thinking thursday.
mind
Why are the arts the first things schools cut when budgets get tight? They should be the last. Girls need to read books about mighty girls. AND SO DO BOYS.
I am trying to imagine what Tess’ sensory overload might be like for her.
The author asks what it is about intellectual disability that we find so difficult: “Our advances, however, are still a work in progress. While it’s true that open bigotry is less common than it used to be, the absence of direct hostility is not the same as the absence of ignorance. The word ‘retard’ is common in the schoolyard and on our screens: while our taboos about difference shift with incredible speed, slurs about intellectual disability often get a pass. From the movies ‘Tropic Thunder’ to ‘The Hangover,’ from Rahm Emanuel to Ann Coulter, ‘retard’ still tends to be seen as edgy, not bigoted. Of course, the issues in question transcend labels: in the Houston restaurant, the word ‘special’ was used as an insult, which only testifies to the resilience of prejudice. Any word can be repurposed for contempt.”One of my favorite novelists is just simply a genius.
body
This look at what families around the world eat in one week is telling, not only in terms of quantity, but also that Western diets are full of food in cans and boxes, while others are not.
I am going to attempt to veganize and gluten-free-ize this savory pie crust recipe this week.
Veggie panang curry. Yes, please. And a yes to coconut rice, too.This fake Les Mis “vote for Anne Hathaway for an Oscar” song made me laugh.
I wonder how many of us are missing a childhood. Escapist landscapes in prisons fascinate me.
soul
Repeat after me: Sorry, no. Thank you.
My friend Jen Louden has written beautifully about losing: “My call is this: Settle into stillness. Stop learning, stop seeking, stop fussing. There is no need to know.”
word
“Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, “Well, that’s pretty much what I thought I’d see,” you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. […] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.” -Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers
