on retreat

The word retreat is an interesting one--in battle, it means "fall back to a safer position until we can regather ourselves for another attack." This is a specific action.  But it also has come to mean the place itself.  I am staying overnight at a retreat center near my home.  The purpose of the retreat is to carve out some much needed space for curriculum planning at my university. I came here with a small team of teachers, but there were close to one hundred of us here for this short time. It is a time out of time, a retreat. Life goes on outside of this space in its usual way--work continues, errands, busyness. But here, time stops its usual progression and sort of empties out. It's not that time slows down--it's that it just sort of pauses. I can retreat from a war, but only long enough to gather up my strength for the next battle. It's interesting to me that in this way, retreat takes on the context that life is a battle and that we all need a break from it every now and then. I don't know if I'm entirely comfortable with the idea of life as a battle.  It sounds so contentious.  It sounds so difficult and contrary. Shouldn't life be "a bowl of cherries" or "a dream" (as in "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream; merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.") But I know better of course. Life is difficult and contrary and tiring and frustrating. But it is also wonderful and funny and envigorating and surprising and lovely. And sometimes it's war. It is in retreat that the wonderfulness of life returns to us.

World View

The class is writing blogs this week about their world views: what they are, but more importantly, how they were shaped (or are being shaped).  I must say that the most important influence in shaping my world view has been my family relationships.  School, of course, has been a big part of my life.  I started school at age five and I guess you could say I've never left it.  I love learning.  But I came to that love of learning because of my parents.  My mother wanted me to be happy and have a satisfying career--she didn't get the opportunity to finish school.  I think that she knew a long time before I did that I would be a teacher.  My dad quoted poetry to us from the time I can remember, instilling in me a love of literature. We always had plenty of books in our home, as well as music.  My dad and two of my brothers played the guitar; my mom and I sang and played the piano.  That makes it sound like we had a family band--we didn't, but I think we probably could have.  At any rate, a basic curiosity about the world was instilled in me at a very early age.  I hope I always keep that curiosity and anticipation about what might be around the bend in the road.  I never want to get old!

So many books. . . .

And here's another book I absolutely must read: The Secret Life Of The Grown-Up Brain: The Surprising Talents Of The Middle-Aged Mind

     Here's the review by Barbara Strauch: "As the health and medical science editor at The New York Times, Barbara Strauch can spot good research and new ideas. The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain is full of both. No depressing documentation of memory loss here. Strauch focuses on what middle-aged brains can do better than younger brains — most important, synthesize and use information, and see things more broadly. She tells her story in a very accessible way, through anecdotes of discovery and profiles of brain scientists. At the end of the book, there's advice — but no guarantees — on how to keep your brain in good shape. And for any people (including teenagers) who doubt the middle-aged brain is all that great,..." This book is a MUST read--I think I still qualify as middle aged. . . .but that aside, it's good to know that us "older folks" can still make a contribution in the world.  Misplacing my keys, locking myself out of my office--not signs of alzheimer's but just a sign of distraction.  I've never really been all that good at multi-tasking anyway.  So I'll add this one to my list, and maybe once I buy it, I won't forget where I put it on my bookshelf. . . .

Blogging in class!

I decided to go ahead and try the blog this quarter in my argument class instead of regular journals.  Can't wait to see how it turns out.  I will need to keep my blog updated now! This is going to keep me accountable. Hm. Controversial topic of the day: President Obama's speech this evening....or wait, something more local: Pierce Transit's ongoing decision to cut four bus routes out of my morning commute.  Grr.  I know, very academic response.  I must get more facts about this situation so that I can attend the April 18th "town meeting" in Gig Harbor.  This is an inconvenence for those of use who need this bus to get to and from work--so that we can save gas, help the planet, etc. I have heard that the directors of Pierce Transit are not in any hurry to reinstate those routes.  It does help save money; but since the Lakewood fuel station exploded a few weeks ago, all they have done is make excuses about why those routes have been cut.  No plans to bring them back.  I am really griping because I don't want to get up at 5:30 in the morning.  Whine, whine.  But really? We'll only have two routes in and two routes back? From now on? SRO in the afternoons, for sure. BOO!

Using Blogs in the classroom

I've been considering whether or not to use blogs in my Argument and Research course in the spring.  Of the many advantages, I like the fact that students may write more often.  I'm also interested in the various possibilities for research--the students can provide links on their topics, post pictures or videos, even music files that connect to their topics.  I think that the experience of writing a researched argument can become more relevant once they have an actual audience commenting on their work.  I must decide soon, though--Spring quarter is just a few weeks away. . . .

thought it was over

but it's not--it just keeps coming into my mind--why our house? why my jewelry? why things that yanked my heart out? this sucks.  just sayin'--not liking this in any way, shape or form.  interfering with my life, my thoughts, my dreams, my plans; don't like hating people but I hate the robbers. I really, really do. with every fiber of my being. If I could get my hands on them, I'd throttle them, and then I would call the law.  but first the throttling. then, behind bars for them/him/him and her/her.  the faceless villians at this point.  Just wish I had a face.  wish I had a reason. wish I could understand this whole mess.  you come into my house and turn my life upside down and then you run away, you cowards.  Grrrrr.

Robbed

I think I am finally ready to be philosophical about the break in at my home.  I am still angry, but enough time has passed that I've turned my anger into action.  I will always have a hole in my heart--my mom's wedding ring, my grandmother's wedding ring, my dad's Tulane class ring, and a few other things meant a great deal to me.  I had hoped to pass these things down to my nieces.  However, chaos theory is true--the robbers had a different plan for these precious items.  I am determined not to give up hope that these people will be caught at some point.  I have thought that the robbers were men, but maybe they were women, or a mix of women and men.  Women can be robbers, too.  Oh my--stereotypes die hard, don't they? "Women can't be coldhearted" is a dangerous stereotype--we are all human and very, very capable of being cruel and coldhearted.  I am sad.  But I won't be broken by this--the more I talk about it to my friends, the more stories I've heard of people in similar situations--I've even heard of some recent break-ins in our surrounding community with the same MO.  What are we to do? No one is safe.  I heard the story of a woman whose house in Tacoma was broken into in broad daylight as well-the shocking thing is that she has neighbors that live close by.  No one is safe.  We must all be vigilant and wary.  Satan is a roaring lion and he most certainly roams the earth looking for those to devour.  We are all vulnerable.  What are we to do? I don't have a definitive answer--I just know that without our friends and family, we're toast.  We must help each other, stick by each other through thick and thin and in the bad times, which will most certainly come, embrace each other and pray for each other.  God help us all. . . .