Perhaps some people raised their eyebrows when I suggested in my last post that our American educational system considers curiosity a disease. Well it sure seems like it to me, what with the OVER reliance on standardized tests and the OVER emphasis on fitting everyone into a standardized box. Just the other day I was at a wedding, talking to an old friend who was a relatively new mother. Her daughter is a bit over a year old. I asked my friend what was her favorite part about being a mom. She didn't hesitate with her answer. …
Get Curious
100 Ways to Get Curious
Curiosity is one of the Eight Secrets. For a multitude of reasons, adults have a hard time being curious. For one, with a few exceptions, the educational system in this country seems to consider curiosity a disease, and they have a twelve-year treatment plan to remedy the situation (with four to six more available if you're having trouble kicking the habit). Meanwhile, most adults are afraid to ask questions because they're too worried about what other people think of them. "They'll all think I'm stupid," goes the thought process. "Everyone else seems to know the answer; I'll just pretend …
Muting my Inner 5-year-old
Last night we ended up at the Madison Symphony Orchestra. First time ever. Very cool. During the experience my mind was fluttering with thoughts and questions. I felt like I was five again, wondering all sorts of things. Here are a few of the highlights... 1. This is a very long song. Longer than November Rain and Stairway to Heaven combined. 2. The cymbals guy is similar to the kicker in football. You wait and wait and wait and wait, and you better not mess up when your turn finally comes. 3. This hall looks like something out of Star Wars. …
How to Have a Mental Breakdown
Never before has such a thorough, step-by-step guide to your very own mental breakdown been published, be it online or off. If you can master these easy to follow instructions, you too can be the envy of all your friends and find yourself well on your way to a life you've only dreamed of! • Treat traffic jams exactly as they are: carefully planned and sinister conspiracies designed to keep you from your destination. • Pack your day so full that you are not distracted by superficial things like the sunset, the smell of roses, or the toddler smiling at you from across the grocery …
So Long, Crocodile Hunter
When I first saw Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, I thought, "Now this guy is one big kid!" His boyish passion and wide-eyed enthusiasm were irresistible. Whether he was sticking his head in a crocodile's mouth or picking up an irritated snake by the tail, I couldn't stop watching. Needless to say, Kim and I were saddened to hear about his death yesterday. …
Keep Asking Why
How is it that kids are so young, with such little life experience, and yet they often blow us away when it comes to wisdom? I found a great list of advice from children on the Goal-Free Living blog (who originally got the list from Eolake Stobblehouse). Here are my top 10 favorites: Making your bed is a waste of time. Don’t ask your three-year-old brother to hold a tomato. Don’t drink anything when you’re upside down. …
Heavenly Thoughts
Tonight Jason and I got a chance to watch ”The Exorcism of Emily Rose” with some friends. It’ll get your heart beating. It’s based off a true story and it is definitely one of those movies that will get you talking. If you're looking to get into a deep conversation about good versus evil, demons, God, heaven, hell, etc., this is your movie! One of the things we talked about afterward was heaven. What were our childhood thoughts on heaven? Had our thoughts changed now that we were all “grown-up?” Our friend said that he asked his mom when he was little if there would be a Nintendo in heaven. …
Why the Debate About “Stem Cell Research?”
Stem cell research. A hot topic in today's day and age. It may seem a bit off topic for a blog like this, but it's something I've been quite curious about as of late, and as we all know, curiosity is certainly a predominant trait in children. By the same token, certain stem cells -- the embryonic kind -- have the potential to actually become children. And in my exhaustive studies, I have found that children are also quite... childlike. I heard a lady on the radio yesterday -- a mother of a little girl with juvenile diabetes -- espousing the importance of stem cell research. To be honest, I …
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Six Years of Childlike Wonder
As Kim mentioned in her latest post, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary yesterday. After picking up some delectable morel mushrooms at the Farmer's Market, we had lunch at Ian's Pizza (Mac and Cheese pizza for Kim, Philly Cheesesteak for me.) Then we toured the new Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Olbrich Botanical Gardens -- both free! -- and capped off the evening at The Eldorado Grill for dinner and the Hilton's Olive Lounge for some dueling piano action. It was a beautiful day, packed with new adventures and a cornucopia of childlike curiosity. Ever since we spent a …
You Want What On Your Pizza?
Today I had lunch with a friend at a remarkably childlike place. It's called Ian's Pizza, and it sells pizza by the slice as well as by the pie. What's remarkable is what's on those slices. You can choose from Mac and Cheese (their most popular), Lasagna, Steak and Fries, Chicken Cordon Bleu, or Guacamole Burrito, to name a few. (I heard they had Chicken Mashed Potato, but I didn't see it on the menu.) Of course, you can also get -- ho-hum -- pepperoni. I felt like I was in the middle of Escape Plan Challenge #15 -- eating something new. If the concoctions above don't seem too appealing to …