R.I.P.

I must be a freak, or at the very least, an unsympathetic jerk! I feel no great loss with Michael Jackson's passing!

Sure, the guy was a gifted musician and dancer. That fact is undisputable.

But, for me, Jackson's unsavory appetite for young boys and subsequent molestation accusations--trump all his entertainment value. The outcome of his two trials--one, a plea bargain pay-out, the other, an acquittal--left only more questions than answers.

The occasional documentaries featuring Michael Jackson, in his own words, only cemented my belief that true life is (often!) stranger than fiction. Understandably, instant fame at a very young age can and does wreak havoc. Only those with the strongest support systems seem able to supersede the obvious obstacles.

Cast early on as 'superhuman entertainer' undoubtedly gave Michael Jackson a distorted view of 'real life'. That mantel, coupled with an unrelenting father/manager, set the stage for a surreal life that played out instead.

But no amount of celebrity, no matter how stratospheric, can negate underlying smarminess or history.

In the final analysis, Jackson was a victim of his own imagination--however great it may have been.

Who Cares?

Facebook, Schmacebook! Twitter, Schmitter!

I love my computer and the Internet as much as the next guy with one exception: personal network sites. In fact, I just don't get it! If that makes me sound old or hopelessly insignificant, so be it!

I can only surmise that those who maintain Facebook pages must have an unlimited amount of free time! Or perhaps they do so on someone else'$ clock! At any rate, who really cares--except maybe our loved ones--about our every move throughout the day?

Knowing how much time is frittered away checking and replying to email--let alone surfing the 'net--I can't imagine taking it to the next level. With unlimited knowledge and information, search engines can satisfy our every query. It isn't necessary to turn to strangers, er, I mean, "friends" to fill in the blanks.

Whosoever has a knack for turning words into prose can keep an online journal. But if I take time to read a blog, I hope to learn something new or come away with deeper insight...because Time, Sweet, Time is a luxury, a commodity, our most precious asset and a finite entity. So, I don't wish to 'twitter' mine away on mindless chatter.

I suppose if you're a wealthy celebrity like Ashton Kutcher, you have the luxury to waste time. Ultimately, I believe it's an ego trip for those who rack up the most online friends, wins. Can somebody tell me what?

Far as I can tell, they win the top spot for sucking the most time out the largest number of people.

No thanks!

Everyday Epiphanies

I always knew I didn't want any...even though that niggling question remained:

"Would I someday live to regret that decision?" Yet, from very early on, I grew up knowing I didn't want to have children.

Recently, I got the opportunity to find out about "little people", first-hand, by teaching an hour-long, after-school art class to elementary kids.

Whoa! What a reality check! I had no idea! I've lived more than a half century completely clueless about the nature of children until I starting teaching them.

Needy. Whiny. Challenging. & Demanding. Those four adjectives struck me initially as I juggled the personalities of 6 little girls from second through fifth grade.

One smarty-pants. One goth-in-the-making. One sweet little sister. One needy whiny. One giggling silly. One easy breezy. Clearly, I had my hands full!

For only one hour a week, these kids challenged my every word. They didn't miss a beat. They called me on everything! A friend who tried to console me afterwards said, "It means they're paying attention!"

Oh-K.

My first few weeks were tough. I'd get a rush of relief to see the hour end but on the way home, I'd marvel at what transpired between these little people and me. As their art projects took shape, so too, our relationships. We were all works in progress.

I can't recall at what exact moment it happened but it didn't take long for me to discover that these kids probably have as much to teach me as I have to teach them! Most teachers probably come to the same conclusion about their students early on in their careers.

After my first class of six girls, my second session had nine kids, this time with boys. Oh, no! Boys, too?! But as it turned out, they were not as challenging as three girls in that class.

After 9 weeks with 15 kids, I had many revelations. I came to see that little people are just like big people. Some are needy and high maintenance; others, quiet and easy-breezy.

Now I've come full circle. I look forward to finding out what I may learn from these kids who challenge me. But also, more than ever, this much I know for sure:

Being child-free is--and always was--the correct decision for me!

Good Thing!

People change.

It may happen incrementally, in the smallest ways, over many years but don't ever let it be said that humans don't change.

While it's true we cannot change others, we are, in fact, all constantly changing not only our beliefs and opinions but our tastes and styles do, too.

If change morphs into what becomes known as growth, why then, do we fear change? Growth is a good thing, right?

We may not understand why or what lies on the other side, but when we emerge from any kind of change, we (hopefully) learn it's all part of a process to help us become more of our true selves.

We may not even be aware it's happening but by paying close attention, we can see that it is in learning and growing and changing that we become exactly who we are supposed to be.

And that, my friend, is a good thing!

Acrtic Blast 2008

After over a week of wild and crazy, history-making weather in these parts, it is now a necessity to stay home, holed up.

When stuck indoors for any length of time, most folks get cabin fever. Not me!! I revel, delighted to know I don't have to be or go anywhere.

Instead, I can use this time to create.

It's like a free pass, unemcubered by routine, to just be creative. Sure, pesky things like meals and laundry still need tending but overall, life as we know it, comes to a screeching halt!

And I couldn't be happier!

While Mother Nature and Old Man Winter continue to pelt us with more precipitaion, they are nudging us towards all that we procrastinate.

This mandatory down-time offers the perfect opportunity to delve into those closets and drawers waiting for "some day...".

That day has, officially, arrived!

Hhhmmm, organize or create?

Not a tough choice pour moi!

E-Z

Oh, email! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

Actually, there's only one: instant connectivity!

To communicate with others, including long lost friends, by the flick of a click is immeasurably satisfying for people [like me] who enjoy writing.

I'm not one to look up old classmates but once in a while, my Inbox will hold a surprise. It's precisely this unpredictability that lures me to check email often.

Finding someone from the past is a treat I never imagined possible beyond the telephone or hand-written letter. But now, in our modern age, connecting with Memory Lane is 1-2-3 E-Z, electronically.

It's especially handy for days like this when the weather is so frightful, being indoors is a given. Through the beauty and magic of email, I can transcend the freezing temperatures. I can even pretend it's summer.

Well, except for one problem: I'm wearing so many layers and still my nose is cold!

B-r-r-r, Baby! It's cold INSIDE, tooooooooo!

Tis the Season!

With temperatures hovering in the twenties, it's colder than it's been in years; worst of all, it's expected to stick around all week.

Just when we think we can exhale, forecasters are saying 'we ain't seen nothin' yet'. Huh?

Next weekend is supposed to bring a wintry mix of freezing rain with more snow and cold temperatures.

It's good to be reminded of what a real winter feels like. After all, this is what most of the country deals with every year.

No thanks!

From a very early age, I knew that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life scraping, shovelling and defrosting my car and self for months on end. There had to be a better way.

There is. I found my nirvana here in the usually-temperate Pacific Northwest where winter days generally reach 55 degrees.

But every once in a while, we are jolted back to reality with a severe cold snap as stark reminder of how lucky we are NOT to deal with this ongoingly.

Along with all I'm grateful for, I will add this to my list: a day to hunker down with my hunk who stayed home from work.

Weather like this can only be dealt with one way: preferably under the covers!