A shout out

As a woman I often think about those brave women from a time past who were known as suffragettes, speaking out so those like myself could have an equal voice in this country. They paved the way for a lifestyle I cherish.

And I also say thank you to the peacemakers, brave souls like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, tireless in their efforts to bring equality and civil rights to all of us here on Earth – and doing it in peaceful ways no less. They have helped bring about much needed change that we continue to work on in their stead.

But these days I find another person I want to give a shout out to, one who is seemingly tireless in his message about climate change and the action needed to avert catastrophe. I am talking about Dr. Michael E. Mann, a Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State, who is ever present and very vocal as of late about the climate change crisis.

Yes there are many others voicing their concern in a public way, but Dr. Mann seems to bring forth the topic of climate change in a way that highlights the severity of the situation but also reminding us it is not too late, don’t give up hope of change for the better.

I first discovered Dr. Mann in an online course I took through edX, entitled Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact. It was a great course where I really learned so much about climate change from the science side to the aspect of how it is impacting our world. Dr. Mann has also written several books on the topic of climate change that are equally informative and well written.

This man is getting the word out in a big way and right now he is my climate change spokesperson hero! If you would like to learn more from Dr. Mann, here is the link to his website: https://michaelmann.net/ I hope you will check it out and become informed, and find your own ways to shout out about climate change so we can get to work on getting our world back to a much healthier, happier place for all of us.

Chinese Garden, Portland, Oregon

The computer made me cry

I knew it would happen; the threatening tears, the foul mouthed words. It is the annoyance and lack of patience I have with technology. In trying to copy and paste and arrange whatever the hell a widget is in order to post my two recent award nominations, I could feel it happening again, the familiar hair-pulling frustration. I accept the world of computers, and use mine for quite a few things, but anything too advanced makes me want to scream! And yes, at times the seemingly basic steps of copying and pasting are too advanced. I have always been slow to accept technology; my children who graduated from high school in 2003 and 2005 never had a home computer to use – we were a bit slow to jump into that world. And imagine that, they graduated, both in the top half of their classes! Cell phones were also a bitter issue, with neither child having one until they were out of high school and on their own. And once more, they managed to make it through high school with a social life intact. I haven’t owned a television for two years now, so I am out of the loop of all that, what with Tivo and DVR or whatever the letters are supposed to be. My cell phone is designed to only make calls and receive calls; I do not know how to text and I do not want to learn either. I went back to college last year for awhile, and I thanked God for all the tutors there when it came time to write my first paper, in which writing actually meant composing it on the computer. I recall the first time I went for help with a paper, I didn’t even know how to double space! I have come quite a ways in writing on the computer. But the funny, and somewhat ironic thing is, I have always had a secret desire to be a recording engineer – talk about dealing with technology! But in that case, my love affair with music seems to override any fears or doubts I have about my capabilities. In the land of music, I feel like I can do it all! I would like to share a poem I wrote, after observing some of my fellow classmates in my sociology class. We had met at a coffee shop to work on a project, with me being a good 30+ years older than all of them. And as we sat at the table working on our project, I had to laugh as each one could not let their cell phone out of their sight for more than a few minutes- and I went home and wrote this poem….

Security Blankets

 

You see them everywhere

The plastic rectangles

Different sizes

Different colors

Attached to a hand

Always close by

Never out of sight

I must have you near me!

What if I fail to hear you?

Or see your face light up?

With a message for me!

From the others

Security blankets for a new generation

Comfort and reassurance

Wrapped in the blanket of technology

The monkey called fame

I never used to think much about famous people and how we perceive them, even though like you and me they have to go through all the everyday particulars of life. Those kinds of things are never really talked about, although there may be the occasional photo at the grocery store, or a “beautiful” person that is caught jogging in sweats, no make up and a headband holding back unruly hair. But once I quit watching television, I started to realize how fame is an attribute we bestow upon those we deem worthy. This first came to light when I stood in line at the grocery store, staring at the row of magazines by the check out, and realized I didn’t recognize so many of the faces on the covers. These are obviously people who are well known by most of the population, but if I were to encounter them I wouldn’t give them a second glance. Perhaps that is why so many celebrities move to far off places to live, to get away from the constant recognition and ensuing fan ardor that seems to interrupt their lives during what should be private times. For some of those “blessed” with fame and fortune, I do believe they may feel like they have a monkey on their back.

The Odd Monkey

 

Fame!

Fortune!

Oh! the notoriety

What an odd little monkey it is

That clings to those

Who make the climb

Up the pedestal

That we construct for them

But, alas

The pedestal crumbles

Under the weight of this person

Who we thought

Was as light as the gods

Oh! our illusion shatters