Hello fellow readers,
As you all know, Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows. I absolutely love it and everything to do with it! It's a great program that I think anyone would benefit from watching. I have seen some very terrible things written about this season and as a fan, I feel like I need to come to defend the show that I love! And, I just want to.
First people are upset that Peter Capaldi is the new Doctor. They are saying he is too old, too mean, and my favorite, too Scottish! People have actually penned letters to complain that his accent is too thick for them to understand! Can you believe that crap! It's like they are reaching for something to be mad about. As far as his age, no one actor has been more prepared or more perfect for the role of a 1200 year old Time Lord. Peter Capaldi is a fan and has been since he was a boy. He grew up on the show and was passionate enough about it to become a member of the fan club when he was a young man. No other actor can bring this unique and amazing portrayal of The Doctor. When the 50th anniversary came out it erased any gap between "New" and "Classic" Who. Peter Caplidi's Doctor is a true reflection of this. He has the edge of the classic Doctors and the love, comedy, and sass of the new Doctors. Peter Caplidi is The Doctor!!
As far as 12's new darker personality, it is very simply a reminder that he is an alien. He is a Time Lord who isn't sure if he killed his entire planet, or if his family is out there waiting for him somewhere to rescue them. Would you be a kind person all of the time when you have all of that going on in the back of your mind? I like seeing this side of the Doctor. David Tennant was a master at showing "the fury of a Time Lord." Those moments were dark and terrifying. Peter Capaldi is showing this fury more than any other Doctor and it's right for this regeneration. This is just another side of a very complex character that has been around for 50 years!!! He can't be the same thing over and over again because that would be boring.
Speaking of change, people are having a very hard time with The Master being played by a female and now being called Missy! People's outrage has made me sick! What is wrong with The Master being a female! It has been established in the history of the show that Time Lords/Ladies can change genders. People are all upset and are returning everything they have ever bought to do with Doctor Who because of Missy. They are worried they are going to see a female Doctor!! My answer to them is, so what? This show is about constant change, and acceptance. Everybody is important no matter how different they are! This has been a theme in the show for years and now a female becoming one of the most important character's of the show is somehow an issue! I don't understand the huge deal.
People keep accusing show runner Steven Moffat of having his own agenda. It has been the gay agenda, the political agenda, the religious agenda, the gender equality agenda. This man must have a lot of time on his hands as much as people are reading into this. Let's make one thing clear, these themes are nothing new at all!! Doctor Who has always had openly gay and bi sexual characters in a time when it wasn't even discussed. They have always taken a hard look at religion and a belief structure because like the Doctor said, he doesn't know if he believes but it's worth searching for an answer. There have always been both males and females in a position of power, including the late and great Vertiy Lambert, the first producer of Doctor Who. As a female producer in 1964 with a gay Asian as the first director, they saw more adversity than most of the characters in the show. These things were unheard of in 1964 yet Doctor Who was ran by a female, and a gay man! There is always room for everyone, because in all of time and space the Doctor has never met anyone who isn't important!
This show is about change, about regeneration. It can't stand still, because like time, things move on. If we were still caught up in the ways of yesteryear then we would never have had some of these amazing stories with diverse characters. It is a show that isn't afraid to tackle hard issues including life and death. It can be amazing and uplifting as well as depressing. It works, and if it was a formula show where at the end of the show the lesson of the day was revealed, it never would have survived 50 years. Things change and I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the future. Maybe we will have a transgender, black Doctor who likes hamburgers. It doesn't matter because what ever the Doctor will be, he or she will always be the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels to see the wonders of the universe no matter how strange, silly, or different they seem to be.
Lisa and her Underdog
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Caregiving: what it's like for me
Hello all,
I have been asked to write about being a caregiver. I know it's not my normal type of blog but it was requested of me. I must admit that I'm a little nervous about it because I am still very actively taking care of two people. I will do my best to honor their privacy so I am not going to go into any real details. Just remember that taking care of the people I am working with is my number one goal. I do the best that I can to make sure they get the care that they need. I am not an expert at all on the subject, but it is my life and something that I have done for most of it. I have been an active caregiver to my parents, grandparents and some of my friends since I was a small child. It is something that is second nature to me, but I am human and like everyone else I get burned out.
First of all, I am not a nurse or a doctor. I have a lot of respect for those wonder and amazing people who have decided to make it their life's work. I do have medical training. I know First Aide, CPR, general things about medication, how to give shots, and some very specific things that go along with the conditions of the people I take care of. I do my research. I spend a lot of time in doctor's offices and any free moment I get, I will be asking questions, making notes, and trying to understand what I need to look for if anything goes wrong. I never sit on the sidelines, I do what I can to learn as much as I can in order to give the best care.
Being a caregiver is beyond a full time job, it is a life. I admire others who are in the same position that I am. I know some people give more time than I do, and others who only have to be a caregiver on a part time basis. Either way, it is not a traditional job but it takes so much out of you. No two days are similar and what may have worked for you a week ago won't work today. You must be adaptable and you must have patience. A caregiver can be up all night with their patient, or trying to catch up on things with their own lives only to have to get up again at the crack of dawn for a full day of appointments.
I know it's the number one rule when you are in this type of field that you need to take care of yourself first. I'm here to tell you while that is a great idea, it's damn near impossible at times. There are days where this is no issue at all but others, your life will need to be put on hold. It's different for every single person but I know from the small group of people who are in the same boat as I am that caring of yourself is something that is pushed aside a lot. It's a daily battle and sometimes you get to have a good day, and other days or even weeks go by before you realize that you haven't done a single thing for yourself beyond basic measures.
I have also found that being a caregiver is something of a stigma. Even thought it is a very hard job many people will point out that "it's not a real job." I admire those people for their blissful ignorance. There isn't much assistance out there for a person who is a caregiver and with society being ultra harsh on those looking for help it becomes a vicious cycle. There isn't much room to do anything else when you are a caregiver including working an outside job. If you look for help then you are automatically deemed as weak or a drain on society. I see it all the time on social networks how people are so angry that their hardworking dollars are going to the slums on food stamps and welfare. Well, I am an extremely hardworking person with days that can last 20 hours or longer. I am working all of the time but I qualify for very little help. I work odd jobs during my "off hours" to survive. The point I'm trying to make here is people are very quick to judge because they think a caregiver is someone who gets to sit around and does nothing all day. This couldn't be further from the truth. It is a job that becomes a life of it's own and society thumbs their noses at people who don't go to an office and put in an 8 hour day. The government doesn't understand caregiving and with the society aging they aren't prepared for the amount of help that is going to be needed. They aren't prepared now.
It is hard taking care of someone when they are sick and in pain. All you want to do is ease their suffering. It isn't unusual for you to get stressed to the point where you get a bit snappy at the person you are taking care of. Lack of sleep and highly stressful situations play a big part of this. So does hope. It is easy to fall into a habit of getting hopeful any time you see your client having a good day, but a moment later it ends. You always want that person to be well and be in a place where they can have more good days than bad. The bad days take their tolls. The good days that turn bad are worse. It's like you take 10 steps forward and then something happens and you are pushed back 20. It's a process and it takes a very strong person to get through it. You have to make sure you are doing your best to help your client feel good on their good days, and okay on their bad days, and learn when you need to let them be. It is an ongoing process. Since no two days are the same, no two emotions are the same either and what was a clue to you before may mean something completely different the next time.
The person asking me to write this asked if I have had people die on me. The answer to that is yes, I have. As a caregiver you may be left in the dark. What I mean by this is other people are going to be very upset and completely forget that you were the one taking care of everything. You will get those really fun people who say they were the ones who dropped everything to help out him or her when you know they haven't been through the door for at least a year. Or, they will forget that you are human and you are feeling a loss yourself. I have no real advice on how to deal with this. My Dad's motto was to pick your head up and keep going. I think that has gotten me through a lot in my life, especially being a caregiver to so many different people with vastly different needs.
So, that's what it is like for me. I don't know how it is for other people. I know that there may be people ready to tell me how I should or shouldn't do something. Thank you for your concern. I just know that caregivers are a bunch of very underrated people who get the short end of the stick. They must be strong when others are weak, must know when to react, and how to take care of anything that comes up during the day. It's something that takes up a lot of time, effort, and money. Everyone will have a point in their life where they will need this level of help. I hope when the times comes for me that I will be able to be kind and understanding because I've been in those well worn shoes. I don't have the answers for other people, but I'd love to open up a dialog for those who are interested in sharing there experiences. If not, then I hope if you read this blog maybe you felt less alone and know that someone else out there knows what you are going through.
I have been asked to write about being a caregiver. I know it's not my normal type of blog but it was requested of me. I must admit that I'm a little nervous about it because I am still very actively taking care of two people. I will do my best to honor their privacy so I am not going to go into any real details. Just remember that taking care of the people I am working with is my number one goal. I do the best that I can to make sure they get the care that they need. I am not an expert at all on the subject, but it is my life and something that I have done for most of it. I have been an active caregiver to my parents, grandparents and some of my friends since I was a small child. It is something that is second nature to me, but I am human and like everyone else I get burned out.
First of all, I am not a nurse or a doctor. I have a lot of respect for those wonder and amazing people who have decided to make it their life's work. I do have medical training. I know First Aide, CPR, general things about medication, how to give shots, and some very specific things that go along with the conditions of the people I take care of. I do my research. I spend a lot of time in doctor's offices and any free moment I get, I will be asking questions, making notes, and trying to understand what I need to look for if anything goes wrong. I never sit on the sidelines, I do what I can to learn as much as I can in order to give the best care.
Being a caregiver is beyond a full time job, it is a life. I admire others who are in the same position that I am. I know some people give more time than I do, and others who only have to be a caregiver on a part time basis. Either way, it is not a traditional job but it takes so much out of you. No two days are similar and what may have worked for you a week ago won't work today. You must be adaptable and you must have patience. A caregiver can be up all night with their patient, or trying to catch up on things with their own lives only to have to get up again at the crack of dawn for a full day of appointments.
I know it's the number one rule when you are in this type of field that you need to take care of yourself first. I'm here to tell you while that is a great idea, it's damn near impossible at times. There are days where this is no issue at all but others, your life will need to be put on hold. It's different for every single person but I know from the small group of people who are in the same boat as I am that caring of yourself is something that is pushed aside a lot. It's a daily battle and sometimes you get to have a good day, and other days or even weeks go by before you realize that you haven't done a single thing for yourself beyond basic measures.
I have also found that being a caregiver is something of a stigma. Even thought it is a very hard job many people will point out that "it's not a real job." I admire those people for their blissful ignorance. There isn't much assistance out there for a person who is a caregiver and with society being ultra harsh on those looking for help it becomes a vicious cycle. There isn't much room to do anything else when you are a caregiver including working an outside job. If you look for help then you are automatically deemed as weak or a drain on society. I see it all the time on social networks how people are so angry that their hardworking dollars are going to the slums on food stamps and welfare. Well, I am an extremely hardworking person with days that can last 20 hours or longer. I am working all of the time but I qualify for very little help. I work odd jobs during my "off hours" to survive. The point I'm trying to make here is people are very quick to judge because they think a caregiver is someone who gets to sit around and does nothing all day. This couldn't be further from the truth. It is a job that becomes a life of it's own and society thumbs their noses at people who don't go to an office and put in an 8 hour day. The government doesn't understand caregiving and with the society aging they aren't prepared for the amount of help that is going to be needed. They aren't prepared now.
It is hard taking care of someone when they are sick and in pain. All you want to do is ease their suffering. It isn't unusual for you to get stressed to the point where you get a bit snappy at the person you are taking care of. Lack of sleep and highly stressful situations play a big part of this. So does hope. It is easy to fall into a habit of getting hopeful any time you see your client having a good day, but a moment later it ends. You always want that person to be well and be in a place where they can have more good days than bad. The bad days take their tolls. The good days that turn bad are worse. It's like you take 10 steps forward and then something happens and you are pushed back 20. It's a process and it takes a very strong person to get through it. You have to make sure you are doing your best to help your client feel good on their good days, and okay on their bad days, and learn when you need to let them be. It is an ongoing process. Since no two days are the same, no two emotions are the same either and what was a clue to you before may mean something completely different the next time.
The person asking me to write this asked if I have had people die on me. The answer to that is yes, I have. As a caregiver you may be left in the dark. What I mean by this is other people are going to be very upset and completely forget that you were the one taking care of everything. You will get those really fun people who say they were the ones who dropped everything to help out him or her when you know they haven't been through the door for at least a year. Or, they will forget that you are human and you are feeling a loss yourself. I have no real advice on how to deal with this. My Dad's motto was to pick your head up and keep going. I think that has gotten me through a lot in my life, especially being a caregiver to so many different people with vastly different needs.
So, that's what it is like for me. I don't know how it is for other people. I know that there may be people ready to tell me how I should or shouldn't do something. Thank you for your concern. I just know that caregivers are a bunch of very underrated people who get the short end of the stick. They must be strong when others are weak, must know when to react, and how to take care of anything that comes up during the day. It's something that takes up a lot of time, effort, and money. Everyone will have a point in their life where they will need this level of help. I hope when the times comes for me that I will be able to be kind and understanding because I've been in those well worn shoes. I don't have the answers for other people, but I'd love to open up a dialog for those who are interested in sharing there experiences. If not, then I hope if you read this blog maybe you felt less alone and know that someone else out there knows what you are going through.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
To the Class of 2014
Part Two, Wear Sunscreen:
To the Class of 2014:
You are about to get a whole bunch of advice, from everyone. Every single person that you know and don't know are going to shove information down your throat in an attempt to help you become an adult. The thing is everyone is trying to help you out, or save you from mistakes that they have made. What they may not tell you is that you need to make mistakes, bad ones. Not everything is going to be right for you, but make mistakes, and be good to your fellow human being.
Here are a few tidbits for you to chew on:
Remember that just because you turn 18 and are going away to college or starting your job does not make you an adult. Nothing magic happens to make you one, you just wake up one day and realize that you are. It has nothing to do with age, but the journey you've been on and the path that you have chosen to walk. Flex those wings because you are going to want to see what your new boundaries are, but be careful and kind when you are doing this. Remember, many of us have been on this path of self discovery before, and trust me, you don't want to burn bridges.
Don't keep your mouth shut. Speak up and be heard.
Read everything that you can get your hands on. Read banned books, pamphlets, webpages, magazines, billboards, anything. Read things that are controversial, and risky, and scary. Read the newspaper, comics, ads, and everything else you can find.
Unplug from the world. Do not depend on technology as something that is a sub for human interaction. Listen to the world around you, not the sounds of AI. Go into nature, it's going to be gone someday and nothing can replace it. Don't live life online.
Get into fights and arguments. If you don't, you will never learn anything about the other person or yourself. Just be civil about it.
Meet new people.
Know thyself: There are a few core things that are special to every person. It's different for everyone but once you find those cores and answer those questions, be willing to discuss them. Learn everything that you can about them, and be willing to be challenged on them. If you find that those core answers change with time, educate yourself again. You won't always feel the same way as you did when you were 18.
Don't make it your main goal in life to get married and have children. It's best to be able to stand on your own two feet, and have life skills before you get serious in a relationship. If you can't stand on your own, then you will fall.
Learn how to balance your checkbook. Don't depend on the bank, or online banking to do it for you. Know how to make change, and always carry a little cash just in case of emergency.
Take lots of pictures.
Eat different kinds of foods.
Be honest.
Take care of yourself by drinking lots of water, getting restful sleep, and listen to your body. No one knows your body better than yourself. Don't get stuck with a doctor that won't listen or you feel that doesn't hear you. You only have one body, take care of it. And if they won't help find somebody that will.
Volunteer: you will meet new friends and it's always better to help out when you can. Plus, it's great to put on resumes. ;)
Learn how to write a resume, cover letter, and how to fill out an application.
Remember, you will not always start off at a job on top. You will have to work for it. Don't quite because you don't feel things are moving fast enough. You must start on the ground floor before you get to walk up any stairs.
Watch the sunset, and the sun rise. Watch the first stars come out at night and howl at a full moon. Find a rainbow, wish on a star.
Get drunk. (Disclaimer: Yes, get drunk, but don't put yourself in a situation where you or anyone else will be driving. Go somewhere and stay there Don't drink with somebody that you don't trust with your life.) Everybody needs to get drunk at least once in their life to know what it's like. Some will never drink again, some will become casual drinkers, and others will waste away into something pathetic. It's a right of passage, but don't you dare put anyone else in danger.
Don't smoke.
Wear clothing and shoes your size. Trust me, society will thank you for that.
Play music, sing, hum. Go to concerts and musical theater. Educate yourself on the arts.
Find fun, free things to do in your city. Take a day, or a few days to be a tourist in your town. Learn about the history your city. You may be surprised at what you find out.
Travel!!! Not just the world, but the entire Untied States. Get lost, or go find the world's biggest ball of twine! Never stop learning about the world around you. Spend your money on traveling. It's a great investment.
Learn how to change a tire, and a diaper. Important life skills.
Take public transportation, walk, ride your bike when you can. Be kind to Mother Earth, she's all that we have.
And last but not least:
Be humble, never forget who you are or where you came from. You are no better or any worse than another person. You are you, and nobody else can do that for you. Be strong, love, be willing to have you heart broken. Be kind, and remember that tomorrow is not a promise. Don't burn the bridges, dwell too long on hurt and pain, get help when you need it. Never be afraid to ask for that help. Take a deep breath when you are stressed. Work hard, and play responsibly. Take care of yourself, and your loved ones. Have fun, and laugh a lot.
Good luck all, and remember we are all cheering for you!!
To the Class of 2014:
You are about to get a whole bunch of advice, from everyone. Every single person that you know and don't know are going to shove information down your throat in an attempt to help you become an adult. The thing is everyone is trying to help you out, or save you from mistakes that they have made. What they may not tell you is that you need to make mistakes, bad ones. Not everything is going to be right for you, but make mistakes, and be good to your fellow human being.
Here are a few tidbits for you to chew on:
Remember that just because you turn 18 and are going away to college or starting your job does not make you an adult. Nothing magic happens to make you one, you just wake up one day and realize that you are. It has nothing to do with age, but the journey you've been on and the path that you have chosen to walk. Flex those wings because you are going to want to see what your new boundaries are, but be careful and kind when you are doing this. Remember, many of us have been on this path of self discovery before, and trust me, you don't want to burn bridges.
Don't keep your mouth shut. Speak up and be heard.
Read everything that you can get your hands on. Read banned books, pamphlets, webpages, magazines, billboards, anything. Read things that are controversial, and risky, and scary. Read the newspaper, comics, ads, and everything else you can find.
Unplug from the world. Do not depend on technology as something that is a sub for human interaction. Listen to the world around you, not the sounds of AI. Go into nature, it's going to be gone someday and nothing can replace it. Don't live life online.
Get into fights and arguments. If you don't, you will never learn anything about the other person or yourself. Just be civil about it.
Meet new people.
Know thyself: There are a few core things that are special to every person. It's different for everyone but once you find those cores and answer those questions, be willing to discuss them. Learn everything that you can about them, and be willing to be challenged on them. If you find that those core answers change with time, educate yourself again. You won't always feel the same way as you did when you were 18.
Don't make it your main goal in life to get married and have children. It's best to be able to stand on your own two feet, and have life skills before you get serious in a relationship. If you can't stand on your own, then you will fall.
Learn how to balance your checkbook. Don't depend on the bank, or online banking to do it for you. Know how to make change, and always carry a little cash just in case of emergency.
Take lots of pictures.
Eat different kinds of foods.
Be honest.
Take care of yourself by drinking lots of water, getting restful sleep, and listen to your body. No one knows your body better than yourself. Don't get stuck with a doctor that won't listen or you feel that doesn't hear you. You only have one body, take care of it. And if they won't help find somebody that will.
Volunteer: you will meet new friends and it's always better to help out when you can. Plus, it's great to put on resumes. ;)
Learn how to write a resume, cover letter, and how to fill out an application.
Remember, you will not always start off at a job on top. You will have to work for it. Don't quite because you don't feel things are moving fast enough. You must start on the ground floor before you get to walk up any stairs.
Watch the sunset, and the sun rise. Watch the first stars come out at night and howl at a full moon. Find a rainbow, wish on a star.
Get drunk. (Disclaimer: Yes, get drunk, but don't put yourself in a situation where you or anyone else will be driving. Go somewhere and stay there Don't drink with somebody that you don't trust with your life.) Everybody needs to get drunk at least once in their life to know what it's like. Some will never drink again, some will become casual drinkers, and others will waste away into something pathetic. It's a right of passage, but don't you dare put anyone else in danger.
Don't smoke.
Wear clothing and shoes your size. Trust me, society will thank you for that.
Play music, sing, hum. Go to concerts and musical theater. Educate yourself on the arts.
Find fun, free things to do in your city. Take a day, or a few days to be a tourist in your town. Learn about the history your city. You may be surprised at what you find out.
Travel!!! Not just the world, but the entire Untied States. Get lost, or go find the world's biggest ball of twine! Never stop learning about the world around you. Spend your money on traveling. It's a great investment.
Learn how to change a tire, and a diaper. Important life skills.
Take public transportation, walk, ride your bike when you can. Be kind to Mother Earth, she's all that we have.
And last but not least:
Be humble, never forget who you are or where you came from. You are no better or any worse than another person. You are you, and nobody else can do that for you. Be strong, love, be willing to have you heart broken. Be kind, and remember that tomorrow is not a promise. Don't burn the bridges, dwell too long on hurt and pain, get help when you need it. Never be afraid to ask for that help. Take a deep breath when you are stressed. Work hard, and play responsibly. Take care of yourself, and your loved ones. Have fun, and laugh a lot.
Good luck all, and remember we are all cheering for you!!
Wear Sunscreen
Dear Class of 2014,
This was written and performed by Baz Buhrmann for my class year. This is as true today as it was those few short years ago. Trust us on the sunscreen!
"Everybody is Free to Wear Sunscreen"
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
This was written and performed by Baz Buhrmann for my class year. This is as true today as it was those few short years ago. Trust us on the sunscreen!
"Everybody is Free to Wear Sunscreen"
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Nerd: Not just another four letter word
Updated from an earlier post:
Hello All,
I am a NERD. There, I said it. For most of you, this isn't a shocker, but for me this is something that I have just come to grips with and have become very proud of. Nerds are something that people are taught to think of in a bad fashion. They are portrayed as people living in their parent's basements, with broken glasses, a collection of comic books, and living with an unhealthy obsession instead of trying out the real world. They have jobs in IT, and have a high opinion of themselves, and a low opinion of others who make fun of their world or aren't as smart as they are. They are often painfully shy and can't function outside of a very small circle of friends and trusted family members. They often live a very lonely life and will be the butt of many jokes.
Nerds come in different forms if that means they love sports, animals, plants, running, surfing, making cakes, knitting, whatever you can come up with. Anything that makes you happy and you are so very passionate about that all the details matter makes you a nerd. I'm sure there are at least one or two things that came to your mind with that description, thank you very much John Green. Nerds look like anyone else, and you don't have to be enthralled with a book, movie, comic, TV show, or technology to be classified as a nerd. It is a double standard though. It is completely fine and acceptable to be a sports fan. There is no problem dressing up and going to a sports bar or to the game, getting tattoos of your favorite team, wearing their logo on your shirts and drinking your cup of coffee with it plastered on the front. It is encouraged to love your team. This my friend, is a nerd, and there is nothing wrong with that.
After you discover that you too are a nerd and it's not such a bad thing, it is important to be kind. I think every person has been enchanted with the object of their nerdom. They love it and know the details forwards and backwards. You want to share your love with the world because love is a positive, happy thing and we need more of that put out into the universe. But indivertibly, you find the cruelness, the people who will burst your bubble of happiness because you don't love the same thing the way they do, or you missed something, or you didn't see it or hear it the way that they took it. Suddenly, you find yourself a butt of a joke, again, and that stereotype comes creeping back into your mind. Sometimes, it's easy to slip into the role of the person correcting the others. The thing as, as a nerd we have been the underdogs. (Hey, get it, like my blog) We have been the quiet ones, the shy ones, the ones that sometimes can't make our own voice work so when we finally have a chance sometimes it comes out as cruelness. My rule of thumb when I catch myself being this mean type of nerd is to stop myself and apologize quickly. I've been the butt of jokes many times, and the person that everyone in the room ignores. To be able to speak up about something that you love takes a lot of courage and if you don't spend some much time judging you may actually learn something. You may even find a friend.
A true nerd is not only passionate about whatever makes them tick, that passion spills over into other areas of life. You will find that these people are truly some of the kindest people that you have ever met. You will find that they do for others and not always in a very obvious manner. You nerd it forward so to speak. For example, I love Doctor Who, very much. My cousin was diagnosed with cancer late last year and I became her care giver. It's been a tough road, but even being sick, she took me to the Doctor Who store here in Indy (Who North America) because she was thanking me for being her care giver.
However, she got too sick to stay and we had to leave. Fast forward several weeks later and our Masonic Family Members (this is nerdy too) got together to have a dinner and silent auction for my cousin to help pay for medial bills. Just because I love Doctor Who so much, I emailed the store and asked if they had any items to donate. These beautiful people never meeting me, and only going by my letter and how much I loved Doctor Who donated $500.00 worth of product to her auction. I was hoping for a poster. I am now helping them out with Indy PopCon because of them helping us out. All of this happened because of a love for Doctor Who, and people who's passion spilled over into other things. One day, I was having a terrible day at work and I took my break at Starbucks. I sat outside and was reading about Firefly. The nice elderly lady next to me saw the picture of Mal over my shoulder, we struck up a conversation, and my day instantly got better.
We, nerds being the underdogs, have made a community and in some cases have created a family steaming from what we are nerdy over. It's the Joss Whedon effect, we have big hearts. We have been left out, so once we find something that we love, we hold onto it with everything that we have. But we also want others to be able to enjoy that happiness and love so we do our best to nerd it forward. We dress up in our favorite comic book characters to go to blood drives, we get our fan groups together to do Relay for Life, or to knit Jane hats for cancer patients. We draw, sing, make art, play our musical instruments all inspired by what we love. That's just a small part. Sometimes it's the best thing in the world to see a nurse wearing a smock with Hello Kitty on it, and you happen to be huge Hello Kitty fan and that instantly calms you down. Being a nerd has taught me a very humble lesson, and I am going to do my best to make someone else smile, to make someone happy, to help someone out because a real nerd shares the love and happiness, not condones it. The most important thing I've learned is that being a nerd is truly not a four letter word. I am no longer ashamed or embarrassed to be a nerd, I embrace it!!!
Hello All,
I am a NERD. There, I said it. For most of you, this isn't a shocker, but for me this is something that I have just come to grips with and have become very proud of. Nerds are something that people are taught to think of in a bad fashion. They are portrayed as people living in their parent's basements, with broken glasses, a collection of comic books, and living with an unhealthy obsession instead of trying out the real world. They have jobs in IT, and have a high opinion of themselves, and a low opinion of others who make fun of their world or aren't as smart as they are. They are often painfully shy and can't function outside of a very small circle of friends and trusted family members. They often live a very lonely life and will be the butt of many jokes.
Nerds come in different forms if that means they love sports, animals, plants, running, surfing, making cakes, knitting, whatever you can come up with. Anything that makes you happy and you are so very passionate about that all the details matter makes you a nerd. I'm sure there are at least one or two things that came to your mind with that description, thank you very much John Green. Nerds look like anyone else, and you don't have to be enthralled with a book, movie, comic, TV show, or technology to be classified as a nerd. It is a double standard though. It is completely fine and acceptable to be a sports fan. There is no problem dressing up and going to a sports bar or to the game, getting tattoos of your favorite team, wearing their logo on your shirts and drinking your cup of coffee with it plastered on the front. It is encouraged to love your team. This my friend, is a nerd, and there is nothing wrong with that.
After you discover that you too are a nerd and it's not such a bad thing, it is important to be kind. I think every person has been enchanted with the object of their nerdom. They love it and know the details forwards and backwards. You want to share your love with the world because love is a positive, happy thing and we need more of that put out into the universe. But indivertibly, you find the cruelness, the people who will burst your bubble of happiness because you don't love the same thing the way they do, or you missed something, or you didn't see it or hear it the way that they took it. Suddenly, you find yourself a butt of a joke, again, and that stereotype comes creeping back into your mind. Sometimes, it's easy to slip into the role of the person correcting the others. The thing as, as a nerd we have been the underdogs. (Hey, get it, like my blog) We have been the quiet ones, the shy ones, the ones that sometimes can't make our own voice work so when we finally have a chance sometimes it comes out as cruelness. My rule of thumb when I catch myself being this mean type of nerd is to stop myself and apologize quickly. I've been the butt of jokes many times, and the person that everyone in the room ignores. To be able to speak up about something that you love takes a lot of courage and if you don't spend some much time judging you may actually learn something. You may even find a friend.
A true nerd is not only passionate about whatever makes them tick, that passion spills over into other areas of life. You will find that these people are truly some of the kindest people that you have ever met. You will find that they do for others and not always in a very obvious manner. You nerd it forward so to speak. For example, I love Doctor Who, very much. My cousin was diagnosed with cancer late last year and I became her care giver. It's been a tough road, but even being sick, she took me to the Doctor Who store here in Indy (Who North America) because she was thanking me for being her care giver.
However, she got too sick to stay and we had to leave. Fast forward several weeks later and our Masonic Family Members (this is nerdy too) got together to have a dinner and silent auction for my cousin to help pay for medial bills. Just because I love Doctor Who so much, I emailed the store and asked if they had any items to donate. These beautiful people never meeting me, and only going by my letter and how much I loved Doctor Who donated $500.00 worth of product to her auction. I was hoping for a poster. I am now helping them out with Indy PopCon because of them helping us out. All of this happened because of a love for Doctor Who, and people who's passion spilled over into other things. One day, I was having a terrible day at work and I took my break at Starbucks. I sat outside and was reading about Firefly. The nice elderly lady next to me saw the picture of Mal over my shoulder, we struck up a conversation, and my day instantly got better.
We, nerds being the underdogs, have made a community and in some cases have created a family steaming from what we are nerdy over. It's the Joss Whedon effect, we have big hearts. We have been left out, so once we find something that we love, we hold onto it with everything that we have. But we also want others to be able to enjoy that happiness and love so we do our best to nerd it forward. We dress up in our favorite comic book characters to go to blood drives, we get our fan groups together to do Relay for Life, or to knit Jane hats for cancer patients. We draw, sing, make art, play our musical instruments all inspired by what we love. That's just a small part. Sometimes it's the best thing in the world to see a nurse wearing a smock with Hello Kitty on it, and you happen to be huge Hello Kitty fan and that instantly calms you down. Being a nerd has taught me a very humble lesson, and I am going to do my best to make someone else smile, to make someone happy, to help someone out because a real nerd shares the love and happiness, not condones it. The most important thing I've learned is that being a nerd is truly not a four letter word. I am no longer ashamed or embarrassed to be a nerd, I embrace it!!!
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