Lesson 84: Layers

Every morning before I go to work, I like to read the newspaper and complete the crossword and sudoku puzzles enclosed in the Life section. Sure, this part of my daily routine makes me feel like I'm 40 years old, but it's become a good way to start the morning because it helps get my brain going...and I learn a lot of things. When I got to the Life section with pen in hand, an article about what kids are wearing back to school caught my eye.

So, every Tuesday, the Life section of my hometown's newspaper focuses on something about kids. Today it was about back to school clothes. I have no problem with kids wanting to be hip and stylish, but I question whether the classroom is the place for that. Who is that little girl puckering at?

This photo made me think of Mean Girls. The little girl in the silver boots is the Queen Bee and the blond wants to be like her. And plus, when was it appropriate for kids to sit on their desks like that? We got in trouble for sitting on desks when I was these kids' age.

What's with the positioning of these kids? Is this kid there to hit on little girls, or is he there to learn?

Granted, I know that this spread was done in the name of the fashion. But still, I can't help but wonder why, when learning is the focus in schools, fashion is so important. After reviewing this article, I've learned that I am a strong advocate for dress codes and uniforms in schools, whether they be private, public, or parochial. Sure I want my child to have an outlet for self expression, but the classroom isn't a runway.

Aside from the dress code portion, I'm disappointed in the photo shoot itself. These kids can't be older than 7-8 years old, but they're puckering for the camera with a hand on their popped hip. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture? Am I overreacting? Should school be a place where you should be worried about what you're wearing? I've always been of the belief that if you look neat and clean, you're more prepared to work hard. The opposite happens when  you're just worried about the way you look.

On the flip side, the Life section did have a positive article (albeit much smaller than the fashion one) about a show called Sesame Square starting in Nigeria. Now Nigerian youth will have its own version of Elmo and Rosita in puppets named Kami and Zobi as they learn about AIDS, malaria nets, gender equality and yams. Yes, the article actually referenced yams.

Lesson 83: The Left Side of the Road

Today, while sitting at a coffee shop with a coworker and one of the teens we work with, I learned about why some countries drive on the left side of the road. The teen, a 17-year old male, said that it had to do something with cutting people's heads off. I didn't believe him, so of course I Googled it. This is what I learned:

In the past, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road because that was the most sensible option for feudal, violent societies. Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent and their scabbard further from him.

Turns out he wasn't TOO far off. But then I noticed this map of which side of the road people drive on around the world:

Apparently, a lot of these countries that now drive on the right side used to drive on the left side as well for the same reasons mentioned above or because they were colonized by a country that drove on the left. (I'm looking at you, Great Britain!) But why have they maintained that custom? What if the drivers in the orange countries have a sword hidden somewhere? Good thing I have eyes everywhere.

Lesson 82: Humble

Today I learned that the origin of the English word "Humble" is the Latin word "Humus," which means dirt. Good to know.

Lesson 81: Maybe it Hurts for a Reason

Who says you can't learn anything from television?

Lesson 80: Unpretty

My life is filled with disappointments, frustrations and challenges...and metaphors. My life would not be complete without metaphors.

I have said often that "You must take the stairs in this thing called life. There is no elevator to the top."

I've always loved that quote because it reminds me that you can't really excel without hard work and determination. Then I had another revelation--"There is no delete button in life. What's done is done, and what's said is said."

I also believe that, "Good books show wear and tear because they've been read over and over again by numerous people. The boring books stay on the shelf"

Fourth, I've always said that "Scars are not reminders of pain; they are reminders of survival."

And today I realized what I'm going to look like once I get to the top. I'll be sweaty from climbing all those stairs. I'll have a lot of lines crossed out and written over. The pages from these chapters in my life will be dog-eared and torn. And I'll have a whole lot of scars from where I've been scratched, pushed, beaten and bruised.

But I'd be wrong to end this post without one last thing: The struggle is beautiful.

Lesson 79: Goodbyes

My godmother passed away this past Tuesday of cancer. I heard that when it was getting closer to the end, she would see her husband, who had passed eight years prior, and he would come to her and touch her cheek.

Initially, I thought it was a little bit eerie, but in hindsight, it's kind of sweet. Having belief in an afterlife has always given me hope that I'd see the ones I love who went before me when it's my time. I've always said, time after time, that I don't believe in goodbyes. I used to think it was because I just didn't want to let go, but today I learned that it's because when you have a belief in an afterlife, there's no such thing as a goodbye. There's only see you later. Rest in Peace until it's my time, too.

Mama has told me a couple of times that when she held Akash after he died, she saw Jesus, and she knew that it wasn't for her. It was for her boy. And it's that kind of experience that makes her believe that when it's her time, her boy will be there to greet her. That's what makes her tell people, and even Molly "It's okay. You'll see him again." I don't believe in goodbyes because they just don't exist.

Lesson 78: Not All Doors are Created Equally

Today I learned that despite having worked at my current place of employment for five years, there are several doors that I am not familiar with. Not only did I not have keys to these portals until recently, but I also had no idea how to open, close or properly lock them. Today I literally spent ten minutes trying to lock a closet door that I recently gained access to, only to find that it has a latch up towards the top that I can barely reach. I'm sure that if anyone saw me, they were laughing. Also, on the way out of another business that I collaborate with, I got lost and ended up in the middle of a courtyard instead of the parking lot. When I tried to get back in the door I had come out of, it was locked. I then had to get entrance into another door in order to finally get back to my work base. If you don't hear from me soon, it means I have inadvertently worked my way to Narnia.