I don't own a cell phone

There was a time when I had to carry around a cell phone at the insistence of my then spouse.  He bought it for me shortly after 9/11.  We were touched by stories of people contacting their loved ones via cell phone shortly before their demise.  My reserved opinion during our own troubled times was that if I was in a life-threatening situation, he would not be the first person I would want to call.  I would not want him to call me.  I would find a call like that disturbing and trauma-inducing due to the feeling of helplessness for the person on the receiving end.  Why put that stress on someone if only to tell them how much you loved them?  Can you not show that in your daily actions and resist to let parting words be angry ones?

I use a cell phone for work purposes but still cannot see the benefit of having one in my personal life.  I am either puttering happily around home, on my way to work, volunteering, running errands or on my way back home.  I will leave a note listing my whereabouts and any number where my loved ones can contact me.  I make sure I have access to a phone, either a friend's or one of those endangered pay phone breeds. 

Cell phone technology has evolved over the past 25 years - so much that now your smart phone can track you.  That has caused concern for the paranoid types.  It is disappointing that there are people who rudely insist on checking their phone in-between real-space conversations and thumb-typing onto the little keypad. Good gawd! We even have to create laws to stop people from using them while driving vehicles! 

What have we become? 

It is comforting in a way to hear that some youth are not fond of a heavy reliance on technology.  They are beginning to question the widespread proliferation of technology and the role it can play in their lives. A group of performing artists came together in Vancouver to address the decline in face-to-face communication.  They admit they already have to update the content of the performance so that it reflects current technology.

When you read the novel The Year of the Rabbit, you will be brought back to a simpler era (the early 1970's) when there were no smart phones,  cell phones - not even computers.  You can purchase the book through a Print on Demand service.  Since one of the themes is the respect for trees and our natural world, I didn't think it right to print hundreds of copies.  I am hoping that the word will spread about this bittersweet story and enough people will be interested in reading it. You can start by reading the PDF version of Chapter 1. 

Ironically, I am fiddling with tools to publish the novel to a digital format, to have available on the Kindle, other eReaders and yes... even mobile devices.  And yes, I will need to test it out at some time ;-)

Thanks for reading this far.  Have a nice, distraction-less day :o)

T

What is Family?

If you were to Google "what is family?" you would get about 1,460,000,000 results.  

According to an imperfect Wikipedia article, "In human context, a family (from Latin: familiare) is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. "

The key point here is about children.  Children need a stable, healthy environment in which to learn and grow.  Without sounding cliché, I feel it is important to state that children are our future.  If they are nurtured and taught well, they will be responsible, well-balanced members of society.  If they are led by good examples, they will be ready to take on their roles in their own families, communities and our beautiful world.

Last night, two of the offspring and I watched The Kids Are All Right on Rogers on Demand.  It was a welcomed form of entertainment after a cold, wet afternoon of slogging around slushy streets to view our future community and a potential new home.

The family portrayed in the movie was certainly unconventional and non-traditional.  The story though encourages us to ask the question about family.  Can a family consist of children and two parents of the same gender?  Can a family be headed by a single parent?  Can it be one parent and one child?

In my novel The Year of the Rabbit, young Sera is presented with this question as her own family makeup changes as do the ones around her.  She struggles to understand while she loses and gains family members.

I have been the head of my own family as a single parent for seven years.  It hasn't been easy but is much more preferable to what we lived with for many years prior.  Although we have had emotional struggles and hurdles, I am hopeful that we can continue as a healthy, loving family.  

The kids are all right.

Women philosophers: Hypatia of Alexandria

Scientific theories on the allure of blondes

Thanks to Carl at True North Perspective for picking up on this ;-)

Why do men find blonde women so very attractive?

by Carole Jahme who has a master's degree in evolutionary psychology and is the author of Beauty and the Beast: Woman, Ape and Evolution

 "..before bottles of hydrogen peroxide became available, blonde hair in females could be interpreted as an honest signal of youth and therefore reproductive fitness."

"For a female to choose a blond male he must be able to deliver resources (mammoth), as his blond hair alone is not enough to turn her on."   Yeah... For me, the attraction might be older, richer, balding men ;-)