An open letter to everyone-

Please let children make mistakes. Let them know that they will not be the best at everything. There will be hard days, but those days are when good friends and family will get them through it. Do not advocate for them to get things that they have not earned just because they want them. Let them strive for what they want. Let them set goals. Let them dust off their own knees and try again. Let them understand failure so they can appreciate success. Let them understand consequences so they can learn from their choices. Let them live their lives even when their lives aren't going right. They'll learn from it and make better choices next time. They'll appreciate the better times and remember how the hard times shaped them.

Thanks.

making the best of it

This weekend I was stuck working in the cold rain. I had on gloves, hand warmers, and a scarf in May. It was so cold that I came up with a plan to wrap my feet in paper towel to "warm them." It worked. I could've complained the whole time or looked annoyed at all the parents and children who foolishly came out in that crap weather. But there's something about working there that makes bad days like that more fun. We're surrounded by people who can laugh at the situation and get through it. That's a nice atmosphere to work in.

I suppose that's what gets me to come back. I don't make very much. I could easily make more working somewhere else. There's something about the Village, though. It's beautiful in the fall. It is magical at night. There are so many crazy people who work there. You can't get through a shift without something ridiculous happening. However, those experiences are how I met some of my closest friends.

A part of the magic is my father. He took me there so many times. He thought he'd be able to be a glass blower when he retired. I'm glad he passed away with the belief that it was possible without a degree in fine arts. He and I watched historic baseball, rode the carousel, ate lunches at the Taste of History, rode the Model T, and even ate our weight in frozen custard a billion times over again. When I see children with their fathers it makes me smile. The place creates memories and traditions. I know that walking around those grounds with my father helped shape who I am and I like that I can be a part of those traditions for others.

If I were president...

I watched BSG last night. It was actually pretty entertaining, so I will probably end up watching the series. One point of interest for me was the woman who became president. She was the secretary of education in the beginning of the first episode, and eventually found herself having to run the "colonies."

I can't help but wonder what things would look like if the USA was run by someone who had a background in education. More fun to ponder- what would I do if I were the president?

I'm not going to pretend to be fully informed on the state of our union. However, it seems very troubling that our country (and state) runs on a huge debt. This debt has resulted in nearly every school district I know of having to make large cuts, stack classes, and pink slip employees. Is the government making the same cuts? I don't know.

I think that I would focus on a few things if I led the state, country, or world. I think if there was a strong emphasis on safety, health, education, and community we'd be able to give citizens the tools they'd need to succeed, which would make whatever I was president of a happy successful metropolis.

Safety: Everyone needs to feel safe. I don't know how I would do this, but I imagine it would involve some police men, lights in parks, less dark alleys, and a bat signal.

Health: I would make sure produce was affordable, and that there were strict laws on FDA unapproved crap like thermogenic pills and chemicals that weren't healthy. But I wouldn't stop people from deep-frying things or using butter. I just don't think we should be giving children chemicals and preservatives because it is convenient. They should deep fry their chicken on the spot. That's how Paula Dean's grandma did it!! And I hope the chicken is from a farm down the street....

Education: I wouldn't pay for our children's future with lotto money. I would look at the models of other countries who are getting it right and take suit. We'd teach less, but teach it WELL. And empower students. They won't all go to college. But they'll all figure out what they *might* want to do when they get older. Owning a cake shop or working on cars is pretty cool. So is engineering sweet cars. Do what you like!

Community: I would have parks, wildlife centers, museums, and a variety of restaurants that used whole ingredients. While I think fancy restaurants are wicked awesome, there'd also be some that were accessible to the masses. Libraries would be huge. We wouldn't tear down old buildings with character. There'd be bike trails, dog parks, and public transit. And we'd work with the money we had, not lower the value of the dollar and print/borrow more.

Oh, and Conan would get the Tonight Show back.