I find the story of the homeless "Golden Voice" man from Ohio so incredibly inspiring. To go from hitting rock bottom like he did and continue through life, finding a way to pull himself through hell while realizing he has a gift buried within, a gift that others recognize and use to help him rebuild his life - it just makes you feel good about humanity.
I grew up outside of Philly, and I'm an Eagles fan through and through. Regardless of how you feel about Michael Vick's punishment for the dog fighting, etc. or your thoughts on President Obama calling the owner of the Eagles to commend him for signing Vick, a genuine second chance in life for people who have messed up and want to start over is a gift. It reinforces the notion that you can learn from mistakes and become a better person, and it makes this sometimes-awful-and-depressing world more human and loving.
Sure, Williams has a long road ahead of him, and there's certainly the chance that he'll slip here and there along his road to recovery, but that's just what it is. He's traveling down a road with potholes and land mines. He's been traveling that road for many years. Now others are helping him during his journey, steering him in the right direction and offering support when he gets a flat tire. And really, who doesn't feel better with a AAA card in their wallet?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Good Old-Fashioned Books
I love to read. I teach elementary school. I get lots of gift cards to bookstores. Add these together and you get one happy Lisa.
But I'm old-fashioned in some senses, and while I think the idea behind e-readers is really cool, they will just never be for me. There's something about the smell of a new book, the feel of turning the page, and seeing your bookmark move from steadily through the pages. I love the look of hardback books, I love knowing words have been printed onto a page, and I love thinking about type-set letters being painstakingly put into place hundreds of years ago to create the magic that is a book.
Yes, it's true that e-readers save trees and that you can carry hundreds of books on one small piece of equipment that will save space in your tiny apartment or on your cross-country trek. No matter, the cons far outway the pros for me.
I was at a friend's house last night. She has story time before putting the kids to bed. I sat there looking at her two young children flipping through books and pretending to read. For me, this is one of the most precious things to see, and I just can't imagine the thrill of holding a book being the same using one of these.
But I'm old-fashioned in some senses, and while I think the idea behind e-readers is really cool, they will just never be for me. There's something about the smell of a new book, the feel of turning the page, and seeing your bookmark move from steadily through the pages. I love the look of hardback books, I love knowing words have been printed onto a page, and I love thinking about type-set letters being painstakingly put into place hundreds of years ago to create the magic that is a book.
Yes, it's true that e-readers save trees and that you can carry hundreds of books on one small piece of equipment that will save space in your tiny apartment or on your cross-country trek. No matter, the cons far outway the pros for me.
I was at a friend's house last night. She has story time before putting the kids to bed. I sat there looking at her two young children flipping through books and pretending to read. For me, this is one of the most precious things to see, and I just can't imagine the thrill of holding a book being the same using one of these.
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