I know y’all were expecting an AI enhanced image of my mug, but I decided to go off-script today. It was a very last-minute impulse, inspired by a challenge to find beauty in an otherwise drab and rainy day in the Mitten state.
I found it while taking my dog, Freya, outside for her afternoon constitutional.
It’s just water droplets demonstrating surface tension on a branch outside our back door. It was right at the time when the sky dims with the setting sun, and the droplets almost glow with a light of their own.
I’ve been inside for the better part of the day, besides grocery shopping this morning. It’s not butt-ass cold, but the rain and wind made everything really unpleasant as we loaded our groceries into the car. When we got home, we put away said groceries, did a few chores, ate lunch, watched an episode of Accident, Murder or Suicide (spoiler alert, they are almost always murder) took a nap, and read a chapter of Orzan Varol’s, “Awaken your genius.”
I’m not much into these self-help books, but I’ve been following his weekly newsletter for several months. At some point, he offered up his book at a good discount. I’m a sucker for a deal. 😉
I don’t think he’s saying anything new, but he does (at least so far) say it in a way that resonates with me. I’m just a few chapters in. I have to agree with his take on the education system, although I would not look to change it.
Our schools may not be effective, but they are (mostly) efficient. We all learn differently, but it would be very difficult to tailor a curriculum for every single child in the classroom. Henceforth, the need for a one-size-fits-all learning system. If we want our kids (or ourselves) to be creative and innovative, we as parents, aunts, uncles, mentors, and neighbors should try to stoke the flames of curiosity and not rely on the larger institutions to do that work for us. Real learning is everyone’s responsibility.
Anyway, spending a few minutes outside in the cold rain, snapping a few pictures, actually felt refreshing. Not much has changed since this morning when we were fast-shuffling across the parking lot with a load of groceries. The weather had a much different effect this evening. I guess when you are in the middle of something that grabs your attention, trivial things like weather have less sway.
Actually, the rain was necessary for this picture, so to label a cold, rainy day “bad weather” is not accurate. It’s all about perspective. 😉
Life is a dark ride 
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