Question of the Week: Trait

What is the most desirable trait another person can possess?

Depends on the other person, I suppose. Though, I guess in general, common sense would be a good one. A lot of people seem to lack that these days. Sometimes I hate being the only person in the room with an ounce of common sense.

Not Blogging

I haven't done a lot of blogging lately. I've felt guilty about that, I really have. Mostly because one of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to post something to the blog every day. Fail.

But I shouldn't feel too guilty about that because what are New Year's Resolutions except excuses to set lofty goals that are nearly unattainable.

Still, I've done a lot of thinking about why I haven't been writing much for the blog of late. Yesterday, I'm pretty sure I had an epiphany. The reason for the lack of posts dawned on my kind of suddenly, and I was a little surprised that I hadn't thought of it before.

I'm certain I've mentioned that the summer program that I work with as a counselor is more stressful than the job I perform during the regular school year. This is because I'm not only acting as a counselor to the kids, I'm sort of a teacher as well. During the school year, the counselor can get by with observing and intervening as needed. In the summer, I'm required to come up with lesson plans, curriculum, systems of rewards and consequences, etc. This makes the summer much different than the school year.

When the kids are in school and I'm sitting in the classroom, I take notes. I also brainstorm. I'm able to sit and think and write when I have down time in the classroom. As a summer program counselor/teacher/disciplinarian, there's no such thing as down time.

So the lack of original blog posts will likely continue for the foreseeable future. Don't worry, though. I've got some stuff cooking. Stay tuned. Just not every day. Stay tuned occasionally. Something like that.

Question of the Week: Newborn Advice

If you could instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby's mind, what advice would you give?

I'm thinking of this question all wrong. I want to be able to give a newborn amazing abilities. You know, things like, born potty trained or the ability to tell parents what they want rather than crying to denote every single discomfort. I'm sure there are amazing parents out there who are able to determine exactly what their infant child requires with each nuanced wail. When I hear it, crying just seems like crying. Could be anything, really. But I'm getting way off track. It'd be nice to look back at my own infancy and think about what I'd have liked to have known then that I know now. I can't really think of anything useful in my adult or even childhood years that makes me think, "Gee, I really could have used that bit of information when I was 6 months old!" Advice, when it comes down to it, is really just knowledge, right? And knowledge isn't all that helpful if one can't communicate it or act upon it. Babies can't do those things. They lack the ability to speak until they learn it and develop that skill over time. They lack the ability to mobilize themselves until their bodies grow and develop, again, over time. Parents, I'm sure you'll have a much better answer to this question than I can come up with. I look forward to your responses.

Seriously though, that's the part where you answer the question. I always post these questions every week but rarely get answers from readers in the comments. That's what the comment section is there for! I want you to use it! So, really, what advice would you want to instill in your newborn's mind? I figure, by the time I have kids, we'll be learning things Matrix-style, so I'll actually be able to instill advice, literally, into my newborn child's mind. So you're helping me out by answering.

Question of the Week: Joyful Worry

Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

I think the phrase, "ignorance is bliss," exists for a reason. The thing about stupidity is that, those that are afflicted with it just don't care. They don't realize they're stupid. People who aren't ignorant are the ones who shoulder the burden and have to deal with stupidity, some more than others. But I'd much rather be the joyful simpleton than the worried genius. I don't like to worry, it's a pointless exercise.