We all know the joke: A man walked into a bar…. he said, “Ouch.”
Well, the same holds true for when our energy enters a room. It speaks for us. Hopefully what our entrance energy says is much less painful than that of the man and the bar in the joke.
Keep in mind as you step into each space that your confidence, joy, sadness, insecurity, positivity, energy, or exhaustion debut just as you do.
Don’t let the energy you expel zap others. Continue reading “Energy Walked into a Room…”
My sister and I in our rocking chairs. Circa 1982
What would your things say about you?
The narrative assignment for my COM 101 class is not an easy essay. And I LOVE it! It is my favorite assignment to give and to grade.
In this assignment students are to compose a narrative of their life story as told by one object from their life. They are to personify one thing, and, from the perspective of that stuffed animal, tree, table, or whatever item they choose, the students are to share their defining moments from birth to present day.
This is a daunting task for students because some don’t have any one item that has been present for their entire life. Some claim that they haven’t done anything worth remembering. And still others whine that they can’t even remember what they had for breakfast, how are they supposed to remember what they did in grade school?
My response: It’s your story to tell. You better do the research. Your stuffed animal isn’t going to do it for you.
My childhood rocking chair today
To help them get started, I share a roughly drafted intro to my life, as told by my childhood rocking chair. I give them a glimpse into what my life was like in the beginning and how to narrate using an item that arrived after my birth. Many find the example helpful. Some try to copy my words and plagiarize by changing the item and dates. Whatever their approach might be, they all have the same task: Tell their own story while bringing to life a special object.
Have you ever tried to tell your story?
At 19, 39, or 89 it is not an easy task. I have to say, the particular group of students I have now moved me with the tales they told. The stories of self-discovery, loss of loved ones, and the ways they conveyed hope for the future exposed me to raw talent, emotion, and understanding for who they are as individuals. Continue reading “What Would Your Things Say About You? – The Narrative Assignment”
Some of my friends have made positive and serious dieting choices in order to improve their health and live a more wholesome lifestyle. I will be the first to admit that I am intimidated by their diets. These ladies are so careful and mindful of the food they put into their bodies; I feel like an elephant trampling through our get-togethers with my chocolate, sugar, and wheat-filled foods. (I don’t have chocolate, sugar, and wheat in EVERYTHING, but I do like them A LOT.)
Last weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to have an overnight girls’ getaway. Woohoo…
That was until I started to think about what food I should bring. What if I brought something someone is allergic to or something that they had spent the last 10 months avoiding??? What was I going to do?
I did what any modern age, intelligent woman would do… I found recipes on Pinterest.
All four of us really like breakfast and we all LOVE pumpkin. I found a recipe for Paleo Pumkin Pancakes. It was super exciting because the recipe only called for five ingredients, and I had all five on hand.
(Link to the Paleo Pumpkin Pancake recipe)
As my nervousness over meeting everyone’s dietary needs continued, I shared the recipe in a group message. My friends all said the pancakes looked “perfect,” so I planned to make Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes. What could go wrong?
Hagrid is a trustworthy, gentle giant in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. He is the caretaker of Hogwarts and has a soft spot for creatures that most would consider terrifying or hazardous, but when it comes to standing up for what is right, no one would ever doubt which side Hagrid would be on.
In the books Hagrid, Harry, and the people of the wizarding world faced some pretty treacherous villains and situations. With each challenge came the opportunity to be steadfast and brave. As a reader, it was breathtaking to encounter the harrowing battles and escapes. Always fighting the fight between good and evil, Hagrid and company were perpetually prepared to face what came next.
“What’s comin’ will come and we’ll meet it when it does.” Continue reading “What’s Comin’ Will Come… – Wise Words Wednesday”
In February of 2002 I took a long-term substitute teaching position at a small, Catholic school in Loose Creek, Mo. That position sealed my understanding that God was calling me to be a teacher. In August of 2002, I began my teacher education program only to receive a call in October that the same small school needed me. A teacher had quit. I rearranged my newly laid plans and went back for another long-term subbing.
At the end of that second year, the school secretary gave me a framed saying, “Only angles can wing it. The rest of us have to work at it.”
That saying sits on my bathroom counter today. Every morning it is my motivation to get going and work on making my day count. Every night it is my reminder that even the most imperfect days are days I did my best to keep up with the angels. Continue reading “Only Angels Can Wing It”
You just can’t rush peace. Clearly mankind has not found the means for bringing serenity to the world in the millions of years that we have inhabited it, so why should we expect peace to come quickly and quietly into our daily lives?
As I sat down to write this post, all three children stormed into the office after me. One wanted to talk about a homework assignment. The second wanted to watch baseball. The third wanted his second supper for the night. (I literally JUST finished cleaning up the first supper, where he ate three helpings.) All three kiddos laid guilt trips on me because I had gotten home late and went straight into making the first supper. This post clearly wasn’t going to get written without a fight. Continue reading “You Can’t Rush Peace”
If you feel like you are running a day late and a dollar short (as I am today), Congratulations! It’s National Be Late for Something Day!
Cut yourself some slack. Give yourself time to be the best you can be. Take a deep breath.
Maybe today is the day you forgive yourself for something that you should have let go of a LONG time ago. It’s always a good time for forgiveness.
Consider going to bed just a few minutes later so you can squeeze in a few more snuggles with your sweetie or kiddos.
This is one national holiday we all really need.
By: Melanie A. Peters
P.S. I really should have written this post yesterday.
The beauty of cinema is that it often has the power to put into words what we most need to hear at the toughest times in our lives.
This summer my husband and I took our kiddos to see Incredibles 2. As the film progressed it was clearly a flick for both kids and parents. There were many powerful messages for parents who doubt their “super” status in the realm of child rearing and a number of messages for kids about the importance of always doing what you know is right.
In a scene where Bob (the dad) is at his wit’s end about being a good dad, Edna (the family’s designer) shares a powerful message. One that we need to remind ourselves of often. “Done properly parenting is a heroic act.”
The elements of “properly” and “heroic” give this statement some serious intentergy.
Humanity is a colorful lot; not just in skin tones but in the relationships we build, the actions we take, and the habits we form. Within each realm of humanity there are always those assigned to protect and supervise the masses. Who better to observe the practices of other humans than someone who is responsible for keeping them safe?
Through my blogging exploits I have made some tremendous writing friends. One of the individuals who I am proud to call my friend is Lucy Brazier. While Lucy and I have never met in person, we have exchanged comments and compliments via our sites and I am excitedly close to finishing her first book A Portergirl Novel: First Lady of the Keys.
As the book points out, we Americans believe porters are just people who carry bags, but in England porters are guards of a sort and protect and manage the safety and security of properties as keepers of the keys. Through the adventures of Deputy Head Porter, the first ever female porter at Old College, the idiosyncrasies and interactions of those in a most unusual academic setting are brought to light. It is in her chapter “Suited and Booted” that I found an exceptionally powerful statement about the importance of understanding and being an active part of humanity.
As the school year races our way, planning for new student orientations are revving up. By some lucky star I have been selected to speak at the Power Up for new students at my college in August. The theme is the “Ultimate Guide to Success.” (Not sure how I feel about being ‘ultimate’ yet, but I am going to try.)
After I received the email inviting me to give the speech, I lay awake in bed hoping some earth-shattering ideas would come to me for the presentation. The one thing I fear most is to give a “typical” start-of-the-year speech. Instead of flashes of inspiration my 7 year-old appeared. Apparently, he couldn’t sleep either. So I asked him what I should say to help students start the year. (Why would’t we ask a 7 year-old?)
He gave it some serious thought and said,
“Tell them to do their best and forget the rest.” (Thank you, Paw Patrol.)
Then he went on to say, “Tell them to ask questions.”
Wait a second.
That was pretty good advice. Isn’t asking questions the scariest part of learning?
Third, my budding genius said, “Tell them it’s okay to fail.” Continue reading “Ultimate Advice to Give???”
Intentergy 