Whew. So, it's over. 2016--the year of...well, there are really too many adjectives, verbs and hyperbolic phrases that could be inserted there, so that's where I think we should start.
I am a huge fan of moving forward--I don't even like to put my car in reverse if I can help it--true story--but I also recognize the value of taking a backward glance from time to time. I mean, how else can you see:
1) how far you've gone
2) how much you've left to go
3) where the twists, turns and pot holes in the roads were
Now, for me, of all of those, #3 means the most. Like I said, I am a fan of moving forward, but most of the time, the natural enemy to forward thinking or really any kind of positive progression, is repetition. The repetition of a mistake is the most obvious deterrant to progression because it usually means going backward, but even repeating things that worked out for you can be detrimental to progress because it could mean that you are comfortable and not taking any more risks, and then, consequently, you can't "really" progress. Personally, I like to see where things went bananas for me, or where I made a wrong turn, or how taking the shortcut would've helped me had I only listened to someone else.
So, usually right around now, I allow me the time I need to take stock of my personal and professional situations.
I should do this more often than just the start of a new year, I know this, but something about the symbolism of starting at 1 just speaks to me, so here I am.
What I noticed I did way too much last year was to let things that were either out of my control, or not really fixable in the first place, define who I was. As a result, I spent too much of 2016 feeling like a colossal failure. Thus, for 2017, I have decided to form BOTH an interpretation and a life plan from something I read by accident over break. It was a quote from a long-dead German author named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (that G name is actually pronounced "Gert-A), and it states: "Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
I am trying to find a sign that says that, but so far, no luck.
Now, its your turn.
First--I want you to fill in that sentence I started at the beginning: "2016--the year of ____________". Explain your choice.
Second, of the three reasons I listed for why looking back is good, which one do you see the most value in and why? Explain in detail.
Finally, moving forward in whatever area of life you want to focus on, how would you like to proceed that is AT LEAST marginally different then whatever you did last year?
Monday, January 2, 2017
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Tis the Season
First, some holiday humor!
What do you call an elf who is afraid of Santa Claus?
CLAUStrophobic!!!! :) Tee heeeeeee :)
Ok, onward and upward.
So, as we all know, the holiday season is upon us. Theoretically, we know it is a time to bring tidings of great joy and all that, but you don't have to be Scrooge to recognize that Christmas & Hanukkah & holidays in general really, tend to get more commercialized and commerce-driven each year. There is an entire DAY dedicated to the notion of spending money on holiday gifts. Crazy, right?
So, this week, let's do something different and instead of focusing on THINGS we would give to people as holiday gifts, let's instead talk about abstract concepts, feelings or ideas we would like to bestow (look it up) on another person--or, in this case, on two other people in our Lang fam, and one or two of whomever you choose.
Here is the idea: choose any two people across all three sections (both people cannot be from your own class), and talk about what you would like to "theoretically give" them as gifts. I will give you an example of something I thought of earlier:
For Jana I would give the power of healing self-love--both the ability to pass on to others, AND to fully appreciate its remedial nature. I would want her to call upon this power in her darkest of days when she is caring for herself and when she is emotionally recovering from the trauma of caring for herself. Healing self-love would soothe Jana's spirits and allow her the time necessary to build herself back up. Healing self-love would bring the shine back to Jana's eyes, and her smiles would be real again.
You've got some time for this task-today is Wednesday and this blog isn't due until next Wednesday the 28th (it's not real work in the traditonal Lang sense), so naturally that means I expect you will have put some thought into this. By thought I mean supporting details, varied syntax, and impassioned diction. Comprende?
Have fun with it--spread the joy. Who knows? Maybe AP Lang can save Christmas and we'll get a movie made!
What do you call an elf who is afraid of Santa Claus?
CLAUStrophobic!!!! :) Tee heeeeeee :)
Ok, onward and upward.
So, as we all know, the holiday season is upon us. Theoretically, we know it is a time to bring tidings of great joy and all that, but you don't have to be Scrooge to recognize that Christmas & Hanukkah & holidays in general really, tend to get more commercialized and commerce-driven each year. There is an entire DAY dedicated to the notion of spending money on holiday gifts. Crazy, right?
So, this week, let's do something different and instead of focusing on THINGS we would give to people as holiday gifts, let's instead talk about abstract concepts, feelings or ideas we would like to bestow (look it up) on another person--or, in this case, on two other people in our Lang fam, and one or two of whomever you choose.
Here is the idea: choose any two people across all three sections (both people cannot be from your own class), and talk about what you would like to "theoretically give" them as gifts. I will give you an example of something I thought of earlier:
For Jana I would give the power of healing self-love--both the ability to pass on to others, AND to fully appreciate its remedial nature. I would want her to call upon this power in her darkest of days when she is caring for herself and when she is emotionally recovering from the trauma of caring for herself. Healing self-love would soothe Jana's spirits and allow her the time necessary to build herself back up. Healing self-love would bring the shine back to Jana's eyes, and her smiles would be real again.
You've got some time for this task-today is Wednesday and this blog isn't due until next Wednesday the 28th (it's not real work in the traditonal Lang sense), so naturally that means I expect you will have put some thought into this. By thought I mean supporting details, varied syntax, and impassioned diction. Comprende?
Have fun with it--spread the joy. Who knows? Maybe AP Lang can save Christmas and we'll get a movie made!
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Lost in Translation
I must confess that for as long as I can remember, I've felt felt a tinge of loneliness; ok, more than a tinge. It isn't because I don't have tons of friends--I mean, I don't, but I don't need tons. The scant few I've got are all I need because I've never been the type of person who judges herself on popularity. That seems stupid to me, given how fleeting popularity really is.
No, the truth is that I've almost always felt lonely for one reason: the sinking feeling that there are precious few people who view the world and those in it the way I do. For some reason, this matters a great deal to me. And this is the reason that I sometimes feel like I'm miles away even while surrounded by humans.
Often, when I'm feeling alone, I like to keep moving. Specifically, I like to go for walks. Well, first I drive to a place I've either 1) never been OR 2) always go. It's the drive before the walk that allows me to let go of the day and absorb the night. These walks of mine always happen at night. I feel like that's an important detail. Don't ask me why. So this is the state of affairs that brought me to Center City Philly last Friday night. As I roamed Old City, a place I once lived, I found myself replaying some of the interactions with various people I'd had up to that point in the day. When my mind settled on one of the day's conversations--I don't remember which--I distinctly recall feeling a rising tide of frustration. And while I'm sketchy on the details of the conversation which sparked these thoughts, I know precisely what frustrated me that evening, because it's something that consistently frustrates me to no end: the realization that most people seem to have no handle on what it means to be "intelligent." Not that I feel that I have a monopoly on the definition. It's just that I feel that people throw the word around like it's a hacky sack, with little to no thought about how their use of the term speaks volumes about what they value in terms of mental capacity.
So, you guessed it. I'd like you to weigh in on the subject. What does it mean to be "intelligent"? Who's the smartest person you've ever known? What is it that makes them so intelligent in your view? Be specific, cite examples and do your best to arrive at a definition. But DON'T consult a dictionary. If you absolutely can't resist the temptation to chew on someone else's thoughts on the subject, I'd like you to google quotations on intelligence and tell me if you come across one that sums up your views on the topic--or one that doesn't if playing devil's advocate is your thing. Share the quote with us and connect it with your response. Don't rush your thinking. Let it marinate...
No, the truth is that I've almost always felt lonely for one reason: the sinking feeling that there are precious few people who view the world and those in it the way I do. For some reason, this matters a great deal to me. And this is the reason that I sometimes feel like I'm miles away even while surrounded by humans.
Often, when I'm feeling alone, I like to keep moving. Specifically, I like to go for walks. Well, first I drive to a place I've either 1) never been OR 2) always go. It's the drive before the walk that allows me to let go of the day and absorb the night. These walks of mine always happen at night. I feel like that's an important detail. Don't ask me why. So this is the state of affairs that brought me to Center City Philly last Friday night. As I roamed Old City, a place I once lived, I found myself replaying some of the interactions with various people I'd had up to that point in the day. When my mind settled on one of the day's conversations--I don't remember which--I distinctly recall feeling a rising tide of frustration. And while I'm sketchy on the details of the conversation which sparked these thoughts, I know precisely what frustrated me that evening, because it's something that consistently frustrates me to no end: the realization that most people seem to have no handle on what it means to be "intelligent." Not that I feel that I have a monopoly on the definition. It's just that I feel that people throw the word around like it's a hacky sack, with little to no thought about how their use of the term speaks volumes about what they value in terms of mental capacity.
So, you guessed it. I'd like you to weigh in on the subject. What does it mean to be "intelligent"? Who's the smartest person you've ever known? What is it that makes them so intelligent in your view? Be specific, cite examples and do your best to arrive at a definition. But DON'T consult a dictionary. If you absolutely can't resist the temptation to chew on someone else's thoughts on the subject, I'd like you to google quotations on intelligence and tell me if you come across one that sums up your views on the topic--or one that doesn't if playing devil's advocate is your thing. Share the quote with us and connect it with your response. Don't rush your thinking. Let it marinate...
Monday, December 5, 2016
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." ---Rudyard Kipling
I love words.
Good thing I suppose, given my chosen and hard-fought-for occupation. Every time I sit down at a keyboard or have a pen poised over a blank sheet of paper, I feel overwhelmed with excitement, with possibility, with anticipation. With a few key strokes or swipes of a pen, you can find the right combination of words that can make someone LOVE you.
Conversely, you can break a heart, manipulate a mind or sever an allegiance…all with those same strokes or swipes. Think about that. Legends are immortalized because of words. Nations go to war over words. Couples are united in matrimony with words. Hearts and lives are shattered due to words. The power they wield is, in a word, awesome.
“Every time I come around the corner and see your car in the driveway I get sick to my stomach.”
I sat on the couch during yet another face-off with my mother when she let fly with that condemnation, effectively shattering any sense of comfort and belonging I may have been clinging to at the time. I was 17. I’m 46 now, and I can hear those words in my ear as clear as if they were uttered 10 minutes ago. I can’t say that it was those exact words that led to the eventual, unsurprising demise of my relationship with my mother, but I know it was certainly a huge chunk out of the already crumbling foundation. It stands, to this day, as one of the worst things anyone has ever said to me.
But, as I said, words are powerful. They have healing properties. Let me give you a scenario. I was visiting a friend at what is now, TCNJ (back then it was Trenton State College). My boyfriend of about a year had just broken up with me, quite unceremoniously, at a party the night before. I was feeling kind of blue, just sort of moping around the campus waiting for my friend’s class to end. While aimlessly wandering through the bookstore, I saw an old friend from high school, a guy who graduated a year ahead of me. We got to talking about life after high school and what my plans were and all of that idle small talk, when he looked me right in the eye and said, “Well Cass, the thing is, I hear you’re an excellent writer.”
What followed is not a Cinderella-like ending of fairytale romance (this is me we’re talking about) between Matt Opacity (that was his name--Opcaity. Sounds like something other than a name, but I don't know what) and your Lang teacher. We didn’t fall into each other’s arms and swear undying love—it wasn’t even a romantic moment. He wasn’t trying out a brand-new pick-up line or even trying to soothe my bruised, dumped ego. It was a simple declaration that I am quite sure he would never even remember saying all these years later. But it’s impact on me was and is undeniable. Because of him, when I went back home, the first place I looked for a summer job was at a local newspaper called The Sandpaper. I landed a job as a stringer and at the tender age of 18, got my first ever piece of writing published. I even got paid for it! (It was an article on Tonkinese cats—don’t laugh!) Such is the power and the beauty of words.
So, that is the focus of this week’s blog question. I would like you to think about conversations you have had, arguments in which you’ve been embroiled, moments of bliss you have experienced. They all have one thing in common—WORDS.
The Yin: What is the worst thing anyone has ever said to you? Why do you think it was the worst thing? How did it make you feel?
And for the Yang (because there always is one): What was the best compliment you have ever received?
Who said it? Why do you think was it was the best compliment?
And finally, perhaps even MOST IMPORTANTLY, reflect on the fact that you highlighted these two particular comments. What do you think your choices of what was the best and worst thing anyone could say about/to you reveal about your personality? Much to think about, I know. Don’t delay!!
Good thing I suppose, given my chosen and hard-fought-for occupation. Every time I sit down at a keyboard or have a pen poised over a blank sheet of paper, I feel overwhelmed with excitement, with possibility, with anticipation. With a few key strokes or swipes of a pen, you can find the right combination of words that can make someone LOVE you.
Conversely, you can break a heart, manipulate a mind or sever an allegiance…all with those same strokes or swipes. Think about that. Legends are immortalized because of words. Nations go to war over words. Couples are united in matrimony with words. Hearts and lives are shattered due to words. The power they wield is, in a word, awesome.
“Every time I come around the corner and see your car in the driveway I get sick to my stomach.”
I sat on the couch during yet another face-off with my mother when she let fly with that condemnation, effectively shattering any sense of comfort and belonging I may have been clinging to at the time. I was 17. I’m 46 now, and I can hear those words in my ear as clear as if they were uttered 10 minutes ago. I can’t say that it was those exact words that led to the eventual, unsurprising demise of my relationship with my mother, but I know it was certainly a huge chunk out of the already crumbling foundation. It stands, to this day, as one of the worst things anyone has ever said to me.
But, as I said, words are powerful. They have healing properties. Let me give you a scenario. I was visiting a friend at what is now, TCNJ (back then it was Trenton State College). My boyfriend of about a year had just broken up with me, quite unceremoniously, at a party the night before. I was feeling kind of blue, just sort of moping around the campus waiting for my friend’s class to end. While aimlessly wandering through the bookstore, I saw an old friend from high school, a guy who graduated a year ahead of me. We got to talking about life after high school and what my plans were and all of that idle small talk, when he looked me right in the eye and said, “Well Cass, the thing is, I hear you’re an excellent writer.”
What followed is not a Cinderella-like ending of fairytale romance (this is me we’re talking about) between Matt Opacity (that was his name--Opcaity. Sounds like something other than a name, but I don't know what) and your Lang teacher. We didn’t fall into each other’s arms and swear undying love—it wasn’t even a romantic moment. He wasn’t trying out a brand-new pick-up line or even trying to soothe my bruised, dumped ego. It was a simple declaration that I am quite sure he would never even remember saying all these years later. But it’s impact on me was and is undeniable. Because of him, when I went back home, the first place I looked for a summer job was at a local newspaper called The Sandpaper. I landed a job as a stringer and at the tender age of 18, got my first ever piece of writing published. I even got paid for it! (It was an article on Tonkinese cats—don’t laugh!) Such is the power and the beauty of words.
So, that is the focus of this week’s blog question. I would like you to think about conversations you have had, arguments in which you’ve been embroiled, moments of bliss you have experienced. They all have one thing in common—WORDS.
The Yin: What is the worst thing anyone has ever said to you? Why do you think it was the worst thing? How did it make you feel?
And for the Yang (because there always is one): What was the best compliment you have ever received?
Who said it? Why do you think was it was the best compliment?
And finally, perhaps even MOST IMPORTANTLY, reflect on the fact that you highlighted these two particular comments. What do you think your choices of what was the best and worst thing anyone could say about/to you reveal about your personality? Much to think about, I know. Don’t delay!!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Communication Nation
This week, we are getting a bit of a late start--so, the due date for this blog will be Sunday, Dec. 4.
Here are some questions to consider. I will not bog you down with any of my own thoughts on these, so you can just get to the heart of what you want to say.
REMINDER: Blogs matter. Do your best, write professionally but personally, check your work in a Google or Word doc, and post before midnight. Make sure you support what you say with appropriate details, try to work in a lit device or some other demonstration of what you know about communication, like some new vocab or something like that.
Ok, onward and upward.
Question number one: About what do you wish an adult in your life understood or knew about you that they don't already understand or know?
Question number two: At the tender age of either 16, 17 or maybe 18, what, if anything, have you figured out about life? Your life and life in general, that is.
Aaaaaand....GO!
Here are some questions to consider. I will not bog you down with any of my own thoughts on these, so you can just get to the heart of what you want to say.
REMINDER: Blogs matter. Do your best, write professionally but personally, check your work in a Google or Word doc, and post before midnight. Make sure you support what you say with appropriate details, try to work in a lit device or some other demonstration of what you know about communication, like some new vocab or something like that.
Ok, onward and upward.
Question number one: About what do you wish an adult in your life understood or knew about you that they don't already understand or know?
Question number two: At the tender age of either 16, 17 or maybe 18, what, if anything, have you figured out about life? Your life and life in general, that is.
Aaaaaand....GO!
Monday, November 21, 2016
A Grateful Nation...pffft...Yeah, Right
So, this year has not been kind. To any of us. AT all.
And, when things don't go well, when we're sad, when we think the universe is conspiring to ruin our good times, we tend to do a few things. We mope, or we complain, or we point fingers. It's rare that when life hands you lemons, you give thought to the best lemonade recipe you know, even though that's what we try to do and it might even be what we say we do. It just does not always work out like that.
What I want to be able to do, ideally, is look at a situation as an OPPORTUNITY. Even those situatons that are working my nerves--I wish I was able to be THANKFUL that I have a situation that can really test my problem-solving skills.
Wouldn't that be awesome? If I could look at it that way? Imagine how my perspectives would shift about everything. Nothing would be awful because everything would be a lesson in which I had a chance to learn something.
So, bottom line, I wish I was thankful for ALL opportunity, not just the ones that may provide immediate, tangible benefits.
So...your turn.
What do you WISH you could be thankful for? How come you're not? Can you see any way to change your own mind about it?
And, when things don't go well, when we're sad, when we think the universe is conspiring to ruin our good times, we tend to do a few things. We mope, or we complain, or we point fingers. It's rare that when life hands you lemons, you give thought to the best lemonade recipe you know, even though that's what we try to do and it might even be what we say we do. It just does not always work out like that.
What I want to be able to do, ideally, is look at a situation as an OPPORTUNITY. Even those situatons that are working my nerves--I wish I was able to be THANKFUL that I have a situation that can really test my problem-solving skills.
Wouldn't that be awesome? If I could look at it that way? Imagine how my perspectives would shift about everything. Nothing would be awful because everything would be a lesson in which I had a chance to learn something.
So, bottom line, I wish I was thankful for ALL opportunity, not just the ones that may provide immediate, tangible benefits.
So...your turn.
What do you WISH you could be thankful for? How come you're not? Can you see any way to change your own mind about it?
Monday, November 14, 2016
The 7-Point Creed: Setting the Moral Compass
This is something sacred to me. I don't feel that way often, but about this, I do. This, to me, is one of the most important things I will ask of you. To me, this is the key to your success, and you all know that is always my primary goal.
I keep meaning to explain this to you in a very conversational way, but somehow there never seems to be enough time to be able to really just "talk" to you. So, in an effort to make better use of "time," I have relied on the wonders of Wikipedia to be able to explain the 7-point Creed, which is the integral foundation of this week's blog question.
Without further ado--
John Wooden's Seven Point Creed,[1] given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:
* Be true to yourself.
* Make each day your masterpiece.
* Help others.
* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
* Make friendship a fine art.
* Build a shelter against a rainy day.
* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
If you don't know who John Wooden is, LOOK HIM UP HERE--his story is quite remarkable. As a coach, I deeply admired him and the things he accomplished. As a human being, he is amazing in every sense of the word and one of the few people I can honestly say I aspire to emulate. As you know, I don't say that about very many people.
In any case, your task for this week is to come up with your own 7-Point Creed and share it here. I know that I am asking a lot of you. I know that this is not something you can do in two-three days. And this is why I am extending the deadline until Sunday night (the 20th). You will really need to put a lot of thought into this.
Ask yourself these questions to help you along:
What do I value?
What are my morals?
How do I want to be perceived by others?
What do I want my legacy to be?
What have I learned in my life?
What else do I want to learn?
Now, I certainly don't want you to answer those questions and consider that to be your creed. Remember, a creed is a sort of guideline for living, but it is also completely subjective. Look at Wooden's creed again. The statements there are kind of ambiguous and can be open to interpretation, don't you think? So, when you are doing this, try to keep that in mind. However, it is precisely BECAUSE the statements are ambiguous that you will have to explain what you mean by them, what they mean to you and why you chose them. Always the why.
What you are basically doing is creating a blueprint by which you can live your life. YOUR life. Nobody else's.
After all, who is more important than you?
I keep meaning to explain this to you in a very conversational way, but somehow there never seems to be enough time to be able to really just "talk" to you. So, in an effort to make better use of "time," I have relied on the wonders of Wikipedia to be able to explain the 7-point Creed, which is the integral foundation of this week's blog question.
Without further ado--
John Wooden's Seven Point Creed,[1] given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:
* Be true to yourself.
* Make each day your masterpiece.
* Help others.
* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
* Make friendship a fine art.
* Build a shelter against a rainy day.
* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
If you don't know who John Wooden is, LOOK HIM UP HERE--his story is quite remarkable. As a coach, I deeply admired him and the things he accomplished. As a human being, he is amazing in every sense of the word and one of the few people I can honestly say I aspire to emulate. As you know, I don't say that about very many people.
In any case, your task for this week is to come up with your own 7-Point Creed and share it here. I know that I am asking a lot of you. I know that this is not something you can do in two-three days. And this is why I am extending the deadline until Sunday night (the 20th). You will really need to put a lot of thought into this.
Ask yourself these questions to help you along:
What do I value?
What are my morals?
How do I want to be perceived by others?
What do I want my legacy to be?
What have I learned in my life?
What else do I want to learn?
Now, I certainly don't want you to answer those questions and consider that to be your creed. Remember, a creed is a sort of guideline for living, but it is also completely subjective. Look at Wooden's creed again. The statements there are kind of ambiguous and can be open to interpretation, don't you think? So, when you are doing this, try to keep that in mind. However, it is precisely BECAUSE the statements are ambiguous that you will have to explain what you mean by them, what they mean to you and why you chose them. Always the why.
What you are basically doing is creating a blueprint by which you can live your life. YOUR life. Nobody else's.
After all, who is more important than you?
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