Proper Lens

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." ~ Kahlil Gibran

Spellin' It Out

N: Some of the kids in my grade are interested in girlfriend-boyfriend type things.

Me: Really, what do you think of that?

N: I think it's embarrassing and there's a lot of crying involved.

Me: Well...

N:...like this boy, Gabe, he comes up to girls at recess and tells them they're his girlfriend. Later he breaks up with them and all the girls cry.

Me: Really?

N: Yeh. Except my friend, Aleeah. She didn't cry. She told Gabe, "Look, you never asked me and I never said I was your girlfriend in the first place. So alls I ever said is we were friends but, you know what? Now that you're being so mean to me? Being friends just isn't my thing. You know, friends? The only thing we were to begin with? Yeh, that relationship has ended. It's over, Gabe. O-V-E-R."

_____
Reminder: Naomi, Gabe, & Aleeah are all in the Second Grade.

Road Trip = Good Pie

Naomi hatched our Sunday plans. After our weekly habit of cleaning up the house she suggested we bake a pie. Dawdling around the aisles of the grocery store we talked about flaky pie crusts and butter. Spent a lot of time in the produce aisle deliberating the type of filling we wanted.

Me: You know, with just the three of us the pie might sit in the fridge a while. It's best to eat pies while they're still warm.
Naomi: Mmmm, then we should invite over some friends today.
Me: Ok. I guess we could call Samantha and invite her girls to come over...
Naomi: ...and maybe Monique would come.
Me: Maybe Monique would come. I'll give her a call.
Naomi: How about Lily?
Me: Lily lives in Denver, sweetie. I'm sure she'd appreciate the invitation but, you know, it's a long way to drive.
Naomi: Yeh. (sigh) It'd have to be a really good pie.

Yellow

Me: So how was your day?
Naomi: Outstanding!
Me: Really?
Naomi: Yep.
Me: Outstanding?
Naomi: Mmm-hmm.
Me: So, what happened?
Naomi: Oh, nothing really.
Me: Nothing?
Naomi: Except Ms. Kaptuska painted our classroom.
Me: That's it?
Naomi: Well, it's yellow.
Me: And?
Naomi: Have you ever tried being sad when you're staring at a whole lot of yellow?
Me: Nope.
Naomi: Can't happen.

Twenty-Nine To Go

Last week the Spring semester started. I logged on to the website, downloaded my syllabus, ordered my books. I set my alarm clock and resolved to rise a little earlier. Resumed my habit of plugging the laptop in each night to make sure it’s charged and ready to go. Stashed my graphing-calculator in the glove-box of my car. My 2010 calendar suddenly spills over with deadlines and test dates.

But there is an energy I start the new semester with. An appreciation for learning and new ideas. I embrace an ambitious agenda for my nights and weekends. And think I might both get my homework and family's laundry done by Sunday. The semester is thirty weeks long.

As of last night, though, the count is actually one-down and twenty-nine to go.


________________________
Currently Reading: America’s Report Card by John McNally
Studying with N: World Geography
Dinner Table Discussion: Whether or not N accompanies me to Chicago in February.
Currently Watching: Prairie Wind (PBS)
Enjoyed Immensely: (500) Days of Summer

Connectivity

I have this thin book I carry around with me. I write down random things inside: song lyrics, snippets of NPR stories, a clever exchange of words I'll over hear at the coffee shop, parts of church sermons.

Does everybody have one of these books? Something similar? Something you take out periodically to look at the words or revisit something you heard once? A book you thumb through when you're feeling down?

Yesterday I had to pull over to write down an idea I heard on our local NPR Station. As always I'm paraphrasing.

People are in no less need of true companionship or profound connection.

We are less practiced at it, certainly. We have more noise and distractions from it. The noise of Twitter or Google instant and easy communication eats up time and brainspace. It feels like a substitute because is pushes away the silence or the loneliness. But that need for connection goes unsatisfied. Fundamentally, neurologically, spiritually, biologically, however you look at it...we still need it. A true exchange of selves. A conversation or connection that is more than a series of well-rehearsed monologues.

I sat there in my car, the engine humming, the buzz of traffic outside and listened to the whole interview. I shuffled through my cluttered purse to find my thin book and a pencil. Wrote down just fragments of the ideas, parts of words and the page blurred up. I can't possibly improve upon the sentiment. I just wrote it down in my book. And wrote it down here so it doesn't get lost.

Mid-December

The snow piles outside have all grown gray and gross. My front porch steps have iced over. So Naomi & her grandparents kicked this cold climate to the curb and flew off to Florida.

With finals complete I packed her up for Florida last night and they flew out this morning. As I pulled out of the airport I realized I still have a tree to trim, presents to wrap, a holiday letter to (hopefully) pen. The holidays have a lot of accouterments. Some I appreciate. Some not so much. The bright spot on the horizon, though, is to consider my weekend calendar which filled with friends I don’t have the occasion to see often.

It’s a nice time of year to live in my hometown. I enjoy the spillover effect of seeing friends and families as they are in town over the holidays. I like having a wide sense of people we’ve grown into, the lives we lead.

The occasional coffee or late night conversation with some of my familiars makes it less difficult to embrace the trimmings and cold weather that come with the season. My hope is that your calendar is similarly filled with those you love.