"Attention Span: Our National Education Crisis" by Oliver DeMille

From "Attention Span: Our National Education Crisis" by Oliver DeMille

"...the right approach to daily life is eight hours a day of sleep, eight hours a day of work, and eight hours a day of leisure...spoke at a time when leisure didn't mean entertainment. Indeed, leisure means serving people, studying, learning, being involved in community service & government, and so on--whereas the slaves in Rome were considered incapable of leisure and so their masters gave them entertainment to keep them pacified."

"Opinions are just guesses. Great people in history know and choose. Opinions are really nothing more than the lazy man's counterfeit for knowing and choosing...there is a place for opinions, but after the hard work is completed, not as a replacement for it."

Unexpected events

This has been quite the active month. There have been some events lately that have come out of nowhere. It took me by surprise. It`s not bad, just surprising. Like how well my med school things have been coming along. I have had doctors approach me to see if I wanted to take part in their research. And I have had the opportunity to visit family that I have not seen in years. And so much more. My life seems full of life lately. It makes me feel different inside; as if a part of me that was still a child is finally growing. I a happy, scared, puzzled, warm, astounded, and calm. It`s weird. but then, that`s life for you.

The Time Traveler's Wife, an unforgettable story

One of my favorite books is "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. I worked at the library six years ago and when I would put the books away, this book would always attract my eyes. For some reason I kept ignoring it. Then one day I picked it up and read the synopsis, then I put it back. I think around that time, there were so many books that would attract me and then I would feel let down after reading it that for a while I was sticking with authors I knew. But one day I finally took it home. It was one of the best books I had ever read. I cried, I laughed, I hoped, I despaired, I FELT.

It is about a man named Henry DeTamble who was born with a genetic disorder which causes him to spontaneously shift in time. He never knows how long these "trips" will last nor where in time he will go. In one of these shifts he meets his future wife, Clare Abshire, when she is just five/six years old and Henry is in his forties (although Henry was born in 1963 and Clare in 1971). When they finally do meet as adults when Clare is 20 and Henry is in his late twenties, he has no idea who she is, but she is very much aware of who he is. And so begins one of the most poignant love stories that I have ever read. But this book is more than a romantic novel. It is a story of life. Of the frequent trials encountered by ordinary and extraordinary people and the way they face these trials. This is not a novel you can read and forget or put down. You become completely involved in the lives and emotions of the different characters. You connect. It is a rich novel. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found out recently that a movie based on this novel is coming out in the beginning of August. I was very excited. But then I begin to think, "can they really do it justice?" Can they take the flavor of the words and transform it into a profound, unforgettable visual story? Either way, I am for sure going to watch it and pray that I will not be disappointed. But I beg you all to please, please, please give this book a chance. It is not a chickflick. It is a peopleflick (corny, I know, but true;)

Updates

I don't know why I write so sporadically. I will just have to continue making it a goal to write more often. Especially since it seems like so many things have happened.

I am still enjoying the switch in job location. It really has saved my sanity!

I have a new niece! This is the best of all the news that I have. She is just beautiful! She was born five days ago and she has already taken a huge chunk of my heart. I love both my nieces so much. I wonder if my parents will excuse me from not having kids since they now have two wonderful granddaughters to spoil ;)

School is crazy but good. I've missed it. Not the stress but the fun and joy of learning things that I might not have learned otherwise. At least not as well as I am learning it right now. I love Psychics! Who would have thought.

I am planning a trip to Canada in August to visit family. I have not been there in years and it will be nice to get away. I get to see family members that I have not seen in years. This, sadly, will be the first time that I have spent my own money, given of my time to go see them. Usually, since I was a teenager or a freshman in high school at the time, my parents pay for it and I go in the summer when I have nothing to do. And so it's always been about me, not them. I don't know if that makes since to anyone else. But I will make sure to post pictures when I come back.

Well, that's all I'll write for now. I will post pictures for sure soon!

Donald from Ireland

Someone I worked with said today while we were having a discussion on life ambitions and people giving up on their dreams when they think they're too old, "You are going to turn 25, 30, 40, ect... one way or another, so why not try to turn those while you are doing something you want to do? And even if you have you will only be able to do it for a short time, isn't better to have a short time of happiness and fulfillment then not at all in your whole life?"



This is Jean. All his life he had wanted to be a chef. When he was in his early sixties he decided he was going to do it. He started out in a small non profit restaurant, and look how happy he is. And I wish I had taken a picture of my face when I tasted his food. Delicious!

Max

I got a cat! Huge move for me who is a commitment phobe. And he is absolutely fabulous. He does the most annoying things that I find so cute. He's a month old and a friend of a friend gave him to me.





My little niece is completely obsessed with him. She sleeps over all the time just so she could get to spend more time with him. Funny thing is...


He also very much enjoys her company. At night, I always put him on his bed, but during the middle of the night, I often wake up to him beside me. But when my niece sleeps over, he gets under the covers and she (while she is sleeping) puts her feet on top of him. He finds it blissful! I had to get up just to take this picture. Thus I think his favorite place is always right next to her or under her fitful sleeping movements. It's cute.

Biggest loser

I was watching biggest loser for the first time in my life last night. It was a three hour season finale and I saw an hour of it. There was an elderly man on it by the name of Jerry. He was 64 years old. And he was incredible! He was on the show for about 1-2weeks and then was ill and had to withdraw from the show. Well, he continued working on his weight and health at home. By the time he was on the show last night, he had lost 177 lbs. 177lbs!
Seriously, he is the best "stop making excuses, you can get it done if you really want" example. And what I really liked about the show was that it was not just about looking better (which of course all of us want to do), it was about being healthier, increasing your self confidence, and becoming happier. Noone needs to be or stay obese.
When a friend and I had gained weight, we said,"well, anyone who doesn't accept us for who we are, doesn't really love us. This is who we are and they can either accept it or leave it!"
Her and I were laughing about that the other day. It's funny the kind of excuses you make for being or acting a certain way. And it's true, some people have a harder time to lose the weight than others, but lose it you can still do.

I once participated on an autopsy of an obese women. This woman had all sorts of health problems. When the pathologist opened her up I was shocked and sickened to see that not only did she have more than three inches of fat hanging from the inside of her skin, but it was also pressing on her organs. That was the moment I truly realized just how bad for you fat was. It was very sad. And seeing what a small frame this woman had when we opened her up. All the fat was literally squeezing her to death!

I hope no one thinks this post is directed at them. It is directed at myself. I get into these places in my life where I act as if I had no other choice and no other way of being. And to be honest, it's just me being lazy and unmotivated. I wanted to write this to motivate myself in the future when I get into those states. Hopefully, this post will also help someone else.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/contestants/current_cast/jerry/
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/photos/gallery#item=72152