Tag Archives: creativity

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Wednesday Morning Ramblings

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How many of us feel like we’ve been transported to Bizarro World when we weren’t looking?  It really feels like our society is collapsing all around us.  Basic etiquette is dead; common decency is so rare that when it does happen it feels foreign and out of place; patience has faded into the past; personal pride is vanishing before our eyes.  What the hell is happening to us?  There’s no simple answer, and any solutions will be met with resistance and controversy by the ones who wish to maintain the status quo, but one of the biggest issues we now face is the rampant apathy that has seeped into every crack and crevice of our culture.

When Christina Aguilera flubbed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, at first, I wrote it off to nerves.  I mean, with hundreds of millions of viewers in nearly two hundred countries, anyone could be overwhelmed by the pressure.  However, it turns out that one of the biggest factors is that she blew off rehearsal beforehand.  One of the basic tenets that will hold true for as long as people attempt anything is this: “You are going to play how you practice, so practice how you want to play.”  I don’t know how many thousands of dollars she was paid for that performance, but whatever the amount, she should have had the gumption to at least rehearse it fully on the stage before doing it live.  But I believe apathy took over.  Who cares if I get it right.  It’s just the National Anthem.

How many times have you walked into a business and been greeted by someone who seems as if they would rather be anywhere but at their job?  There’s a Subway on Douglas Dam Road that I won’t be a patron to anymore because the workers there are the most apathetic, lazy people I’ve seen in a business.  But they aren’t alone.  Nearly every cashier in every fuel station I’ve been in for the last ten years has had a glazed, dull expression on their face.  Now, I get that those jobs aren’t the greatest in the world, but could it possibly be that the reason the person is stuck in that job is their attitude?

I’m a classic Gen-Xer, so I’m not claiming that I haven’t had my moments of apathy, but I like to think that in every job I’ve ever held, regardless of how menial, I’ve taken pride in the work I’ve done.  I can’t comprehend this new level of detachment that is ruining us.  Not too long ago, we were the greatest nation on this planet, and we carried ourselves with pride in our lives and jobs.  Now, we just seem like a bunch of slouchers going through the motions.  That’s not my country.  That’s not the society I want to live in, but how do we change this?  From my experiences teaching, I’m certain education alone can’t fix it.  So how do we restore our national pride and get people back to caring about the quality of their lives?

General Posts

Saturday Morning Ramblings

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We’re heading to the farm this morning to work on the building a little.  This is the first Saturday in 7-8 weeks that the weather’s been good enough for us to go out there.  We’ve decided to focus on getting the building cleaned and renovated before focusing on anything else.  There are a couple of windows and doors that need replacing, and the whole building needs insulation.  We also have to get the power turned back on and clean up the area around the building of trees, brush, and weeds.   There’s a lot of work to do before we can even seriously consider putting an aeroponic or hydroponic unit in there, but every single time I have to make that commute down 66 and up Dolly Parton Parkway, I’m more committed to making the farm successful.  I might post a follow-up this evening about the progress we made.

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General Posts

Wednesday Morning Ramblings

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My oldest doesn’t call me daddy very often anymore.  Since he’s now a big boy, it’s usually just dad.  Last night, however, I got a surprise daddy while we were saying good night.  For his entire life, I’ve sung songs to him at bedtime.  Obviously for the last three years, it’s mostly been over the phone, but it has remained our tradition as often as we get to talk, usually three to four nights a week.  Over the last couple of years, he has been singing songs back to me, sometimes accompanying me, sometimes by himself.  Recently, he has begun making up his own songs, usually about his favorite video game or a new episode of Spongebob that he’s seen, and there simply aren’t words for how much I enjoy listening to him.  My only complaint is that I don’t get to share this with my youngest as well, but at four, he’s going through a phase of not wanting to talk on the phone.

At first last night, Collin said he didn’t want to sing himself because he was tired and wanted to finish watching House of Inubis, but when I started to say good night, he acted disappointed that we were hanging up, so I asked him again.  Once more, he said no at first but then said, “Okay, I’ll sing three songs.”  Whenever he finishes one of his original compositions, he always asks what I thought of it, and I always offer him praise.  While his voice isn’t yet melodic, he has innate musical talent, and I very much want to encourage and nurture that.  He’s also a very sensitive child who needs positive reinforcement much more than criticism, so whenever possible, I tell him good things about himself.

When he finished his second song, he asked, “Did you like that song, Daddy?”  There was something in the tone of how he asked the question that overcame me.  In his little six year old voice, I heard how vulnerable and sensitive he really is.  I also heard just how much my opinion means to him.  Every instinct and every cell of my being wanted to hug him and reassure him that he is a good kid who is smart and talented and special.  I wanted him to see the love in my eyes and feel the security of my embrace the same as I felt when my father comforted me.  The only thing I had to offer was my voice, so I said, “I loved it, son.  You’re awesome.”

I’m not certain that he felt all that I wanted him to feel, but I did my best.  He’s such an amazing guy with so much possibility, but I see his self-doubts and uncertainties, and I know those feelings all too well.  I would give anything and everything to take those feelings from him and replace them with strength and self-confidence.  The man he can be has more potential than I ever had.  He has so much charisma and magnetism, so much creativity and imagination, so much physical and inner beauty.  His possibilities are boundless.  My hope is that I can help to instill in him the self-esteem and confidence to see those possibilities.  My hope is that he can have what I never did–a positive sense of self-worth that allows him to face the world with courage and determination.