Before the Dawn by Dean Hughes


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a story of personal and spiritual growth and the role of the Relief Society, set in the early years of the Depression in the Uintah valley of Utah. This is a good read and I highly recommend it. It's good to be reminded, at this point in time, of how much more difficult life was during the Great Depression. It's always good to be reminded that we can all change and improve, that we should not judge people, and the value of working together.

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Networked Teacher Diagram - Update

Networked Teacher Diagram - Update
Originally uploaded by courosa

Here's an interesting diagram for the networked teacher. It seems overwhelming and yet, we have people doing all of this. I wonder:
How much we can split ourselves up before we lose ourselves?
How much can we contribute before it's all repetition and drivel?
How much can be linked in before we are burned out?
In our efforts to stay on top of everything, are we beating ourselves down?

Too Much To Do

It seems like there is always too much to do. The world is going faster and faster. There is so much information available, which is constantly updated, that is makes my head spin. I not only have information overload, I need to share this with my colleagues.

"The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
--Alvin Toffler

Heroes

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. I read about the UN Conference on Racism (What an example of double-speak!). It is frightening to think of the hatred which still exists in the world, which was displayed here. It is abysmal, in this day and age, that there can still be so much ignorance in the world, that we still have Holocaust deniers. I am equally appalled by those who label other events a "holocaust." There never has been such a level of atrocity in the world.

I watched the story of Irena Sendler last night. I found it very moving.

Thoughts About Aging

I tend to think a lot about aging. Mom turned 90 in November. Although she is “healthy” considering her age, she has a lot of healthy problems and definitley a diminished quality of life.

Sometimes I think aging is similar to the teen-age years. It’s been said that if it weren’t for the teen-age years, we could never let our kids go. As teen-agers keep pushing their limits and being obnoxious, parents become willing–even anxious–to let their children fly free. And on the other side, teen-agers become more willing to get out on their own and take chances. At the end of life, as you have more and more physical problems and pains and less and less that you can enjoy, you become more willing to leave this life. In both cases, we become more willing to separate ourselves from our former lives.