As I try to wake up in the morning, as if arising from the dead, I like to lie in bed for a while and read. If no book is handy, I will reach for my phone, and scroll through the social media posts. I like to see which of my fellow night owls were up late, and what thoughts that were hatched in the dark are floating through to the morning…
“Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.” This quote is frequently used as a come-back of sorts, usually as the last word in a discussion of aesthetics. If one person comments that an object is unattractive, then the opposing last word is often this retort, in which lies the inherent argument that we each can have our own definition of what is beautiful, and we do not have to agree…
“In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” (Sing along now, the Columbus Day Song! Sung to the tune of Farmer in the Dell!) “He had three ships and left from Spain; he sailed through sunshine, wind and rain….October 12 their dream came true, you never saw a happier crew! ‘Indians! Indians!’ Columbus cried; his heart was filled with joyful pride…
I spend a lot of time thinking about people I know and have known, and how they have impacted my life. Some people breeze through our lives, and make no lasting impact, and others can shape much of who we become. I was fortunate to have a teacher in high school that was one of those people that makes a lasting, positive influence, and from her, I learned many things that I realize now are completely ingrained in my personality and belief system.
I had Mrs. Mac (her nickname) for college prep English in the 10th grade, and she also taught a public speaking course, which I took for all three years of high school. So by my calculation, I had the benefit of being in her presence for roughly 650 hours of my life, during what was a very impressionable time…