Seeing Pine Ridge Differently

Posted on July 23, 2015 by kabod1

Before we left for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, I had several teens and parents ask me if I have seen things change in the many times I have been out to the “rez.” “Unfortunately,” I would say, “things don’t change much.” Each time I have been there, I’ve been told and shown how poverty and suicide rates are higher than national averages, how few Lakota are practicing their rich way of life, and how few new businesses are popping up. It’s a dose of reality that most people don’t want to hear or see.

That answer has changed a bit this time though. I was one of the chaperones for the Peoples Church Youth Group as we worked for a week with the Re-Member organization on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. And my experience this time showed me that in some ways things are worse and in some ways things are better for the Lakota on the rez.

The number of teen suicides at Pine Ridge is accelerating out of control; this fact may have been the most startling realization to the teens we brought out from East Lansing. Over 14 teens have killed themselves this year and it came close to home for us this week; both Inila Wakan (aka Keith Janis) and Will Peters (speakers at Re-Member) shared that they each had a grandchild commit suicide in the past year. These tragic scenes of the current Lakota landscape are mind- boggling and unacceptable. How could teens who have role models like these two spiritual, caring elders take their own lives? While it’s true that Pine Ridge recently received a grant from the Department of Education to impact the number of teen suicide attempts, one wonders how much of that money will get where it needs to be due to tribal corruption…and the immensity of the problem. Some point to racism as the core cause of the suicide problem.

Others put their time into prevention through Lakota education and pride, as well as solidifying existing supports in the community. Two examples are from the speakers I mentioned above. Inila Wakan was instrumental in starting Santana House. Here’s the description of their mission off of their Facebook page:

“This page is for a Grassroots-based suicide prevention and interventions, support, outreach, discussions, intervention, sharing resources, positive input, mobilization of kindred groups and kindred spirits, community input and ideas towards accomplishing the goal of establishing the “Santana House” a safe home and resource for at risk youth on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The existing suicide response network here is Not Able To Handle This Problem Alone!

Most teens from the surrounding areas end up in institutional settings away from the reservation, are confined, and most often drugged then sent back to the communities and circumstances that are part of their lives in the first place. This home we’re determined to build and staff will best serve the children from a culturally based approach without isolation and drugs.

We can rebuild the lives of children through the Santana House and serve as the loving and kind, caring and supportive extended family for our children who just need that extra attention and love from a stable environment. We cannot do this without your support. We all have a personal and social responsibility to get down into the trenches where these kids are and lift them up high and save as many as we can.

Thanks to everyone dedicating themselves to this extremely important–life – affirming cause.

Thank you ever so much for your love, time, and generosity.

Let’s pound the pavement!
Shake the pillars!
Echo Over the plains, mountains, and seas!

Hecetuwelo! MITAKUYE OYASIN*!”
(Mitakuye Oyasin means “we are all related”)

If you are interested in donating to Santana House, contact Inila directly at inila4wakan@hotmail.com

Will’s newest CD “Chillin’ Rez-Style” has several inspirational songs on it. One that deals with suicide awareness directly is “I Know,” which he and his daughter, Keesa Jo, sang for us at Re-Member. The lyrics are so powerful that I ended up taking a video of part of their performance. However, follow this link if you want to hear the whole song from a performance at Re-Member in 2014. Or call 605-867-5039 to purchase the whole CD. Here’s a message from the CD insert that Will wrote to explain this song:

“The song “I Know” is not only to remember all those we have lost to suicide, but also to encourage all young people to remember that there are people who care and want to help. If you, or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please don’t give up. Pray, burn some sweetgrass or sage, and talk to someone you know you can trust. Your life is sacred, believe in love, it’s gonna be alright.”

I don’t pretend to be an expert in the field or even to have much experience, but this song (and music in general) and the efforts of Santana House have the power to save lives and I hope you help spread the word. Here’s a bonus song, sung by Will with our own Mike Buttery on guitar also: Hard Life.

Another way I saw Pine Ridge differently this time had to do with the Tier 2 group with which I participated (the other groups did more hands-on work that I’ve written about before). Instead of going out to the work sites and touring with the other groups, five of us who had been to Re-Member several times delved more deeply into Lakota culture. Cornell Conway (a Lakota elder and Oglala Lakota College professor), Jeff, and Nikki led us daily as we learned more about the seven sacred ceremonies (including the sweat lodge or inipi), policies and treaties, the Pine Ridge economy, plants used for medicine, and a Lakota preschool program. Then, everyday we combined the lectures/information with some real-life experience; these field trips included visiting a thriving business called Tanka Bars (they take online orders), walking at Yellow Bear Dam and learning which plants can be used for what, and visiting a growing Lakota-speaking preschool (they have started an amazing youtube station if you want to hear the language or learn it, wayawa cikala). These were signs of positive change I ached to see. The most rewarding of these experiences was when we made a sweat lodge. I have posted a photo of information about a sweat lodge (from Lakota Life by Ron Zeilinger) as a way to explain how the Lakota use it as a church. It was a spiritual, community experience and I’m sure I will write a poem or two about it at a later time (see my previous blog entry for more information). Suffice it to say that between the palpable heat, the beautiful Lakota prayer songs, the welcome darkness, and the sharing out of our prayers, I felt lifted and cleansed — closer to that Creator Spirit that binds all of us.

I wrote this prayer for all of us as we struggle on our journeys. Peace.

Mitakuye Oyasin (“We are all related” or “all my relatives” in Lakota)

Oh, Creator Spirit,
Oh, binding breath between all peoples of all times,
Help me and help each of us,
Know your presence
Feel your presence
In our hearts, minds, and spirits.
Help us re-connect
Broken relationships
With each other
And with you.
Help us re-visit
That deep essential
Oneness
That binds all living beings.
Thank you, Creator,
For life,
For each sacred life.
Help us to value each life
As we value our own.
When we lose hope,
Re-member us with you.
Help us to see
You in each other, Creator Spirit.
Help us to reach out
To each other,
To the You in our midst
And be re-born
In hope.

Here’s a photo album I put together of photos I took on the trip; some have captions explaining what’s going on (but you can only see the captions if you look at the photos individually, not on slideshow).

A Few Days in Arkansas

Posted on July 9, 2015 by kabod1

All y’all don’t really know about Arkansas until you go there for at least a few days. Judy and I recently drove Aaron’s car down to him at the yoga center and organic farm he’s working at in northwest Arkansas. In our short stay, we met many friendly Arkansawyers (or Arkansans), were pleasantly surprised by the state’s beautiful rolling hills, and were able to step outside our comfort zones during a new experience.

It takes around 13 hours if you’re fairly focused about getting there. The map, below, was our route; we stopped overnight near St. Louis to see our friend, Maureen (thanks for the lodging, Maureen!), at the St. James Winery because it called to us, and at Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home because history & literature are cool, but mostly we drove.

Eventually, we ended up between Ponca, AR and Jasper, AR. I added a red heart on this next map to show the approximate location of the Circle Yoga Shala (and farm) where Aaron is staying. It’s in that white space on the map between two very small towns. We turned at this one bend in the road where it said “Shiloh” and went up and around this steep, bendy road and after awhile the road turned from pavement into just rocks and holes and it was about a mile past that on the right.

Matt, Holly, Lou Ann, Christian, and all the folks at the farm were very welcoming and genuine. They invited us to sit down to some delicious sweet potato soup that first evening and every conversation we had with each of them was special; we could tell they appreciated Aaron, his work ethic, and the fact that we had driven down to see him.
Here’s my first shot of the space and a link to a bunch of photos from the trip.

Try to take some time to look at the photos on the link, above, since I took the time to put some explanatory captions on them (though you can’t see my captions in slideshow mode for some reason).

One of the main events of our time in Arkansas (that you won’t see in the photos) was our experience in a sweat lodge. Though we both had our reservations about the ‘opportunity,’ it turned out to be a powerful, eye-opening ceremony. Every question we had about the process was addressed beforehand and we were reassured that we could leave anytime we wanted. They even talked openly about the mistakes made some time ago by people in the southwest (using plastic to cover the lodge instead of using blankets or other breathable items).

Talk with Judy or me personally for more specifics, but here is a montage of both the process and my reactions to the sweat lodge: we all drank a bunch of water throughout the day; the rocks were heated for a long time; the smudging ceremony calmed me; entering the space, I could see it would be crowded (30 men and women and one boy); the waves of heat were intense as water was poured on the hot rocks by Steve; he also sang most of the Lakota songs and calmly explained what was happening and why; the prayers I had on my heart helped me stay focused and made it more meaningful; I also concentrated on my breaths a lot more than usual; it was so dark, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face; the ground was cool and I laid down a few times; they opened the doors between the four sections and that helped me cool off and relax; after about 1 1/2 hours, we all hugged as we walked out into the sunlight; I felt a strong sense of community with these people and of the symbolism of the re-birthing/renewing process. Later, we ate a potluck meal together, shared our thoughts and feelings about the experience in a circle, and smoked the pipe.

There was something about knowing Judy and Aaron were in there with me that made it more special. Experiencing it in the hills of the Ozarks added to the magical quality of the moment. We took in many other sights and experiences in our short time in the South, but that Fourth of July sweat lodge stands out as the most significant, grace-filled* time we had.

P.S. Our plane ride back to Detroit was delayed due to some back weather in Chicago where we had a lay-over. I was texting back and forth with Aaron about it. As it turned out, even though we missed the bus back to East Lansing, we found a friend at the airport who gave us a ride. I commented to Aaron that we were “crazy fortunate” and he reminded me that our crazy fortunate moments sound like grace.

When I Retire

Posted on June 7, 2015 by kabod1

This time a year from now (or maybe 2 or 3 years), I’ll be retiring from teaching public school. I can see it out there on the horizon. It’s not a vague notion. I’ve been thinking about it and planning for it for years. Many of my retired teacher-friends seem to love it. They travel all over the world, spend more time with family members, volunteer in a variety places, and generally have a certain flexibility in their schedules (sometimes even working) that I envy. They have even recommended that I retire as soon as I can afford to, so I can enjoy the benefits of retirement while I am healthy. I have to admit that their argument is quite persuasive.

There are a couple realists, though, like my friend, Bob, who are quick to remind me that when you retire they stop paying you. Finances definitely play into it and even if I start my pension right away, our standard of living would be quite different. I can’t deny that making a decent income has been a goal for most of my life. It’s closely tied to my ego and to willingly give that up seems counter to who I am.

And there’s the fact that I like teaching. Students seem more and more curious and engaged, administrators rate me as ‘almost’ highly effective, and I enjoy the challenges of thoughtfully incorporating technology into lessons. Some would argue “Why stop just as you’re starting to know what you’re doing?” For me, though, there’s something about doing the same thing from year to year that doesn’t fulfill me. Yes, I’m on the verge of my 25th year teaching, but I’ve found a way to split that up so it hasn’t been the same thing over and over:

* Years 1-3, teaching high school English
* Year 4, teaching middle school English and Social Studies
* 1 1/2 year break to go back to M.S.U. and get my Masters Degree in Special Education
* Years 5-7, teaching middle school Special Education in a self-contained classroom and some co-teaching
* Year 8, teaching high school Special Education
* Years 9-10, teaching high school Special Education at a different high school (more of a Resource Room)
* Years 11-14, teaching high school Special Education at a different high school (back to a self-contained classroom)
* Years 15-17, teaching 8th grade English
* Years 18-23, teaching 7th grade English
* Year 24, teaching 7th and 8th grade English

It seems like I’ve had seven or eight different jobs in that time period. I keep learning and growing each year and I’m feeling closer to needing an even-more-different job…before I don’t like this particular one. Why wait until this job becomes too constrictive and standardized-test focused? I know myself well enough to know I wouldn’t survive long in that atmosphere (like being on the moon without a spacesuit or in a library wearing a straight-jacket).

So when I retire, I do plan to work for awhile. I’d like to do something with writing or with people or with technology. Here are a few possibilities:

* some non-teaching job at M.S.U.: Human Resources, fundraising, writing (public relations, for example), working at the library…

* bank teller (it was one of my first jobs and I remember liking it)

* teaching at the college level at Lansing Community College (I check their jobs page from time to time) or online

* yard work (like my Baboo (grandpa) Godoshian) or organic farming since I like to work outside

* writing a book or a musical (maybe about teaching or retiring)

When I retire, I will not be doing a few things: Walmart greeter is out; substitute teacher is out; bus driver is out. I know myself well enough to understand these would drive me crazy.

All I know is that change is the only constant. Things change. Dozens of teachers have retired from East Lansing Public Schools over the years and the district seems to still be chugging along fine. You’ve read my thoughts about joining them. These thoughts could change too. Or something else could happen. That’s the tricky thing about making plans. Life happens. It’s unpredictable and wonderful.

It’s Been a Wild Week

Posted on February 23, 2014 by kabod1

Last Sunday, Feb. 16

I sang glory to God with the Earl Nelson Singers in a concert at First Presbyterian Church in Battle Creek. I’ve been singing with this group for 14 years and I continue to love it. There were over 150 people at the concert and they seemed to really appreciate the variety of gospel and spiritual songs we sang. This was a fabulous way to begin the week.

Monday, Feb. 17
I had a wonderful day visiting my mother, Sally, who I had not seen in way too long; one of the highlights was bowling together (and I bowled a 166!)…since she taught me about being consistent as a bowler.

Then, the week got even better when Rachel and Robbie shared the details of their Valentines Day in Vancouver, BC (via a fun Skype)…when Robbie proposed to Rachel! And yes, she said “Yes!” We are so excited for them and we feel fortunate that Rachel has found such a genuine, caring, socially-conscious man with which to spend this crazy-wonderful journey.

Tuesday, Feb. 18
I was pleasantly surprised by a professional development day in my district. Calvin Terrell captivated us and challenged us with his engaging presentation on Cultural Competency. While modeling sound teaching practice, he took us on a journey that reminded me of my white privilege, made me consider myself as an ‘oppressor,’ and empowered me to teach every student to the best of my ability. I voluntarily spent a couple more hours listening to him lead a community forum that evening and look forward to bumping into him again someday. I wish all professional development felt like time well spent…

Wednesday, Feb. 19
I was presented with an opportunity to write a book review for Corwin Publishing Company. Last year, I had written a review and I guess they liked it, so Francesca asked me to write another one. The thing about these reviews is that the turn-around time is always crazy and I usually have a ton of correcting during the school year. This time, however, my students were researching for their research projects, so I wasn’t feeling under the gun. She needed me to read a 28 page draft of a book about Speaking and Listening by Friday. As crazy as that sounded, I said yes. While $100 isn’t much of a paid-gig, it was enough, and is a good test for me to keep my writing skills active. She was able to email me the draft that day and I started reading, taking notes, and writing.

Thursday, Feb. 20
This is where the week took a wild turn. First thing in the morning, I found out that a close friend, Jon Reed, had been badly burned in an explosion in his home. I was reeling from this news and reached out to some colleagues at work; thanks to Dean, Pat, and Mary Lou, I was able to get through the day, but continued to worry about Jon’s condition. (Since then, fortunately, Jon has spent time at the University of Michigan’s Burn Unit; he continues to improve and his status will be updated on a Caring Bridge page).

Friday, Feb. 21
Somehow, despite being an emotional wreck, I finished the book review and emailed it.
After school, I took off with a small group from our church to go to Roscommon for a two-day Men’s Retreat. The weather took a blustery turn and what should have been a two-hour trip took over three hours.

Saturday, Feb. 22
Surrounded by the beauty of Higgins Lake, we discussed what it means to be a leader in a faith community. Our leader, Drew Filkins, used In the Name of Jesus, by Henri Nouwen as a guide for discussion (and I highly recommend it). In the conclusion, Nouwen describes “the image of the praying leader, the vulnerable leader, and the trusting leader,” which I found abundantly helpful. It was an excellent get-away and I felt blest that our son, Aaron, was able to attend also. Throughout the day, Jon’s ordeal was on my mind and heart, as was Calvin’s call to be a leader for justice.

Here’s an intriguing sign I saw out on a walk

Sunday, Feb. 23
As a wild week comes to an end, I open the Lansing State Journal and see that they have published my piece on teacher evaluations from my last blog post — feeling grateful, feeling fortunate, feeling a bit overwhelmed, I sit down to write (after taking a nap)…

An Explanation

Posted on January 26, 2014 by kabod1

In case you’re wondering why I haven’t posted anything lately (and isn’t everybody?), I’ve decided to explain myself. I could point the finger at many things (correcting papers, shoveling snow, playing more board games lately, reading a good book, shoveling more snow, writing personal stuff in my journal, watching sports, playing my guitar…), but it isn’t because I haven’t been writing. I’ve written drafts in reaction to several things going on in my life and the world; the problem is that I just can’t seem to finish them — to make them ‘public worthy.’ So, I’ve decided to cut my losses, tweak the drafts a bit, share what I can, and pitch the rest. It’s going to be choppy, but you’ll get a glimpse of the roller coaster that has resided in my mind of late.

“2013 Joys and Concerns”

Some things that happen are clearly joys.

The other night, two women sang about the blessings and trials of being alive. Samantha Cooper and Elisabeth Pixley-Fink shared their journeys of loss and peace with about 100 people at a small church in Dexter, MI. We all rejoiced as they shared their journeys with us through song. I appreciated the personal quality of the time we shared — laughs, stories, “kitchen songs” and fiddle tunes from each of their journeys, the glorious Christmas tree making it feel homey, some sing-alongs, being there with loved ones…it all added to a special, sacred night.

And more recently, I walked away from my computer for a few minutes and my screen saver kicked in. I was struck with a visual display of many of the joys from the year. Photos are like that for me — they bring the memory back, sometimes the feeling back. They reminded me that life in East Lansing is mostly joyous. I’m grateful for the amazing blessings in my life that are really too numerous to name.

The list of concerns overwhelms me though.

People are asking the wrong questions about teaching and teachers, but fortunately there are other people responding articulately. Tragically, some teachers quit the craziness instead of embracing it and working with it.

After eight days of no power, too many places in East Lansing still didn’t have power (though we lucked out and had power the whole time).

What we are doing to the Earth and other living things is wrong.

and it goes on and on and I really don’t want to write about it…
so back to the joys…

Yes Magazine by itself is a joy, but they also posted “10 hopeful things that happened in 2013,” which is a nice reminder that our world is headed in a positive direction in some ways (many people feed us fear and doom and I get tired of it). One of the articles referenced in that piece highlighted Seattle teachers who took a stand against standardized testing. Their courage has inspired more parents to consider opting their children out of these tests. I see it both as a joy and a concern — no easy answers here — but if you’ve read my other posts, you know I am not happy with the way standardized tests waste student and teacher time, waste other resources, inaccurately represent student achievement, and generally garner too much of the focus in discussions of what’s best for our educational system.

That Yes Magazine article is echoed in Bill Moyers piece on “15 Wins for the Progressive Movement in 2013.” Someday, I would like to sit down with Bill Moyers, Garrison Keillor, Nikki Giovanni, Billy Collins, Hillary Clinton (so she doesn’t make the Arne Duncan mistake, ya know, if…), Diane Ravitch, Steve Martin, and Ellen DeGeneres. I’d mostly listen and take notes.

Other clear joys from 2103:
Our trip to Seattle (see photos) and the guys’ fishing trip (more photos). And a random page of hilarious hats to keep you warm this winter.

I read some great books this year that added to my joy:
Divergent by Veronica Roth (shout out to our awesome book club!)
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan
Wonder, by R. J. Palacio
The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz
Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (it’s a graphic novel)
Haiku Mind: 108 Poems to Cultivate Awareness and Open Your Heart by Patricia Donegan
Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
Operation Falcon by Abby Seal
Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery
Fooling with Words: A Celebration of Poets and Their Craft by Bill Moyers
Billy Collins’s new book of poems (see below)

I got paid for my first online, published article this year: Reflecting on the Move to Digital Writing Portfolios.

I published a second edition of my book of poems: Connections I and II. There’s some backstory on an earlier blog post.

As a reminder, here’s that book suggestions post from last year that was generated by
https://kabod1.edublogs.org/2013/01/26/your-book-suggestions/

I’ve been reading Billy Collins’ new stuff from his Aimless Love book of poems. Here’s one he (subconsciously) asked me to share with you.

Flying Over West Texas at Christmas

by Billy Collins

Oh, little town far below
with a ruler line of a road running through you,
you anonymous cluster of houses and barns,
miniaturized by this altitude
in a land as parched as Bethlehem
might have been somewhere around the year zero—

a beautiful song should be written about you
which choirs could sing in their lofts
and carolers standing in a semicircle
could carol in front of houses topped with snow.

For surely some admirable person was born
within the waffle-iron grid of your streets,
who then went on to perform some small miracles,
placing a hand on the head of a child
or shaking a cigarette out of the pack for a stranger.

But maybe it is best not to compose a hymn
or chisel into tablets the code of his behavior
or convene a tribunal of men in robes to explain his words.

Let us not press the gold leaf of his name
onto a page of vellum or hang his image from a nail.
Better to fly over this little town with nothing
but the hope that someone visits his grave

once a year, pushing open the low iron gate
then making her way toward him
through the rows of the others
before bending to prop up some flowers before the stone.

——-

“Conforming”

Recently, a friend told me that she sent her daughter to public schools so that her daughter would learn to conform. Apparently, her daughter had been a bit rebellious and my friend decided that the public schools would teach her how to stand in line and do what she was told.

My initial reaction was that I didn’t teach that way. And that if her daughter were in my class, I couldn’t guarantee she would get that lesson. I try to teach students to think for themselves — to use that brain they are given to consider both sides of an issue and make an informed decision. I believe young people need to exercise that introspective part of the brain so that they know what they believe and are able to articulate their point of view (I like to think I’m helping prepare future adults who want to be informed voters or at least competent conversationalists); this generally leads to more of an expression of individualism than conformity. Granted it’s not my only lesson, but from there we do have some thought-provoking discussions where each person’s point of view is heard and valued.

As I thought about it, though, teaching has become more structured and rule-bound in the last decade (even at the 7th grade level). Some of the changes are well-intentioned and I find myself buying into the new teaching paradigm, even though part of me still resists whenever possible. For example, the first week of the school year, we spend many more hours going over rules and expectations than we did even five years ago. Some of that time happens in school-wide assemblies, some happens in grade level assemblies, and some happens in our REACH (homeroom) classes. We review the Student Handbook of rules, the Behavior expectations, and we see short videos and Power Points about hallway behavior and what Respect, Responsibility, and Relationship look like. There are skits and speeches, and, frankly, just a whole lot of sitting and listening by the students. Classes do practice things like walking in a single file line on the right side of the hall.

It’s absolutely mind-numbing. And that doesn’t include the list of rules and expectations for the cafeteria (which is ridiculous, by the way) or the gym & post-lunch “recess” time. Our students are definitely asked to conform.

Then, in the next month, we tested them to death. “Listen to the directions of the MEAP, MAZE, AIMS Web, School-Wide Vocabulary,” and an assortment of class quizzes and tests (plus in April we’ll be piloting the Smarter Balance Test). The effect of this rigid paradigm is that students have a more clear idea of what we expect from them, we have better behaved students, and less fighting in our school. But what about how it affects students? Do they feel like robots or thinking people? Do they feel told or heard? Are they beat down or empowered?

Some examples of young people being individuals:

Imelda’s wiki page, Allana’s wiki page, Hunter’s wiki page and other students’ pages are chock full of their thoughts. That’s one reason I have all my students create their own pages. And they rock at sharing who they are as individuals.

Detroit street skiing video shows ingenuity, creativity, resourcefulness, and passion. It’s different.

Too much testing from a student’s perspective (which speaks to both blog posts above).

What’s real vs. what’s the Twilight Zone

Posted on September 19, 2013 by kabod1

Every once in awhile, I get into this zone. I wake up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep due to too many things on my mind.
For example, as I write these words, it’s 4:00 in the morning. And I’ve already been lying down thinking for 45 minutes.

Every once in awhile, I realize how crazy the world is.

In order to survive, sometimes I forget. I zoom ahead with blinders on.
But then, one thing or another boggles my mind and I have to stop, smack myself across the face, and try to assess if this weirdness is real or a Twilight Zone version of my life.

Now, I realize that some of you don’t know what the Twilight Zone is, but that’s just further proof of the craziness (please follow the link if I’m talking to you).

Do you know who Garrison Keillor is?
If you don’t, you’re part of the craziness. I’m sorry, but you are.
And no, it’s not a generational thing.
Some things, people are just supposed to know.
Call it cultural awareness, call it common sense, call it being aware of your surroundings.
Maybe I’m talking about things ‘literate’ people are supposed to know, but for me, it’s the same thing; if you’re up and moving around, you’re expected to be paying attention.

“Who am I?”

A GK Primer:
Garrison Keillor hosts Prairie Home Companion. It’s a variety show that’s been around for decades (more than a generation, I believe). PHC makes me laugh, think, and sing in a way that nothing else out there does. Classic Americana, really. Even edgy, quirky, and silly in a contemporary way. And I referred to Garrison as the Mark Twain of our Time yesterday because he writes more often than he breathes. He’s a prolific writer in the same way Twain couldn’t put down a pen (please tell me you know who Mark Twain is). Certain people have a lot to say. Garrison’s Lake Wobegon Days still makes me laugh and is a classic in every sense of the word.

Some of Garrison’s work: he’s contributed to a Salon blog, he has a page in Your Dictionary, been quoted a bunch, has a plethora of advice to writers, he writes The Writer’s Almanac everyday, he edits books, and he’s written so many excellent reads I can’t list them all.

My rant is done
Time to rest
Please read his work
There’ll be a test

Aram's Blog

Writing keeps me sane

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