We are the Old Folks
Wow...guess life has taken over, huh? Been awhile since I had the opportunity to sit and think and write. Working as a substitute teacher these days - every day. Love the kids, like most of the teachers, and love what I am teaching (Global Studies and Civics). People freak out when I say I work in Bridgeport, but come on. To paraphrase Lin-Manuel Miranda, kids are kids are kids are kids...Sure, there are difficulties in kids' families and households, but there are difficulties in the richest towns, too. Those folks just sweep them up a bit quicker.
Also got a kid back in the house with us. We are quickly becoming the "old folks" around here. The youngest is baaaaack from her southern life, with her animals. Excitement abounds, as the southern dog and the northern dog play and fight and play and fight. I watch the southern dog (all 40 pounds of her 18 month old self) take on the northern dog (90 pounds of his 11 year old self) regularly. They lay down together when they tire of the play fights, and sit nicely for biscuits and leashing. They wait patiently for pooh pick up when walking, and sniff where each other pees.
The kid likes to cook and try new recipes, and is primarily vegetarian, but also appreciates good seafood, and will go vegan at times. She is quite the adventurous cook, and doesn't let a failure now and then stop her from going right back at that recipe one more time to conquer it.
A good friend of mine passed away this week. She was a fighter, a traveler, a fan, a cook, a role model, a mentor, a savior. Her example is that of a live well lived. She didn't live the life she dreamed of having when she was young, but her life was full and rich. She made friends all over the country, and in different parts of the world. She had a thirst for knowledge and learning about people. She taught me so much over the years about people, and their strengths. She taught me to believe in strengths over weaknesses, and she also taught me a bit about revenge. While she was a firm believer in Catholicism, she also believed in a bit of karma. When that karma came around to those who wronged her, as she knew it would, she didn't gloat or smile, but accepted it with grace.
Isn't this an interesting life? Thinking of course of the Chinese promise curse - "May you live an interesting life". A life friend has had some terrible health issues, and I think of this saying often as we all work towards his health improving. It is both heartening and disheartening to see how people react to one in the circle being weaker than in past times. Some handle it with aplomb, cheerfully encouraging, keeping up the same type of chatter as in previous times, taking care of those personal issues of the friend without a second thought or glance. Others "can't handle" it. Those people are not the ones I would go to Africa with. I only went to London with my friend who passed, but I would have taken her with me to Africa, for sure.
My personal litmus test, since 2001, has been whether or not I would go to Africa with a person. The person must have a good sense of humor, a wonderful sense of adventure tempered by healthy pull back if needed. The person has to pack lightly, be able to eat without a fuss, deal with a lack of a shower for a few days. And if there is bleeding, the person can't faint. He or she has to be tough about it, and prepared for that. Bravery helps too. And if I lose it, I want the other person to help me get it back, after empathizing for half a minute (cause that's what I'll do).
While I know I am being judgy, don't we all have our own litmus tests for those we let into our inner circles? Think about it. Who do you let in to your hearts and minds and souls? Not just anyone, that's for sure. I'm even all right with the occasional 45 supporter as long as that person fulfills the information above and doesn't incessantly sing praises. I would like the supporter, though, to be horrified at issues like no women in the picture at a state dinner, deportation of immigrants who have lived a crime free life here, removal of federal work regulations for those who treat women unequally, and a vice president who won't even have a working lunch with a professional because of the person's genitalia.
Here's to starting the road to being the "old folks"...may we continue to work for justice, peace, our friends' health, love those teenagers we come across, and enjoy watching our pets play. Because life truly moves to fast to regret what didn't happen.
Also got a kid back in the house with us. We are quickly becoming the "old folks" around here. The youngest is baaaaack from her southern life, with her animals. Excitement abounds, as the southern dog and the northern dog play and fight and play and fight. I watch the southern dog (all 40 pounds of her 18 month old self) take on the northern dog (90 pounds of his 11 year old self) regularly. They lay down together when they tire of the play fights, and sit nicely for biscuits and leashing. They wait patiently for pooh pick up when walking, and sniff where each other pees.
The kid likes to cook and try new recipes, and is primarily vegetarian, but also appreciates good seafood, and will go vegan at times. She is quite the adventurous cook, and doesn't let a failure now and then stop her from going right back at that recipe one more time to conquer it.
A good friend of mine passed away this week. She was a fighter, a traveler, a fan, a cook, a role model, a mentor, a savior. Her example is that of a live well lived. She didn't live the life she dreamed of having when she was young, but her life was full and rich. She made friends all over the country, and in different parts of the world. She had a thirst for knowledge and learning about people. She taught me so much over the years about people, and their strengths. She taught me to believe in strengths over weaknesses, and she also taught me a bit about revenge. While she was a firm believer in Catholicism, she also believed in a bit of karma. When that karma came around to those who wronged her, as she knew it would, she didn't gloat or smile, but accepted it with grace.
Isn't this an interesting life? Thinking of course of the Chinese promise curse - "May you live an interesting life". A life friend has had some terrible health issues, and I think of this saying often as we all work towards his health improving. It is both heartening and disheartening to see how people react to one in the circle being weaker than in past times. Some handle it with aplomb, cheerfully encouraging, keeping up the same type of chatter as in previous times, taking care of those personal issues of the friend without a second thought or glance. Others "can't handle" it. Those people are not the ones I would go to Africa with. I only went to London with my friend who passed, but I would have taken her with me to Africa, for sure.
My personal litmus test, since 2001, has been whether or not I would go to Africa with a person. The person must have a good sense of humor, a wonderful sense of adventure tempered by healthy pull back if needed. The person has to pack lightly, be able to eat without a fuss, deal with a lack of a shower for a few days. And if there is bleeding, the person can't faint. He or she has to be tough about it, and prepared for that. Bravery helps too. And if I lose it, I want the other person to help me get it back, after empathizing for half a minute (cause that's what I'll do).
While I know I am being judgy, don't we all have our own litmus tests for those we let into our inner circles? Think about it. Who do you let in to your hearts and minds and souls? Not just anyone, that's for sure. I'm even all right with the occasional 45 supporter as long as that person fulfills the information above and doesn't incessantly sing praises. I would like the supporter, though, to be horrified at issues like no women in the picture at a state dinner, deportation of immigrants who have lived a crime free life here, removal of federal work regulations for those who treat women unequally, and a vice president who won't even have a working lunch with a professional because of the person's genitalia.
Here's to starting the road to being the "old folks"...may we continue to work for justice, peace, our friends' health, love those teenagers we come across, and enjoy watching our pets play. Because life truly moves to fast to regret what didn't happen.
I a glad you found some time to post. So, thank you. I enjoy your FB site and value your commitment to teaching and, of course, learning along the way. You ask a very interesting question? A litmus test? I think I have been too accepting of people and I am so often judged for my own skepticism about people I find difficult to ingest/digest. That I find rather odd as though it is not ok to not enjoy the face people put out to the world. Perhaps I need to do some reframing for them. An old EMT idea. Well, perhaps I will Gove that a try OR just be quiet and not let others usurp my time here on earth.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thank you. And please write. You are a wonderful communicator.