For the most part, my school memories are very positive ones. I enjoyed school and got along with classmates regardless if they were nerds, jocks, or stuck-ups. I was involved in extra-curricular activities and aimed to get good grades. The only class I really disliked was phys. ed. I am by far not athletic. I trip over my own two feet, I shut my eyes when a ball comes my way and I’m banned from golfing at the local golf course! However, I kept a good attitude in class. It didn’t take long for the PE teacher to catch on to my klutziness and to have me be the score keeper, the assistant or any other task to keep me from hurting myself or others. I managed to keep As or Bs in phys. ed.!
Most of my teachers were very good teachers. They actually seemed to enjoy teaching and made learning fun. A couple of teachers had strange classroom pets and I can’t remember anything about their teaching styles! Mr. Snyder had a snake and insisted that we watch the snake swallow mice. I believe it was his goal to make us afraid for life! Then there was Mr. Johnson and his pet tarantula. He never understood why none of us would take the spider home over the break and care for it. When the spider eventually died, Mr. J. took three bereavement days!!!
Years later when I became a teacher, I played it smart and decided to have goldfish in the classroom. I taught high school special education at the time. We went through a lot of fish…it seems like each student thought he/she needed to feed the fish. When I caught onto that, the fish food was hidden. I never realized how often the water needed to be changed. Pouring out the old water, I’d discover chewed bubble gum, pennies, pen caps and even an eraser once.
The fish tank was moved to a high shelf of a built-in book case. It stopped the students from putting in foreign objects. However, rather than dipping some of the water out of the tank when we needed to change the water, my teacher assistant was sure she could lift the tank. Umm…she was able to lift it, but after a second or two, she lost her grip and the water began to pour down the front of her. After spilling half of the tank, she got a better handle on the tank and took it to the sink. Meanwhile, students were running and shrieking as they rescued the goldfish that slid out with the water. All but one fish was accounted for. Within seconds we knew where the last fish was…the teacher assistant was screaming and jumping up and down…guess she wasn’t used to having a fish inside of her shirt!!!
How about you? What do you remember from your school days?
Looking for Someone With No Name?
January 27th, 2010The pace of modern living can be intense. At home and at work we spend so much of our time dealing with the ‘now’ and the ‘next’ so called prioritizing, but isn’t it just as important to take time occasionally to think about the past? Don’t we all have people from our past who we wish we still had in our lives?
In many ways it’s easier now then it’s ever been to reconnect with people with whom we have lost touch. In the blink of an eye we can enter names directly into search engines or onto social networking sites like Friends Reunited and Facebook and instantly know whether we have a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. Sadly though, life isn’t always so straightforward and simple.
So what is in a name? Over time memories can fade and names do change. Over years and decades nicknames change and people marry and divorce. So, how do you set about locating someone without knowing their full name? Perhaps, most importantly, why would you want to? A cynic might say that not knowing the person’s name and losing touch with them is your first clue that they’re not so important to you. Life’s not that simple though, is it? If you are hesitating because you do not know how to find someone if you do not know their name, then relax, there is a solution and it is I Still Remember You
There are so many examples to choose from. Are you trying to reconnect with an old friend that you remember fondly from your college, local pub or sporting team and who you only knew by their first name or a ‘nickname’? Are you trying to reconnect with an influential former colleague whose last name now escapes you or may have changed? Are you trying to reconnect with somebody or a group of people that you met on a vacation or at a music festival? If no names were exchanged or even if you simply cannot remember all or part of the name of the person you are looking for, don’t dismay because
With I Still Remember You a time and place is all you need. It’s simple, you don’t need a name.
Can I find Someone Without Having A Name?
January 27th, 2010Without a doubt the internet has revolutionized the way we search for information. Just take a few moments to think about how involved and complicated it used to be. Even just ten, twenty or thirty years ago, trying to reconnect with somebody you had lost touch with was a time consuming task involving numerous postal or personal inquiries and searches through directories and registers in different locations. The internet and the development of laptops and mobile phones has changed all that, we can now, almost without exception search for what we want, when we want and get results.
The internet is awash with search engines and social network sites that can search for names but how can you find someone on the internet without knowing their name? It sounds impossible doesn’t it? Would it surprise you to learn that there are many thousands of people the world over trying to get back in touch with someone whose name or full name they don’t know? Well, it shouldn’t, don’t we all have these people in our past? It could be somebody that you struck up a friendship with many years ago on a long journey or at a holiday resort and whose contact details you have lost. It could be somebody from a school or a sports team or theatre group whose nickname you remember. The reality is that people move on, they marry and change their names, their nicknames and pet-names change too as they grow older but this does not alter the fact that you still remember them and they still remember you.
Visit I Still Remember You. This is a network that aims to reconnect people with one another. It works differently from other search sites and tools and you can use I Still Remember You to find people without knowing all or part of their names. It’s really simple to use, all you need is a time and a place. Here’s the technical bit, it uses a chrono-geographic search tool and interactive map which will allow you to create contacts to find someone you are looking for. You’ll know too if anyone is looking for you.
There is no doubt that we remember the impact that certain people have had on our lives for the rest of our lives, but now and then the finer details get lost along the way. Finding someone without knowing their name is not as daunting a task as you might think. What are you waiting for? Visit I Still Remember You and reconnect today.
Heroes
January 24th, 2010
Bri...my hero
Heroes. What do you think about, when you hear the word “hero”? Do you think of cartoon or comic book versions of Superman, Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk? Do you think of someone saving another person’s life? Are you reminded of a situation in which someone helped you out? Maybe you picture an athlete or a star.
Sometimes a hero is someone who inspires you, someone who regardless of his or her disability, lives life to the fullest. For our family, my great niece Brianna is our hero. Brianna was born without her lower right forearm and hand, caused by Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS). While in utero, her forearm and hand were caught in fibrous amniotic bands. Although we were all initially shocked and saddened by the news, Brianna quickly proved to us that having a missing limb is simply a way of life and not something to feel sorry about.
Brianna had to endure surgery prior to the age of one due to a different complication. While in the hospital, she kept a happy disposition and was loved by the nurses and doctors. Brianna is spunky, loving and adoring. She will be two in May and thoroughly loves her older brother Zach.
Bri naturally compensates for her missing hand. She can beat on a drum, she can push her toy baby stroller and she has mastered jumping from the coffee table to the couch to the floor! When other children inquire about Bri’s missing hand, they accept the fact that she was born that way. It’s not a big deal to them.
It’s not a big deal to them…but at what age does our society make a BIG DEAL out of people who may look a little different? Obviously it happens–we rarely see a person with a noticeable handicap in the limelight. Maybe we need to learn from kids–it’s no big deal if someone is blind, walks with crutches, or has a missing limb. It’s no big deal.
Bri is our hero because of her love for life. I actually think her mother, Amanda, is a hero as well. Amanda opened her own tutu business to help get the word out regarding ABS. According to Amanda, “The tutus and bows are all made in honor of my little princess Brianna (aka Bri) Even the name All Brianna’s Style represents her. She’s one stylish little girl and she also has amniotic band syndrome (ABS). It hasn’t stopped her one bit from doing everything the other little girls do.” Amanda encourages Bri to figure out things on her own. She is an advocate for children with special needs.
We know as Bri gets older, there may be rude or ignorant comments made. However, I believe that Bri will be able to take it all in stride and won’t let it knock her down. We believe that she can be anything she wants to be. Her dad loves to golf and we’re waiting for the day she can beat him on the golf course! May Bri continue to inspire others for many years to come. We thank God for the blessing of Bri (and Zach)!
How about you? Who’s a hero in your life? Why?
Listen to your heart…
Inexpensive Family Night
January 22nd, 2010With prices going up, up, up and budgets getting tighter, a lot of families are staying home and creating their own fun family nights. While it may be fun to still go out to a restaurant once in awhile, or go catch a movie, there are a lot of fun things that can be done at home. So whether it’s with your family, or a group of friends, here are some ideas that don’t cost a lot of money.
Game Night. Plan a weekly or monthly game night. Chances are you own several games. If not, borrow a couple of games from a friend. Have each family member choose a game for the family to play. Pop some popcorn and you’re good to go!
Scavenger Hunt. Scavenger hunts are fun for kids, teens and adults of all ages. Create a list of items or clues that people need to find. For little kids, you might need to provide pictures of the items. Afterwards, enjoy a special treat–banana splits for instance.
Movie Night. Sign-out a movie from your public library, rent movies when the movie rental store has a great deal, or borrow a movie from a friend. Have everyone wear their comfy PJs. If you have young and older children, show a fun cartoon first and then a family-oriented movie next. Be sure to have popcorn and soda, water, etc.
Silly Night. Plan a fun meal. For example, build a volcano meatloaf with mashed potatoes oozing out of the center of it. Make little animals using celery, raisins and cream cheese. For dessert, have cupcakes with funny faces on them. When you’re through eating, put on a talent show! Have each family member provide some sort of talent. The talent can be a serious one or a silly one.
Play Outside. Kids want to spend time with their parents and the outdoors offers so many free activities! During the summer, go swimming, biking, have a cook out, play tag, roll down the hill, go to a park…the list is endless. During the winter, build a snowman, have a snowball fight or make angels.
Growing up, our parents took the four of us kids to Ontario, Canada for two weeks during the summer time. Two of my favorite memories were: 1.) spending hours in the lake with my mother, and 2.) dad cooking breakfast for us. It wasn’t until years later that I found out that we spent a lot of time in the lake because there wasn’t much money for other activities. My parents saved and saved so we could go on vacation. I also found out that dad cooked breakfast to save on expenses as well. For us kids though, it was a thrill to see daddy cooking. We thought just mom knew how to cook! He would make a big production out of cracking the eggs and flipping the pancakes. We loved it!!!
So whatever your financial situation may be, take time to have fun with your family and friends. Be creative–it doesn’t need to be expensive.
Listen to your heart…
Whisper “I Love You” Day
January 19th, 2010
Today, is Whisper “I Love You” Day. I did a quick search on Google and there are sites that actually sell e-cards in honor of today! If you don’t tend to let family and friends verbally know that you love them, why not give it a go today? When you shock them with those three little words uttering from your mouth, you can also add a disclaimer, “Just trying to honor the day!”
But in all seriousness, why are we hesitant in letting people know that we love them? Why does it cause such an awkwardness? Perhaps you come from a family that freely says, “I love you” and hugs a lot. For some of the rest of us, “I love you” tended to be a form of good-bye when someone was headed off to the service, to college, etc. Within my circle of friends, we sometimes sign our cards “Love ya”, but rarely speak the words. When the words are spoken, it’s usually during a crisis or at a wedding.
Over the past few months, I have been trying to make more of an effort to let family and close friends verbally know that I love them. The usual response is “I love you too” or the person makes some sort of joke. Once in awhile someone will say that they really needed to know that someone loved them and cared.
If you’re like me and not used to saying “I Love You” a lot, how about challenging yourself? At least once a week, let someone know you love them. It might make a big difference in their day!
Listen to your heart…
Lost And Found
January 19th, 2010Just think about it, we all have people from our past that have made a huge impression on us and did their bit to shape us into the person that we are today. Sadly, people often lose touch with the very people who had such a positive influence on them. People move houses, change phone numbers, switch jobs and email addresses and, despite our best intentions to keep phoning or writing, time and people move on. Often, by the time you realize a special and important individual is missing from your life it is too late and they cannot be found.
It does not have to be like this though. A good friend of mine told me the other day about an important friendship that had been rekindled recently with the help of cyberspace. Even after a period of some twenty years had gone by all it took was some nostalgic thinking time, a few details remembered and a well designed search engine and it was done; contact was regained. Furthermore, it could not have come at a more poignant time for either of them and, as they had done many times so many years before they supported each other as one was dealing with the recent death of a close family member and the other with the breakdown of a relationship with a difficult and bad tempered partner. They were both so relieved and comforted by the fact that neither had forgotten the other and that they had kept looking for one another even as the years and decades roll by. Despite now living on different continents once contact had been re-established they were able to chat and message one another regularly and it is for them, now just like old times.
As we get older we do look back over our lives and recall the people we have met along the way, some were good for us and some were maybe not so good for us. That is human nature, we all seem to be wired that way; we look forward and we look back too. It may be that you are not searching to be reunited with a lost individual friend but looking to find a group of people that were important to you at a crucial point in your life. Is there a primary, high school or university class that meant a lot to you, for example? Were you influenced by your part in a sporting team you played in way back when or colleagues from a job that meant so very much to you? Next time you’re relaxing and thinking on the commute home and someone positive and important to you that you have lost contact springs to mind, do something about it. Make that move.
Go After Your Dreams
January 16th, 2010
Last year, Susan Boyle became an overnight sensation as her “Britain’s Got Talent” debut hit the internet. People were in disbelief that a plain looking woman would have such a beautiful voice. It had been a dream of Susan’s for years to become a well known singer. Keeping focused on her dream, Susan wasn’t distracted by the negative thoughts or comments surrounding her. Susan achieved her dream.
Elvis Presley was kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry in 1954. In fact, he was told to stick with his day job, driving trucks! Could you imagine no Elvis? No “Blue Suede Shoes”. No “Love Me Tender”. Did you know that Jimi Hendrix and his band were booed off the stage when they opened for the Monkees? Both Elvis and Jimi could’ve bought into the “you’re not good enough” downward spiral. Instead, they stayed focused on their dream and became huge successes.
This past week in the United States, the ninth season of “American Idol” kicked off. Although I would agree that it’s very questionable if some of the contestants truly had musical ability, I was impressed by several other contestants. Whether they make it to the top 20, the top 10 or the top 3, I hope that they will continue to go after their dream of being a singer.
It’s good to have a dream, a hope to chase after. It doesn’t have to be as big as wanting to become a singer, but it has to be something you’re passionate about , you think of often, and you truly desire. What is your dream? Your hope? What are you doing to start going after your dream?
I need to give this some thought as well. For some of us, our hope might be to lose weight, to give up smoking or some other health-related goal. For others, it might be doing something creative–pottery, poetry, music, writing.
And since you’re on this site, searching for someone who’s dear to you is most likely a hope as well. I really encourage you to be as detailed as you can about your searches, post your photo and keep checking back. You never know when that moment will be that your path crosses someone who is waiting for you.
Listen to your heart…
Our Thoughts Are With You…Haiti
January 14th, 2010
As most of you know, Haiti was hit with a catastrophic earthquake this week, taking the lives of thousands of people and leaving thousands more in a state of shock. As some bodies continued to be buried beneath the crumbled buildings, residents are clawing away with their bare hands with hopes of finding people who are still alive.
May we each take a moment to think about the people of Haiti. If you’re a praying person, pray as international emergency help steps in.
Our thoughts are with you…Haiti.
A Friend Like Lil
January 12th, 2010Friends. Like a lot of people, my friends range from little kids to older folks. Certain friends I can totally relax with, while other friends I sometimes have to be careful of what I say or what I do. My friends enrich my life in so many ways, and I can only hope that I have touched their lives as well.
Lil, is a special friend of mine. Born with Down’s Syndrome, Lil hasn’t always had it easy in life. She’s aware of people who are friendly toward her and who steer clear of her. I love being around Lil! Lil’s usual greeting is, “Behave Barb! You’re my best friend.” Now keep in mind, she tells lots of people to behave and several people that they are her best friend. But if I’m having a lousy day, I love hearing Lil tell me I’m her best friend!
Lil thinks I’m funny. I’ll tell a joke and she’ll laugh. I’ll make a funny face and she’ll giggle. She never puts me down or gets mad at me. Lil is a very caring person. If she sees that her mother is getting tired, she’ll ask her to sit down. If someone’s glass is empty, she’ll fill it with water.
Lil loves to work on word search puzzles, draw pictures, watch DVDs and listen to music. When a fast song plays, Lil gets up and dance. She sort of enters her own world and loves to move around freely. She’s a constant reminder to me to not take life so seriously and to take time to have fun, to be silly.
Do you have a Lil in your life? Is there a friend who is very different from you who brings out the good in you? I encourage you this year to make a friend with someone who has special needs. You’ll be a better person for it.
Listen to your heart…
