No damn cat, no damn cradle

So, there is something that has bothered me since the end of 11th grade honors english.  Why do the ants know what to do in times of crisis?  Why do humans think they are so wonderfully high and mighty when something/someone as small as an ant can figure out how to use body heat to survive the aftermath of an Ice Nine world and humans can't?  Now I know this book isn't real, but it brings up an interesting point.  We really aren't as incredibly smart as we think we are.  I have teachers (well one teacher really) who thinks their word is the be-all and end-all of all things worth writing or talking about.  To me, this professor is the most ridiculous human being on this wonderful blue planet.  If a person doesn't have the time or energy to listen and really consider other people's thoughts, what kind of person are they?  How can someone who teaches as a living not learn from his or her students?  I believe humans were given those big beautiful brains to think and learn, and then share everything they have thought and learned about through however many years of their existence with as many of the other billions of people in the world as possible.  So why don't people do this? Why do some people try to close themselves off from the world and hide away the secrets of life they have picked up from living?  

I know this rant isn't really anything, but these questions have been on my mind for quite some time now.  If anyone has an answer, or thoughts, or comments, please leave them.  Got a question on life? Ask it.  We can all learn from each other.  We like to think we are so much better than ants, now lets prove it! 

Dancing the Boogie with the Company B

Some places are great for people watching.  The mall, busy restaurants, and parks are hot spots for sure, but I never knew how great a Valentine's Day Swing Dance could be.  Trust me, they are wonderful.  You can watch couples and single old men with no hair go crazy.  

At this dance, I had the privilege of seeing one old man being one of the cutest people while he danced all alone in his pale green shirt.  You could totally tell he was one of those white haired men who look in the mirror every morning thinking "how did I get this old?".  He definitely pictures himself as a young soldier from World War II or something when he wakes up, and the reflection in his mirror never meets these expectations.  I could just imagine him seeing some girl with bright red lipstick and soft curls singing in front of a big band with one of those big circle microphones and knowing that one day, after the war, he would marry her. You know, one of those classic 40s love stories that have so much cheese you'd think you're a mouse.  Well, anyways, seeing him dancing all alone I knew (well not really, but I did) that he was thinking about dancing with his girl, the singer from the war who he proposed to and married the minute the bombs stopped dropping and the guns stopped firing.  He clearly missed her very much, but since their first dance together as a married couple was swing, and they danced together every Valentine's Day after, he had to come to The League in his dancing shoes to spend the night thinking of her in the best way he knew how, and I loved him for that.  

Now I know this story is probably far from the truth, but the best way to people watch is to make up their stories. Well so this old man, with the white hair and the green button down, spurred story after story in my brain while he silently danced the night away all alone.  I could probably write a whole book about this old man, he was that inspiring, and again, I don't even know his name.  I never danced with him. I only ever smiled once, and then continued to do my own thing, too nervous to approach him and ask for a dance like my more brave friends.  Although every time you go to a new place you can find a mess of characters to fill your brain with stories, this one, this old man, was definitely my favorite.  He had so much history to make up and so much future to fulfill.  Thanks old man for rocking it out at the Valentine's Dance! If you haven't done this, try it, it's super rewarding.  




Also, totally random yet totally important side note: Sporks were made for Ramen Noodle Soup. If you have not discovered this, you're welcome.  If you have, share the knowledge because seriously, it has revolutionized my life.

What's in a name?

What's in a name?  We've all heard it.  Whether it was in Merlin, or the Princess Diaries, or maybe even its original use in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we know that phrase.  But how important is a name really? 

In some cultures, having a few names to share is extremely important; you have a special connection with your namesake.  In others, there are so many names that sharing a name is almost impossible, or at least unlikely.  Some name after the living, other the dead.  Some after saints and some are all made up.  So what do these names really mean?  

Talking to someone for a few seconds and not knowing their name after the limited conversation seems acceptable, but at what point does that stop being true?  At what point is it unacceptable to not know the person whom you are talking to's name?  A minute? Five? A half hour?  An hour?  What about over the span of a few days?  What happens when you talk and talk and realize days, or even months, later that you don't know your friend's name?!  You have passed that acceptable time window of asking, but really you should know, then what do you do?  Who are you? Surely not a friend, not even an acquaintance, if you can't say their name.  

This has happened to everyone (I hope), but the other day I realized a person who is very important in my life held no name in my mind.  She was just a caring face that I could always count on.  I have talked to her numerous times since September and she always has something nice to say.  I see her everyday walking to and from Spanish Lunch Tables and she is the most adorable person ever.  She has told me on countless occasions that she keeps me, and all the other students she meets, in her prayers and she knows she will be okay as long as she can remember to do that.  She prays for our success and for our happiness.  She is incredibly kind and an altogether amazing human being, but she just revealed to my friend and me that she plans on retiring at the end of the school year.  I am sad about this, but she told us she wants to do something with her life, to travel, to do more than just sit and swipe kids cards into the cafeteria, but that she will always, always keep us in her prayers.  I know! What an amazing person!  But until three days ago, I did not even know her name!  I realized that I had been too consumed in my own inability to carry a tray of food from one room to another without spilling while also converting my thoughts from English to Spanish to actually ask this kind lady's name!  How could I be so self-absorbed?  The second I realized I asked all of my friends and only one knew.  Only one.  And I'm glad she did.    

Mary.  Mary is her name.  And thank you Mary for always being there and for keeping us in your prayers.  I know you will probably never read this, but I hope you know that you are a ray of sun and I will be sad to see you leave but oh so happy for you to have all the adventures life has in store for you.  Please enjoy them to the fullest. 

Thank you. Mary.