Success

May 28, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

A couple of days ago a friend posted research regarding success and high school grades on Facebook. The research cited indicates that there is no correlation between high school grades and success later in life. The researchers measured success by the amount of money earned. Admittedly they discussed innovation and creativity and claimed school mainly teaches obedience to cultural norms. Although to some extent I agree with their discussion of creativity, etc. and cultural norms. I do not agree that success equates to the amount of money a person earns.

This evening I attended graduation for the seniors I taught this year. Both the valedictorian and salutatorian were students in my dual credit class. To my amazement, in her speech the valedictorian discussed this very topic. She encouraged her classmates to see success as two things. First, she cited happiness and encouraged them to pursue what they love, that for which they feel a calling, a passion, and if they do not have that feeling yet, to find it because doing what a person loves brings that person happiness. Second, she encouraged them to help others discover happiness, to serve. She never once mentioned money.

You Do Not Owe Me

May 26, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

“Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, you owe me. A love like that lights the whole sky.”

Hafiz

Cheating, Stealing

May 21, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / 3 Comments

The story that follows keeps running through my mind, disturbing my inner peace. It occurred several weeks ago while I worked. As a teacher I take plagiarism seriously. Repeatedly, I explain that it is cheating and ultimately a form of stealing. Yes, stealing. When students cheat, copy another’s work whether from some famous author or from the student by them, they are stealing from that person, and in reality cheating themselves, cheating themselves from learning what may have proven to be valuable information or a needed skill later in life.

Several weeks ago, a former, talented student asked to observe my classes as part of his assignment from a college class. He sat in on a couple of classes, many of the students already knew him, and I explained his purpose in being there. At the end of the day, while we chatted about the past and his excellent grades when he attended my English class, he informed me that he frequently writes not only his own papers but also the papers for another student, who was also a former student and perfectly able to write decent papers himself. He told me that the student for whom he writes these papers pays him either with money or beer. Too astonished to adequately respond, I kept silent. However, this continues to haunt me, not only because my opinion of the student plummeted but also because he plans to be a coach and teacher himself. Will he later realize the unacceptability of his behavior, how unethical and immoral? Will he change when he becomes a teacher himself?

I also remain unhappy with myself for not saying something to him immediately. My shock really is not an excuse. I now promise myself that if I do see him again soon, I will definitely explain my dismay and sadness with his story. I also wonder why he told me? Regardless, I worry for the future if this is the type of person who will replace current teachers. I also wonder how many current teachers find this sort of behavior normal, acceptable.

Unconditional Love

May 14, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

All the beautiful flowers I see today, Mother’s Day 2017, make me think of my mother. She loved flowers, especially roses, horses, music, beauty. When I think of her, I also think of unconditional love. Even when young and I sometimes thought she expected too much of me, I still knew she loved me no matter what the circumstances and always would. For this I feel unending gratitude. As a teacher, it has become very clear to me that many children do not experience the kind of love my mother gave me. She died suddenly many years ago. Her love will never leave me. Thank you, Mom, wherever you are!!

Spring

May 8, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

I love:

sunrise

mockingbirds

wildflowers

iris

breezes

mowing

sunsets

night hawks

Omnipotence: The Ultimate Homage to Male Dominance as Control by Carol P. Christ

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

I follow Carol Christ for a variety of reasons including her words often make me think about ideas, concepts, controversies in new ways.

Feminism and Religion

The concept of divine omnipotence is the ultimate expression of male dominance as control. Divine omnipotence is the view that everything that happens in the world happens according to the will of a divinity, who is in control of everything that happens in the world. When someone dies or great suffering occurs, we are told, “everything happens for a purpose,” “it was meant to be,” or “everything happens according to the will of God—or Goddess.” In our recent book Goddess and God in the World, Judith Plaskow and I criticize and reject this view on both rational and moral grounds.

The doctrine of divine omnipotence is widely assumed, not only in Christian theologies, but in Islam and to a lesser extent in Judaism. Moreover, it is also to be found in western metaphysical and mystery traditions and in the many New Age and Goddess theologies based upon them. Thus…

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Celebrating Earth Day–Photos

April 22, 2017April 22, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / 2 Comments

I decided the best way I should share my reverence and love for nature and this precious planet on which we live is to share photos from various countries, states, and my own little piece of wonder.

The three photos above were taken at Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas about ten minutes from where I live.

Above and below the Rio Grande looking into Mexico.

Four photos above — Big Bend National Park.

Between Marfa and Alpine, Texas.

The Rio Grande north of Albuquerque on the Santa Ana Pueblo Nation.

The above four photos taken in Simien Mountain National Park, Ethiopia. The animals are gelada–the only surviving grass eating primates found solely in Ethiopia. They actually “talk” to each other.

Menelik’s Window, Ethiopia

Awash Falls, Ethiopia

Where the Blue Nile begins draining from Lake Tana, Ethiopia

The photos above were taken at various places in Costa Rica.

Northern New Mexico

SAM_1195

Grand Canyon North Rim

SAM_1139

The Missouri River running full.

SAM_1218

California dropping down from Sequoia National Monument

SAM_1342

Near Lake Marvin, Texas

Sunday Sunrise Â©Dawn Wink

SAM_0483

The above photos were all taken within the last year on my little rim of wonder.

And finally below, my favorite animal.

CA_Cougar24

Sunday Poem–A Life

April 17, 2017April 17, 2017 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

I wrote the first blog post about this in February, a second a few weeks later. The following poem I wrote a week ago but never posted: too upset, too sad, too filled with regrets I could have no way fixed because I did not even know all the story. He remained unconscious for two months from late January until March 22. It seems strange that the memories of a life I lived so long ago, mostly forgotten, could surge into so many waking moments now years later. Life: always filled with wonder, surprises.