Wordless Wednesday - HOT

Dang it's hot!

Outside for 35 minutes on Monday, and I dripped from head to toe; so, I skipped running practice and went to the movies with my daughter. The popcorn was yummy!

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Seven Wonders

Week #8—What are your 7 Wonders?

This week, the Writer's Post group has asked me to blog about "My Seven Wonders of the World." Long ago I wrote posts on the The Eighth Wonder of My World and Nudity and the Ninth Wonder of My World, since the seven wonders were already known. Please check these out if you get a chance.

Keeping with the assignment, here are my wonders from the serious to the silly.

Far from home. :(

1.) Where has time gone?

 My summer vacation is over, my youngest child leaves for college on Saturday, and I'll be fifty in December. Holy crap! Seems like yesterday I was riding my bike and getting in trouble for talking too much in school.

2.) Why do people allow themselves to be fooled by idiot politicians?

I remember a story from the Onion years back where they interviewed indigent people waiting in line to cast votes. The quote went something like this:

I ain't got no health care nor dental insurance, but it's gonna be alright because we have a God fearing man as president.

Our Lovable Rescue Rat

3.) How can some people not like dogs?
No one in the world gives me the unconditional love of my furry friends. Nor do people try to lick my face, Thank God.

4.) Why do people make fun of nerds?

As I've told my daughters, if you want a good life, marry a nerd. They are smart, kind, and will never let you down. I have a special love for the nerdy little kids in my gifted program, but believe it or not, true nerds are rare.

 In the spirit of Emma Lazarus, 

here is my adaptation of her poem:

"Give me your nerdy, your social inept,
Your huddled dorks yearning to excel,
The social refuse from cool kids.
Send these, the smart, tempest-tost gamers to me,
I lift my arms beside the classroom door!"

Although I posted the link below not long ago, it's a fave so here it goes again for those who missed it the first time.

Comedy Cental Hoodwinker

iris

5.) What's with the irises in my yard?

Last year they didn't bloom at all, while the year before they were splendid. Maybe they're tied to my mood or God-forbid the economy . . . which means I might not see them for thirty years--which bites because I'll be dead by then.

6.) Why do my feet dry out?

I'm forever saturating my piggies with lotions and lubricants, but danggummit, them scales keep comin'.


7.) Why do some people (not to mention names - Mitchell Lansky) put toilet paper rolls in backwards? The paper should come from the top! Enough said.

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Integrity

Keys to Learning

This week I've been attending Teacher Inservice inorder to welcome kids back to a new school year on Monday. Part of our training involved Quantum Learning's discussion of Integrity. By definition, integrity means beliefs matching actions.

 

Align your actions with your values.

Live what you value.
If you value honesty, be truthful.
If you value keeping your word, follow through.
If you value being fair, do what you expect others to do.

Your identity is who you are. Your integrity is an expression of who you are.

I agree on a simple level, but life is not simple. What if one holds faulty beliefs? If one's actions match faulty beliefs does one still have integrity? Or, what if one's beliefs differ from society's? Does one place oneself in danger for actions to match beliefs? In other words, what does integrity really mean?

integrity |inˈtegritē|
noun
1 the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness  

I'll buy this, but folks disagree on what constitutes strong morals. For example, without taking sides I'll throw out words for thought:

hunting for sport

religious freedom

circumcision

euthanasia

abortion

white supremacy

I know where I stand, but do I have a right to judge your integrity if we disagree? It depends on the issue and circumstance. In a school, it's easy. We want our children to make good choices that will not harm other people or property. Hopefully, each and everyone of my students know right from wrong, but I can't help thinking about a haunting novel I recently read.

Helmuth Hubener, age 16

"The Boy Who Dared," by Susan Cambell Bartoletti tells the true story of a teenager whose belief system clashed with the Nazis, and he took action to do something about it. During WWII, Helmuth Hubener broke the law by listening to banned BBC broadcasts and secretly distributing pamphlets that alerted German citizens of Hitler's hidden actions. As a result, the Gestapo arrested the boy and he was later tried for treason and put to death at age 17.

Although Hubener's beliefs clashed with those of his countrymen, I imagine we'd all see him as having high integrity. At the same time, if one would ask a Nazi if he has integrity after murdering Jews, most if not all would say, "Yes." They didn't see Jews as people; therefore, they had no guilt in killing innocents. Remember Quantum Learning: actions following beliefs equals integrity.

Although I'd like to think most people follow positive beliefs through their actions, few would risk their lives to do what's right in a corrupt environment. Would you?

Thank you Helmuth Hubener. I believe there is a special place in heaven for rare jewels like you.

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