I've always loved reading but for the past six months I just have not been able to get into a good book. I usually read Stephen King or Dean Koontz but in an attempt to find something I can sink my teeth into I have branched out to John Katzenbach. I'm on a second book by him, but I have to admit that I struggled through the first one. Since I have to say I liked the first book, I looked for other reasons that I might be having trouble reading. I notice that I get very tired and distracted everytime I start to read. I began to think it could possibly be because I was spending a lot of time trying to position the book so I was able to focus. I've known for awhile that reading glasses were in my near future.
Last night after picking Thomas up at track we made a quick side trip to Walmart's pharmacy section. It turned into quite a humorous field trip as I tried on various pairs of glasses. I knew it would be difficult since I've never had to wear glasses and thought I looked weird in most of them. Before I started trying them on, I read the instructions for picking out a pair. I couldn't tell you what they said because although I could read them without any trouble I had no idea what they meant. There was also a chart that told you which glasses to try depending on your age. I decided to just try them on and see how things looked. Once again, I am young for my age because I needed the lightest prescription that was for people under 40 years old!
I know I complain a lot about getting old but really, its not that big of a deal for me. I find the real problem is the change. I've always had 20/20 vision and this idea that I need glasses to read is a big change. I'm happy with myself that I'm not a person that refuses to admit I need glasses. Its just a weird concept.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
IMPERFECTIONS
I once read that whenever we criticize someone else, we have just set that as a standard that we feel we must hold ourselves to. I find this very interesting. This idea has made me think about how I judge others. If we judge others too harshly, we will then be just as harsh with ourselves. More and more I have come to accept the imperfections in others and also myself. I find it's easier for me to accept other people's flaws. I'm beginning to be able to accept my own. I don't always have to do everything right. I can make mistakes. I can move on. Day to day existence is much easier when you can practice this.
Human beings can get angry, annoyed, grumpy. Human beings can be weak. Human beings can make the wrong choices.
I am a human being.
Human beings can get angry, annoyed, grumpy. Human beings can be weak. Human beings can make the wrong choices.
I am a human being.
COMPETITION
I've never been a super competitive person although some people have said I get too serious when I play cards. I was never on any sports teams and I was never serious enough to be in any academic competitions. It's sometimes fun to win, but winning has never been very important to me. Once I had kids I started to watch them play various sports or enter certain contests. I would always do my part to cheer them on. When my son was on cross country, I would usually stay until the last runner on the team came acrossed the finish line so I could yell out "good job". I would get that feeling of pride when one of my kids did well.
Recently, I've have been really analyzing what competition is truly about. I've watched the people who really want to win. I've come to the conclusion that competition is never a good thing. Competition is sort of like sugar. It seems like a good thing because it tastes so good but it really isn't. The only time that a cup of sugar would be a good thing, is if the person was going to die without it. Is there a situation that someone would die without competition? Like sugar, competition can be in a person's life without doing great harm. Consumed in moderation, sugar doesn't damage the body but other than providing a quick fix of energy and happiness it really doesn't help us. In the same sense we can participate in games where we keep score but the happiness we feel when we win is not really a true and lasting happiness. How can it be, when that happiness is dependent on someone else being unhappy (the losing team)? How can that be a good thing? I'm a winner because you are a loser! As I said, in moderation, competition may not leave long lasting damage but after much thought I can not think of any situation when its good.
I understand the argument that people say competition teaches kids discipline and to work hard. That is what practice teaches them, not the competition. We teach kids that the competition should be the motivator. Practice hard and when it comes to the competition you will win. Work hard and you will succeed by winning. What's wrong with that? Nothing is wrong with teaching kids to work hard to reach a goal. It's just that I don't think that the goal of winning is beneficial. Its really about saying that someone is great because they beat someone else. You can't win without labeling someone else as a loser. What if that loser worked even harder than the winners but lost because they had less natural talent? What are you saying to them? You worked really hard but you are still a loser? And what happens to the winner when they can no longer win? Without a doubt, competition is an extremely effective motivator, but that doesn't make it healthy.
We are inspired by winners. We watch the Olympics and think we want to emulate those outstanding athletes. On the surface, that seems great. What's wrong with wanting to strive for a gold medal? What happens when you base your entire life on winning that gold medal and you don't? Maybe I should also ask, what happens when you do win the gold medal? Its hard for me to understand the value of basing your life on winning a small round metal thing to hang around your neck. Standing in front of crowds of people cheering you on must feel great but in the back of mind I'm always wondering what happens when the crowds go home. People don't cheer the losers but sometimes I think that they fare better. When they pick up the pieces of their life and move on, they learn a valuable lesson. Hopefully, they see that winning is not that important.
My children are still involved in activities that require some level of competition. Its almost impossible to find anything that is totally free of competition. I am not a person who parents in extremes so I would never forbid my children to participate in these things. I will still be there to cheer them on. However, I do let them know how I feel and try to teach them to be aware of the drawbacks. Competition is ingrained in our society on a primal level. It relates back to the Darwin Theory (survival of the fittest). I can't change this so I choose to teach my children to find their place in the world as it is. I teach them to set their own personal goals not based on being better than other people. I teach them that not only the fittest need to survive. The winners can reach down and pick up the losers and carry them acrossed the finish line.
Recently, I've have been really analyzing what competition is truly about. I've watched the people who really want to win. I've come to the conclusion that competition is never a good thing. Competition is sort of like sugar. It seems like a good thing because it tastes so good but it really isn't. The only time that a cup of sugar would be a good thing, is if the person was going to die without it. Is there a situation that someone would die without competition? Like sugar, competition can be in a person's life without doing great harm. Consumed in moderation, sugar doesn't damage the body but other than providing a quick fix of energy and happiness it really doesn't help us. In the same sense we can participate in games where we keep score but the happiness we feel when we win is not really a true and lasting happiness. How can it be, when that happiness is dependent on someone else being unhappy (the losing team)? How can that be a good thing? I'm a winner because you are a loser! As I said, in moderation, competition may not leave long lasting damage but after much thought I can not think of any situation when its good.
I understand the argument that people say competition teaches kids discipline and to work hard. That is what practice teaches them, not the competition. We teach kids that the competition should be the motivator. Practice hard and when it comes to the competition you will win. Work hard and you will succeed by winning. What's wrong with that? Nothing is wrong with teaching kids to work hard to reach a goal. It's just that I don't think that the goal of winning is beneficial. Its really about saying that someone is great because they beat someone else. You can't win without labeling someone else as a loser. What if that loser worked even harder than the winners but lost because they had less natural talent? What are you saying to them? You worked really hard but you are still a loser? And what happens to the winner when they can no longer win? Without a doubt, competition is an extremely effective motivator, but that doesn't make it healthy.
We are inspired by winners. We watch the Olympics and think we want to emulate those outstanding athletes. On the surface, that seems great. What's wrong with wanting to strive for a gold medal? What happens when you base your entire life on winning that gold medal and you don't? Maybe I should also ask, what happens when you do win the gold medal? Its hard for me to understand the value of basing your life on winning a small round metal thing to hang around your neck. Standing in front of crowds of people cheering you on must feel great but in the back of mind I'm always wondering what happens when the crowds go home. People don't cheer the losers but sometimes I think that they fare better. When they pick up the pieces of their life and move on, they learn a valuable lesson. Hopefully, they see that winning is not that important.
My children are still involved in activities that require some level of competition. Its almost impossible to find anything that is totally free of competition. I am not a person who parents in extremes so I would never forbid my children to participate in these things. I will still be there to cheer them on. However, I do let them know how I feel and try to teach them to be aware of the drawbacks. Competition is ingrained in our society on a primal level. It relates back to the Darwin Theory (survival of the fittest). I can't change this so I choose to teach my children to find their place in the world as it is. I teach them to set their own personal goals not based on being better than other people. I teach them that not only the fittest need to survive. The winners can reach down and pick up the losers and carry them acrossed the finish line.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
TAGGED?
I see I've been "tagged with a meme". Now that I think I know what the heck that is....hee hee...I guess I will actually do it.
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they are any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
I tend to like a wide variety of music so it should be a weird list. The last songs I listened to and turned up loud were the Entertainer and the Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. These are a couple of songs that I can close my eyes to and just enjoy the incredible talent.
Another piano piece that I totally enjoy is Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi - this is that well known Charlie Brown song that Snoopy boogies to. I've always liked Snoopy's coolness and I just love this song. Vince Guaraldi looks a bit geeky on the CD cover, but to me that's the absolute epitome of coolness. Its a tough song to play and he's very talented.
Two songs by Supertramp that I've always enjoyed are The Logical Song and Lord Is It Mine. The Logical Song because its so true that we are expected to grow up and become serious and take responsibility for so many things that we lose that "magical" side of life. Lord Is It Mine because I often need to be by myself and have alone time.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's song Edelweiss from the Sound of Music can bring me to tears. I just find it incredibly sad when the father is singing it at the end of the movie and he is sad because he knows he is being forced to flee his country. Right after that his entire family comes on stage to sing the song with him and this gives him the strength to go on. I think of their hardships everytime I listen to that song.
One of my favorite singers is George Thorogood. I love his deep raspy voice. Although I love many of his songs, one of my favorites is The Sky Is Crying...."...look at the tears roll down the street..." So cool.
I guess I've cheated a little bit because I haven't been listening to much music lately, but promise to listen to all these songs today. Snow Day!!! I don't really know seven people to "tag" myself so guess this will end here.
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they are any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
I tend to like a wide variety of music so it should be a weird list. The last songs I listened to and turned up loud were the Entertainer and the Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin. These are a couple of songs that I can close my eyes to and just enjoy the incredible talent.
Another piano piece that I totally enjoy is Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi - this is that well known Charlie Brown song that Snoopy boogies to. I've always liked Snoopy's coolness and I just love this song. Vince Guaraldi looks a bit geeky on the CD cover, but to me that's the absolute epitome of coolness. Its a tough song to play and he's very talented.
Two songs by Supertramp that I've always enjoyed are The Logical Song and Lord Is It Mine. The Logical Song because its so true that we are expected to grow up and become serious and take responsibility for so many things that we lose that "magical" side of life. Lord Is It Mine because I often need to be by myself and have alone time.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's song Edelweiss from the Sound of Music can bring me to tears. I just find it incredibly sad when the father is singing it at the end of the movie and he is sad because he knows he is being forced to flee his country. Right after that his entire family comes on stage to sing the song with him and this gives him the strength to go on. I think of their hardships everytime I listen to that song.
One of my favorite singers is George Thorogood. I love his deep raspy voice. Although I love many of his songs, one of my favorites is The Sky Is Crying...."...look at the tears roll down the street..." So cool.
I guess I've cheated a little bit because I haven't been listening to much music lately, but promise to listen to all these songs today. Snow Day!!! I don't really know seven people to "tag" myself so guess this will end here.
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