Speaking Personally
Last night's Mensa meeting was a local version of TED Ideas Worth Spreading. We watched three presentations from San Diego over an Internet connection projected on a big wall screen and then spent about 20 minutes discussing the same topic. Its fun watching Mensa minds spark off each other.
The first presentation was on education/creativity by Sir Ken Robinson. Who is this guy? Robinson intentionally or naturally, I am not sure which, is a good example of what I think is a key part of the TED experience/culture. "We are not dull academics" is a way of describing it. Life and learning are enhanced by humor, music, and entertainment. At the end he told a story (from his upcoming book of interviews<g> -- self promotion can be entertaining) about the choreographer Gillian Lynne. As a girl going to dance school for the first time she "walked into this room and it was full of people like me, people who couldn't sit still, people who had to move to think." Wonderful resonance there because so often I don't know what I think until I am talking.
So how did the coruscation of Mensa discussion go? Not well. A male immediately turned the discussion of gender politics -- a boring dead end topic. It went on and on. I was thinking about leaving and finally told this to the group. I immediately felt ashamed of my petulance and wished I could take it back (and in a sense am using the blog to do so). Strangely I took something good away from that discussion. A woman brought up the topic of expectations. In US grades one to twelve we use to expect men to do better. Today things have changed and boys are flunking out while girls excel. So its not genes or God's will that men be at the top of an educational hierarchy but expectations. I like that. I understand it much better than genetic predestination.
Turning to Mother's day...I still miss my mom...lots. Her death last month has been one of those shocks best dealt with through ordering and straightening. The house is full of projects in various stages. Twelve pink bags of clothing went to Am-Vets last week and there is more. The dining room table is covered with folders and two wicker baskets (in/need action and finished/archival). My brother and I organized papers in the second week after the funeral. As I go through drawers and closets a loose triage is taking place. Some things are oblivious trash or unneeded so they go to the dump or to charities. Other things are unwanted ( Victorian lady's rocker, Eastlake chair, artwork) and will need to go to dealers or into an estate sale or a series of driveway sales. Other things are wanted and will be cherished along with the memories. My brother has the Coronation pattern service for twelve while I have a wonderful new set of Oneida Chandler stainless. I am keeping the coupe shaped Mullberry pattern Hall china. Brian may take some of the Haviland and some young Rice bride will probably wind up with her great-grandmothers Noritake.
Mother's easy chair is going from den to guest bedroom where it will replace the rocker and the monstrous Eastlake like chair. Initially I planned a Lazy-boy in the den which somehow digressed into thoughts of a zero-gravity chair. Research on the web led to an inexpensive way to try out zero-gravity and understand if it works for me. LaFuna makes a well regarded line of zero-gravity reclining chairs that look remarkably like tubular outdoor furniture from the 1960's. I bought a knockoff at Kroger's and if it doesn't work for me it can go to the patio.
So on this Mother's day things are not back to normal but are moving in new ways and directions. Still I would prefer to have Mom here but that is not the way things work.
et alli is cross posted at The Intelligence Forum
