Sweeping in honor of International Peace Day

I haven't looked at the news, locally or abroad, to find out if the world is participating in our global Hallmark holiday. Chances are I will do that after I write here. Interestingly, I'm just trying to keep peace in my home and in my various bosses' offices. That is about all I really can do....keep my own porch swept and in order, so to speak.

Maybe if we just kept our own porches swept, we would have a lot more sweeping than kabitzing going on. And if we had more sweeping than kabitzing, while we'd probably have a few more allergies initially (cuz some of our porches are pretty dusty), we'd probably work up an appetite. And if we worked up an appetite, perhaps we would invite folks over to have a meal. And if we had a meal, we'd probably play a bit of music. And in all this food and music, we'd be so busy eating and singing, there would be no time to dismiss the deep beliefs and experiences of people who are different than us....we wouldn't be publishing on the front page of every newspaper the pros and cons of having a mosque at ground zero, or the dichotomy between Lindsey Lohan's treatment in the court system and Paris Hilton's treatment...and maybe there would be a bit of peace amongst the sweeping. If nothing else, there would be some peace because everyone's mouth would be full.

Something to Say....

I have something to say this morning....just not quite sure what it is.

Guled's 11 Rules to Life

I read on my friend's Facebook page the 11 Rules to Life (or something close to that) attributed to Bill Gates, but really written by a journalist named Sykes I think. In any event, because those 11 Rules are so blasted good, I sent an email to my 11 year old son to read those blastedly good 11 rules. Below is the email I got back from him today, spelling warts and all. I responded that if he would fix the spelling glitches, I'd give him some school credit (we virtual school now). So far, he hasn't been a taker. I attempted to paste a copy of his email here, but the small pictures and emoticons will not paste, making the gist of his email fall pretty flat I guess. I've interlineated some comments where pictures were:

From: gulyus99@hotmail.com
To: champton@q.com
Subject:
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 10:42:31 -0500



GULEDS 11 RULES to life and the UUUUNIVERSE
1: neverrr ever ever ever ever ever evveerrrr let twisted people talk you down, or play with electrical sockets.

2: forget being "fine" cause you'r gonna need tharapy, so save up a looot of money!

3: deeeeeee [3-D apparently]

4: moneyyyy= X-box [gaming]

5GOLDEN: treat people how you would want to be treated and no crossies! [crossed fingers]

6: world [peace sign] means to have war and peaple will always die even if we find eternal youth because we will always have [evil villain pic] in our heart.

7: have fun don't waste your life for there is not just [evil villain pic] but this [pics of sunshine, rainbows, an island, Japanese soup, smiley face, pizza and x-box symbol] ahhhhhhhh!

8: never let your hate overwhelm you (don't stay mad) cause you never know who or when someone will! [uh oh smiley "o" ghost face]

9: do not be afraid of shadows because it is simply your own creations that the shadows use.

10: our deepest fear is not that we are inadequete but that we are powerful beyond measure! [from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson read by Nelson Mandela and on our Chamber of Academic Secrets wall]

11: send this to the next person who you think needs encouragement.

That Dang Mouse

I need to type some stuff to see if my “fix” for this computer mouse conflict worked. You see, it has been moving on its own accord since I wiped and reinstalled my operating system. So far, with two lines of text, I am not having an issue. Wow! I’m so happy!! A complete reversal of events in the cosmos of late! Even with the Logitech mouse plugged in and my laptop NOT giving me the option to disable the onboard pointer like it used to (where’s THAT checkbox option?!), I am able to type fluidly again without this cursor jumping around. Now, the only typos appear completely user produced! Just in time for my first day in the office. Cyn is one happy typer.

Labor Day indeed

I have labored since early this morning, trying to clean up and organize a whole new game plan. I have begun some work in Colorado already, and will begin more this coming week. Some pretty fun assignments! But the biggest issue of all pays $0 per hour and involves a whole bunch of damaged workers in a place I used to live. The chemicals that make our lives manageable and "civilized" are killing the people who produce the stuff that makes us "civilized"....things like cars and plastics, cell phones, sheets for our beds, copper wire for our electricity, chemicals to purify our drinking water.... I was idealistic in 1987 as I dared to broach the doors of the law school, and I am idealistic today in 2010. I have this crazy notion that things should be fair. So sue me.

I Decline....

I sent an email yesterday, declining the two teaching jobs in Ethiopia. It is too late in the season to expect that I can pack up our world here and integrate there with a child. Plus, interestingly, that little boy who sings so beautifully in the shower can apparently sing equally beautifully in front of both mildly drunk business people and lake-faring crowds! Congrats to Guled and his band "Wicked Chicken", winners of the 2010 Keptone Battle of the Bands! I loved that they won. Guled is unusually charismatic with a crowd, and his band mates are really talented. Perhaps they will do it again next year!

But when an 11 year old winner of the 2010 Battle of the Bands asks to "stay one more year" so that he can enjoy the win..... well, self-reflection sort of requires me to decide why I am leaving in the first place and what amendments to "The Grand Plan" I can muster because his request is certainly reasonable.

So we will stay and I hit the "send" button on my declining email. Now, to figure out how to make a sufficient living here and whether or not to virtual school a second year. Last year, there were 4 virtual school options in the State of Colorado. This year, every single district around me has at least one option. Wildfire in the education world!

But really, I could pack up and leave on an adventure with probably 48 hours notice. That was never the problem.

The End Draws Nearer

We are discussing my ability to close up shop here and get there. I thought I had missed out on the beginning of the school year for this September....but perhaps not. Guled's dad is very concerned about our safety based on my skin color. I have thought this through for some years and I am convinced that it is probably time that Guled be given the presumption on skin color for a while. He needs to be the "local" while I am the foreigner. Let them accuse me of horrid things because I am white rather than those here accusing him of horrid things because his skin color is "Muslim terrorist." Stupid, uneducated viewpoint. Good book title though. Hum...she pondereth....

#1 son is interested in teaching at the school also. He has continued this interest from the time we taught the Somali immigrants here. I have asked my brother to help me find a good video camera so that we can post video of our year....just in case this happens now.

Ok, a Friday with all the guys from the school, seeing Despicable Me, before we enjoy some road trip time with our Thai friends....and perhaps pack up our lives for a while so that we can really experience and live.