Now that I have a young boy of my own I am becoming increasingly concerned about what passes for entertainment these days. I understand that there is really no such thing as the ‘good old day’ and that each era has had its problems. I also understand that my childhood could not possibly be as idyllic as I remember it being.
That said, I do know that I did not spend near as much time in front of a computer, television screen, or indoors as many of the children I meet today. In fact, I spent less time indoors than my little sister (there is of course almost a decade between us). As a twenty five year old, it isn’t that I don’t enjoy watching television or playing video games on occasion, it’s just that I remember what it was like to get out and explore, to foster a sense of wonder for the world that we live in.
Now that I am raising a child I would like to instill in him that sense of wonder for the little miracles all around us. I want him to see the world as a great big beautiful place that is full of countless mysteries and treasures just waiting to be discovered. To be honest, I’m still doing everything I can to foster this attitude in myself. Just yesterday, after work, I found a climbable tree, stripped off my shoes and climbed up as far as I could. I wasn’t even out of my work clothes yet! It was simply too good to resist.
While finding a climbable tree I saw all kinds of interesting insects, frogs, and more. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in a world without these things. I want to share them with my little boy. Why watch a nature documentary when you can get out and explore it? Why play video games in a make believe world when there are amazing experiences waiting right outside your back door?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
A Small Step Toward the Peacable Kingdom
The BBC and other news agencies are reporting that the last U.S. state, LA, is banning cock fighting starting in 2008. This is, I believe, a long over due but important victory for not just animal rights activists but anyone concerned with living in a better world. I firmly believe that we cannot create an ethical, peaceful society unless we begin to treat even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of creatures with respect and humanity.
Here's the web address of the story, you may have to cut and paste:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6898020.stm
Also, here's a link to Farm Sanctuar, an incredible organization based in New York that rescues and raises farm animals otherwise headed to a life of pain and misery. Please note that this organization does not in any way condone the activities of such extremist groups as the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. Those two organization have, in my opinion, set their own causes back considerably. We cannot fight violence with violence, we cannot expect others to treat life with respect if we do not first treat those we disagree with with respect as well.
http://www.farmsanctuary.org
Here's the web address of the story, you may have to cut and paste:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6898020.stm
Also, here's a link to Farm Sanctuar, an incredible organization based in New York that rescues and raises farm animals otherwise headed to a life of pain and misery. Please note that this organization does not in any way condone the activities of such extremist groups as the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. Those two organization have, in my opinion, set their own causes back considerably. We cannot fight violence with violence, we cannot expect others to treat life with respect if we do not first treat those we disagree with with respect as well.
http://www.farmsanctuary.org
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Water Water Everywhere
Kara and I took the baby swimming for the first time a couple of days ago. It was fun, though Kara couldn’t join us. She wasn’t feeling well and still has an ailing knee from an accident two weeks ago. She sat at the poolside and read a book, stopping to occasionally take pictures of our little man in the water.
For his part, Hayden seemed to enjoy most of the experience. There was a minor meltdown at the beginning. We had planned on placing him in a baby float that I would guide around the pool. However, once I placed him in it and let go of his body he began to scream. My guess is that he didn’t like the feeling of instability. I was there and I put my hands out to comfort him but he wouldn’t stop crying until I picked him up and held him.
Interestingly, as soon as I was holding on to him it didn’t matter how close we were. I held him a little ways away and let him float on his back. I turned him over so he was ‘swimming’ on his stomach with his head above the water. He didn’t seem to mind any of this.
He was more sedate than usual, just staring at the world around him. Not at all the way he usually reacts to water. At bath time when we place him in the water it’s like being hit repeatedly by a tidal wave of soapy water. He kicks and splashes in every direction until the floor is covered (though Kara says the bonus is we don’t have to mop any more). By the end of the bath Kara and I are soaked, the cats are afraid to come anywhere within ten feet (splash radius) and the baby usually has an incurable case of the giggles.
All of this from the child who used to scream like he was being eaten alive by dingoes during bath time. Go figure.
By the by, Prairie Home Companion Published a poem I wrote called 'Growing Pains' about our little bundle of joy. You can see it by going to:
www.prairiehome.org
Go to the 'First Person' section and click on the June Archive. It's listed as 'Growing Pains'
Here's a quick link directly to it (though you should check out Prairie Home's site too...by the way if the links don't work just copy and paste them, they'll take you where you need to go):
http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/first_person/2007/06/27_jex.shtml
For his part, Hayden seemed to enjoy most of the experience. There was a minor meltdown at the beginning. We had planned on placing him in a baby float that I would guide around the pool. However, once I placed him in it and let go of his body he began to scream. My guess is that he didn’t like the feeling of instability. I was there and I put my hands out to comfort him but he wouldn’t stop crying until I picked him up and held him.
Interestingly, as soon as I was holding on to him it didn’t matter how close we were. I held him a little ways away and let him float on his back. I turned him over so he was ‘swimming’ on his stomach with his head above the water. He didn’t seem to mind any of this.
He was more sedate than usual, just staring at the world around him. Not at all the way he usually reacts to water. At bath time when we place him in the water it’s like being hit repeatedly by a tidal wave of soapy water. He kicks and splashes in every direction until the floor is covered (though Kara says the bonus is we don’t have to mop any more). By the end of the bath Kara and I are soaked, the cats are afraid to come anywhere within ten feet (splash radius) and the baby usually has an incurable case of the giggles.
All of this from the child who used to scream like he was being eaten alive by dingoes during bath time. Go figure.
By the by, Prairie Home Companion Published a poem I wrote called 'Growing Pains' about our little bundle of joy. You can see it by going to:
www.prairiehome.org
Go to the 'First Person' section and click on the June Archive. It's listed as 'Growing Pains'
Here's a quick link directly to it (though you should check out Prairie Home's site too...by the way if the links don't work just copy and paste them, they'll take you where you need to go):
http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/first_person/2007/06/27_jex.shtml
Friday, June 29, 2007
Everyday Enlightenment
It’s curious. I spent a large portion of my life concerned with genius, art, philosophy, and many other high minded things. I still enjoy art, science (biology more than physics…a bit of a change), literature and poetry and religious studies. However, over time my concerns have become more down to earth. They are more spiritual too, I believe.
The Buddha once said that he taught only suffering and the end of suffering. It is this sort of teaching that I find the most moving now. The teachings that address our lives and how to make them better. In my spiritual studies now I look less for the ‘mystical experience’ of St. John of the Cross or Rumi. I would not reject these experiences should they happen but I am more concerned with the presence of spirituality in our everyday life.
I am not particularly interested in a spirituality that does not address human relations, emotions, and how we interact with the world here and now. As Thich Nhat Hanh often says, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now.’
I believe that being a husband and a father are spiritual in nature and can lead to enlightenment. I believe the proper care of our day to day lives can lead to wisdom, compassion, and understanding.
A few places you can further explore these ideas:
www.plumvillage.org
www.intermindful.com
The Buddha once said that he taught only suffering and the end of suffering. It is this sort of teaching that I find the most moving now. The teachings that address our lives and how to make them better. In my spiritual studies now I look less for the ‘mystical experience’ of St. John of the Cross or Rumi. I would not reject these experiences should they happen but I am more concerned with the presence of spirituality in our everyday life.
I am not particularly interested in a spirituality that does not address human relations, emotions, and how we interact with the world here and now. As Thich Nhat Hanh often says, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now.’
I believe that being a husband and a father are spiritual in nature and can lead to enlightenment. I believe the proper care of our day to day lives can lead to wisdom, compassion, and understanding.
A few places you can further explore these ideas:
www.plumvillage.org
www.intermindful.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Letting Go
Little Hayden isn’t so little anymore. Just the other day we had to go through his closet and take out all the clothes that didn’t fit. It seems like we just put them in their and now they’re going into storage, waiting for the off chance that our next baby is a boy.
It was a bittersweet moment. I am so happy to see our little man growing up but at the same time it is a little heart breaking too. It is the most immediate example of the Buddhist concept of impermanence that I’ve ever experienced. Folding his clothes and realizing that one day he would be up and gone was hard to do. It brought home the realization that this baby, this wonderful little person that I helped create, isn’t really mine. He’s my baby but he’s not my baby. He’s under my care, he’s a treasure that I’ve been asked to look after. Where my relationship with Kara, my dear wife, is a perpetual growing together, my relationship with my son is going to be one of perpetual letting go.
Of course, I’m a little sad about this but what a miracle it really implies! Kara and I are playing a part in creating a person. What we do now is molding another living being’s life. We get to watch him grow and learn and experience the many wonders this world has to offer. It’s an enormous responsibility and privilege.
It really brings home the fact that there’s no time to waste. We need to give our love and attention to each other here and now. We can’t allow ourselves to become tangled up in trivialities. We might miss the best that life has to offer.
It was a bittersweet moment. I am so happy to see our little man growing up but at the same time it is a little heart breaking too. It is the most immediate example of the Buddhist concept of impermanence that I’ve ever experienced. Folding his clothes and realizing that one day he would be up and gone was hard to do. It brought home the realization that this baby, this wonderful little person that I helped create, isn’t really mine. He’s my baby but he’s not my baby. He’s under my care, he’s a treasure that I’ve been asked to look after. Where my relationship with Kara, my dear wife, is a perpetual growing together, my relationship with my son is going to be one of perpetual letting go.
Of course, I’m a little sad about this but what a miracle it really implies! Kara and I are playing a part in creating a person. What we do now is molding another living being’s life. We get to watch him grow and learn and experience the many wonders this world has to offer. It’s an enormous responsibility and privilege.
It really brings home the fact that there’s no time to waste. We need to give our love and attention to each other here and now. We can’t allow ourselves to become tangled up in trivialities. We might miss the best that life has to offer.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Missing Children
Madeleine McCann is possibly the most high profile missing child case
at the moment. I hope that she will be found and that the press surrounding
her case will lead to greater awareness in the effort to protect all children.
I would also like to take this opportunity to post an 'In Memoriam' to Katrina Nash
from Lacey, Washington.
Please Visit These Pages:
Find Madeleine: A site by Madenleine McCann's parents, devoted to finding her and returning her home:
http://www.findmadeleine.com/
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US
The United Nations Children's Fund:
http://www.unicef.org/
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Hole In the Heart
The day after my son was born the doctor gave us terrifying news. Our baby had a ventricular septal defect (VSD). That meant that our son had a ‘hole’ in his heart. The doctor tried to reassure us that it could be a small issue that would not affect him but they wanted to do testing on him and wanted to refer him to a cardiologist.
My wife, Kara, is a pre-school teacher and has several students who have had this problem so we at least had a little knowledge that it was not always a serious issue. Still, we were frightened and concerned for our new little miracle. When we arrived home we set up our appointment with the specialist and then tried to learn everything we could about the condition.
Our first reference was to our baby books. They both had exhaustive lists of common infant ailments as well as numerous conditions that may affect the baby. To our surprise none of our books had anything on a VSD. We knew from Kara’s experience that they were at least relatively common but there was nothing. So, we searched the internet. The American Heart Association provided some decent answers.
Here is what we learned:
A VSD is a small defect between the heart’s lower chambers. If it is a large hole then it can affect the heart because the blood pumped from one chamber highly oxygenated only to be pushed through the hole into the other chamber which pushes the blood back into the lungs. This re-oxygenates the blood instead of letting the blood that needs oxygen pass through to the lungs. This can cause stress on the heart because it has to work harder to oxygenate all the blood.
If the defect is large it may require surgery to be patched. The surgery, it seems, is highly affective with very few risks besides those generally associated with an invasive surgery.
For a small defect, like the one my son had, there is little affect on the child besides a murmur when the doctor listens to the heart. The VSD generally closes on its own within the first year and is never a problem again. However, there is some chance that a small hole will never close. The only problem that this presents is that when the child has to go to the dentist he will have to precede the visits with a treatment of antibiotics for the rest of his life to avoid infection.
When we finally did see the cardiologist she informed us that our son’s VSD was barely noticeable and would likely be gone before long. It would cause no long term issues and would not result in any kind of activity limitations as in many congenital heart defects. She even stated that he could be a professional football player if he wanted (clearly discounting the complete lack of athletic ability in both parents).
He will have to see a cardiologist for a while which can be difficult. Our son hates the equipment they have to use to do his tests (electrocardiogram and echocardiogram) but at least we know he’s going to be okay.
Here's the address for the American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org
My wife, Kara, is a pre-school teacher and has several students who have had this problem so we at least had a little knowledge that it was not always a serious issue. Still, we were frightened and concerned for our new little miracle. When we arrived home we set up our appointment with the specialist and then tried to learn everything we could about the condition.
Our first reference was to our baby books. They both had exhaustive lists of common infant ailments as well as numerous conditions that may affect the baby. To our surprise none of our books had anything on a VSD. We knew from Kara’s experience that they were at least relatively common but there was nothing. So, we searched the internet. The American Heart Association provided some decent answers.
Here is what we learned:
A VSD is a small defect between the heart’s lower chambers. If it is a large hole then it can affect the heart because the blood pumped from one chamber highly oxygenated only to be pushed through the hole into the other chamber which pushes the blood back into the lungs. This re-oxygenates the blood instead of letting the blood that needs oxygen pass through to the lungs. This can cause stress on the heart because it has to work harder to oxygenate all the blood.
If the defect is large it may require surgery to be patched. The surgery, it seems, is highly affective with very few risks besides those generally associated with an invasive surgery.
For a small defect, like the one my son had, there is little affect on the child besides a murmur when the doctor listens to the heart. The VSD generally closes on its own within the first year and is never a problem again. However, there is some chance that a small hole will never close. The only problem that this presents is that when the child has to go to the dentist he will have to precede the visits with a treatment of antibiotics for the rest of his life to avoid infection.
When we finally did see the cardiologist she informed us that our son’s VSD was barely noticeable and would likely be gone before long. It would cause no long term issues and would not result in any kind of activity limitations as in many congenital heart defects. She even stated that he could be a professional football player if he wanted (clearly discounting the complete lack of athletic ability in both parents).
He will have to see a cardiologist for a while which can be difficult. Our son hates the equipment they have to use to do his tests (electrocardiogram and echocardiogram) but at least we know he’s going to be okay.
Here's the address for the American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org
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