Okay....it happened. I hit a student with my car. Totally an accident...the rider tried to zoom between my car and a slow moving bus....I felt a bump and saw a body fly and I nearly had a heart attack. He was fine, thank goodness but much more concerned about his bike while the officer was more concerned about me. Why young man...why? I drive an old lady American made car....and if I was going any faster than my typical old lady speed....sigh......please be careful out there...there is so much you have not experienced...so much to learn and see....do not be so reckless with your lives....you actually have no idea how very fragile life is. Peace.

iGoogle

Dear Students,

I am the old lady in your class. I drive on campus and you simply scare me to death. You cross the streets at angles, cross in the middle or anywhere you choose. You never stop at the corners. You never look both ways, you never look anyway at all...because you are sleep walking...because you are looking at your cellphone. You are texting or reading email and you scare me. You should think about how terrible I would feel if I hit you...................................................................................................Okay...yes I would feel terrible...I promise.....but you'd be hurt, you'd have trouble getting around and that would be inconvenient and terrible. I would probably cry. Walking around here on crutches is no fun, trust me. So please give some indication that you at least realize that there are cars that drive on and through campus. We both know that you are not a motorized vehicle and shouldn't walk in the streets....but I am well aware that you do...all day...all the time....all I ask is that you become aware that there are old ladies with slowed reaction times and quite possibly bad breaks that drive on campus.  Oh yeah...since the old Kindergarten rule about looking both ways seems obsolete.... here is new one:
                          Look Up From Your Phone When You Cross the Street! 


Thank you.

Inger Nemcik (37)

Inger Nemcik (37): Remembering 9/11

If I should die and leave you here a while,
be not like others sore undone,
who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand
to do something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I perchance may therein comfort you.

Mary Lee Hall

'via Blog this'

JANIS IAN - At Seventeen (..it isn't all it seems.....)

There are very few real poets that also write music anymore. I wonder if some of the ...to be polite "stuff" that is played today will be as unaffected by time as this song. Here is to the women of the '70s: Carly Simon, Carol King, Joni Mitchell,  and this ageless classic from the still amazing Janis Ian.

Janis Ian performing At Seventeen

At Seventeen

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
In high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth
And those of us with ravaged faces
Lacking in the social graces
Desperately remained at home
Inventing lovers on the phone
Who called to say come dance with me
And murmured vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems
At seventeen

A brown eyed girl in hand me downs
Whose name I never could pronounce
Said, Pity please the ones who serve
They only get what they deserve
And the rich relationed hometown queen
Married into what she needs
A guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly
Remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
Indebentures of quality
And dubious integrity
Their small town eyes will gape at you
in dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received
At seventeen

To those of us who knew the pain
Of valentines that never came
And those whose names were never called
When choosing sides for basketball
It was long ago and far away
The world was younger than today
And dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly duckling girls like me
We all play the game and when we dare
To cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
That call and say, come dance with me
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me
At seventeen

Party...Party...Party....Free!

To all my dear  and wonderful friends, to the friends of my friends...the many friends of my kids...friends of my kid's friends....and friends of the friends of my friend's friends! I want to address the subject of sales parties: I have something to announce:  I have decided to channel Nancy Reagan......... and just say NO! Decades of parties have left me a little less than enthusiastic about all the invites....I still receive them all the time and I have sooooo been there and soooooo done that...starting from back in the early 80's until now and I am just partied out.... I have been Tupperwared, Mary Kayed, Wiltoned, Longabergered, Kirbyed, Home Interiored, FullerBrushed, Adoraed, Partylited, Avoned, Petraed, Home Decored, Pampered Chefed, Willowhoused, Athenaed, Amwayed to the point of exhaustion. I have heard "You don't have to buy anything....just come (and bring somebody!)" so many times my head hurts. I mean of course you don't just want me to come....and not buy something...let's be real.: You want that $40 gift certificate, the 30% discount or the limited edition hostess gift based on your sales...of couse you do...I know I would! It's amazing that most of my friends have been or are in the home or online party/marketing business at one time or another, I have hosted more parties than I can remember, got the hosting gifts, and tried to find spaces and places to store all the baskets, baubles and products that have come and gone.

("Host a party for me! You know EVERYBODY!) Nobody has ever been able to talk me into being in this business because I am a lousy salesperson and I can't see myself asking everyone I know to come over and look at the exciting new product/business I've discovered. I admire those that can.... and appreciate and celebrate the success as they get their pink cars, win vacations, become tier 2 distributors and go to conventions in Hawaii. It's just not me. Now having gone through every alliteration of the home party over the last 3 decades... I really, really really, don't need another container, necklace, dish or thong..I don't have room in my junk drawer for another plastic door prize...(I have 7 of those little things you screw into oranges to drink the juice...anybody need one?)..I have been invited to 7 Lea Sophia parties just over the summer. (Lea must be having a great year!) It's pretty stuff....but right now...I have decided to release myself from the guilt of showing up and looking for the least intrusive and expensive item in the back of the book. Freedom is a wonderful thing. Perhaps now that all us baby boomers have gotten older... there will be parties for good vitamins, arthritis medications, designer adult diapers, pressure socks, longer lasting hair dyes, and large print books...if so....I may reconsider! I love you all and wish you the best and if you want to invite me over for a drink and a good laugh... I will bring a bottle and snacks!

Who is that old Lady?

So I chucked the 9 to 5 and decided that this was a good time to go back to school. Yeah I know...right? I am old and I know this because everyday....... I am surrounded by 18 to 22 year old students that are doing things that I don't remember how to do, things that I never knew how to do, and things that I can't imagine ever doing or ever wanting to do everyday. They amuse, delight, impress, frustrate, shock and confuse me making me think....was I ever? did I ever? Nooo..no way....well at least I don't remember being....No....uh uh.....I couldn't have possible been that........well any way. 

Well.....so this here bloggy thing is a way to share some of my......ahem.....observations.....as I struggle to keep up being the old lady in class!