yesterday...

Last Manly Men concert. It was a fitting tribute to the Beatles and the MM, of which mine is heading to high school. I don't know much about jr high boys but what I know, I love. This boy is ready to leave the boyhood antics of jr high and move on to the glories of high school. He will do well. The basics are a part of him. Manners, done. There is no one kinder than this young man. He is starting for find his way, guitar and working behind the scenes in the drama department may bring him closer to finding out what he wants to do with his life. Many know early, where and what yet this generation will have to find their way, like we all have.

Manly Men, as you take the next step, make it count. There is so much available to you. Life moves faster and faster, I can only imagine what you will come up with. To my MM, I am so proud of you. Go find your self and if you need us, you know where to find us. Love nana and poppa...

day in, day out...

The plain fact is that you graduating seniors do not yet have any clue what "day in day out" really means. There happen to be whole, large parts of adult American life that nobody talks about in commencement speeches. One such part involves boredom, routine and petty frustration. The parents and older folks here will know all too well what I'm talking about.

By way of example, let's say it's an average adult day, and you get up in the morning, go to your challenging, white-collar, college-graduate job, and you work hard for eight or ten hours, and at the end of the day you're tired and somewhat stressed and all you want is to go home and have a good supper and maybe unwind for an hour, and then hit the sack early because, of course, you have to get up the next day and do it all again. But then you remember there's no food at home. You haven't had time to shop this week because of your challenging job, and so now after work you have to get in your car and drive to the supermarket. It's the end of the work day and the traffic is apt to be: very bad. So getting to the store takes way longer than it should, and when you finally get there, the supermarket is very crowded, because of course it's the time of day when all the other people with jobs also try to squeeze in some grocery shopping. And the store is hideously lit and infused with soul-killing muzak or corporate pop and it's pretty much the last place you want to be but you can't just get in and quickly out; you have to wander all over the huge, over-lit store's confusing aisles to find the stuff you want and you have to manoeuvre your junky cart through all these other tired, hurried people with carts (et cetera, et cetera, cutting stuff out because this is a long ceremony) and eventually you get all your supper supplies, except now it turns out there aren't enough check-out lanes open even though it's the end-of-the-day rush. So the checkout line is incredibly long, which is stupid and infuriating. But you can't take your frustration out on the frantic lady working the register, who is overworked at a job whose daily tedium and meaninglessness surpasses the imagination of any of us here at a prestigious college... This is water. David Foster Wallace...

I write a commencement speech every year. one that I would give if ever asked. Seems a bit pompous yet I think, I have something to bring to the graduating class of any year. This year I discovered, This Is Water by David Foster Wallace. It says everything I would say only better. Maybe no time in history has a generation seemed out of tune yet, maybe they are smarter than we think. We have watched the Millennists grow up and have and are waiting for them to step up and rule the world and the simple fact is they aren't or at least not like we thought they would be. It must looks different to them, because we sure does to us. We brought the music to a place where no one could have imagined. We brought the iPad. Truthfully, I envy you. What you will bring to the party, I can't even imagine. Bring it good, Graduates. Bring it good...

26 minutes...

The past few days, we have seem some terrible weather. In Texas, lives and property were devestated. One news account said people were warned with sirens for 26 minutes, to get what they were getting and get out.

What would you grab if you had 26 minutes? In talking about this to my girl she ssaid she would take nothing, grab her family and get out. I admire that, nothing is valuable enough to her to risk any part of losing her family. Given warning, taking heed. Her mother, on the other hand, is a bit shallow. I started going through my escape plan, what would get thown in old trunks and then into the two cars. Trying to remember the different plans I have dicussed with myselves. Photos, hard drive backups, and every mobile device we own, was the first round of thinking. After that, it is all subject to change

As I sit here today, trying to decide, I imagine it would be a bit different if it were the Real Thing. Forgetting, panicking and starting to grab whatever was in front of me would probably be more like it. AFter getting to a safe location and able to go throuhg what I had grabbed, would probably be scratching my head, What were you thinking? Do you grab the big camera? How about the the lens in the other bag? Yet, here I sit looking at yellow dishes and fake plants that were on the book case right by my bed. What about the books? Did you grab any that are no longer in print? While digital is the way to go, there is just Something about the ZD Memoral Library that was to go to the kids. What about the kids boxes that you have been saving with photos and school programs? What about the necklace tree?

By now, I imagine that 15 or so minutes are gone. The cars may or may not be full. The real truth is you may or may not, have 26 minutes to get out of harm's way. Time to go, time to let go...

being Real...

Every year the dictionary people add a few new words that have become popular and part of everyday culture. We are nothing if not ever changing and because of that, I think it is time to use that same thinking and take some words, away. Words and phrases that don't work and should not be uttered. Phrases like, It's good for you, could go first.
Has this changed anybody's mind? I would dare say, it has not. If anything put, It's good for you, out there and it is a sure death sentence. We are a nation where food, drugs, cheating, stealing and hundreds more, are winning. We are not motivated by what is good for us. Look at the bible. You don't have to go too far before you get to the ugly stuff.
Adam, Eve...eat anything you want just stay away from that tree. Look how that turned out. Let's use our words for good and not for evil. Let's find a way to help and not hurt. It's also time, to get Real and then, it will all come together

fear and intolerance...

XXXXX X XXXX, 18, of Nampa, Attended Columbia High. Killed by hate and intolerance. Sisters, XXXXXXX XXXXXXX, & XXXXXXXXXX XXXX; parents, XXXX & XXXXXX XXXX. Will always live in our hearts. Arrangements pending.
Idaho Press Tribune.

The instant you find out you are pregnant, a silent fear is born. Deep within, no eye or ear can see or hear. Pretty sure we are not aware of it for a while, then it is there, for your to feel, avoid, and leanr ot live with.

No parent should have to bury a child, we all say. It is that fear born long ago, come true. When our babies are young the fears are different. As they grow, the fears change and so do we. If you are the praying kind, you do, with all your heart. Yet you are fully aware that is rains on the just as well as on the unjust. That is what the fear reminds you of, the coulds.

This obituary is one from one town. This young lady committed suicide. By the tone of the death notice, it is clear where the parents and family place the blame. You could argue against their statement. Using the same logic as gun control, guns don't kill people, people kill people. I know this is a delicate situation. I have not walked in their particular shoes, yet have lost one parent to suicide, the other to suicide by alcoholism. At her age, I know the thoughts. While our circumstances were undoubtly different, the thought process is the same. Why was she successful and not me? We will never know. Being young comes with a set of troubles all its own. The secret is to understand that and see it through. It does get better, I am living proof.

Hate and intolerance have always been around. Always. The only thing that has changed is us and the choices we make to hate. It will always be around and there will always be tragic times for families, just like this one. May God bless us and have mercy on us all...

imagination...

He taped his shoes onto his foot for a very good reason. The same reason he excels at Hallway Swimming. We are so proud!

No, I really mean it. While many, many things teenage boys do may seem to beg the questions, why... This seems prefectly normal and shows quite a bit of imagination. He is our creative boy. He spent time yesterday showing us how to build a Duck tape wallet, which I am now the proud owner of. His mind wanders, loves music and he is free spirit. While these conditions are not perfect for parents raising a child, my responsibilites as a nana, are a bit more flexible.

There is no better time to have an imagination than summer. He will do well. Oh, there will be times of boredom or being too hot or both. He will smart off, and go in his room. Those will be the times that we grab some Duck tape and make Something. Something that I will make him come up with. It may even wow him and, the taped flip flops? Playing basketball and needed flip flops to hold tight. Flip flop tennis shoes, who knew?

seeing...

I love this annual event. Taking paper coffee cups and making spectacular pieces of art. it is about the seeing of what is, what to share with the rest of us, those of us, who can't see, either by not taking the time or seeing the value.

The detail in these pieces is just short of perfection. I never could have imagined coffee cup art before this series came into my sphere of seeing but now, it lead me in different areas. What else is possible if only I can see it? What am I missing? Where could my seeing, take me if I am able to go?

The detail in these works of art, lead me to seeing light. Light as it falls on a couch, the kind of light you can't see unless you are aware of its existence. We are creatures of habit and seeing does not come naturally. It is a muscle that we must exercise to get it to work right. It will respond but only if asked to, it will not work extra hard to get your attention. We must do our part to gleem, to see what is right in front of us. You would think it wouldn't be hard but it is tougher than we think...