M.J. Compton's Blog, page 37
March 1, 2018
Music in Our Schools
A co-worker, speaking of her daughter, once said: “It’s only band.” As in, “it’s not as important as <>.” I was livid. It’s that kind of attitude that’s behind funding cuts for arts in the public schools–funding cuts that that aren’t as deep when it comes to athletics. All students […]
February 26, 2018
#UpbeatAuthors: Gratitude
When TV Stevie and I first got married, we started sharing “one good thing” before we ate supper each night. As our family grew (and became verbal), the children joined us in the sharing. It is as automatic as breathing for us to say, when we sit for our evening meal, “My one good thing […]
February 22, 2018
Childhood Treasures
Who remembers S&H Green Stamps? They’re still around, but they now call themselves S&H Greenpoints. For uninitiated, they were given away as “value added” at service (gas) stations, supermarkets and so on. The more one spent, the more stamps one earned. One then pasted them into little books. The books could be redeemed for merchandise. […]
February 19, 2018
Be Kind to Your Mind
The brain needs new challenges in order to keep learning and adapting. Here are a few ideas, ranging from the simple to ones that require a bit more investment. Jumpstart your brain by rearranging your desk drawers driving to work via a different route. Challenge your mind with stimulating activities such as: puzzles brain teasers […]
February 15, 2018
Bread Bags
I have recently taken to wearing plastic bags inside my snow boots. They make the boots easier to get on and they add a layer of insulation. Someone, when they saw me doing this, cracked: “You need Wonderbread bags, not grocery bags, like we used when we were kids.” Except in my family, we didn’t […]
February 12, 2018
What is Love?
People have been chasing love forever. This guy, Ovid, has most of the tricks in his book, which was written 2AD. Just ask this guy. Which is all fine and well if seduction and sex is all you’re looking for. But I think our culture too often confuses sex with love. My faith teaches that […]
February 8, 2018
House Proud
Many years ago, when I was a single, career-minded young woman, I read an article in Cosmopolitan magazine that changed my life. No, not a piece of the “how to satisfy your man” ilk. “How to Be House-Proud” by Rita Barnett struck such a deep chord in me, I cut out the article and re-read every […]
February 5, 2018
Helping Others
My Day Job has come up with an interesting way to encourage employee giving: wearing jeans to work. Every home game for one of the local university’s men’s basketball team, donate $2 to a specific charity, employees can wear jeans and university logo clothing to work. Donate at a certain level to the Thanksgiving Turkey […]
February 1, 2018
If You Should Stumble…
It’s National Get Up Day. No, not Roll Out of Bed and Slog into Life Day, but Get Up as in should you stumble, climb to your feet and keep trying. The day originally started for figure skaters: if you fall, get up. As their website says: We never know when our efforts to seek a goal […]
January 29, 2018
Generosity
This week’s #UpbeatAuthors topic is generosity. One of the many things I love about being an #UpbeatAuthor is that when I find the topic particularly difficult or elusive, I research it and can frequently come to a new understanding and fresh insights. That’s what happened with this topic. I learned my faith has a tradition […]
