Mental Floss

QUARANTINE--DAY 8787576.....

I was perusing the internet over this fine weekend and I came across a blog I used to follow quite regularly. It says things like "practical tips for productive living." And then it goes on to list things that would be good to think about during the daily grind. It's written by an annoyingly cute couple who obviously sit around thinking philosophically on the regular. I must say, I'm a tad jealous because, frankly, I don't have the energy.   Especially now.

Anyway, if you're interested in the site itself, I will give you the link or post it here--it's worth a read.

Soo, as I was browsing around the archives, I found some cool, thought-provoking questions that left me lost inside my own head for a good 2 hours or so. 

There were 50 of them and I am not going to list them all here, but I am going to post some of the more provocative ones. Obviously, you don't need to write volumes on each question just pick the ones you like--but go off on the ones that really resonate with you and allow your mind to roam at will. 

Take your time and have some fun on the mental playground that these questions construct sort of naturally.  I mean, what else are you doing?...

1.How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? (I love this one!)

2.Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3.If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

5.What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

6.If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

8.If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

9.To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

10.Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

12.If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

13.Would you break the law to save a loved one?

17.What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

18.Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

23.Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

26.Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

34.Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

36.Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

41.If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

46.What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

The Power of _____________

In the spirit of debate, I would like to hear what you have to say here.
This question as caused much controversy here at 7367 Driftwood Lane, which  has been great fun in quarantine...
May as well get y'all involved, plus, I need some back up. 
I kinda have a theory about who is going to say what, so...let the games begin.

In your opinion, what is the most powerful emotion? 
Love, hate, jealousy, indifference?  Something else?
Why?
Provide an example that illustrates exactly how that emotion is the strongest one of all. 
Be as detailed as possible.  Lang it up.

In Memoriam *trigger warning* (death,loss,sadness)

One year ago today we lost a fellow Falcon, a forever friend, a feisty student, and a first love.  It was a day I won't forget, and I imagine most of you won't either.
On the heels of that tragedy came another when we lost Josh.  Again, the sense of tragic loss, of unimaginable pain, and enveloping sadness.

The initial 365 days after the death of a loved one are often filled with dizzying arrays of emotional upheaval.  There are all the "firsts" to get through, and there's a whole lot of attention paid to the survivors which sort of serves as a distraction for a while. 
But, eventually, that stops.
 Sometimes for good because death and loss make people feel uncomfortable or guilty, and lots of times they don't know how to react so it's easier for them to stay in the background.

People deal with death in *myriad ways.  There is no one way that's better than another.  Likewise, we deal with the anniversaries and the timehop memories differently and sometimes we want to cry and sob and lock ourselves away, and sometimes we want to gather and commemorate and make things an "EVENT" and sometimes we just want a quiet spot to share, vent or reflect. 
There is no "right" way.
I can't do much to help in the first two ways, but I can offer this--the blog--a shared space that you can use to say what you need to, in whatever way that is.

BTW--this is a voluntary blog--not a mandatory one.  You do not need to respond if you prefer not to.
I will post another one Monday,


*fun fact: no, that is not a typo--that is actually the way you are supposed to use the word "myriad"--there is no "a" myriad "of

Thoughts of Life and Death

Passion. Courage. Conviction (not the word that means convicted of a crime).

These words are largely subjective--which means everybody's definition will be based on their own experiences and personalities.

That said,  I would like you to look them up before you answer this week's blog question.
Once you do that, consider the following:

1) What is it in your own life, this life that you have been given, that you would die for?  Is it different than what you live for?



2)  What is your passion; what gives you courage; about what do you hold an unshakable conviction?


After you have considered these two crucial questions it is then time to ask yourself where these notions came from, and when you first noticed them enough to have the awareness to answer this question--and of course, write about that as well. 
Deeeeeeeeep......

Lyrical Philosophies

Back in the days of  face to face AP Lang, we talked quite a bit about personal philosophies. 
These were usually in the forms of quick little rants that usually steered us off topic but into an area that may have been more important at the time. 
I miss those days more than you know but I am hopeful we can get back there soon.

So, during times of strife, I often turn to the comfort of songs.  Dogs too, but..ya know.  So, I've been making lots of Quarantine Play Lists...and that kinda got me thinking...

Music, to many of you, is an escape from the harsh realities of teenage life. Many of you use music as a gateway. To sanity, to serenity, to solace and/or to solitude.

So, now let's take one step further and also make it a tool by which you come to a greater understanding of how you see the world, and how you see yourself.
I'm not trying to ruin music for you--quite the opposite, actually. 
I am kind of hoping you'll get a clearer understanding of why you like music that you do.


Think about all the music you love to listen to. Specifically, think about the lyrics to songs you love. Now, I want you to pick one or two songs that adequately encapsulate how you feel about life, your life.
Of course, like a quote, nothing can COMPLETELY "sum up" your entire life--I understand that. But many songs, either through explicit or implied messages in lyrics, can at least provide a concrete example of either what you want out of life, what you want out love and how you want to be perceived, taken, understood etc.

So, your task this week is to tell us about a song, copy a few of the refrains/chorus/passages, and explicate their meaning(s) to you.

Try to pick ones that have some depth and that will provide a deeper understanding of your innate beliefs.

"All of us are products of our Childhood"--MJ

Sunday night.

This night has sort of a paradoxical connotation tied to it for me.
It goes back to my not-so-awesome childhood.

Let me explain.
I was, like many of you, a child of divorce.
 I lived with my mother, saw my father on weekends (when he remembered he had a daughter waiting for him to pick her up) and dealt with all of the guilt, sadness, and overall wistfulness of being the kid caught between parents that hated each other.
It was, as I mentioned, not really awesome.
 And Sundays were the worst because that was the day that my father would drop me back off at home, and I knew it could be the last time I ever saw him. I would make my way into the house where my mother would be waiting, and if I looked even the least bit sad, she would launch into attack mode:
“Oh what’s the matter—had so much fun with your dad that coming home to your boring old mother is too depressing? Well sorry I have to work two jobs to support us since that fun-loving s.o.b. doesn’t bother to pay child support….” 
And on it would go until her energy was spent and I was completely demoralized. My saving grace was, ironically, the fact that my father didn’t see me every weekend, so the times when I was forgotten actually saved part of my soul.  There's a metaphor there, somewhere, I'm sure, lol.

So, this childhood memory, glum though it may be, completely shaped the person I am today. For better or worse.
What did I learn? Well, for one, I learned that being yourself and feeling what you feel has consequences.
It seems like a crazy lesson, right? But it is one that I draw on to this day. I spent so much time trying to hide who I was and how I felt as a kid, that I eventually lost sight of who that actually was. When I was little, the price seemed way too high, what with listening to my mother rant and rave and tell me how ungrateful I was, so I really felt that masking my true emotions was worth it. And into my teen years, I sort of just grew accustomed to doing that. It wasn’t until I was living on my own that the impact of that mindset became clear to me: Nobody knew me. Oh sure, people knew who I was-my name was out there. But nobody actually KNEW me. And it was really scary, and really lonely.

I wish I could say that once I had this epiphany, my life magically transformed and I became a mature, well-adjusted, productive member of society. But, since I would never lie to you guys, I can’t say that because that’s not what happened. It took time. A lot of time, with a lot of very painful repercussions resulting from my journey of enlightenment. But, now, here I am. A bit worse for the wear, but soul utterly intact and identity firmly entrenched in each decision I make. Was it worth it? Yes.  About this, I am unequivocal.

So, now it’s your turn.  Of course...it need not be as "dark" because things that are light are often even more valuable.  Just give this one some thought.

What childhood memory thus far has shaped who you are? Do you want this memory to be the blueprint for which you design your “true Self?”
If the answer is no, think about how you can change your perspective on it. What can you learn?
 If the answer is yes, talk about how you can impact the world and those in it who are most important to you.
What lesson would you want to impart that has its root in this memory?
I know this is hard; take your time. Nothing worth having is ever easy. And this answer is worth having.
Trust me.

Deep Isolation Thoughts

• I miss you all so much, and I think hearing your answers to some of these questions would be really fun for all of us!  Be sure to answer the WHYs where you see them.  So, let's gooo

• What would peanut butter be called if it wasn’t called peanut butter?  Why?

• If you became invisible for 10 minutes RIGHT NOW, what (school appropriate!) things would you do?  Why?

• What is a saying or expression that you probably say too much? 

• What actor/actress would you want to play you if they ever made a movie about your life?  Why?

• Do you put your cereal in the bowl before the milk or the milk in before the cereal?

• You discover a beautiful island where you decide to build a new society. What is the first rule you put in place?  Why?