When I start to get overwhelmed now, I stop and look out at the trees. I really don’t want to go back to an office.
The Forest
Posted in Reflections
Tagged calm, employment, nature, off the grid, overwhelmed, overwhelming, relaxation techniques, trees, working from home
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Mini Makeover: Curtain Edition
Hanging sheers behind heavier window treatments. They offer privacy for transitional moments in the early mornings and late afternoons, “when we’re not quite ready to pull the curtains,” They can also filter light the rest of the day.
Posted in DIY💭
Tagged comfort, creativity, curtains, decorating, design, details, history, home design, layers, lighting, Lightning, organizing, perspective, purging, sheers, windows
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Schools Are for Critical Thinking
I love the Opt Ed section of the paper. I believe we all need to write at least one letter on something we’re passionate about in our lifetime. In saying that, I applaud this reader
Those who would ban books reveal their own lack of knowledge and insecurities.
In seeking to protect children from knowledge, they instead foster ignorance and fear.
In seeking to ban books, these few would steal educational opportunity and leave children unprepared to live in our world today.
Banning books only serves to make those books more mysterious and desirable. Children are smart and inquisitive. They will find answers for why some people don’t want them to know about some things.
School is the best setting to introduce controversial ideas to children. School is where children should learn to look at all issues with a critical mind. They should be encouraged to seek more information for better understanding; to be open to new ideas and new ways of looking at the world; to be willing to listen to others and to discuss their own opinions.
Yes, exposure to ideas should come at age-appropriate levels and with age-appropriate methods. Where better than in the schools, where teachers are trained to understand these approaches?
The fearful few should never be allowed to limit the learning of our next generation of citizens. The world would only suffer from their ignorance.
Margaret Garber, Seattle
Posted in Reflections
Tagged academia, bank books, books, clarity, dreams, inspiration, journaling, knowledge, library books, mediatation, novels, picture books, reading, reference books, self care, solitude, teachers
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Phone Etiquette
My sister, brother and I are all in our early 60s. My question is about cellphone etiquette.
Today my sister called me from her car (which is the topic of a whole other subject – that is, people who can’t be bothered to talk to you from home, but only from their car).
During our phone discussion, I mentioned something extremely personal about myself and was horrified when my sister announced that someone else was in the car with her. She then apologized to that person (not me) for having to hear this!
I had a similar experience when my brother called me and after a few minutes his wife chimed in on something we were discussing, which made me realize that we were on speakerphone and our call was not private.
When did a sense of intimacy and privacy in phone calls go out the door?
Is it due to the ease of using a cellphone on speaker?
Are we all to just assume that any cellphone discussion is likely to be on speakerphone in
the presence and hearing of others?
Amy, can you issue a PSA about this?
Dear Overheard: If you are speaking to a person while they are driving a vehicle, then yes, you should assume that you are on speaker, because that is the safest way to do both at the same time.
However, etiquette — as well as commonsense — would also dictate that the person placing or receiving the call would notify the other party immediately: “Hey, just letting you know that you’re on speaker…”
Furthermore, unless it is an emergency, a call for directions, or a topic of mutual interest to all parties I think it’s rude to place a call when you already have a passenger in the car with whom you could be making conversation.
You – not the passenger — were owed an apology after your privacy was violated.
Posted in Clinical Supervision
Tagged apologies, communication, conversation, distractions, Etiquette questions, manners, phone, privacy, speaker phone, Technology, what would you do?
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‘Books Saved My Life’
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, books are absolutely essential to our community. Censoring books that include queer people and their stories is a form of erasure and gatekeeping that our community is too often familiar with. When books are policed because of “queer” content, what would a queer child think? What would stop them from further alienating themselves because of queer censoring?
As a child growing up with no one to relate to, we found refuge in countless books. My nose would always be buried between the pages of several different types of books. It became my safe sanctuary, a safe space that allowed me to see the world differently and realize that there was a better place for myself out there because I was reading about characters who were just like me.
People often forget the meaningful role that books play in the lives of other people. I am here today because books saved my life, and we owe it to our future generation of queer youths to preserve full access to books that reflect their own stories while giving them hope that they too can live unapologetically outside the contents of any book. Fania Sipili, Tacoma
Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…
Posted in Reflections
Tagged book ban, books, censorship, community, content, dreams, healing, inspiration, LGBTQIA+, library books, queer, reading, reference books, refuge, Representation, safe space, sanctuary, teachers
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