida in May, which is more or less a dream come true, so we're super excited and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get packing. There's the melancholy aspect to it all, too, leaving friends, well trusted healthcare professionals, a great library, and all the fun festivals... But I'm more than ready for a change of climate and new adventures.
All these changes and traveling have totally thrown off my writing schedule, so it's hard to say how faithfully I'll be blogging and working on AQ for the next couple of months, but I'll make a real effort.
In reward for reading the previous paragraphs, I have a funny for you:
We had just ridden a fast, roller coaster type ride at one of the Disney parks, where you sit in what appears to be a race car. At the end, Trooper said, "I wanna keep this car!"
"No, you can't honey, it belongs to the park."
"Oh." His eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Is that OK if I borrow it?"
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March 3, 2016
Creativity Has Many Faces...
…and one of them is yours.
I was mulling over the idea of creativity, how it manifests in so many ways, and how leaving it unexpressed can feel as frustrating as going without eating when someone has just pulled a pan of brownies out of the oven.
There have been times in my life where I was long on experience and short on expression, and I found myself increasingly antsy, to the point of tears at times. I remember coming across a piano and spending half an hour playing it even though the keys were out of tune, and even though I don't play the piano, just because I needed an outlet and hadn't found a good one.
Something I often say around here is, "We are not destructive people, we are creative people." I dare say that we ALL are creative people, even those of us who pride ourselves on math skills and claim not to have a creative bone in our bodies. Creativity has many faces, and one of them is yours whether you know it or not.
You have to keep in mind that creation is not limited to 'the arts'. I'd say any form of production that engages the mind or heart is also creation. Mindlessly plugging numbers into a graph isn't creation, but putting together a spreadsheet could very well be, just as clipping together pieces in a factory is mindless earning, but building a machine or structure almost certainly involves creative thinking. In the same way, hoeing rows is probably not creative, but planning and caring for a garden is creativity at its best.
I've dabbled in drawing, painting, various crafts, cooking, gardening, and parenting, and all have proven to be functional releases for me, but so far at least, nothing has compared to writing. More specifically, writing books. Blogging is fun, and occasionally even challenging, but writing a 200,000 word novel and making it 'work' is exactly what my little brain needs to keep it healthy and happy.
But why do we feel this need to produce, to create? And why do we intuitively know that when someone becomes a destroyer through killing, bombing, sabotaging relationships or reputations, throwing bottles out the window, or whatever it may be, that there is something wrong with them? That they didn't make a mistake, but they're fundamentally messed up?
It's because we're here to make the world a better place, not to ruin it. It's in our very nature.
Now, I rarely write directly about spiritual ideas on this blog, but in this case I can't even see a way around it. Those who reject spirituality will disagree, of course, but I firmly believe that all creativity is a form of spirituality, even if sometimes it may be misused or misguided. I believe that we have been blessed with a small portion of the Creator's spark, and that when we create we are doing a vital part of what we were made to do. When that spark is smothered, for whatever reason, we feel the same frustration of a cat that can't hunt, a horse that can't run, a bird that can't sing. Because it's who we are. When we destroy, whether it be violence or a hurtful word, we're acting out of a wrongness, a wrongness that not only hurts others, but further destroys our potential for peace with ourselves and the world around us.
Sometimes being creative can be scary. After all, creativity only counts if it's an addition to the world, and that means that someone or something must in some way be impacted by it. This leaves us open to potential criticism or 'failure'. But please don't let that stop you. Find your best avenues for creativity. Pursue them actively and with the knowledge that it won't be easy, but that it's your obligation--your calling.
I'm interested to learn how you create, whether it be in a traditionally recognized way or otherwise. Please share in the comments.
Subscribe.
I was mulling over the idea of creativity, how it manifests in so many ways, and how leaving it unexpressed can feel as frustrating as going without eating when someone has just pulled a pan of brownies out of the oven.
There have been times in my life where I was long on experience and short on expression, and I found myself increasingly antsy, to the point of tears at times. I remember coming across a piano and spending half an hour playing it even though the keys were out of tune, and even though I don't play the piano, just because I needed an outlet and hadn't found a good one.
Something I often say around here is, "We are not destructive people, we are creative people." I dare say that we ALL are creative people, even those of us who pride ourselves on math skills and claim not to have a creative bone in our bodies. Creativity has many faces, and one of them is yours whether you know it or not.
You have to keep in mind that creation is not limited to 'the arts'. I'd say any form of production that engages the mind or heart is also creation. Mindlessly plugging numbers into a graph isn't creation, but putting together a spreadsheet could very well be, just as clipping together pieces in a factory is mindless earning, but building a machine or structure almost certainly involves creative thinking. In the same way, hoeing rows is probably not creative, but planning and caring for a garden is creativity at its best.
I've dabbled in drawing, painting, various crafts, cooking, gardening, and parenting, and all have proven to be functional releases for me, but so far at least, nothing has compared to writing. More specifically, writing books. Blogging is fun, and occasionally even challenging, but writing a 200,000 word novel and making it 'work' is exactly what my little brain needs to keep it healthy and happy.
But why do we feel this need to produce, to create? And why do we intuitively know that when someone becomes a destroyer through killing, bombing, sabotaging relationships or reputations, throwing bottles out the window, or whatever it may be, that there is something wrong with them? That they didn't make a mistake, but they're fundamentally messed up?
It's because we're here to make the world a better place, not to ruin it. It's in our very nature.
Now, I rarely write directly about spiritual ideas on this blog, but in this case I can't even see a way around it. Those who reject spirituality will disagree, of course, but I firmly believe that all creativity is a form of spirituality, even if sometimes it may be misused or misguided. I believe that we have been blessed with a small portion of the Creator's spark, and that when we create we are doing a vital part of what we were made to do. When that spark is smothered, for whatever reason, we feel the same frustration of a cat that can't hunt, a horse that can't run, a bird that can't sing. Because it's who we are. When we destroy, whether it be violence or a hurtful word, we're acting out of a wrongness, a wrongness that not only hurts others, but further destroys our potential for peace with ourselves and the world around us.
Sometimes being creative can be scary. After all, creativity only counts if it's an addition to the world, and that means that someone or something must in some way be impacted by it. This leaves us open to potential criticism or 'failure'. But please don't let that stop you. Find your best avenues for creativity. Pursue them actively and with the knowledge that it won't be easy, but that it's your obligation--your calling.
I'm interested to learn how you create, whether it be in a traditionally recognized way or otherwise. Please share in the comments.
Subscribe.
February 21, 2016
The Boogey Man
In the past, both recent and far off, people have commented about us being good parents on this blog and in person. This set of stories may twist your thoughts on that, at least a little, but I thought it was entertaining enough to warrant the risk.
1.
A couple weeks ago, Trooper was giving me grief about getting ready for nap when the phone rang. I answered and spoke to whoever it was for a moment, and then hung up.
"Who was it?" Trooper asked. "Who was it? Who was it?" He consistently asks me this question when I'm on the phone, and sometimes it drives me a little crazy.
"It was the boogey man," I replied. "He heard that you aren't listening, so he's going to come over and 'take care of you'."
"The boogey man? He's coming here?"
"Yeah, you just aren't listening to me, so he's coming."
"I don't want him to come here."
"Well, then you better get yourself together."
Now let me take a break to explain that we've never talked about the boogey man before. I'm really not sure what Trooper was visualizing, or what he thought it might mean for him.
So, a minute after I told Trooper about the boogey man, I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth waiting for him to get on the toilette. I noticed him coming into the room, but I was focused on looking at my teeth in the mirror and wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.
Thud.
I looked over, and there was Trooper pulling the laundry basket in front of the bathroom door, which he had already locked. "What are you doing?" I asked, absolutely confused by his behavior.
"I'm keeping out the boogey man." He didn't seem scared. His tone was matter of fact, his expression unworried as he shoved the basket snuggly against the bottom of the door.
"Well, maybe you should just go potty and get in bed before he gets here. That would work better."
Minutes later Trooper was in bed and hooked up for sleep. I went into the living room, dialed my home phone from my cell phone, let it ring, and then hung up. Then I walked down the hall to his room with the home phone to my ear. "Yes, this is Becca," I said. "Yes. Yes, he's in bed now. Well, he's being pretty quiet." I covered the mouth piece and looked at Trooper, who was watching with intense attention. "Are you being quiet now?" I whispered. He nodded, so I returned my attention to the phone. "Yes, he's being quiet. No, I don't think you need to come. Thank you though. Maybe next time." I pushed the 'off' button on the already silent phone.
"Who was that?" Trooper asked, though I'm sure he already knew.
"The boogey man. He's not coming since you're already in bed."
Trooper smiled, and I could see that he was trying to decide if he thought this whole thing was for real or not. My feeling is, let him keep wondering. We joke like this all the time, so he certainly isn't just going to assume that the boogey man (and what is that, anyway?) is real. But as long as he thinks it's possible…
2.
Just last week when Grandma was here, Trooper was in his bed for nap, but still not sleeping, and I went in to settle him down. "Why are you still awake?" I asked, knowing it was because he didn't want to miss out on the action.
"I had a bad dream," he said with a sad face.
"But you haven't gone to sleep yet, so you couldn't have had a bad dream."
Oops, got me! His face said. Out loud he said, "But I'm scared."
"Well, you don't have to be scared, because we're right out in the living room."
"But what about the boogey man?"
"If the boogey man comes to get you, I'll stop him."
"You'll stop him?"
"Yep, I'll stop him with my super-mommy powers."
The manufactured fear washed from his face, leaving nothing but incredulity. "Are you teasing me?"
Are you teasing me? Seriously? The boogey man is believable, Santa Claus is believable, my talking with the boogey man on the phone is believable, even my stopping the boogey man is believable. But super-mommy powers are going too far? How on earth does he think we're both still breathing at the end of the day if there aren't super-mommy powers? Kids these days, no concept of the difference between fiction and reality.
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1.
A couple weeks ago, Trooper was giving me grief about getting ready for nap when the phone rang. I answered and spoke to whoever it was for a moment, and then hung up.
"Who was it?" Trooper asked. "Who was it? Who was it?" He consistently asks me this question when I'm on the phone, and sometimes it drives me a little crazy.
"It was the boogey man," I replied. "He heard that you aren't listening, so he's going to come over and 'take care of you'."
"The boogey man? He's coming here?"
"Yeah, you just aren't listening to me, so he's coming."
"I don't want him to come here."
"Well, then you better get yourself together."
Now let me take a break to explain that we've never talked about the boogey man before. I'm really not sure what Trooper was visualizing, or what he thought it might mean for him.
So, a minute after I told Trooper about the boogey man, I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth waiting for him to get on the toilette. I noticed him coming into the room, but I was focused on looking at my teeth in the mirror and wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.
Thud.
I looked over, and there was Trooper pulling the laundry basket in front of the bathroom door, which he had already locked. "What are you doing?" I asked, absolutely confused by his behavior.
"I'm keeping out the boogey man." He didn't seem scared. His tone was matter of fact, his expression unworried as he shoved the basket snuggly against the bottom of the door.
"Well, maybe you should just go potty and get in bed before he gets here. That would work better."
Minutes later Trooper was in bed and hooked up for sleep. I went into the living room, dialed my home phone from my cell phone, let it ring, and then hung up. Then I walked down the hall to his room with the home phone to my ear. "Yes, this is Becca," I said. "Yes. Yes, he's in bed now. Well, he's being pretty quiet." I covered the mouth piece and looked at Trooper, who was watching with intense attention. "Are you being quiet now?" I whispered. He nodded, so I returned my attention to the phone. "Yes, he's being quiet. No, I don't think you need to come. Thank you though. Maybe next time." I pushed the 'off' button on the already silent phone.
"Who was that?" Trooper asked, though I'm sure he already knew.
"The boogey man. He's not coming since you're already in bed."
Trooper smiled, and I could see that he was trying to decide if he thought this whole thing was for real or not. My feeling is, let him keep wondering. We joke like this all the time, so he certainly isn't just going to assume that the boogey man (and what is that, anyway?) is real. But as long as he thinks it's possible…
2.
Just last week when Grandma was here, Trooper was in his bed for nap, but still not sleeping, and I went in to settle him down. "Why are you still awake?" I asked, knowing it was because he didn't want to miss out on the action.
"I had a bad dream," he said with a sad face.
"But you haven't gone to sleep yet, so you couldn't have had a bad dream."
Oops, got me! His face said. Out loud he said, "But I'm scared."
"Well, you don't have to be scared, because we're right out in the living room."
"But what about the boogey man?"
"If the boogey man comes to get you, I'll stop him."
"You'll stop him?"
"Yep, I'll stop him with my super-mommy powers."
The manufactured fear washed from his face, leaving nothing but incredulity. "Are you teasing me?"
Are you teasing me? Seriously? The boogey man is believable, Santa Claus is believable, my talking with the boogey man on the phone is believable, even my stopping the boogey man is believable. But super-mommy powers are going too far? How on earth does he think we're both still breathing at the end of the day if there aren't super-mommy powers? Kids these days, no concept of the difference between fiction and reality.
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February 16, 2016
It's a Turkey!
1.
Trooper: Mom, are you going to wear your boots?
Me: Yeah, I'll wear them.
Trooper: Just don't wear them with your sweatpants. People will be like, oh, terrible.
2.
Me: Trooper, what did you just put in there?
Trooper: A battery. It was old, so I put it in the battery box.
Me: OK, thank you.
Trooper: It has to go to electronics recycling.
Me: Trooper, you are just so cute. Come over here and give me a hug and a kiss.
Trooper: What? I have busy things to do.
As he empties out the shoe box of all the random things that have fallen in, along with all the shoes. Amazingly, he threw away all the trash, vacuumed out the box, and put all the shoes back. He reminded me of myself, starting a simple project like looking for a pair of sneakers and letting it turn into a twenty minute ordeal.
3.
Grandma and Trooper were watching an animal video, talking about the animals they saw, and right as Jonathan came in from work, Grandma said, "Look, it's a turkey!"
"That's not a turkey!" Trooper said with indignation, "that's my dad!"
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Trooper: Mom, are you going to wear your boots?
Me: Yeah, I'll wear them.
Trooper: Just don't wear them with your sweatpants. People will be like, oh, terrible.
2.
Me: Trooper, what did you just put in there?
Trooper: A battery. It was old, so I put it in the battery box.
Me: OK, thank you.
Trooper: It has to go to electronics recycling.
Me: Trooper, you are just so cute. Come over here and give me a hug and a kiss.
Trooper: What? I have busy things to do.
As he empties out the shoe box of all the random things that have fallen in, along with all the shoes. Amazingly, he threw away all the trash, vacuumed out the box, and put all the shoes back. He reminded me of myself, starting a simple project like looking for a pair of sneakers and letting it turn into a twenty minute ordeal.
3.
Grandma and Trooper were watching an animal video, talking about the animals they saw, and right as Jonathan came in from work, Grandma said, "Look, it's a turkey!"
"That's not a turkey!" Trooper said with indignation, "that's my dad!"
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February 7, 2016
But I Might Get Kidnapped!
Oh, man, there are some great stories this week. Read On.
1.
I had Trooper and his friend searching the house for things that start with the letter 'd', and pretty soon they had run out of ideas. By 'they' I mean Trooper's friend, because I'm pretty sure Trooper hadn't come up with anything. So I decided to give him some hints. "Trooper, what's walking around here that's white and furry, and starts with 'd'?"
"Um, Alethea!"
"Well, Alethea starts with 'a', but what is she? That starts with 'd'."
"Oh, dog!"
"That's right! I have one more idea." I briefly thought about the best way to hint at the word 'door'. "We have something here that's white and kind of tall, and starts with 'd'. What do you think it is?"
He thought for a minute. "Dad!"
2.
Me: While you're eating breakfast, I'll practice my songs.
Trooper: Oh, The Star Bagel?
Me: No, The Star Spangled Banner.
3. I Might Get Kidnapped
3.a
Trooper: The fed ex guy is coming!
Me: OK, go answer the door.
Trooper: I can't!
Me: Why not?
Trooper: I might get kidnapped!
3.b
We were at this awesome little store called Produce Junction where you have to wait in long lines to get your produce, but where it's really cheap and quality is good. I said, "Trooper, you wait here with the cart while I go find the food so we'll be far up in the line by the time I'm done shopping."
"No, mom, I don't wanna stay here."
"You'll be fine, just stay right behind this man and don't lose our place."
"No, you stay here!"
"If I stay here we won't get our food, and if you get out of line, we'll lose out place." I looked back at the growing line behind us, and knew it would add quite a bit of time if we left our spot. The woman directly after us seemed amused by our conversation, but I did my best to ignore the audience. "Just stay right behind this man," I said. "And when he moves forward, you move forward, but make sure you don't run into him."
"But Mom!"
"Trooper, please just do it. It'll save us a lot of time." I knew I couldn't really MAKE him stay, and I certainly wouldn't be able to stop him from running someone over if I wasn't there.
Finally, he rolled his eyes and huffed, "I'm gonna get kidnapped."
3.c
Jonathan left Trooper out in the car for about four minutes today (in safe weather, where he could see him from the store window, with locked doors) because Trooper didn't want to get out of his car seat just to run something inside. When Jonathan returned, Trooper told him this story:
"Dad, while you were gone, a man in a truck almost kidnapped me and put me in a cage!"
It could be a faze, but I'm hoping all those lectures about safety are actually sinking in.
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1.
I had Trooper and his friend searching the house for things that start with the letter 'd', and pretty soon they had run out of ideas. By 'they' I mean Trooper's friend, because I'm pretty sure Trooper hadn't come up with anything. So I decided to give him some hints. "Trooper, what's walking around here that's white and furry, and starts with 'd'?"
"Um, Alethea!"
"Well, Alethea starts with 'a', but what is she? That starts with 'd'."
"Oh, dog!"
"That's right! I have one more idea." I briefly thought about the best way to hint at the word 'door'. "We have something here that's white and kind of tall, and starts with 'd'. What do you think it is?"
He thought for a minute. "Dad!"
2.
Me: While you're eating breakfast, I'll practice my songs.
Trooper: Oh, The Star Bagel?
Me: No, The Star Spangled Banner.
3. I Might Get Kidnapped
3.a
Trooper: The fed ex guy is coming!
Me: OK, go answer the door.
Trooper: I can't!
Me: Why not?
Trooper: I might get kidnapped!
3.b
We were at this awesome little store called Produce Junction where you have to wait in long lines to get your produce, but where it's really cheap and quality is good. I said, "Trooper, you wait here with the cart while I go find the food so we'll be far up in the line by the time I'm done shopping."
"No, mom, I don't wanna stay here."
"You'll be fine, just stay right behind this man and don't lose our place."
"No, you stay here!"
"If I stay here we won't get our food, and if you get out of line, we'll lose out place." I looked back at the growing line behind us, and knew it would add quite a bit of time if we left our spot. The woman directly after us seemed amused by our conversation, but I did my best to ignore the audience. "Just stay right behind this man," I said. "And when he moves forward, you move forward, but make sure you don't run into him."
"But Mom!"
"Trooper, please just do it. It'll save us a lot of time." I knew I couldn't really MAKE him stay, and I certainly wouldn't be able to stop him from running someone over if I wasn't there.
Finally, he rolled his eyes and huffed, "I'm gonna get kidnapped."
3.c
Jonathan left Trooper out in the car for about four minutes today (in safe weather, where he could see him from the store window, with locked doors) because Trooper didn't want to get out of his car seat just to run something inside. When Jonathan returned, Trooper told him this story:
"Dad, while you were gone, a man in a truck almost kidnapped me and put me in a cage!"
It could be a faze, but I'm hoping all those lectures about safety are actually sinking in.
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February 4, 2016
Diverse Early Chapter Books
Miss Dot mentioned that her daughter teaches third grade and has been trying to find diverse books for her class. Well, a friend shared this link with me a while back, and I thought I'd share it here for those of you (especially Miss Dot!) who are looking for books for slightly older children.
Click here.
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January 31, 2016
Diverse Books for Children
These diverse books were written for children, but many of them taught me things I didn't know or had forgotten, so they're worth looking through!Maybe they'll inspire you to study something at an adult level :).
Now that Trooper is getting older, many of these books are longer, with more words to a page. As always, an asterisk marks a favorite:
Mama, I'll Give You the World by Roni Schotter. A girl does something special for her depressed mother.
Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport. Shante saves the day with black-peas.
Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by Doreen Rappaport. A children's book hitting some of the highlights of Dr. King's life.
*An Apple for Harriet Tubman, by Glennette Tilley Turner. The story of an Underground Railroad conductor. The details of this story were amazing and surprising to me.
*Doo-Wop Pop, by Roni Schotter. Some 'uncool' kids learn to sing Doo Wop from the school janitor. We read this several times and Trooper loved it.
A Picture Book of Jesse Owens, by David A. Adler. Great art work and amazing story, would be especially great for kids who are into sports.
Mohandas Gandhi; a Life of Integrity, by Sheila Rivera. The interesting story of an amazing man. In another book, we learned that Dr. King studied Gandhi when we was figuring out the way to lead the civil rights movement in the U.S.
*Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, by Mark Buehner. This book is pure fun and imagination. We read it several times.
Hooray! A pinata!, by Eliza Klevin. Cute story about kids and pinatas.
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Now that Trooper is getting older, many of these books are longer, with more words to a page. As always, an asterisk marks a favorite:
Mama, I'll Give You the World by Roni Schotter. A girl does something special for her depressed mother.
Shante Keys and the New Year's Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport. Shante saves the day with black-peas.
Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by Doreen Rappaport. A children's book hitting some of the highlights of Dr. King's life.
*An Apple for Harriet Tubman, by Glennette Tilley Turner. The story of an Underground Railroad conductor. The details of this story were amazing and surprising to me.
*Doo-Wop Pop, by Roni Schotter. Some 'uncool' kids learn to sing Doo Wop from the school janitor. We read this several times and Trooper loved it.
A Picture Book of Jesse Owens, by David A. Adler. Great art work and amazing story, would be especially great for kids who are into sports.
Mohandas Gandhi; a Life of Integrity, by Sheila Rivera. The interesting story of an amazing man. In another book, we learned that Dr. King studied Gandhi when we was figuring out the way to lead the civil rights movement in the U.S.
*Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, by Mark Buehner. This book is pure fun and imagination. We read it several times.
Hooray! A pinata!, by Eliza Klevin. Cute story about kids and pinatas.
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January 25, 2016
Alonca's Quest
I'm feeling a little nervous about this third book. For those of you out there who are looking forward to reading Alonca's Quest, I don't mean to discourage you from having high hopes. I'm just confessing to a few insecurities.
The story is starting to culminate, with the final tensions in place and the characters set on the paths they'll take to the end, and I'm worried that it won't live up to the first part of the book. My goal is for the conclusion to be more satisfying than that of Kings of the Red Shell, but I can't help feeling that I'll fall short. This is probably all just self-conscious jitters, and I have people reading who will be able to tell me if it needs a rework so it's worthy of your time and pocket change when it's finally published, but I'm still nervous. What if it's cheesy? What if I mess up the fight scenes? What if I'm missing some major plot hole and fixing it will create the need for a massive rewrite and it takes another year to get the story ready for beta readers? Too many doubts, people. The outline is promising, but I have this fear that I won't be able to pull it off.
There's only one thing to be done, I suppose: suck it up and get writing. The worst that could happen isn't an ending less awesome than I want, the worst that could happen is it not happening, and living the rest of my life with 5/6 of a novel on my laptop. Even worse, I already bought the cover, and it's such a lovely cover, I'd hate not to use it.
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The story is starting to culminate, with the final tensions in place and the characters set on the paths they'll take to the end, and I'm worried that it won't live up to the first part of the book. My goal is for the conclusion to be more satisfying than that of Kings of the Red Shell, but I can't help feeling that I'll fall short. This is probably all just self-conscious jitters, and I have people reading who will be able to tell me if it needs a rework so it's worthy of your time and pocket change when it's finally published, but I'm still nervous. What if it's cheesy? What if I mess up the fight scenes? What if I'm missing some major plot hole and fixing it will create the need for a massive rewrite and it takes another year to get the story ready for beta readers? Too many doubts, people. The outline is promising, but I have this fear that I won't be able to pull it off.
There's only one thing to be done, I suppose: suck it up and get writing. The worst that could happen isn't an ending less awesome than I want, the worst that could happen is it not happening, and living the rest of my life with 5/6 of a novel on my laptop. Even worse, I already bought the cover, and it's such a lovely cover, I'd hate not to use it.
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