Take Back Your Life!

Always fascinating how column/blog topics enter the psyche.

Was listening to one of my singing idols — Julie London — do her sultry rendition of The Door’s Light My Fire. It’s terrific. Listen to it here on You Tube.

The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire

(Lyrics to live by.)

Just my kind of karaoke song. Unfortunately for my higher vocal range, they only seem to offer the original by The Doors. So, I re-listened to The Door’s version and learned from the CD jacket how the band got its name. (more…)

I’m in the throes of an abstract painting class intensive. Instructor’s right up my muse alley. He’s constantly uttering rebellious phrases.

And I’ve been writing a lot of them down, like “dare to be messy.” (Of course, I love this. As a messy person, I’ve faced serious discrimination beginning at overnight summer camp when the best candy bars went to the cleanest lodges. My messiness often resulted in my entire cabin sharing a pack of Wrigley Gum instead of us each savoring our own Snickers.)

(more…)

Hi loyal readers,

It took many months of researching,  percolating and writing to finish my educational piece on education, standardization, creativity and imagination. A special thanks to the fabulous commenters who suggested books and shared their own experiences with the world’s educational systems.

Here’s the link to The MetroWest Daily News if you’d like to read it. For those that prefer to stay on this site, I’ve pasted a few choice paragraphs:

“America does not need to standardize its youth. It needs to encourage creative risk-taking and self-reliance. Our economy has stalled because adults do not have enough imagination to visualize new ways way to solve old problems. Our compulsory educational system asks us to don blinders and fixate on answers.

It’s time for America to birth a new educational adventure, one that releases children from age-segregated confinement so they can contribute in a meaningful way to their communities.”

(more…)

Over the weekend, a murder happened in the small town I grew up. Allegedly, a young man referred to as a star athlete (football/track) slashed/strangled his ex-girlfriend’s throat most likely in his parents’ garage. They’d dated for three years before she broke up with him a few months back. Reports suggest he’d become withdrawn and angry post breakup. Yet, she remained friends with him and agreed to meet him after work. Perhaps, she wanted to keep the peace. Perhaps, she didn’t sense the impending danger. Perhaps she never believed he’d hurt her. (more…)