DAy 148: Paint Ball

Scared!

Thanks to a dear friend, I was able to go paint balling today. It was truly a thrilling experience. For most of the time, I was really scared even though I knew it was a "game."  It is hard not to get frightened when there are people hiding in the woods with guns aimed toward you and your child. I learned that I am NOT an adrenaline junkie. I like my heart rate at a nice calm pace and I am not energized by fear. However, it was fun to try something so  exhilarating with a great group of people. And any time spent in the woods is time well spent.

DAy 147: Learn the Words to a song

I chose "Firework" by Katy Perry after seeing the video. I wrote the lyrics down (didn't print) and then followed along with the song.
This is what I memorized:

Do you ever feel like  a plastic bag
drifting through the wind
wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel so paper thin
like a house of cards one blow from craving in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep
6 foot under screams but no one seems to hear them
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just`own the night like the 4th of July
Come on baby you're a firework
Come on show em what your worth...

I also made a new play list of empowering songs including this one, Jenny from the Block, Im a Survivor, Soul Survivor, and Shes Always A Woman. These songs will help me get ready for the 5k I am going to complete in November.

Day 146: Date Night

JP and I went out tonight for a long over due "date." We went to our regular place and watched the LSU game with friends. I enjoyed my favorite Wintzell's dish: Caribbean Jerk Nachos and a few libations. It was fun to get out of the routine and pretend it was Friday night even though it was Thursday.

Day 145: Ask Questions

In May of 1977, what were Sandra and Butch thinking? Why was Sandra cutting hair on her back porch? Why were these children taken to Olan Mills? Why is this poor boy wearing cut offs in a portrait? Did the photographer hope to fool people into thinking these children were standing in a creek? Did this really happen? Was money spent on this 8x10? Why?

Day 143: Discover New Poetry

As a teacher, I am exposed to a wealth of classic poetry. Not very often, to I seek out and explore new poets or new poetry. Today I spent time reading poetry from artists I am familiar with as well as some I have never heard of before. I discovered a new poet, Khalil Gabran. He was a Lebanese poet who lived from 1883-1931. The poem "A Tear and a Smile" was my favorite. :
"I would that my life remain a tear and  a smile, a tear to purify my heart and give me understanding.."
But my favorite discovery/rediscovery today, was Maya Angelou.
A good poem is one that still resonates even days after reading. I found one of hers that continued to make me think. Its title is "Men." This poem was so powerful and personal I felt like a voyeur for reading it.

Men by Maya Angelou

When I was young, I used to
Watch behind the curtains
As men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men.
Young men sharp as mustard.
See them. Men are always
Going somewhere.
They knew I was there. Fifteen
Years old and starving for them.
Under my window, they would pause,
Their shoulders high like the
Breasts of a young girl,
Jacket tails slapping over
Those behinds,
Men.

One day they hold you in the
Palms of their hands, gentle, as if you
Were the last raw egg in the world. Then
They tighten up. Just a little. The
First squeeze is nice. A quick hug.
Soft into your defenselessness. A little
More. The hurt begins. Wrench out a
Smile that slides around the fear. When the
Air disappears,
Your mind pops, exploding fiercely, briefly,
Like the head of a kitchen match. Shattered.
It is your juice
That runs down their legs. Staining their shoes.
When the earth rights itself again,
And taste tries to return to the tongue,
Your body has slammed shut. Forever.
No keys exist.

Then the window draws full upon
Your mind. There, just beyond
The sway of curtains, men walk.
Knowing something.
Going someplace.
But this time, I will simply
Stand and watch.

Maybe.

Day 142: Play in the front yard at night

Tonight with the moon so robust and voluptious, the kids and I went outside and played with our shadows in the front yard.  It was just cool enough to play a game of chase and watch Ansley perfrom cartwheels. Sometimes, bedtimes should be ignored.

Day 141: Spend the afternoon on the back porch

Normally, I spend Sundays doing a variety of chores to prepare for the upcoming week. today, I took a magazine and a glass of lemonade to the back porch and enjoyed the weather. I read an article about giving praise and compliments. Following the directions in the article, I began to send text messages to my friends (who receive texts- sorry mom and Carrie) with compliments. The responses I got in return made me realize that clearly, I don't compliment enough. After telling Kristen she is a great cook, I received this message: "was this meant for me." Marilyn responded with a "Huh?"  A new lesson: out of context compliments confuse and bewilder friends.