Out with the old ... in with the new?

Yesterday one of my awesome friends came over and helped me purge my closet. This is a regular ritual for me - I sometimes accumulate clothes quite quickly and sometimes don't let go of them quite as quickly. So I tried on everything hanging in my closet and we got rid of VERY LARGE bag of clothes. Many of them didn't fit quite right. Others didn't have flattering colors. Some just weren't really me.

What a huge relief to have space in my closet now. I can access all my clothes, and they're all hanging nicely on their own hangers. Matching white ones, except for the sloped ones and the skirt/pants hangers.

I find that when I get rid of things I don't really love, it frees me to enjoy more the things I keep and love. A new clarity of vision? Fewer distractions? Undiluted pleasure in my possessions? Maybe the mind can only hold so many clothes in its memory at once. In any case: I feel a renewed enthusiasm for my wardrobe after getting rid of so much.

There are still some piles of things we didn't go through - a big shelf of sweaters and pants; my shoes; jewelry; and a dresser of shirts, undergarments and pajamas. Yes, I have a lot of clothes. I hope to purge them in the near future as well.

Clearing out space means I'm open to receive more. But I want to say, quite firmly, that I don't really want more. I really like and love a lot of my clothes, and feel that I definitely have enough. I have more than enough for the various occasions in my life. I would far rather just continue to enjoy what I own than to buy more, which will only clutter up what I have now.

Idea

A skit.

Meeting of a group of neo-Luddites.

They are planning a campaign to get out the goals of their movement, gain converts, and mount massive campaigns.

How will they get the word out?

The not-too bad Samaritan

I was on my way to town yesterday when I saw a commotion at the intersection ahead. As I pulled up to the stop-light, a man parked his truck backwards in the left-turn lane to re-load the plywood that had apparently fallen out the back into the intersection.

I inched towards the red light and considered my options. Ignore it? Or jump out and help?

I put the car in park and jumped out to help. I managed to help him get several sheets back into the truck before the light turned green ... then, fearing the honking of cars behind me, I abandoned him and continued on my way.

I wonder if, in the end, he was more grateful or annoyed ...

Saying No

I think I'm burned out. I think I just realized it this morning. I don't like it. I think I should be doing (and be capable of doing) far more than I am. I have big goals I want to accomplish. I think I should be an accomplished person.

But you know what? The reality is that I'm tired. I'm stressed. My hair is falling out. I don't want to volunteer for anything else. The long list of little things I "have" to do is wearing me out. And it's summer - and yet I rarely take a day to simply enjoy it. That is wrong!

I want to do many things. That's nice. But apparently I'm not able to do those things right now. I have an easy time telling other people that they just need to say no. Well, I guess I need to re-learn that magical skill. Even things that seem essential. I am not really needed for the choir to run well. The committee can survive without my excessive participation. I don't need to take on any new projects. I have a lot I'm doing now, and I need to cut out activities, not add new ones. I think that's why my time has been taken with all of my personal business - I need to get things done, finish them off, so I feel unburdened.

Well - back to the reflection and simplification process.

Being Young

I've been having strong memories of what it was like to be young. Or younger. Either way - I saw the world very differently as a teenager and in my early 20s, compared with now. Things were much more intense. Black and white. And specific.

I had a fashion sense that I thought was highly individual, but was often incredibly repetitive. I remember some of the outfits that I knew would finally create the cool image I wanted: Oversized T-shirts (XL) with colorful tributes to environmental issues, layered over also-too-big long-sleeved shirts and baggy jeans. Hiking or army boots, weighing down my little body.

Or this one outfit that epitomized my dream of alternative chic. We had a guest speaker at a major environmental conference we organized at our school. She did things with a provincial environmental group, so represented all that was cool. She walked in the day of the conference wearing a plain white oversized T-shirt in a light-weight fabric, the front of it tucked in, the back hanging out. The jeans were slightly baggy and loose at the ankles; the belt was wide and black leather. Oh, to recreate such an outfit! Yet I couldn't fathom spending the money it would involve simply to buy the belt; and couldn't seem to figure out where they sold t-shirts like that, of lighter-weight fabric. However, I did proceed to tuck in the front of my T-shirts.

I wonder what other fashion memories I might dredge up?

Reduce junk mail

plus identity theft risk.

I just registered at the following site:
http://www.the-cma.org/?WCE=C=47|K=224217

the Canadian Marketing Association Do Not Send/ Do Not Call list. What a great idea, huh?! I was responding to yet another credit card solicitation (no thank you!) which, in addition to being a waste of natural resources, AND time poses a risk for identity theft (which is a BIG waste of time). Now I should be relatively free from these wasted mailings. I also recently asked for no more mailings from my Airmiles account. On a roll, baby!

Hypermiling

Or: why drivers behind me curse.

Honestly, I drive fine. I just keep my foot light on the gas, and tend to coast up to red lights and corners, rather than gunning it and slamming on the brakes. It just makes sense to me, particularly as the globe warms and gas prices rise. However, the drivers of massive trucks and SUVs in Kelowna don't seem to get it. Tail-gating until they can pass, then racing by me at top speed.

Go ahead: I'm not threatened!

For more information on how to drive so you save gas, go to:
http://www.hypermiling.com/

Glasses

I got a pair of polarized Anne Klein sunglasses from Winners. Oh, I like them! Big lenses, very classic look, and extreme UV blockage. I am happy health-wise AND stylistically!

Culture and education

I've been reading and listening to things lately about the need for cultural (and religious) sensitivity in education. Education systems need to be adapted for the culture of their diverse students.

However, some people object to the idea of addressing diverse cultures within a single classroom for fear that, first, the teachers won't understand other cultures in enough depth to do them justice; and second, that the cultures will be overly simplified to the point of being meaningless.

This debate leaves me with many questions, primarily driven by my belief that we are one human family; that we benefit from encountering diversity; that cultures themselves are not monolithic but contain different ways of being and different individuals within them; that we all have a spiritual nature that needs to be incorporated into education; and that we are not born with a particular culture, but learn it as we grow.

My questions:
What are the aspects culture that need to be addressed in educational systems?
What commonalities exist across culture that could be incorporated?
What aspects of culture are "variations on a theme" that could be used by a teacher to meet common needs of diverse cultures?
What are the aspects of culture that are seen to be relevant in the education of minority students in Canada that would be of benefit to more students?
Can we have integrated classrooms?

More questions to follow.

Eye health

Major discovery: you can check your sunglasses to see how much UV radiation they block!!

UVA and B radiation can cause major problems for your eyes - that's why we squint or use sunglasses. However, those glasses should block 95%+ of the UV radiation. Polarized lenses block 100%; others block varying degrees. And glasses don't have to be expensive to be effective.

I brought two of my pairs of glasses into a glass shop (Dr. Specs). They had a machine in the back (that no one knew about!) that tested UV absorption. One pair of glasses absorbed 83% - not bad - but the other, that I thought was really cheap and ineffective, blocked 95%. Go figure!

Go on: bring your sunglasses in! Get them checked out.

Haircut Cycle

This is my haircut cycle.

I get a haircut. I love it!

My hair grows; it looks good; I don't notice it. It's just my hair.

Suddenly: it's too long! It has no shape! It looks awful! I have to get a haircut - NOW! I make an appointment for as soon as possible!

The night before the haircut, I suddenly love my hair. It's so nice and long! It looks great! Why would I cut it? I should cancel.

Then I come to my senses; get excited about it; get my haircut; and all is right with the world.