Have you seen TED? TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The basic premise of the non-profit is "Ideas worth spreading." Their website is a collection of essays, articles and videos. The topics are so widely varied and interesting, it's really worth a look.
I want to draw your attention to one video in particular. It's going to sound silly, but after I read the book Wicked, by Gregory Maguire, I've been drawn to the idea of good and evil in modern context. Anthropologists and their students face struggles in maintaining objectivity. When you're conducting research and one of your subjects is doing something you think is "wrong" do you stop them from doing it or do you allow it to happen for the sake of research. Because, the argument goes, if you have the evidence from ONE case, you have ammunition to help the ENTIRE population. Tough choices.
But I digress. The video I'm talking about is this one. It's 20 minutes long, but worth the watch. Samantha Power is talking about a renegade hero, a guy who negotiated with terrorists and dictators in order to save people. The story is compelling and Ms. Power's telling is captivating. But that's TED, compelling and captivating. As a sidebar brag, a LOT of Penn Staters have appeared in TED Talks. That's right! We can drink and be brilliant!
Thanks for reading,
Sara
Listen, this blogging thing? It’s not easy to keep up with! Easy? Easy is playing outside all day with Finn, getting up at 4:30 to pour coffee, growing veggies, baking brownies, reading, soaking up the sun, weeks at the beach, scheduling classes, securing money, and buying books. Warm days spent outside, splashes in the lake, conventions with the ocean, like old friends rushing to embrace, collecting shells, tossing one back as a thank you. Summer = Life. Summer = Happiness. Summer = Love.
But summer is almost over. In about 10 days, I’m going back to college full-time to finish a degree I’ve been picking away at for close to four years. My 3 year old will start full-time preschool, I’ll be working 25 hours, studying the rest; all these changes that I’m still so unsure of. My internal voice goes something like this:
It’s going to feel so great to finish my degree.
But I love having those special days with Finn.
You can still have great times together, you pick him up at 3:30 everyday.
But that means no impromptu weekday picnics at the lake, no Waffle Shop breakfast dates, no nap-time snuggles.
You can do all of those things over the weekend. Think about how amazing it will feel to FINISH school and how great of an example you’re setting for your son.
But, but, but…
*sigh*
Amidst the struggles, changes, and internal arguments, I’m concerned about our lifestyle, staying healthy while staying busy. Between classes and parking lots, I’ll be walking roughly 3 miles every day. While I’m still going to be active, I know that my time will be at a premium, but I don’t want my family to suffer by way of too much eating out or unhealthy cooking. So, I’m mentally compiling recipes, tips, and suggestions to use over the next 72 years… okay, 3… I hope.
The September issue of Whole Living Body + Soul Magazine had a list of 25 simple, healthy recipes. I plan to use the first few weeks of classes to test some of them out.
Do you have any tips, time management suggestions, good thoughts? Care to share? Please?
Thanks for reading,
Sara
