tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50786725051393525352024-03-17T22:03:19.743-07:00Light From a PixelThe pop culture Gen X grew up with, stories that lead us toward lightChloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-48647482574590596212024-03-17T22:02:00.000-07:002024-03-17T22:02:47.721-07:00How Gravity Bends Light<p></p><div>"We have not even to risk the adventure alone</div><div><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJEgZ8pgEtFo-Xuw9912UFxtHWiIat_oZQF0Z7ohDtiukw-00CzA0_Fs8zNpqUjbtjUl7AkNqc05zcn7OaXW_YSd1tUpZVuZlhag_sKekH0MJPCVFN-zU6u9yKTqV75cbK1H5SZQJ9RBguNS5tvwYUxkc3qUqXYxCMFEeic1whpEMhPm4Uxb-30qmx8HX/s1086/pillars%20of%20creation.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1041" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJEgZ8pgEtFo-Xuw9912UFxtHWiIat_oZQF0Z7ohDtiukw-00CzA0_Fs8zNpqUjbtjUl7AkNqc05zcn7OaXW_YSd1tUpZVuZlhag_sKekH0MJPCVFN-zU6u9yKTqV75cbK1H5SZQJ9RBguNS5tvwYUxkc3qUqXYxCMFEeic1whpEMhPm4Uxb-30qmx8HX/w312-h401/pillars%20of%20creation.webp" width="312" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Pillars of Creation - (c) NASA - public domain<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>for the heroes of all time have gone before us. <p></p><p>The labyrinth is thoroughly known...</p><p></p>we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. <p></p><p>And where we had thought to find an abomination </p><p>We shall find God. </p><p>And where we had thought to slay another</p><p>we shall slay ourselves. </p><p>Where we had thought to travel outwards </p><p>we shall come to the center of our own existence. </p><p>And where we had thought to be alone we shall be with all the world." </p><p>-Joseph Campbell</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggNUM_i89gEobyeXJYdmxriYbTtZA9xpw-t4tVfDXIuYjzJdv6aKZIGSGcdE99fjzcG8V7oZNzJuHioNe29kdYxXLD_WncM4atnLykNEieArrpeDFqTAPgOlHdSmTO_eq3ZecMOnOUbPH/s1600/blue+marble.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggNUM_i89gEobyeXJYdmxriYbTtZA9xpw-t4tVfDXIuYjzJdv6aKZIGSGcdE99fjzcG8V7oZNzJuHioNe29kdYxXLD_WncM4atnLykNEieArrpeDFqTAPgOlHdSmTO_eq3ZecMOnOUbPH/w242-h245/blue+marble.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) NASA - public domain photography<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Campbell was a scholar, teacher, and thinker from the GI Generation whose wisdom has gone far beyond the years in which he lived. His writing on the hero's journey has influenced books and movies throughout the decades. Campbell felt his Catholic childhood gave him a higher vantage point from which to view history and to see the commonalities that exist across religions and cultures. Like the silver threads woven into the fabrics of altar cloths, his liturgical experience gave him an ability to look across the timelines of history and see what stitches all of us together. <p></p><p>He once spoke about the first full image of earth, the first one humanity saw collectively of the Earth as a whole that was taken in the 1970's. This image, <i>The Blue Marble</i> went into circulation during the more formative years of Generation X. It may have given our generation a deeper sense of the collective experience of humanity when we were still impressionable in a way we maybe were not even conscious of. Campbell said, "Our world as the center of the universe, the world divided from the heavens, the world bound by horizons in which God's love is reserved for members of the in group: that is the world that is passing away. Apocalypse is not about a fiery Armageddon and salvation of a chosen few, but about the fact that our ignorance and our complacency are coming to an end." </p><p>2024 includes a partial eclipse on March 25th which will create a collective experience for most of North and South America. This year also includes a full eclipse on April 8th, which I am planning to go see in Austin. I am not sure what colossal shift might take place for us collectively April 8th, or what light-bending experience will happen for me individually. The path the Sun will take on that day is essentially the journey my ancestors took once they landed on the shores of the US and slowly migrated, over generations, to Texas. I will be thinking of their journey, along with my own journey so far, and where to go from here, between the light and the shadows. For a few minutes of totality, the brightness of day will become one with the darkness of night. </p><p>How does gravity bend light? It's a complex physics formula, so for those of us who'd like to look at it for a moment in simple terms, we could say it's the way stars sometimes appear in the wrong place....</p><p>Einstein, who was from the Lost Generation, hypothesized that gravity is a warping of time and space - an impact to the 'fabric' of the universe. He believed a large object like the sun could distort spacetime enough that gravity could bend light. While he published his General Theory of Relativity in May 1916, it was during the eclipse of May 1919 when scientists observed that some stars appeared in the wrong place based on previous measurements of the universe - showing evidence of Einstein's theory. </p><p>Maybe every generation gets at least one moment to graze the surface of the sun. </p><p>How do we, as humans, who find ourselves and our world in so many places of darkness, bend the light toward ourselves, and toward others? Maybe this is anything that takes something terribly wrong and makes it right. Maybe it is overcoming the obstacles that block us, maybe sometimes its fighting for something, and other times it is letting go of the fight and finding our peace. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSML2-h1qhlow9VwbqIZu7kaULCwDI0JO61eu-1N898eEAxfwPH-tgcE5W_iEALOAXCMBPyKS4WpIRjUzG5nV4BrOo16-sIaaOkTPuRV0lgu27NqTQ2kBByxrkcaynPNpoKQFFa90xXG9yGi9QPZ62WBBXKyYJdCKTM2af3MT2zJXWYKf6UBbLWMybmtNq/s1280/footprint.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1274" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSML2-h1qhlow9VwbqIZu7kaULCwDI0JO61eu-1N898eEAxfwPH-tgcE5W_iEALOAXCMBPyKS4WpIRjUzG5nV4BrOo16-sIaaOkTPuRV0lgu27NqTQ2kBByxrkcaynPNpoKQFFa90xXG9yGi9QPZ62WBBXKyYJdCKTM2af3MT2zJXWYKf6UBbLWMybmtNq/w298-h227/footprint.webp" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) NASA - Silent Generation Buzz<br />Aldrin's footprint on lunar soil</span></td></tr></tbody></table>To have survived a pandemic means we have made it through quite a labyrinth, as Joseph Campbell would have called it, a necessary and grueling chapter of a hero's journey that leaves scars on your skin and grief in your soul. History has its cycles, and generations do as well; your ancestors, as they found themselves in generations leading up to yours, saw eclipses, and pandemics, and went through immense struggle, and pushed on to wake up to another day on the planet until their time was over. And we, like living miracles, walk across the earth, not realizing each footstep is silver, each breath is golden. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtiHtOUZWkEVt8XWv_x1tszrW7XsKuo-u1fUIgq1hc3IcNtn2MlHdeAOXhx71gNqgjftwzit5MM5pplxucs8BjZkn_vxi_rCjiJYrySlnSB6mhlLJDbHl5luaLu5vfqRdC5yC3m0wHvQUq_5258R1sQST63OX0ROcrYMuvNdsPU06rylNs-FVkRMUmZRR/s2048/St%20Patrick's%20Aurora.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtiHtOUZWkEVt8XWv_x1tszrW7XsKuo-u1fUIgq1hc3IcNtn2MlHdeAOXhx71gNqgjftwzit5MM5pplxucs8BjZkn_vxi_rCjiJYrySlnSB6mhlLJDbHl5luaLu5vfqRdC5yC3m0wHvQUq_5258R1sQST63OX0ROcrYMuvNdsPU06rylNs-FVkRMUmZRR/w328-h472/St%20Patrick's%20Aurora.webp" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) NASA - Aurora Borealis<br />St. Patrick's Day 2015<br />image credit:Sebastian Saarloos<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>How does gravity bend light?</p><p>Einstein explained it with his theory of relativity. </p><p>Joseph Campbell explained it by showing that when the hero or heroine comes home from the journey having found the answer - and the answer is always in some way rooted in forgiveness and unconditional love.</p><p>Some silver thread keeps us bound to this earth, for a time, and that thread is woven into the tapestry of the whole human story. Each religion, culture and generation may be, as it turns out, more alike than different, though we can only see this when we can see a much bigger picture. </p><p>If we are in the modern Western world, we see time as linear. If we can bend the way we see time, even just for a moment, we can bend light as well, and this is where we can get a glimpse of the eternal beauty -- the reality that all of time is one. And when we know this, both in our mind and in our heart, we know that anything that has gone wrong can be made right again. </p><p>This is how gravity bends light. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">___________________________________________</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">(c) St. Patrick's Day 2024 - Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved</span></p><p><br /></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuXNSCY9s2Tjt_UdZWQxLWVltBFp4M7SAl792rJPdjoc64stWevPBVtOaFp1Uyqqlp_2EIyg1BiIhDUPpYSuxLuqQ13ipQMWaId4G9VZ-2cEyNZfI4j6YiwEDV2C2gvXBYwdZza-LUrdJM_rdVCnRdVXDyX5H7VkpLABL6WMcUtdpxP0EKQ3xcfmVnVVI/s1086/pillars%20of%20creation.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1041" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuXNSCY9s2Tjt_UdZWQxLWVltBFp4M7SAl792rJPdjoc64stWevPBVtOaFp1Uyqqlp_2EIyg1BiIhDUPpYSuxLuqQ13ipQMWaId4G9VZ-2cEyNZfI4j6YiwEDV2C2gvXBYwdZza-LUrdJM_rdVCnRdVXDyX5H7VkpLABL6WMcUtdpxP0EKQ3xcfmVnVVI/w125-h155/pillars%20of%20creation.webp" width="125" /></a></div></div><p><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span></u></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Hero with a Thousand Faces</i> - Joseph Campbell </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">ncronline.org/blogs/earthbeat/eco-catholic/joseph-campbell-earth-heavens</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">science.nasa.gov/eclipses/history/</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">NASA photos are public domain</span></p><p><br /></p></div><div><p>And a piece about the 2017 partial eclipse as seen from Northern California, with thoughts of the Lost Generation: </p><p><a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2017/08/finding-lost-generation-turnings-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Turnings of the Universe</a></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(</span></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-32384541065120318792023-12-23T21:11:00.000-08:002023-12-23T21:17:04.281-08:00A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Glow of Colored Lights <div><br /></div><div>Each year, during the month of December, my daughter and I have a tradition of watching <i>A Charlie Brown Christmas </i>with a cup of hot chocolate. We take apart the Charlie Brown diorama that has been set up for fall, and replace it with a winter scene - the one in the holiday special where they go to shop for their Christmas tree. </div><div><br /></div><div>While I've yet to find a mini Charlie Brown Christmas tree to scale with this scene that would work, these bottle brush trees seem to capture the colors and images of the tree lot scene well, and we'll just say Charlie Brown is staring off into the distance with a smile, seeing that sparse little tree he wants to buy at the other end of the tree lot. </div><div><br /></div><div>A full moon brightens up their way and the glittered background reflects light to make it look like the Milky Way in the Christmas Time night sky. </div><div><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYmLJIAijtpOgIZYNnXzPkMZ5t_yJJf8Ea7sZqU1JRH8XR85a3yxssEfc_EEosMlCrl-eA7sW1zaX55kS-YGXmMQ1BuVtDEyJUU-BcACIFpXSYnRDkb3x047I6supFCZSsjYi0cJVSO3sETfoWTXtO7qj5_mXCvCbz53AUrvWI0j4udHiqCuArgNjy_Fs/s4032/Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas%20tree%20lot%20diorama.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYmLJIAijtpOgIZYNnXzPkMZ5t_yJJf8Ea7sZqU1JRH8XR85a3yxssEfc_EEosMlCrl-eA7sW1zaX55kS-YGXmMQ1BuVtDEyJUU-BcACIFpXSYnRDkb3x047I6supFCZSsjYi0cJVSO3sETfoWTXtO7qj5_mXCvCbz53AUrvWI0j4udHiqCuArgNjy_Fs/w640-h480/Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas%20tree%20lot%20diorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">These are beautiful, though Charlie Brown sees a tree that is much more real in the distance, <br />one that is a little beaten down by life like he is<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVmmPjO-iGyu0d7GvhBniDM4W2DQRuNtsnp29D1-G-PlppccZQG1utzj0UPxivNPJJ0xIv6-XQBloLROD_UC5n09gn-LAEw3JvbXp2wBmmR4OQX8mTvi9XKl7I-ShTX4M2AtQA69sezJz7l42eHJEWitB1t4fwZ1iw5btBTIc2YFkOil6CaKEw6zMp9Hi/s4032/Linus%20&%20his%20blanket%20-%20A%20Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVmmPjO-iGyu0d7GvhBniDM4W2DQRuNtsnp29D1-G-PlppccZQG1utzj0UPxivNPJJ0xIv6-XQBloLROD_UC5n09gn-LAEw3JvbXp2wBmmR4OQX8mTvi9XKl7I-ShTX4M2AtQA69sezJz7l42eHJEWitB1t4fwZ1iw5btBTIc2YFkOil6CaKEw6zMp9Hi/w257-h185/Linus%20&%20his%20blanket%20-%20A%20Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Linus and his blanket at the Christmas tree lot </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Linus shows his support like a good friend should, and brings his blanket to the event, as always. Maybe being misunderstood is bearable when you have at least one friend who is willing to go with you on the journey. Who doesn't want to turn around and see this guy smiling at you? </p><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It has been such a long, hard year. It has been such a long hard few years, for myself, for all of us on a planet that has been through a pandemic that has forever changed our lives. The marathon continues, and there are a hundred things to do before 2023 turns into 2024, but before this year gets away, I wanted to just have a few peaceful, creative moments, to take a few photos and write a few words....</div><div><p>There is something powerful about the collective experience a generation shares, and there is something amazing about how the smallest of things can help us make that connection. When I would watch Peanuts holiday specials as a kid, I would get this sense that all my problems would go away for those 30 minutes, and I loved the feeling I was watching it with all the other kids in America at the same time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLngCBsjoD-THkUEnI7vH6vWt0HO3FI37yK3OqPf3yV1-NlTG8Vkbs5AgyW1DcpIEzN7jeJqR5kV2r7DtVgFpNu0GNq5ZnUxueqcS35O9Vt85u-UBdR6tUYeDlEWmZc64WPOlvwTtw9Yw7baooKp3eI3EZND00mBuyZiz4v868NuNvji7JEisB_rvcd57/s4032/Peanuts%20Christmas%20diorama.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLngCBsjoD-THkUEnI7vH6vWt0HO3FI37yK3OqPf3yV1-NlTG8Vkbs5AgyW1DcpIEzN7jeJqR5kV2r7DtVgFpNu0GNq5ZnUxueqcS35O9Vt85u-UBdR6tUYeDlEWmZc64WPOlvwTtw9Yw7baooKp3eI3EZND00mBuyZiz4v868NuNvji7JEisB_rvcd57/w640-h480/Peanuts%20Christmas%20diorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I went downstairs this afternoon, tired, holding an empty laundry basket, clean clothes just dropped off in an upstairs room, and as I walked toward the lights of the Christmas tree in our living room, I was thinking of everyone I have loved and lost. I was looking under the tree to see if I had forgotten to put anything there. I was thinking of how I ran out of time to do all the things I meant to. I was thinking of Gen X Christmases come and gone, thinking of how I need to get dinner on the table and of the suitcases I need to pack. I was thinking of all the problems I have that still did not get solved in 2023, of how much work there will be to do in the new year, and all the things I still need to sort out in my life, and said to no one in particular, "I feel lost in time and space." </p><p></p><p>And my daughter walked up to me and whispered in my ear, <i>"You are right where you are supposed to be."</i> That might just be about the most comforting thing anyone has ever said to me. </p><p>As hard as all of this is, as bleak and cold as this collective dark night of the soul has seemed, maybe we really are right where we are supposed to be - and there is a hope in that.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Merry Christmas, Generation X, </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>to you and to the younger generations you share your holiday specials with.</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYDnXkPgmrkpq6VRrxYIdTAP89k9zHCFrEl9GY2vARzcYhV1rU0lcUe_FO_UAsiTFehBIG8ospJqGO5_Rl_qFOuGp4KsjjtLDeISuGrEzaYU6WMq4scf0h3fhZvuaw8K336iMfB14JWLw2IvnGLfVKp_YGWqhhRvIFuOF_x4shbw3qFgo8_o77ZayxPB_/s4032/bottle%20brush%20trees.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYDnXkPgmrkpq6VRrxYIdTAP89k9zHCFrEl9GY2vARzcYhV1rU0lcUe_FO_UAsiTFehBIG8ospJqGO5_Rl_qFOuGp4KsjjtLDeISuGrEzaYU6WMq4scf0h3fhZvuaw8K336iMfB14JWLw2IvnGLfVKp_YGWqhhRvIFuOF_x4shbw3qFgo8_o77ZayxPB_/s320/bottle%20brush%20trees.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p><u style="font-size: small;">How we made this diorama</u></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">box for scene: painted wood crate purchased from a craft store</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">moon and sparkly night sky: scrapbooking paper</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">trees: dyed bottle brush trees, some with snow flocking</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">ground: white felt</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">snow drifts: cotton </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">fence: purchased unfinished from a miniatures store and painted white </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Linus' blanket: a piece of my old blue tee shirt</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">tree lot string lights: battery powered colored fairy lights attached with white electrical tape</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="text-align: center;">And for one of our favorite hot chocolate recipes: </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2011/12/charlie-brown-and-hot-chocolate.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Hot Chocolate and a Charlie Brown Christmas</a></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28gOAB6sSG4aWNQGcDAKywexe9Ac9ra2y25D1H3l9OslVngpKHJDuBOTOzUK5zkebyD3VmApTPm-5vhxFnujzl6vV8HWNtT3kKOzMpZSOIg0RXGtktbR_S3Z6gXO6t2Rw4GBWTP9DOOxa6dIucKKQn7xB2VuXxTZ_4U7sc2QWzXQfvdSseivGqgSX0qaE/s4032/Charlie%20Brown%20diorama%20with%20bottle%20brush%20trees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28gOAB6sSG4aWNQGcDAKywexe9Ac9ra2y25D1H3l9OslVngpKHJDuBOTOzUK5zkebyD3VmApTPm-5vhxFnujzl6vV8HWNtT3kKOzMpZSOIg0RXGtktbR_S3Z6gXO6t2Rw4GBWTP9DOOxa6dIucKKQn7xB2VuXxTZ_4U7sc2QWzXQfvdSseivGqgSX0qaE/w336-h448/Charlie%20Brown%20diorama%20with%20bottle%20brush%20trees.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">_________________________________________________________________</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) 2023 writing and photos by Chloe Koffas</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dV2G5AGjTrsi4SU7nIoWuO4KmrYjZIK5-OOJZe0gq9GUtSXbMg9EYsbZWkmQMcT2ZpfpmVh4J1-t_th1ykNG6lJOg8lDVF-7bLGSjk4E_dsez1j6tyRmLFzNiecnCw6RJpB2SSNRIVp4e3AfJ7GgPtGNxgau6JSAfoPSAhFpxd9dbW5WzrQUwVQO-pSw/s3917/A%20Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas%20diorama.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="3917" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dV2G5AGjTrsi4SU7nIoWuO4KmrYjZIK5-OOJZe0gq9GUtSXbMg9EYsbZWkmQMcT2ZpfpmVh4J1-t_th1ykNG6lJOg8lDVF-7bLGSjk4E_dsez1j6tyRmLFzNiecnCw6RJpB2SSNRIVp4e3AfJ7GgPtGNxgau6JSAfoPSAhFpxd9dbW5WzrQUwVQO-pSw/w320-h208/A%20Charlie%20Brown%20Christmas%20diorama.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-81738403008726082772023-11-18T20:28:00.000-08:002023-11-18T21:13:01.229-08:00A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and the Glow of Autumn Lights <br />
Gen Xers grew up with <i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i> as a mainstay TV special every year just before the big Fall holiday. I loved to watch it decades back as a kid with a bowl of popcorn. If it was snowy or a little stormy that night, that was even better.<br />
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Below is the wood crate diorama my daughter and I put together many years back. In the actual story, the Thanksgiving meal takes place outside on a sunny day. We tried capturing this, though it just seemed to lack something - like it was missing the kind of magic the pumpkin patch had in <i>It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown</i>. So this turned into a different interpretation - more of a late in the day scene. Maybe this is how it would look if the meal got delayed until evening....<br />
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Lucy is mostly unseen in this special, maybe everyone needed a break from her - we put her over in the shadow in the corner. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5vc9q1ZVK5I6eDRTgutebjEFzY580rzx1Z43fNWaP0p4j-0BoF4VCl5u3FRNUudgwARVukITREAKiDUHMQN-HO6G0C_I_C2WsYhyphenhyphenCTmXYUs-191VdrqAVMgP0H7mjT3CUfMfmEkX31ZD/s1600/A+Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+diorama.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="1600" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5vc9q1ZVK5I6eDRTgutebjEFzY580rzx1Z43fNWaP0p4j-0BoF4VCl5u3FRNUudgwARVukITREAKiDUHMQN-HO6G0C_I_C2WsYhyphenhyphenCTmXYUs-191VdrqAVMgP0H7mjT3CUfMfmEkX31ZD/s640/A+Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+diorama.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Three inch tall friends gather around the table for a late in the day Thanksgiving dinner - <br />A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is served! </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><div><br /></div><div>What was supposed to look like falling Autumn leaves in this scene looks more like wall paper. And now that I think about it, the scrapbooking paper beneath the table that is supposed to look like grass actually kind of looks like 1970's green shag carpet. Strangely, all of this actually works for circa 1970's interior design when <i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i> was created since all these colors are in earth tones....this outdoor scene accidentally became an indoor scene, true to its era! Sometimes things don't turn out exactly how you thought they would, and sometimes it ends up being better that way. <div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRk8krdSQTiR69VaTko05O2iZUywIXtxHldQW_LnDoCh09_DATt5XJ6O_WHaKVPrchkzE76mcqSGLw0719uIG4PgGxQVq-a866r2ZOrQqARzOD7RWm7O19RGcygCiIYMXxwW2_o4n42_v2/s1600/A+Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+toast+%2526+popcorn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRk8krdSQTiR69VaTko05O2iZUywIXtxHldQW_LnDoCh09_DATt5XJ6O_WHaKVPrchkzE76mcqSGLw0719uIG4PgGxQVq-a866r2ZOrQqARzOD7RWm7O19RGcygCiIYMXxwW2_o4n42_v2/s400/A+Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+toast+%2526+popcorn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One piece of toast emerges from a tiny toaster. <br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Snoopy's feet can be seen on the left, as he was in charge of making toast for the special occasion. On the right is a bowl of popcorn (in this case, broken up mail packaging pieces).<br /><br />We took these pictures way back in 2018, they were forgotten about and just recently found, just in time for Thanksgiving 2023 which is perfect since this year is the 50th anniversary of <i>A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving</i>. The original broadcast was on November 20, 1973. From then until now, this is one of our truest touchstones as a generation.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMMoVLON6t-QukqlqwzVie1bnSWWx7LeDz1FFphV3LQW_svnxf9QhqDOI59c6ivAwIG4Dhk9WWuFjVW3VkvdwzQc3T43dzD_yTMoRHX4G_C6JWaxc29V_pHQiCkm1Bff5pWp18erAHsEe/s1600/Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+snacks.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1165" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMMoVLON6t-QukqlqwzVie1bnSWWx7LeDz1FFphV3LQW_svnxf9QhqDOI59c6ivAwIG4Dhk9WWuFjVW3VkvdwzQc3T43dzD_yTMoRHX4G_C6JWaxc29V_pHQiCkm1Bff5pWp18erAHsEe/s400/Charlie+Brown+Thanksgiving+snacks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><div><br /></div><div>Years back, my daughter drew jellybeans and pretzels on paper and we taped then onto Calico Critter plates. </div><div><br /></div><div>The handles of the wood crate look like windows, the Autumn garland and lights show through on the other side, although sometimes the purple lights look hot pink, though we'll just go with it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzK4B-tO2CQYTV30Tr5jRe15fZp4oFe6ifRHIOPmPV2KUBqTBE2XMsxofPzWI6p_dNMRiA2Ibm0-Rpswej3axIZbg3hMaBQX4GPmsjcZOlheSUKDvhjMmpwd9I2wuZ_DzQl5nL6ab5wdo/s1600/Snoopy+%2526+Woodstock%252C+Thanksgiving+jelly+beans%252C+pretzels%252C+popcorn%252C+toast.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzK4B-tO2CQYTV30Tr5jRe15fZp4oFe6ifRHIOPmPV2KUBqTBE2XMsxofPzWI6p_dNMRiA2Ibm0-Rpswej3axIZbg3hMaBQX4GPmsjcZOlheSUKDvhjMmpwd9I2wuZ_DzQl5nL6ab5wdo/s640/Snoopy+%2526+Woodstock%252C+Thanksgiving+jelly+beans%252C+pretzels%252C+popcorn%252C+toast.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Woodstock cuddling with Snoopy as they look at the Thanksgiving table</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My daughter took this picture to make it look like you are looking inside at the cozy warmth of a table of gathered friends while the frosty purple glow cast down by the moon gives you the chilly feel of an Autumn night.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9uVZrr2bwgFOYAVw7VUdbkv7BVaTDglDCbqJc1S8cpOZzKAJ5_q_e4hEnIJfDZ-l6v0gc8cXDQvWzDbLcQkDaeE8U6dNDPCLnod36dO5k4ykbkmjWdgq1_v_r5An4D7VckLsxSY8DBLe/s1600/Charlie+Brown+in+Autumn.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9uVZrr2bwgFOYAVw7VUdbkv7BVaTDglDCbqJc1S8cpOZzKAJ5_q_e4hEnIJfDZ-l6v0gc8cXDQvWzDbLcQkDaeE8U6dNDPCLnod36dO5k4ykbkmjWdgq1_v_r5An4D7VckLsxSY8DBLe/w336-h252/Charlie+Brown+in+Autumn.JPG" width="336" /></a></div>
<div>While I truly miss the collective experience of watching this holiday special at the same time as everyone else did when it came on traditional broadcast television, it's now on Apple TV+ and can be streamed anytime. This means you can watch it at your convenience after you've made toast, popped your popcorn and picked up pretzels and jellybeans from the store. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thankful for those who've been reading this blog since it started in 2011. Happy Thanksgiving. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
You can see the diorama we made for the Great Pumpkin here: <a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2018/10/get-ready-for-great-pumpkin.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's the Great Pumpkin!</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2018/10/get-ready-for-great-pumpkin.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: center;"> (c) 2018, 2023 Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved</span><br />
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, LLC</span></div></div></div></div></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-59962117702085874512023-02-15T18:19:00.001-08:002023-02-15T18:19:25.598-08:00Schoolhouse Rock 50th Anniversary <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6rAiZGbm52fuSSGyeGUiZNTToYYk-OloxxFLgJZELaql2UnN2rSt3GJum4wpyoA8h5oU7RAig72msr-FF68Kjyn2cg1yZNm6RCAQ64ZDYQtQ1xLUCLpdMWfFCsGfwTA94g9KEd3znsiLE6dJQAl40fkDSQDRq0nubpb2eQEJbNbzuNqOlQjFts3AIQ/s1600/School%20House%20Rock%20Live.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6rAiZGbm52fuSSGyeGUiZNTToYYk-OloxxFLgJZELaql2UnN2rSt3GJum4wpyoA8h5oU7RAig72msr-FF68Kjyn2cg1yZNm6RCAQ64ZDYQtQ1xLUCLpdMWfFCsGfwTA94g9KEd3znsiLE6dJQAl40fkDSQDRq0nubpb2eQEJbNbzuNqOlQjFts3AIQ/w202-h258/School%20House%20Rock%20Live.JPG" width="202" /></a></div>In 2015, a Gen X friend came from out of town to visit and we had the chance to go see <i>Schoolhouse Rock Live</i>. We had so much fun, and back then, we were closer to the 40th anniversary of the initial episodes. It's hard to believe it's been 50 years since the very first episode aired in 1973. <p></p><p>If you missed the <i>Schoolhouse Rock 50th Anniversary</i> singalong earlier this month on ABC, be sure to go back and watch it on Disney+, or be sure to watch whatever your favorite Schoolhouse Rock song was on YouTube. </p><p>Not to let out any spoilers if you're late to the party like I was, but I'm not sure how you could pack more Gen X retro pop culture into three minutes than when the Muppets themselves cover a Schoolhouse Rock song. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ssEfWESO8eg" width="421" youtube-src-id="ssEfWESO8eg"></iframe></div><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p>On another note, the adjectives song sometimes gets stuck in my head and goes on repeat play for hours at a time while I do dishes, laundry, and try to get stuff done. The only thing that makes it stop is if I play some 1990's Nirvana. By design, these songs were supposed to get stuck in your head (how else would we have remembered our multiplication tables?) so just letting you know how to fix the problem if the same thing happens to you. </p><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In case you were wondering, after all these decades three is STILL a magic number! I love that Blind Melon covered this magical song years back and that Black Eyed Peas played the song for the 50th anniversary show. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmVMa3uNQshCfBaNKMl8x1JVosDLgVFgARRRAaFUFGBzAQmCUFLDBzBDovpjea-lpmns8hNWxDYsitkBQ2wjdBDVbgTc_03Mjn4ZxVbQz3gayINg1bQgNI2lDzBtBts7VOGHOHcgkNllxubiJacTJEHq3m0PafmQ91lzGRg8igL-ZWCkawHTwa9Nemw/s1600/root%20beer%20float.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmVMa3uNQshCfBaNKMl8x1JVosDLgVFgARRRAaFUFGBzAQmCUFLDBzBDovpjea-lpmns8hNWxDYsitkBQ2wjdBDVbgTc_03Mjn4ZxVbQz3gayINg1bQgNI2lDzBtBts7VOGHOHcgkNllxubiJacTJEHq3m0PafmQ91lzGRg8igL-ZWCkawHTwa9Nemw/w165-h122/root%20beer%20float.JPG" width="165" /></a></div> <p></p><p>My daughter and I have watched many of the original videos together over the years, and we usually enjoy these with root beer or Creamsicle floats... </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><p></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzlQTTOLsKtbLEPs8trnC-LVEMytC8HIY22Zt_83M3L9uj08g-beZC9q3cogIDlxs7DF8q8LBuLWs4l7kazG-SMc6yHrhasM1xqtioV0BDl7i2ehkOQIYnKZfrMlKs696BiocxNcUV2FUlo5flT3vMQLVednYiV_2IxmOPoJOFI1JGI3cJp4CRzJ8ig/s1600/creamsicle%20float%20for%20Schoolhouse%20Rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzlQTTOLsKtbLEPs8trnC-LVEMytC8HIY22Zt_83M3L9uj08g-beZC9q3cogIDlxs7DF8q8LBuLWs4l7kazG-SMc6yHrhasM1xqtioV0BDl7i2ehkOQIYnKZfrMlKs696BiocxNcUV2FUlo5flT3vMQLVednYiV_2IxmOPoJOFI1JGI3cJp4CRzJ8ig/w151-h113/creamsicle%20float%20for%20Schoolhouse%20Rock.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><p>she recently asked an important question, "Why is Interplanet Janet okay hanging out on the sun (she says it's a lot of fun) but then she says that the planet Mercury is too hot (the mercury on Mercury was much too high)?</p><p> That's a good question.... </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="306" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M2W-kPSnSOA" width="487" youtube-src-id="M2W-kPSnSOA"></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">And a really interesting segment on NPR: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/1155946858/fresh-air-celebrates-the-50th-anniversary-of-schoolhouse-rock" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NPR's Fresh Air Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Schoolhouse Rock </a><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">______________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2023 Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remembering Gen Xer Richard Shannon Hoon, lead singer of Blind Melon (1967-1995) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thank you, Richard, for singing a magical song from the childhood of Generation X </span></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-20454099033880572582022-11-29T08:43:00.008-08:002022-11-30T15:41:00.909-08:00Becoming a Warrior <p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKOHr-YTampdrECc8Na5LjQ9U416lnRLSysi7gDSmy8qo3WeZ3q-xXrMkjGwV9r8F3SUco6384uLVFaUYoO5WOcu4PvBFsP2EZrVg_3HdLMPbj4UnK3wOv9gZKxT-dE5crLoM0IkWXA5AoKXzy1xtDjpNv1w5oNK9gQ6nN63y6dm_EfTTk0JyAaaPmg/s1162/CHand-Cover-KP7%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKOHr-YTampdrECc8Na5LjQ9U416lnRLSysi7gDSmy8qo3WeZ3q-xXrMkjGwV9r8F3SUco6384uLVFaUYoO5WOcu4PvBFsP2EZrVg_3HdLMPbj4UnK3wOv9gZKxT-dE5crLoM0IkWXA5AoKXzy1xtDjpNv1w5oNK9gQ6nN63y6dm_EfTTk0JyAaaPmg/s320/CHand-Cover-KP7%20(1).jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cover for Catherine's new book:<br />image used with permission</span></td></tr></tbody></table> If you have childhood memories of reading <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> by Madeleine L'Engle, or if you saw the movie more recently with Mindy Kaling, Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon, you share a love of the story with multiple generations. Catherine Hand, a courageous, creative, and beautiful person, spent 50 years working to produce the movie and is currently launching her new book, <i>Becoming a Warrior - My Journey to Bring a Wrinkle in Time to the Screen</i>, which tells the story of her hard work and struggle through those decades. In this memoir of joy and grief, she shows us how to make a promise to ourselves that can be kept no matter how difficult the obstacles. I interviewed her about her journey of faith, love, and not letting go of a dream. <p></p><p>Chloe: <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> is a story that has been significant to Boomers, Generation X, and now younger generations. You wrote in your memoir that the movie was about giving others a chance to create a new narrative for their generation. As the producer, you chose Jennifer Lee, a Gen Xer, to write the script, and in the movie, the father (played by Chris Pine) stands out as distinctly Gen X because of the pop cultural references he makes. The heroine in the story is Meg, a Generation Z girl (played by Storm Reid) who has a beautiful mind and a big heart. Would you say this is a story that connects generations? </p><p><b>Catherine: Absolutely! The enduring wisdom of <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> is that we are all on a journey to discover who we fully are and our place in the universe. I think everyone wants to believe in the power of love and Madeleine reminds us that love is action, not just a feeling. My hope is that Gen Xers will find something familiar in a memoir told from a Boomer's point of view. </b></p><p>Chloe: My own reference point for <i>Wrinkle </i>is that I remember seeing it on the desks of my elementary school classmates in the mid-1980's. I was intrigued by the way the book seemed to have a mysterious or even mystical presence to it, so I checked it out from my school library and experienced the story for myself. Not only does the story fit into the sci-fantasy genre, it also covers the spiritually esoteric concept of tessering ('wrinkling' space and time). What would you say initially intrigued you most about the book when you first discovered it as a child in the 1960's? </p><p><b>Catherine: I wasn't a great reader before a I read <i>A Wrinkle in Time. </i>I wanted to be outside climbing trees or playing kickball. I never knew books could inspire in me the desire to find answers to so many questions. Who were Euclid, Michelangelo, and Buddha </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> all mentioned as fighters in the story </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">– </span><b>and what did they have in common with Jesus? I was also very excited to discover that a girl </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">– </span><b>even a girl who was trying to get rid of her faults </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">– </span><b>could be a hero. Most significantly, the book gave me hope when President Kennedy was assassinated. </b></p><p>Chloe: Even when we have some of the connections to help us achieve a dream, we still have to work incredibly hard and forge through roadblocks to make our dreams tangible. In your memoir, you write about your journey of becoming a fighter, a warrior, in a way that can help others do the same. Someone with a dream they are working toward could read your book and use it to help them as a sort of roadmap to overcome their own obstacles. Can you share your thoughts on this? </p><p><b>Catherine: No two journeys are the same, but hopefully reading about how I overcame my obstacles will inspire others to find ways to overcome their own. I found great wisdom in Robert Louis Stevenson's quote, "It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive." My hopefulness was my guide that sustained me, I think one other thing to remember is that a dream is a living idea </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> it will evolve as you evolve. Mentors and supporters can be found in the most unlikely places </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> no one achieves a dream on their own. As you build your team, learn from others, and let your dream expand with new insights to make it better!</b></p><p>Chloe: What was the best part about reading <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> as a child in the 1960's, the best part of producing the movie (2018), and what was the best part about writing your memoir which you are now launching? </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL-QnSku9rWsJE9qjIKYraiJUvluqmPma1lJ_lM4fk0py0nBOo3rObg48ahYSEXlzzezjn9HGqssM-_IsFiQdAaliKHp8127fcoktGPOOL4gh2-hah_cPjicXFuqQv0ihyaRdUjPZousopBQb5vSR6du6ek9PS3IytvU9Ccdo0t-LxecfF5E2wj6Y7A/s9455/Figure%2012.2%20Times%20Square.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9455" data-original-width="9144" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL-QnSku9rWsJE9qjIKYraiJUvluqmPma1lJ_lM4fk0py0nBOo3rObg48ahYSEXlzzezjn9HGqssM-_IsFiQdAaliKHp8127fcoktGPOOL4gh2-hah_cPjicXFuqQv0ihyaRdUjPZousopBQb5vSR6du6ek9PS3IytvU9Ccdo0t-LxecfF5E2wj6Y7A/w270-h294/Figure%2012.2%20Times%20Square.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Times Square when the movie was released - and a beautiful moment in<br /> the heroine's journey of Catherine Hand (Image used with permission)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Catherine: The best part of reading <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> as a child in the 1960's was the excitement I felt when I discovered that a young girl could do something her father couldn't, and learning that the darkness I felt after President Kennedy's assassination could be overcome. The best part of producing the movie was seeing the Disney logo come up on the screen. It was such a meaningful connection to the promise I made to myself 50 years prior. The best part of writing my memoir was to discover why I spent those 50 years trying to bring my childhood dream to fruition. Why did I do it? I feel very satisfied with what I found and hope readers of my memoir will too. </b></p><p>Chloe: Because many of the readers of this blog have a strong interest in generational issues and the historical events interconnected with those issues, I wanted to mention how fascinating your life story is. You found yourself right at an intersection of American politics and culture through the decades of your career. Your father worked for LBJ, you met Reagan, and you worked for the Obama administration <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span> you were present for events and conversations that affected history. And because you worked in Hollywood with Norman Lear, helping to shape the sitcoms that became the backdrop of politics and pop culture of both the Boomer and Generation X experience, you have a deep understanding of the fabric of American culture. If you could boil down the wisdom you have gathered from all of these experiences, what advice would you give?</p><p><b>Catherine: Wow </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> that is a tough question. I would have to say the simplest and best advice I received from Norman Lear, Madeline L'Engle, and my parents </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> in different words, but the same meaning is this: You can go through life two ways </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> seeing the glass half empty or the glass half full. I have found seeing the glass half full provides a richer, more meaningful life. We cannot give up on our country </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> ever. There were many people throughout history who never gave up on a more hopeful future. It's our turn to do that now. Seeing the glass half full gives us the hope we need to find the common threads that can bind us together. </b></p><p>Chloe: Readers of this blog are primarily Generation X, so it is especially appreciated that you chose a Gen Xer, Ava Duvernay, to direct the film. She has an impressive portfolio including the amazing <i>Selma</i>, and the stunningly beautiful video, <i>Black America Again. </i>What wisdom and perspective did Ava bring to the project that you want to make sure people learn from? </p><p><b>Catherine: Ava's vision to hire a diverse cast and crew brought the story into the 21st century and it was the absolute right vision for the time in which we live. She brought such passion to the project and really cared about telling this story through the eyes not just of a young Generation Z girl, but one who is also biracial. Her vision matters and will impact young people in ways I can't even imagine. Who knows? Maybe there is a ten-year-old girl </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span><b> or boy who sees the film and is inspired by Ava's vision as much as I was by Madeleine's in 1963 and creates something remarkable because of it. </b></p><p>Chloe: In your book, you talk about how the connection between Ava and Oprah was like the one between you and Madeleine L'Engle <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span> can you tell us more about that? </p><p><b>Catherine: It was wonderful to see how much they admired and respected one another and very apparent how proud Oprah was of Ava. I had the same kind of support and encouragement from Madeleine which made it even more poignant for me to watch them interact with each other. Madeleine was a great mentor in every sense of the word. I feel very grateful to have had her in my corner and I'm sure Ava feels the same about Oprah. </b></p><p>Chloe: My daughter and I recently watched the movie together and loved it. For Christmas this year, I plan to give her a copy of <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> and a copy of your memoir along with it. As women, it is so important for us to make promises to ourselves that are kept <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span> to have dreams we commit to. Your book discusses feminism and the ways you experienced the glass ceiling you had to break through to accomplish your dream. As we look at the work that women of your generation did, and continue to do, to lay the groundwork for women in the future, what advice would you say that Gen X moms should give to our Generation Z daughters? </p><p><b>Catherine: The Boomer Generation had more opportunities, because of the hard work of the women before us. I was amazed at how much had changed and for the better when working with the Gen Xers on the film. There were more women in roles of authority and responsibility. When we were looking to hire a screenwriter for <i>Wrinkle </i>in 1980 there were no women screenwriters with any kind of track record. In 2018, Jennifer Lee, the screenwriter for <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>, had just come off <i>Frozen</i>, one of the most successful films in Disney's history and she won the Academy Award for her effort! Don't let setbacks set you back. One of my mother's favorite sayings has become mine, too: When God closes a door, he always opens a window. You will have challenges just like the generation before you and when you think a door has closed, look for the window. </b></p><p>Chloe: Because Madeline L'Engle was from the GI Generation, she had a lot of wisdom from all she experienced throughout the 20th century. She was born in 1918 at the time we last experienced a pandemic, and experienced the Great Depression and lived through multiple wars. She was one of the greatest minds of our time both in science and theology, and she was the person who gave you spiritual direction through the transitions and hardships of your life until she passed in 2007. What advice do you think she might want to give us at this point in history in which we find ourselves? </p><p><b>Catherine: I can't possibly know what advice Madeleine would give us. However, there are two words she often spoke about that came to mind when thinking about your question: free will. I love something she once said to me and I share it in the book: "God created us with free will so that we do have a say in our own story. It's not taken away from us, we are not manipulated, and it's not pre-ordained. If I have to say what I believe about God, it is that we are called to be co-creators. God didn't make a universe and finish it!". We do live in troubled times and we have the free will to change that. </b></p><p>Chloe: You have moved through the journey of your life with a calling and a divine spark. What struck me most deeply about your memoir, as you made your way through life-altering loss, is the prayer you prayed: "Help me find the light within." Was this a prayer you created yourself or was it one you learned from someone else?</p><p><b></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH6ZRbEAyBf7nQ8N-If9hZblAk-HSnkg0w_kuAbFgpvi_LHkp5Sq_sO8cFHwyXsh8VU1oDR1OqLChxgDDDRwRPawzhMCEvHSLxD5wCn1POzncMlt4V2CtKOEGl-RGg9yR5wS5dYDrhPgzvo-x-QDJKO9yRDshBJIzNly5nhtyHg-zBbOEKSXvSFYyVA/s4707/photo%20%C2%A9%20tony%20powell.%20catherine%20hand.%20january%2022,%202018-30%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3766" data-original-width="4707" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH6ZRbEAyBf7nQ8N-If9hZblAk-HSnkg0w_kuAbFgpvi_LHkp5Sq_sO8cFHwyXsh8VU1oDR1OqLChxgDDDRwRPawzhMCEvHSLxD5wCn1POzncMlt4V2CtKOEGl-RGg9yR5wS5dYDrhPgzvo-x-QDJKO9yRDshBJIzNly5nhtyHg-zBbOEKSXvSFYyVA/s320/photo%20%C2%A9%20tony%20powell.%20catherine%20hand.%20january%2022,%202018-30%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) Tony Powell - image used with permission</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Catherine: When I was a very young child I loved the song <i>This Little Light of Mine</i> and the idea of a light within was born! When I read <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>, I loved reading the description of Jesus, "And the light shineth in the darkness," because it was something I had heard in church. After my husband died, I'd walk or run a mile every day to the place where I had scattered his ashes on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I'd close my eyes and all I could see and feel was darkness and the weight on my heart of a 20-foot-thick steel door that was forever shut. I had three little children and needed to figure out how to open that door to let the light in. It took several years of saying that prayer, "Help me find the light within," until that door finally opened for me to feel the warmth of the love that comes with that light from within.</b><p></p><p><br /></p><p>There is the heroic journey Jennifer Lee took to believe in herself as a screenwriter, the heroic journey that Ava Duvernay took from a journalist to an activist filmmaker. There is the heroic journey of the main character in <i>Wrinkle</i> who finds love as the ultimate answer, and there is the heroic journey of Catherine Hand, who did not give up on a dream through the course of five decades. In the struggle of those years, and on the journey of staying true to herself, she found an infinite and eternal light. </p><p>Whether you are on a hero's journey, or a heroine's journey, may you find the light within both this holiday season and into the new year. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwKHAhEe70y1uwQi-aR5kG7wj-gb-Nq37i_dyOF4tZMMETIbuywqVjR13TRJsEr8msV6z0sJIJPKDX67syjaqfjxpUXM5snj-WoL1-jEAWeL0rI_V4CR5FlXVSXLpwhPFm__Lusloi6rX1f4oBgO5XmPlDFNa-FLem7f8YYe5pGVtmqccdb05BLRJ2w/s1162/CHand-Cover-KP7%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="706" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwKHAhEe70y1uwQi-aR5kG7wj-gb-Nq37i_dyOF4tZMMETIbuywqVjR13TRJsEr8msV6z0sJIJPKDX67syjaqfjxpUXM5snj-WoL1-jEAWeL0rI_V4CR5FlXVSXLpwhPFm__Lusloi6rX1f4oBgO5XmPlDFNa-FLem7f8YYe5pGVtmqccdb05BLRJ2w/w86-h141/CHand-Cover-KP7%20(1).jpg" width="86" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Catherine's memoir is now on sale on Amazon: <div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Warrior-Journey-Wrinkle-Screen/dp/1954805284/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2I77CS7RR1P1T&keywords=becoming+a+warrior+catherine+hand&qid=1669688054&sprefix=becoming+a+warrior%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Becoming a Warrior</a><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">____________________________________________</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2022 all rights reserved - interview by Chloe Koffas</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All images used with permission from Catherine Hand</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">"Life at best is a precarious business and we aren't told that difficult or painful things won't happen, just that it matters. It matters not just to us but to the entire universe." </p><p style="text-align: left;">-Madeleine L'Engle </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-23073768012533310712022-03-02T20:51:00.010-08:002022-05-22T18:41:19.354-07:00Stages of Spiral Dynamics <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgftk5rsPdRg-Y8W1Qd6B9aEd0KRJee_KUidsU_JyFlUSaAvT1kRYPc5Hr-nLcK2ehZeH7jBy8R4ihx08WOS0aOGJ3QGRrVRzQYbLRWO9rSPiO_Cvx4CtLtbynoWi7KcmeOSNd0fhdd0MGnXkNuBhdOYOULeA_BsNYMS48QOs7SLZ9BnGgQBB-YWiSb2Q=s3750" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="3000" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgftk5rsPdRg-Y8W1Qd6B9aEd0KRJee_KUidsU_JyFlUSaAvT1kRYPc5Hr-nLcK2ehZeH7jBy8R4ihx08WOS0aOGJ3QGRrVRzQYbLRWO9rSPiO_Cvx4CtLtbynoWi7KcmeOSNd0fhdd0MGnXkNuBhdOYOULeA_BsNYMS48QOs7SLZ9BnGgQBB-YWiSb2Q=w256-h309" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Mitul Grover on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table>We all have questions about how some people in our lives see the world from such extraordinarily different perspectives than we do. We question why we are so polarized or why we can't solve problems because we are coming from such deeply different places. Spiral Dynamics is a tool in an especially divisive time like this - it's a model of levels based on the development of people both individually and collectively and why people think and act the way we do. It is the way the human mind creates value systems in response to its environment.<div><br /></div><div>Each level has a color ascribed to it and regardless of which level we are on; we are integrating all the levels below it, so we can approach others who are on a 'lower' level from a place of compassion. </div><div><br /></div><div>As generations and history go, there is a consistent pattern of turning and curving back around - a cycle that we can see through the centuries. In nature, we see the Fibonacci Sequence - an emerging spiral pattern in pinecones and seashells. After several decades of research, a model was created in the way human consciousness has emerged over time - and once again, in the beauty of symmetry, this emerges in a spiral pattern. Because each step is integral with the ones before, we recognize this beautiful image once again: </div><div><p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvMU9sd0If5gQexKkfe8QOrPS4K9L0-eTHKVQc2RTszYfin8knLJN7RaVy-C4iI9XvL0fuUxtNmFHFywyE95D_nDiyewt7J2YbtKDBSrr87E3Y579ECKd4oZfXk75TOOLhm_h515ipa2gjWxTsY-TFSuC-DZOhrA9Ggt91VMuRaHbdAjPlKwKK6Am7DA=s12032" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8000" data-original-width="12032" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvMU9sd0If5gQexKkfe8QOrPS4K9L0-eTHKVQc2RTszYfin8knLJN7RaVy-C4iI9XvL0fuUxtNmFHFywyE95D_nDiyewt7J2YbtKDBSrr87E3Y579ECKd4oZfXk75TOOLhm_h515ipa2gjWxTsY-TFSuC-DZOhrA9Ggt91VMuRaHbdAjPlKwKK6Am7DA=w262-h174" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by SARAH GRANGER on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #7f6000;">1st Level: BEIGE - Instinctive Self </span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #7f6000;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">associated age in human development: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">0-18 months</span></i></span></b></p><p>This is an instinct-based survival existence that started 100,000 years ago based on finding water, food, warmth, and shelter. </p><p>In our modern world there is a lot of suffering, people can find themselves on this level because of poverty, displacement, or other extreme situations. It can be the level someone is on because of a life full of personal/collective crisis (such as living through a war or pandemic). This can be an existence of just trying to make it through the day - trying to make it to the next hit, or to the next meal. Even if we consider ourselves far beyond this developmental stage, if our lives become threatened, we can find ourselves in this method of existing. All of us function on this level in situations, even if temporarily, like when we are told to shelter in place or when we narrowly miss a car accident. None of us are above even the most basic level of human consciousness or functioning given the most stressful of circumstances, and each level takes the previous one with it as we spiral up. </p><p>On this level there seemed to be a only vague sense of self as differentiated from others. This kind of consciousness can go one of two ways - at its worst, there is a focus on one's own survival above others or even at the expense of everyone else, and at its best, it is a constant focus on helping your tribe as a whole to survive. This spirals us up to the purple level.... </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMttFhA5EbK5xOhtXDlZ6lz6LEjVRvR7Yo_ov4mRKZW0R6H9iyPpukCfeACPH0UP70e3eUozYSAvKGa245PP-PEEge5arZ4BI7YubtG2JgHxnf_DLard7eFK8mJmjWfvkliOa6xA0Aprpo7DIlZg_Be4qunwsIuhBEH8sNCPVwQDi7n0NfVj7TcQ-adg=s4032" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMttFhA5EbK5xOhtXDlZ6lz6LEjVRvR7Yo_ov4mRKZW0R6H9iyPpukCfeACPH0UP70e3eUozYSAvKGa245PP-PEEge5arZ4BI7YubtG2JgHxnf_DLard7eFK8mJmjWfvkliOa6xA0Aprpo7DIlZg_Be4qunwsIuhBEH8sNCPVwQDi7n0NfVj7TcQ-adg=w216-h320" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Ashleigh Yoong on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>2nd Level: PURPLE - Animistic Self </span></b></b></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">associated age in human development:</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">1-3 years</span></i></span></b></b><p></p><p>This is a way of life based on tribal order - starting 50,000 years ago </p><p>The purple level is a perspective of seeing the world as a magical or mysterious place, while trying to stay safe in the midst of it. With this comes petitioning to gods/powers, often with obedience and ritual. This level comes with a perception of personal disempowerment and can require keeping the spirits or forces of the universe appeased to avoid problems, or perceived punishment. </p><p> In taking care of family, tribe, or village, relationships are often in a role-based structure. There is allegiance to elders, clan, and customs. People on the purple level are often self-sacrificial to toward their own group for the greater good, and yet this often comes with the duality of being xenophobic - antagonistic toward those from the outside. At its worst, the purple level can lead to deep narcissism or ethnocentrism. </p><p>Examples of where you see some degree of the tribal aspect of the purple level in modern culture: intense devotion to a specific sports team, deep school ties, or a belief that your own ethnic group, political party or way of thinking is better than the others. </p><p>While someone very locked into the rationalistic 'higher' level might look down on this level, they had to pass through this level to get there. As one continues up the spiral even past rationalism and materialism, they may actually see this level with much less judgement as they recognize there is a world beyond the material one. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifx-cIoSea_5l8RRP5oJiRpdsU9CeWse93xAfYMXoKbLHKSm07OJ1qX0WtkLm-qJZsjZ3kw9a8q9XoFYlM-iALTrU-NDp-YsuZAXUHd7iI5QaknsyD9UpjxyqG5-6roEgnqqVaMsPB7yVHeNiy71cGT6G7EN3aREIKOr4ISWy296mmyrd9coSl-10cMA=s4032" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifx-cIoSea_5l8RRP5oJiRpdsU9CeWse93xAfYMXoKbLHKSm07OJ1qX0WtkLm-qJZsjZ3kw9a8q9XoFYlM-iALTrU-NDp-YsuZAXUHd7iI5QaknsyD9UpjxyqG5-6roEgnqqVaMsPB7yVHeNiy71cGT6G7EN3aREIKOr4ISWy296mmyrd9coSl-10cMA=w298-h207" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Sina Katirachi on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;">3rd level: RED </span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">associated age in human development:</span> </span></b><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">3-6 years</span></b></i></p><p>This level has its starting place in Early Mythic times 10,000 years ago and is associated with feudal and exploitive empires. It includes an intrinsic hierarchy. </p><p>Some associated traits of the red level in a healthy form: strength, vitality, setting strong boundaries, empowerment, and setting goals.</p><p>Most of what seems to happen on this level however doesn't end up being for the greater good. At its worst, this level is an egocentric one focused on domination, being the winner, and attaining/keeping power. This is rooted in <i>scarcity mentality</i> - the perception that there are not enough resources to go around. Egocentric power for self-gratification, focused on touting personal achievements, critical, lack of guilt, fear-based leadership, being destructive, impulsive, lack of discipline, lack of empathy for others (narcissism), seeing the world only through the lens of your own ethnic or socioeconomic status, and domination that crushes and exploits can be included on the red level. The "Greed is Good" era of the 1980s exemplified this way of thinking. Sometimes this is seen in modern politics. Collectively, this can impede the building of stable nations, and an understanding of this level answers the question of why people start wars. </p><p>Examples of people who function out of a red paradigm: gang leaders, mafia bosses, dictators </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV-ZyddSekk59__DHGAJJUDQzrKZlA1eUECp1bvhYKvynW5e3Wav_CaV8KZceiUnLFWWZ8tGeTISGAV6ePMUtbS5QuQB666A1YwVvoWeKBmyUO3wM-7eYzppARrgNZ3PuDb4rbTdXDYjYyS4UOs8oQKx0xwF8mqnQh2iWRgIh0u-HGV0xyI6oa8XmpoA=s5398" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3599" data-original-width="5398" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV-ZyddSekk59__DHGAJJUDQzrKZlA1eUECp1bvhYKvynW5e3Wav_CaV8KZceiUnLFWWZ8tGeTISGAV6ePMUtbS5QuQB666A1YwVvoWeKBmyUO3wM-7eYzppARrgNZ3PuDb4rbTdXDYjYyS4UOs8oQKx0xwF8mqnQh2iWRgIh0u-HGV0xyI6oa8XmpoA=w307-h209" width="307" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Agnieszka Cymbalak on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><i style="font-size: large;"> </i></div><div><i style="font-size: large;"> </i><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The key idea used on the red level: Us vs. Them </span></i></div><div><i style="font-size: large;"> </i><i style="font-size: large;">The bridge from the red level to the blue level is a consciousness that shifts from Me to We.</i></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span> </span></span></b></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span> </span>4th Level: BLUE </span></b></div><div><i style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">associated age in </span></span></b><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">human development: </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">7-8 years</span></span></b></i></div><div><p> Starting 5,000 years ago and connected with the Later Mythic Era, authoritarian states </p><p>On this level, life has meaning, direction, and purpose with predetermined outcomes. There is structure, purpose, order. The goal is ultimate peace. </p><p>People are expected to have impulse control and even be self-sacrificial. The expectation is to follow the given rules, and this is the first level where the concept of having a conscience or experiencing guilt emerge. People are not supposed to conform, and are given roles/scripts for their lives. The law/text/code has been handed down - people must follow it and divine plan assigns people to their places. Like the red level, this can also be seen in modern politics. </p><p>When blue is at its worst, it can include archetypal role identification, fundamentalism, dogma without grace, hierarchy without love, and patriarchy without space for females to take on leadership roles. There is a hard time taking in outside perspectives, which can cause a belief that others or outsiders are 'wrong/bad', and this is a shadow of purple-level thinking. At its worst, atrocities can happen as the result of too much blue-level thinking, such as the Inquisition. </p><p>When blue is healthy and at its best, this level includes bravery, courage, sacrifice, great love, community, having a strong moral compass, delayed gratification for the greater good. </p><p><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">5th level: ORANGE </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: x-small;"><i>associated age in human development: 9-14 years</i></span></b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMquNbmwc_8MJBJ_qg5AQVJhgB43QM4O6IN6tg5y5Ti7k2kpRmMXOf6zEF5qDA4PXJr_9t58G6RDWygiKBw0VOPt54_yDdzH7VYCSxbY5ZaFcAMmKeiJ3-NqjjwkxL19h8-FJ6X5nLJ-mlqTHYeH_NV5wwYVG51e5rOdfKhj-U-j3MJue2kkQwFjC4fQ=s4433" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="4433" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMquNbmwc_8MJBJ_qg5AQVJhgB43QM4O6IN6tg5y5Ti7k2kpRmMXOf6zEF5qDA4PXJr_9t58G6RDWygiKBw0VOPt54_yDdzH7VYCSxbY5ZaFcAMmKeiJ3-NqjjwkxL19h8-FJ6X5nLJ-mlqTHYeH_NV5wwYVG51e5rOdfKhj-U-j3MJue2kkQwFjC4fQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Miguel Orós</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;">Capitalistic Democracies - starting 300 years ago</span><p></p><p>This level is prosperity-based with a focus on materialistic pleasure - acting in your own self-interest by 'playing the game to win'.</p><p>Orange is usually independent, anti-hierarchal and competitive. Truth comes from discovery, reason, logic, data, and statistics. There is a focus on science and tech. </p><p>Orange at its worst includes a scarcity worldview, which can cause identity crisis, consumerism, ecological crisis, workaholism, goal-fixation, various addictions, and over-attachment to successful methods. </p><p>Many say this is the level we are currently in collectively, though hopefully for not too much longer. People feel especially tired of the achievist orange level when they go on social media and see friends posting pictures of showing off a materially successful life: nice cars in front of their nice houses, flaunting their 'power couple' status, or showing off the expensive vacations they have taken.</p><p>The realization when you come to the end of your time at this level is that material pleasure doesn't buy happiness, and you don't have to try be better than anyone else, because the reality is that you are not. </p><p>While being stuck in the orange stage could be like being a lifelong adolescent, somewhere within green or yellows stages, human consciousness evolves from a scarcity worldview (a perceived fear that there are not enough resources to go around) to an abundance worldview (the realization there is enough and that we can be generous with others). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_4e_AR8BhM7nRCozSeCYvtkpovD0ZfphsQMqs3tKoNTfgLJQ30utgwKNC6ohYAuYEWgiHM-sLeVsJ-awIPTWKuJbqvTW3NfxYGYrBKauTU0wxfynWXmYMxjU5hyzO3dYRpii-Pm3REccoW_8L2-k7GQekiC854DSjit2dOCh2CAK0I3uZ831ZvARZ2Q=s3280" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="2459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_4e_AR8BhM7nRCozSeCYvtkpovD0ZfphsQMqs3tKoNTfgLJQ30utgwKNC6ohYAuYEWgiHM-sLeVsJ-awIPTWKuJbqvTW3NfxYGYrBKauTU0wxfynWXmYMxjU5hyzO3dYRpii-Pm3REccoW_8L2-k7GQekiC854DSjit2dOCh2CAK0I3uZ831ZvARZ2Q=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Danist Soh </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">6th level: GREEN 'Sensitive Self'- </span></b></span><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">associated age in human development:</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">15-21 years</span></i> </span></b></div><p>Communitarian/Egalitarian - starting 150 years ago </p><p>This level is about seeking peace within the inner self and working with others to foster genuinely creative and caring community as decisions are reached through reconciliation and consensus. The human spirit must be freed from greed, dogma and divisiveness as feelings and caring supersedes cold rationality (even as rationality is valued) and Earth's resources are no longer hoarded by a limited few. Some of this may be derived from the Transcendentalists like Thoreau. I can picture Millennials, as they gain more life experience and head into elderhood, naturally mentoring younger generations from this level. </p><p>On the green level, spirituality becomes valued once again on a larger, collective scale. There is a deep, residing harmony, and human development is valued while gender equality is expected.</p><p>A person can work toward spiraling up to this stage by bringing themselves into open discussions with people who believe differently and do volunteer work to help the less fortunate in their community.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The first tier ends at green (Personal, Subsistence)</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Second tier begins at yellow (Transpersonal Being) </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p>While no specific age in human development is associated with the following levels, when a person makes a second-half-of-life transition as discussed by Richard Rohr in the <a href="https://cac.org/two-halves-life-2015-10-12/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two halves of life</a>, I believe this would put them in on a level of consciousness to go up to the next levels on the second tier. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc2LgMEqt9nYCBYcrY_bf3LmVRrmDpQizaXNS_wkTNCte6LipEa3BkXIl_fpej_pRu35V_t-kCE3vDiUJAyh9dsJKZB7NxYkMyVshZEq8_ILmQtxGFzH2bXosH2YKbPQZ7zp3jZznWiEQ7MMZdgHlOAK18Ori_MentaHMiCspskD-7sn90WejFBloZGg=s6016" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4016" data-original-width="6016" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc2LgMEqt9nYCBYcrY_bf3LmVRrmDpQizaXNS_wkTNCte6LipEa3BkXIl_fpej_pRu35V_t-kCE3vDiUJAyh9dsJKZB7NxYkMyVshZEq8_ILmQtxGFzH2bXosH2YKbPQZ7zp3jZznWiEQ7MMZdgHlOAK18Ori_MentaHMiCspskD-7sn90WejFBloZGg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Cédric Stoeklin on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">7th Level: Y</span><span style="color: #fcff01;">ELLOW</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i>integrative - starting 50 years ago</i></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">This level has a focus on l</span><span style="background-color: white;">iving fully and responsibly, which naturally leads to a harmonious synthesis with your fellow humans by integrating diversity with discernment to create an interdependent natural flow. Life more fully becomes valued over materialism. There is a flexibility, spontaneity, and functionality even as one accepts that chaos and change are natural. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Boomers, as they were mentored by the Silent Generation in the 1960s, laid a foundation for the yellow level in their civil rights work. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">While the lower orange level is anti-hierarchy, on the yellow level one accepts that life is a natural hierarchy of natural hierarchies, systems, and forms. When hierarchy includes both patriarchy and matriarchy as equals, and when it approaches everything and everyone from a place of genuine love and acceptance, there is a harmoniousness to the way people relate to each other. True hierarchal leadership throughout human history has rarely come from a place of self-sacrifice, which is why so much disdain for it has developed, particularly over the last century. Though it could be more commonplace on the yellow level if love is at the center and genuine teaching, care, and mentoring happens as it is supposed to. Self-sacrifice/self-denial is seen on the purple level for one's own tribe, though on this higher yellow level, it would be the opposite of ethnocentric - it goes beyond your tribe - it would be world-centric. This kind of consciousness was taught by some of the greatest spiritual teachers, even while they were functioning on even higher levels, and yellow could be the level of the 'golden rule'.</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoA84cpeuCtKfLNvK8LR8LE0lviDp3LtwYiimf2w0IkKpAsvq1xzgzpelRwOrtkkx8lzfavl7N1xxi6JtkhGVxtR0fdHAq3ADj9xDYwQ8gCLYItPxVQNkEmq7FPprgigSMBhsfl1luMo0VvAyQHlKDqVPsg-ENYvI_0sTmOrcjjuOEJ9SeLbeWyqVDRA=s6000" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoA84cpeuCtKfLNvK8LR8LE0lviDp3LtwYiimf2w0IkKpAsvq1xzgzpelRwOrtkkx8lzfavl7N1xxi6JtkhGVxtR0fdHAq3ADj9xDYwQ8gCLYItPxVQNkEmq7FPprgigSMBhsfl1luMo0VvAyQHlKDqVPsg-ENYvI_0sTmOrcjjuOEJ9SeLbeWyqVDRA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>8th level: <span style="font-size: x-small;">TURQUOISE</span></b></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b><i>Holistic - starting 30 years ago</i></b></span></span><p><span style="background-color: white;">This level goes deeper into being world-centric. The focus is peace in an incomprehensible world. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> Multi-dimensional, trans-rational perceptions take place individually and collectively. There is a consciousness of minimalistic living.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">This has its roots starting 30 years ago in an official sense (though I see pieces of ancient Celtic wisdom, Native American tradition, Christ-consciousness, and possibly Hinduism woven through it).</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">On the turquoise level - the highest level we know any details about so far, there is the opportunity to experience the wholeness of existence through mind and spirit by seeing the world as a single, dynamic organism, possibly even with its own collective mind. G</span><span style="background-color: white;">lobal networking is seen as routine on this level. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Self is both a distinct and blended part of a whole, which could be a shadow of the very first (beige) level here. Beyond seeing yourself as connected to others (as many tribes and villages have throughout history) there is even a seeing of oneself as connected to ecology (as seen in both Celtic and Native American traditions). This creates a bridge to h</span><span style="background-color: white;">olistic intuitive thinking and cooperative action with others. </span></p></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwekGK1gyQtrQC46UEvB_7626hZnX9xyyZqHBD7Jjz1mcCe1aQnDmjdp9d2YY-1FdqefSMSMTPnTyJ5ZAsGrr4LQDXSy8EkIkzKV1-B30jzS7Rlye9sLU1IVRebEKlaCroag_6Qsy9s7-hpcoEOweyYO-m0661CGqrKYRyD0aLFG4dj8Ll43WuZXmZ4Q=s5760" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwekGK1gyQtrQC46UEvB_7626hZnX9xyyZqHBD7Jjz1mcCe1aQnDmjdp9d2YY-1FdqefSMSMTPnTyJ5ZAsGrr4LQDXSy8EkIkzKV1-B30jzS7Rlye9sLU1IVRebEKlaCroag_6Qsy9s7-hpcoEOweyYO-m0661CGqrKYRyD0aLFG4dj8Ll43WuZXmZ4Q=w165-h240" width="165" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>9th Level: CORAL</b> </span>is the final predicted level and, as of 2022, we can hardly even begin to speculate on what this would look like. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Each of the levels before come with positive things and with pitfalls. The red level can cause anxiety and depression, and while the </span><span style="background-color: white;">yellow level can be all-inclusive, there can be problems with self-actualization and existential angst. A</span><span style="background-color: white;">s each new era comes and goes, </span><span style="background-color: white;">there will be people to fight against the backwards parts of it and wake up the people who are not yet awake. </span></div><div><p><span style="background-color: white;">With spiral dynamics, we cannot judge someone else if they are on a 'lower' level than we are - we have been on that level ourselves to get where we are. Whatever level someone else is on, if it is lower than ours, it is also a part of ours, as all of this is integrated. First we learn the concept of <i>self </i>so that we can eventually know the concept of <i>other</i>, and first we learn to love our own tribe so that, ideally, we learn how to embrace people from tribes that are not our own. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ5aOm0en4XsOB6500Da_6aNIuidAkI3fJapbpfcSJ_VHpJGrHyA2EnE0zbhZqXR4LRgShV4-nYDg-DiYHiDzP0BKZwBFi3Joq9wVuiwUnSjI8Kb5SyuqqGiEOSB9imeFGuz3VfbbLFgCSTnbb0LcCuSwENpAmB6eyLpPwfWjOFY1rU-L3mZqFu5CXmQ=s5184" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ5aOm0en4XsOB6500Da_6aNIuidAkI3fJapbpfcSJ_VHpJGrHyA2EnE0zbhZqXR4LRgShV4-nYDg-DiYHiDzP0BKZwBFi3Joq9wVuiwUnSjI8Kb5SyuqqGiEOSB9imeFGuz3VfbbLFgCSTnbb0LcCuSwENpAmB6eyLpPwfWjOFY1rU-L3mZqFu5CXmQ=s320" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;">A</span><span style="background-color: white;"> person functioning on the orange level with a lucrative career who uses monetary resources to solve problems is not a 'better' person than someone on the purple level who has limited resources and prays to their ancestors for help. The person on the orange level actually passed through the purple level to get there. As that orange level person continues to evolve, they might understand a larger universe than they did before along with </span><span style="background-color: white;">and a fuller sense of the sacred, than when </span><span style="background-color: white;">they had once limited themselves to a rationalistic or materialistic perspective.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">I've been publishing pieces on this blog for more than a decade now about Generation X, and despite life knocking me down pretty hard these past couple of years, I hope to continue. Yet, if I were to only stay limited to my own tribe (in this case, my own generation), I would possibly be stuck on one of the lower levels of consciousness. In my writing, I have tried to avoid building up my own generation while putting other generations down, and now more than ever I see the significance of this as we move forward through the colossal world events in which we all are living through and even suffering through together. </span></div><div><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrw4l3FsL9v8tv-QoDGSlneliuOKIo7Md9rxNwWnLldH08z6eMXtdjgOXZjeDOqk49l6CtVm68AcCK5EGmlTAqC-faANRm_S_t94XnkCWEKc4QjWWs2AdJjwoPhfLCEqYgyPmJ5sutENcjILXReHUQvIJwul9Zgo222zfCqphmAWouw70hx33cFcaiXg=s3750" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrw4l3FsL9v8tv-QoDGSlneliuOKIo7Md9rxNwWnLldH08z6eMXtdjgOXZjeDOqk49l6CtVm68AcCK5EGmlTAqC-faANRm_S_t94XnkCWEKc4QjWWs2AdJjwoPhfLCEqYgyPmJ5sutENcjILXReHUQvIJwul9Zgo222zfCqphmAWouw70hx33cFcaiXg=s320" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Mitul Grover on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">The integrative levels of Spiral Dynamics </span><span style="background-color: white;">help us better empathize with others even as it helps us recognize our own blind spots. </span><span style="background-color: white;">If the collective loss, grief, stress, and agony of this pandemic has taught me anything, it is that we all need each other to get through this. All the generations need each others' help, perspective, and insight. If we are going to solve the world's problems, every culture and generation will be a part of the solution. The higher levels of human consciousness let go of ethnocentrism and narrow thinking and invite everyone to the table. Humanity is spiraling up quickly, maybe even exponentially, as the centuries and the decades go by. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">The higher we go together, the more space there is for hope, for healing, for light, for love. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">Let's keep spiraling up. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2022 Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved, all images used under the Unsplash free license in 3/2022</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> _____________________</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources/articles/podcasts/recommended further research:</span></u></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">The set of c</span><span style="background-color: white;">olors above are used by some researchers, others use a different set of colors to differentiate between levels. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">There are several variations of Spiral Dynamics. All of the above is taking the research, knowledge and wisdom of others, filtering it through my own perspective and just adding a few thoughts. While this piece is incomplete in some ways, it also adds in a few new ideas to ideally help the conversation on this topic to evolve. I'm not an expert, though these are some of the experts and researchers that have contributed to this model: Don Edward Beck, Christopher Cowen, Clare Graves, Richard Dawkins, Ken Wilbur, Jean Gebser, Stanilav Grof, Fred Kofman, George Leonard, Michael Murphy, Jenny Wade, Roger Walsh, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Michael E. Zimmerman among others.</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">See more on Spiral Dynamics on Wikipedia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mayank Chaturvedi posts a list of many of the models of human development and explains Spiral Dynamics: </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAJtV9HAYL76tLYyyBTDCbe82eu_f7qCJSl0vhPIM2hgprvPc2r3xVQwKl8t8L-JocT1ZU6JN52UTzUa6ggpR99PH3JGjRn4QSQaFTwNd3h7UWBv3zrvEtQcVWLBA47Xzs94nkxA-nFTLz2kf9-IhGv-kKExNrhHcl_8j_RvTW7CQ-F_XMdfUdi8iRrw=s4000" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAJtV9HAYL76tLYyyBTDCbe82eu_f7qCJSl0vhPIM2hgprvPc2r3xVQwKl8t8L-JocT1ZU6JN52UTzUa6ggpR99PH3JGjRn4QSQaFTwNd3h7UWBv3zrvEtQcVWLBA47Xzs94nkxA-nFTLz2kf9-IhGv-kKExNrhHcl_8j_RvTW7CQ-F_XMdfUdi8iRrw=w287-h157" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo by Charles Etoroma on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;">chaturvedimayank.wordpress.com/2018/06/10/levels-of-human-psychological-development-in-integral-spiral-dynamics</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Recommended podcasts: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rob Bell and his son Trace Bell have a four part podcast series on Spiral Dynamics on 'The Robcast' from 2020 called 'Me, We, Everybody'</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">robbell.com/podcast</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Rohr discusses scarcity vs. abundance perspectives as well as the two halves of life - this can fill in some gaps and answer some of the questions that go with the way the way human consciousness levels up:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">cac.org/scarcity-or-abundance-2018-07-05</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">cac.org/two-halves-life-2015-10-12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /></p></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-47281793985589716462021-01-25T11:22:00.022-08:002021-01-30T16:18:07.908-08:00Eight Points of Light<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zLlV0gXAJkGLyaUUTwZ_avtAjUm_lIMMumvJ7f4tljSwZ4I25L-NOHqLVbqTq_nLSsovViHuv7zPVjHeVbSqZVfLBwfn3pNcqAcqZROYiDWPX0Nu0qH2IyISobjRAdENldmRpCpdgvRi/s1041/blackmarble_2016_americas_composite.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1041" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zLlV0gXAJkGLyaUUTwZ_avtAjUm_lIMMumvJ7f4tljSwZ4I25L-NOHqLVbqTq_nLSsovViHuv7zPVjHeVbSqZVfLBwfn3pNcqAcqZROYiDWPX0Nu0qH2IyISobjRAdENldmRpCpdgvRi/w245-h198/blackmarble_2016_americas_composite.png" width="245" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div>Our planet hangs suspended in a cold and elegant universe. Shadowed by sorrow, but aglow with profound beauty, we look out at it with eyes that only see slivers of a fuller picture. Late January is a painful time each year for those of us who experienced an event in 1986 that altered our lives. We may awake somewhere in America with frost on our window panes or we may remember the icicles that had quietly formed on the Challenger in the early morning of January 28th as it sat ready to launch. Either way, we feel that threatening chill from 35 years ago once again. </div></span><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkVVR-qKOuUk5l5SN-3MfP_mxlTYqeF8iHfD7WXnqEVQPaenI_Shdy3ljUqDiQPVxDD2kRkH53_TxTIHLimCVwvLOhR-_-CATQvNrC2weB432GvhxJYbfjv2M7Nh1TZ_64vnlPidHDKzx/s2048/static+testing+rocket+boosters+Utah.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkVVR-qKOuUk5l5SN-3MfP_mxlTYqeF8iHfD7WXnqEVQPaenI_Shdy3ljUqDiQPVxDD2kRkH53_TxTIHLimCVwvLOhR-_-CATQvNrC2weB432GvhxJYbfjv2M7Nh1TZ_64vnlPidHDKzx/w240-h179/static+testing+rocket+boosters+Utah.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Leslie Ebeling Serna, the daughter of Bob Ebeling, the engineer most well known for trying to stop the Challenger disaster, reached out to me last summer in response to a letter I had sent. Leslie's life was very much affected by the disaster, she and her father were working for Morton Thiokol, the company that made the shuttle's rocket boosters in Utah. She remembers the windows in nearby houses shaking as the parts were being tested out on the open land. </span></div><div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J-OfH5Z7NYPMBgy82xsQykDZVeQNeahCyqf1ZRhuH9wmgF6U-xWKkein3Tu5gSe3Mr5dUXzkHeylHEH1LZB_EyIp9g2GDEfbO72bdNf3617ekhpXp5atoDj3S2aQv4w7MiGM3L8K1x26/s2048/alicia-petresc-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J-OfH5Z7NYPMBgy82xsQykDZVeQNeahCyqf1ZRhuH9wmgF6U-xWKkein3Tu5gSe3Mr5dUXzkHeylHEH1LZB_EyIp9g2GDEfbO72bdNf3617ekhpXp5atoDj3S2aQv4w7MiGM3L8K1x26/w357-h451/alicia-petresc-unsplash.jpg" width="357" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: Alicia Petresc</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">From 1970's Starry Skies to 1980's Launches</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I lived not so far away from Utah in the late 1970's. My greatest joy was when my father would carry me on his back in our yard from where we would look up to the brilliant Albuquerque night sky. We were in a desert city yet to sprawl, there was still so little glow from the city lights, we could see what seemed like a million stars.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As the 1970's became the 1980's, the NASA shuttle era began and my love for the beauty of the universe grew. I was full of wonder when I heard the Reagan Administration had announced sending a teacher to space as part of the shuttle crew.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Challenger launch was one of the most impactful experiences for the younger wave of Generation X, and for those of us in mid to late elementary school, we were old enough to grasp the significance of the day and still tender enough to be deeply wounded by it. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgnDesEGpJMtmOyspGaKHTo2QlMt5wWoApnI7y5Ln3Tq3Qt5lmpmRqtF8bsqiLc-2S8geZ4tZ52xQgQK-HsEVNum4dMdkh0QqafeMZBSW-3bm6869gYLTXArZG5y0QpSd0ulUve7Zh8E8/s320/challenger+lift+off.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="320" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgnDesEGpJMtmOyspGaKHTo2QlMt5wWoApnI7y5Ln3Tq3Qt5lmpmRqtF8bsqiLc-2S8geZ4tZ52xQgQK-HsEVNum4dMdkh0QqafeMZBSW-3bm6869gYLTXArZG5y0QpSd0ulUve7Zh8E8/w254-h203/challenger+lift+off.jpg" width="254" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: NASA</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We watched the launch on live TV from a classroom. Seventy-three seconds later, the twisting contrail imprinted itself as an image of horror onto the life-long consciousness of my generation. One moment's excitement led to the next moment's confusion and fear; we found ourselves suspended in a place between life and death. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For months, as the crew prepared for the launch, we had talked about them constantly on our playgrounds and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">in our classrooms. Soon enough we held them in our hearts, and then, in one day, we lost all seven. </span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV7mJlNpHk79N1ADGq7Yczfzc3n7cbPUfvLj7T-j2VdQJw8KRi2gLvENzMCs8WwaJvEKkM_PNmFFPWpgVQKfRXvenlSTvt0RzsInVJfZhH3lpTw8YUW1U0twNHgFKK1lXwu928MPtpwaK/s320/challenger+disaster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="320" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV7mJlNpHk79N1ADGq7Yczfzc3n7cbPUfvLj7T-j2VdQJw8KRi2gLvENzMCs8WwaJvEKkM_PNmFFPWpgVQKfRXvenlSTvt0RzsInVJfZhH3lpTw8YUW1U0twNHgFKK1lXwu928MPtpwaK/w396-h198/challenger+disaster.jpg" width="396" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: NASA</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <b>Hundreds of letters to Bob Ebeling</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And all of this loss is why, even all of these years later, I needed there to be a hero somewhere in the bigger picture of this story - someone who tried to stop this day from happening. This is why I needed to know about Bob Ebeling. No one worked longer or harder at trying to stop the disaster than he did. He spent an entire year trying to convince the managers at NASA that it wouldn't be safe to launch. He didn't want to see people die or for school children to witness a tragedy. But the president wanted it, the pressure to launch was high given the repeated delays, and the warnings that Bob and other engineers gave about launching in such frigid temperatures were ignored. Bob even went so far as sending out a memo titled "HELP."</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHcshImc7Nda210kEx6TzD6M_yRdoZ0wzvavj8fMsecDGKThfnIvwlfS9IKThQlUUyQOxjQHmqseEmxIvR3Qj1Exc0TEYPtKzSutMHiiecQV4oLnrlKwP8MVkc45JdiJ4zMaYrFaf1Ndd/s2048/letter+to+Bob+Ebeling.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHcshImc7Nda210kEx6TzD6M_yRdoZ0wzvavj8fMsecDGKThfnIvwlfS9IKThQlUUyQOxjQHmqseEmxIvR3Qj1Exc0TEYPtKzSutMHiiecQV4oLnrlKwP8MVkc45JdiJ4zMaYrFaf1Ndd/w426-h320/letter+to+Bob+Ebeling.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Five years ago, an <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/28/464744781/30-years-after-disaster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NPR article</a> described how Bob was still carrying the weight of the disaster on his shoulders even 30 years later. While he tried to stop it, he blamed himself and felt he should have done more. A <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/25/466555217/your-letters-helped-challenger-shuttle-engineer-shed-30-years-of-guilt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">second follow-up article</a> told of the response of empathy and support from people by the hundreds in letters and phone calls. This was mainly to tell Bob that he had done the best he could to avert the disaster, and that he was forgiven because he needed to hear those words, even though there really was nothing to forgive. After carrying this heavy burden he took upon himself, he was finally able to lay it down at the end of his life. Four years later, his daughter Leslie was going through some of her parents' old correspondence, and then emailed me about one of those letters - the one I had mailed to him. Out of those hundreds of letters, it was an extraordinary honor to get a response, and the odds were one-in-a-million that we would connect, as she chose just one letter to respond to. What I didn't mention in the letter was that my father was one of the leads working with NASA in Houston to make sure what led to the Challenger disaster would never happen again -- I didn't realize that until later. </span></div><div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">String Theory and the Way our Lives are Tied Together</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Physicists describe things at the most granular level, like atoms, with quantum mechanics, or things at the most macroscopic level, like stars, with general relativity -- but these groups usually work independently of each other. String theory is an attempt to reconcile these vastly different worlds, toward a solution that can provide a fuller understanding of our universe.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfP7UHO3kbB7u3U_Isegnpx0F7bepHwYgarL5Qczx6h3ujahynDRcbJvC1HNW1oL2rGThvrkCCyIp_oSvJhIxFCU6x4MTAstB_1KWhkvMV_NI-H5LDwsbgorzVfhUmAtSkdzeoeQWCeolX/s2048/javardh-g4ApYAUfeNw-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfP7UHO3kbB7u3U_Isegnpx0F7bepHwYgarL5Qczx6h3ujahynDRcbJvC1HNW1oL2rGThvrkCCyIp_oSvJhIxFCU6x4MTAstB_1KWhkvMV_NI-H5LDwsbgorzVfhUmAtSkdzeoeQWCeolX/w262-h175/javardh-g4ApYAUfeNw-unsplash.jpg" width="262" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: javardh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> I could not understand the fuller story of how the Challenger disaster affected my life until I understood the way it had affected other people, like Bob and his daughter Leslie, who is now a very dear friend. She was there <i>for him and with him</i> the fateful day this all happened, and as she saw his struggle and his suffering, it brought them closer together. In gaining a better understanding of this, I was able to do the same with my own father more recently. We need each other's stories to understand our own. In taking a look at Bob Ebeling's journey and how he affected NASA, I was doing some reading on this, which, amazingly, led me to the work of my own father. While I knew my dad had worked as a NASA contractor in Houston many years after the disaster, focusing on safety certification, I thought it had more to do with on-the-ground operations. While I knew he had done some work involving the International Space Station, I had missed that he was doing so much for the safety of astronauts. It was the Ebeling family getting in touch with me that led me on a journey of understanding where my own family fit into this bigger picture. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP56VwIgC8-434h0iGjlX-2d-e8ooU9UkNOc2m8RQGShdjhjHjTCEbj05sW2MousnUo8Ha-S_uDxn0arGu7tLQlhpWik66FV4w2PwVzrqpkycNgENsDvV-7xILRT8Po3ByNKcIOePPS6gi/s2048/josh-gordon-ONxt3hLkvs0-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP56VwIgC8-434h0iGjlX-2d-e8ooU9UkNOc2m8RQGShdjhjHjTCEbj05sW2MousnUo8Ha-S_uDxn0arGu7tLQlhpWik66FV4w2PwVzrqpkycNgENsDvV-7xILRT8Po3ByNKcIOePPS6gi/w320-h214/josh-gordon-ONxt3hLkvs0-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: Josh Gordon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I had never connected the dots on any of this until Leslie reached out to me. This was both astonishing and redemptive for me, as the Challenger disaster altered my childhood and overshadowed my outlook on life. It was where my distrust of institutions began, it was when my cynicism began. Five years ago, I had written a piece about <a href="http://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-challenger-disaster-and-generation-x.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">how this affected my generation</a>, not realizing my father had worked to make this right. Of all the ways I had wished my father could have been there for me, what I can hold onto is that he did this extraordinary thing for all of us who experienced the disaster that day. And because of this, the story, which is always so much larger than what we initially see, can end well. In writing the words, "I forgive you" to Bob, I was forgiving my own father at the same time. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Heavy Burdens and Heroism</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We carry heavy burdens for decades, often those burdens aren't even our own - they are other people's selfishness and careless decisions. Bob carried the burden of others' choices on himself for 30 years. When I was a child, I thought that heroes were the people who showed up at just the right moment to do something amazing or to stop a catastrophic event from happening. Now I realize heroes are the people who do the right thing in the moment, who speak truth to power, and, regardless of the outcome, are still heroes. I now know they are the people who often carry the heaviest burdens of anyone. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiP9-6MyrGnR81ed7-sOb_GMIox26PCbwCrUvO_V9MdfgikK0UrlYEHA6bhdO7z3kYAlLZb7JWdmb5O8d71xA8CG5-SFY7ESfjt2yCyiRmVvWHOsWSgH8jAtKY5ePZGoQV7nr2cRtqIQ-H/s287/the+space+window+at+American+National+Cathedral.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="226" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiP9-6MyrGnR81ed7-sOb_GMIox26PCbwCrUvO_V9MdfgikK0UrlYEHA6bhdO7z3kYAlLZb7JWdmb5O8d71xA8CG5-SFY7ESfjt2yCyiRmVvWHOsWSgH8jAtKY5ePZGoQV7nr2cRtqIQ-H/w188-h240/the+space+window+at+American+National+Cathedral.jpg" width="188" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">photo credit: NASA</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Lunar Rocks and Stained Glass</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We take January to look back on a crisis as we live through an era of enormous crises. A lunar rock brought back on Apollo 11 was gifted to the American National Cathedral and embedded in the stained glass. Today the cathedral's bells ring out in memory of Americans lost to the pandemic. Each peal honors a thousand lost lives. By the end of 2020, the daily death toll from Covid-19 was the equivalent of 16 fully loaded 737 jets falling out of the sky. As we start 2021, the numbers continue to rise. The dean of the cathedral reminds us that we are commanded to love one another, that we are not lone individuals free from responsibility - we are dependent upon one another for our very lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i3bViY3x0X1kZkfNSTBNAmvc1dvy_ipJ_bp9CJOr2scMBjh8T05-c1HIBslaz4VaxMZdXx94U2bYptfyk1X_CpqjgYqagbfjzeR16aKB_xSyCojX9UER2yQ4pFX-gPEVwiVWp2PRRwrb/s2048/candles+for+the+eight+from+side.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i3bViY3x0X1kZkfNSTBNAmvc1dvy_ipJ_bp9CJOr2scMBjh8T05-c1HIBslaz4VaxMZdXx94U2bYptfyk1X_CpqjgYqagbfjzeR16aKB_xSyCojX9UER2yQ4pFX-gPEVwiVWp2PRRwrb/w355-h267/candles+for+the+eight+from+side.jpg" width="355" /></span></a></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Way Light Travels </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In previous years in the later part of January, I have lit candles for each of our seven fallen heroes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This year, I lit eight, adding one for Bob Ebeling and his courageous effort to stop the disaster, and for the struggle in carrying the burden of the disaster afterward.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I set the eight candles on the brick edging of my pool. The flames flickered in the night breeze.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgyfqlIwe8n8oN8JObKtBK73hybXA65NpTaUi7EKh7hoCZjmVff3vSiTeyWcn4l5_Ui8bYB0vdHI7-1Lsp-ecRbQkPgsprr3dnsmOVSHu-0y5emxfPfhVwpzp74XNqZxH-nmduLpTUdEs/s1249/candles+for+the+eight+next+to+pool%252C+moon+and+eight+stars.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1249" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgyfqlIwe8n8oN8JObKtBK73hybXA65NpTaUi7EKh7hoCZjmVff3vSiTeyWcn4l5_Ui8bYB0vdHI7-1Lsp-ecRbQkPgsprr3dnsmOVSHu-0y5emxfPfhVwpzp74XNqZxH-nmduLpTUdEs/w428-h314/candles+for+the+eight+next+to+pool%252C+moon+and+eight+stars.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And then I noticed the reflection of the moon and stars in the water, so I took a picture of the candles from above. The candles glowed like planets reflecting the brightness of the sun. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Light from the other corner of the galaxy will travel for millennia before reaching our eyes. It can take us decades to see the bigger picture of our lives, the redemption, the part in the story where things start to get better. Astrophysics tells us that we are all made of the substance of stars. We can map those elements across the Milky Way. Maybe this means that sooner, if not later, we will all find our way back to love, our oneness with each other. In the wake of a supernova, there is this incredible brightness, not <i>in spite of</i>, but <i>because of</i> a cataclysmic explosion, and this is where new stars are formed. Light fills the universe. As the universe expands relentlessly, so does the human story, so does the light, so does the way each of our stories are connected to each other. </span></p></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">___________________________________</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Afterward:</span></i></b></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81012137" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank"></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4t2KPhb8qN7_Eou5dR0sj2nQjlXNf5T3-8UdBa-93RJOQdGXDWMhRtroWugU9HBwzngt8ZxATzcAv9opjQdAn4U_IJ9qdqxMNbnYDueSgsRgiQgXL1JNO88X2Q6XY0nStWeswG2aKMIL/s2048/Bob+Ebeling+-+in+the+snow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4t2KPhb8qN7_Eou5dR0sj2nQjlXNf5T3-8UdBa-93RJOQdGXDWMhRtroWugU9HBwzngt8ZxATzcAv9opjQdAn4U_IJ9qdqxMNbnYDueSgsRgiQgXL1JNO88X2Q6XY0nStWeswG2aKMIL/w119-h160/Bob+Ebeling+-+in+the+snow.jpg" width="119" /></a></div>Bob was one of five engineers, including <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/06/146490064/remembering-roger-boisjoly-he-tried-to-stop-shuttle-challenger-launch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roger Boisjoly</a>, who warned of the impending disaster. Leslie carpooled with her father to work, and on January 28, 1986, as the disaster happened, she was right by his side. Leslie has done so much to honor her father's memory and integrity. When I asked her what she wants people know about Bob, she said she wants them to know that he was brilliant, and that he was a great father who provided well for his kids. She said that he</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span>gave them good childhoods full of opportunity and culture, sight-seeing, music lessons, hunting, fishing, skiing, and camping. She said he was very much involved in his kids' lives. </span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5clOHp_uyafdVlacwjAOjmakvJHnd0X183KCHkwZ-DbvKga_GDdRsEwfjWJTTRAEypCOg2NlQsU2nrltrXGeqVNPYk0Godc-cgLUuuisujmnaFMRLE6rhrHT3csv05nJOpdCBWq6z8mQ9/s2048/Bob+Ebeling+and+his+wife+Darlene.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5clOHp_uyafdVlacwjAOjmakvJHnd0X183KCHkwZ-DbvKga_GDdRsEwfjWJTTRAEypCOg2NlQsU2nrltrXGeqVNPYk0Godc-cgLUuuisujmnaFMRLE6rhrHT3csv05nJOpdCBWq6z8mQ9/w162-h122/Bob+Ebeling+and+his+wife+Darlene.jpg" width="162" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5clOHp_uyafdVlacwjAOjmakvJHnd0X183KCHkwZ-DbvKga_GDdRsEwfjWJTTRAEypCOg2NlQsU2nrltrXGeqVNPYk0Godc-cgLUuuisujmnaFMRLE6rhrHT3csv05nJOpdCBWq6z8mQ9/s2048/Bob+Ebeling+and+his+wife+Darlene.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After the Challenger disaster, Bob retired. He put his efforts and engineering experience into nature conservation. Among the multiple awards he received, President Bush presented him with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award in 1990 for his work. Bob was also a WWII veteran. He married his kind and generous wife Darlene in 1949 and five children followed. She was the love of his life.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6NqUsKqhHuFTghsG6j-DJ8Ruv299E9-da93ltnJ7pzJXNSzPsc4Amhv8WnogzMhsrZvQLxSFa6aqCwh-upuTTut8azknVXQqVENTE35Ah0z3TxfGA0CHARhyphenhyphen5X2EorpvDYEUiTrN1OZk/s2048/Ebeling+family+-+about+1962.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6NqUsKqhHuFTghsG6j-DJ8Ruv299E9-da93ltnJ7pzJXNSzPsc4Amhv8WnogzMhsrZvQLxSFa6aqCwh-upuTTut8azknVXQqVENTE35Ah0z3TxfGA0CHARhyphenhyphen5X2EorpvDYEUiTrN1OZk/w422-h360/Ebeling+family+-+about+1962.jpg" width="422" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bob with family, Leslie at his side - early 1960's</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Years back, both Bob and Leslie were interviewed by 60 Minutes - there was a pause for a quick photo that day: </span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTeLYfY2XXALYSDPEUpgLCx1Ux1jf3UMyzGo82Ge8ZewuyhrNWJa42Un70pmc0mdslPFVcSeXWqrtpxz09HsoH8vxsAj1oz-8XF5r0ixMnEJpSwOjUWjNL4Agk2dnrhXTSbyVlUf1FnEM/s2048/60+minutes+interview.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2048" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTeLYfY2XXALYSDPEUpgLCx1Ux1jf3UMyzGo82Ge8ZewuyhrNWJa42Un70pmc0mdslPFVcSeXWqrtpxz09HsoH8vxsAj1oz-8XF5r0ixMnEJpSwOjUWjNL4Agk2dnrhXTSbyVlUf1FnEM/w200-h128/60+minutes+interview.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Leslie (center) with Lesley Stahl (right)<br /> and her assistant (left)<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="247" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ILAeVAgqFV4" width="319" youtube-src-id="ILAeVAgqFV4"></iframe></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The recent Netflix series, </span><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81012137" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Challenger: The Final Flight</a> <span>gives a fuller picture of the way this piece of history unfolded in the mid 1980's. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Leslie is one of the people interviewed in the series.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>There are parallels between the 2003 Columbia disaster and Challenger, resulting in the loss of 7 astronauts once again. Employees/contractors gave warnings that NASA refused to acknowledge. Something clearly needed to change. In the years that followed, my father came to NASA </span><span><span>initially to do risk management through Futron, a NASA contractor, and then </span><span>as an Environmental, Safety, and Health Lead with Lockheed Martin. He led the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) certification process at NASA for Astronaut Training and Mission Control. He and others helped create a better system of communication so that employees on any level could be heard, especially when lives are in danger. While the Challenger Disaster cast a long shadow over my childhood, and that of my friends and generation, it is redeeming to know that my father worked to prevent this from happening again. A message I was able to pass on to Leslie and family from my father was this: <b>What Bob did affected the entire culture of NASA going forward.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Thank you to my dad, Gary Craik, for all of your hard work on this at NASA. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">And thank you to Leslie Ebeling Serna who became like a sister in the process of this extraordinary journey -- I only saw the bigger picture of this story because of you. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">___________________________________</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCEvoDd-12BhwT8D53zr3Iq3c9ltwChgoY8N-0V8-6LgXXLErDF0CqlB_oVy8WL4BjOTrcMxUEcgKiNOb-WR7JE21htiHqU490o7kR4o2xgNRiTdXn4GvOWyO3QQyWqVbCNHJkn6G1pB5/s2000/early+80%2527s.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="2000" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCEvoDd-12BhwT8D53zr3Iq3c9ltwChgoY8N-0V8-6LgXXLErDF0CqlB_oVy8WL4BjOTrcMxUEcgKiNOb-WR7JE21htiHqU490o7kR4o2xgNRiTdXn4GvOWyO3QQyWqVbCNHJkn6G1pB5/w319-h158/early+80%2527s.jpg" width="319" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">My dad and I when I was at the age when he <br />would lift me up to see starry night skies. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><i style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></p><p><i style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">___________________________________________________</span></i></p><p><i style="font-size: small;"><u style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources</span></u></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Elegant Universe,</span></i><i style="font-size: small;"> </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brian Greene</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://cathedral.org/press-room/as-america-mourns-300000-covid-dead-cathedral-dean-says-god-forgive-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cathedral.org press room - American Mourns 300,000</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.space.com/35276-humans-made-of-stardust-galaxy-life-elements.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Space.com - Humans Really are Made of Stardust and a New Study Proves It</span></a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Articles by Howard Berkes: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/28/464744781/30-years-after-disaster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NPR.org: 30 Years After Explosion, Challenger Engineer Still Blames Himself</span></a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/25/466555217/your-letters-helped-challenger-shuttle-engineer-shed-30-years-of-guilt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NPR.org: Your Letters Helped Challenger Shuttle Engineer Shed 30 Years of Guilt </span></a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjSkm-yEH4VEItHKP3WquX_87kw2Y3bFm0O7RkaNaq11zArc-sNCN9HhsE1CenkEh-rLnP7OSZeXwEWwZ1f38f2RqvywCFmQp6aC_tcYFeMu9_-BXvt9Iy7gtzcvl-7rCrhe5EwxA0kFt/s2048/Weekly+Reader+Challenger+Special+Commemorative+Supplement+March+7%252C+1986.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjSkm-yEH4VEItHKP3WquX_87kw2Y3bFm0O7RkaNaq11zArc-sNCN9HhsE1CenkEh-rLnP7OSZeXwEWwZ1f38f2RqvywCFmQp6aC_tcYFeMu9_-BXvt9Iy7gtzcvl-7rCrhe5EwxA0kFt/w173-h230/Weekly+Reader+Challenger+Special+Commemorative+Supplement+March+7%252C+1986.jpg" width="173" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">Weekly Reader - March 7, 1986 <br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b><i>And one more note</i>:</b><span> while visiting with my friend Louise at her house last summer, her small granddaughter randomly picked up a book from the shelf and shook it, and out onto the front porch fell the Weekly Reader article that had been hidden within for almost 35 years! I'd been hoping to find this for so long - an original copy of one of the same ones that young Gen Xers read in our classrooms in 1985-86. As soon as this emerged, I had a feeling someone would be contacting me soon about the Challenger. Just a few weeks later, Leslie emailed me and this whole journey began. Thank you, Louise! </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">_____________________________</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2021 by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrhc7EbDauEqFArzvFPXbO0j6h6jht8gnvhf1QOlZjgAIx915TMxCzOjSOLNwmGzF6hd7w9rP3aeqqyfWfUDLIdTyc1R9bKDoqv3JjwZUA_3-GiMAh3FjXaJNVjeV9gE9aaqvhxGTsNPQ/s2048/Black+Marble+-+Europe%252C+Africa.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrhc7EbDauEqFArzvFPXbO0j6h6jht8gnvhf1QOlZjgAIx915TMxCzOjSOLNwmGzF6hd7w9rP3aeqqyfWfUDLIdTyc1R9bKDoqv3JjwZUA_3-GiMAh3FjXaJNVjeV9gE9aaqvhxGTsNPQ/w265-h214/Black+Marble+-+Europe%252C+Africa.png" width="265" /></a></div><u style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Photo credits:</u><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">AP - picture from Weekly Reader above </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">NASA photos posted are public domain </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Artistic photos by photographers on Unsplash.com, names credited in photo captions</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Family photos posted with permission from the Ebeling family</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">additional photos my own </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-74181750980855255072020-09-23T18:27:00.000-07:002020-09-23T18:27:11.060-07:00The Human Family Tree <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVRZVRIYMz7RJFHio2LaI8xbnpG2DvPgwZod9Nqa4S3UsnQ1OwMjvvlip6CExrvrs750qixq3sKnKLZNCBMSR5D_l4niHC2FSi9WhKej2EdmCEdoPMRlZHvPM28OuP5nMxzwIn_LYyVEh/s750/BLM+-+I+see+you.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVRZVRIYMz7RJFHio2LaI8xbnpG2DvPgwZod9Nqa4S3UsnQ1OwMjvvlip6CExrvrs750qixq3sKnKLZNCBMSR5D_l4niHC2FSi9WhKej2EdmCEdoPMRlZHvPM28OuP5nMxzwIn_LYyVEh/s320/BLM+-+I+see+you.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I see you, I hear you.<br />photo source: Unsplash<br />Photographer credit: Luis Morera<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's was the beginning of change that was needed, both then and now. This was a movement led to a large extent by the GI Generation and Silent Generation, as they mentored Boomers in their youth about nonviolence. C.T. Vivian of the GI Generation, who we just recently lost, was a minister, activist, and author, an MLK aid who shed his own blood on the front lines of the 60's Civil Rights Movement and helped create a culture of moral leadership. John Lewis, of the Silent Generation, who also just passed away, was often called the Conscience of America. Both of these men continued leading with love as the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum, just before they left this world. Gen Xers read about the Civil Rights Movement in our history books and learned first hand stories from the parents and grandparents. Some first wave Gen Xers witnessed these protests on the streets as toddlers in strollers. Like the civil rights work of the 1960's, the BLM movement points out systematic and institutional injustice, and just like the 1960's, it is still hard to speak truth to power. </div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-B08Wh5PfQL4q2NbfIJsdC1oO9NhoWsjIUi2u6zBTMYgyeIhSYHMfNiSuBX4clmRONEvn1F2rG_m7HGZbVRiFFCNvJwHG8MsjbwS3LykZr80OZ0cNJXU3UefL6IsdO8mE4htcwqBD-bJ/s2048/BLM+Say+their+names.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-B08Wh5PfQL4q2NbfIJsdC1oO9NhoWsjIUi2u6zBTMYgyeIhSYHMfNiSuBX4clmRONEvn1F2rG_m7HGZbVRiFFCNvJwHG8MsjbwS3LykZr80OZ0cNJXU3UefL6IsdO8mE4htcwqBD-bJ/w320-h213/BLM+Say+their+names.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Say Their Names<br />Photo source: Unsplash<br />Photographer credit: Clay Banks </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br />As statues get torn down, along with the oppressive systems they represent and as protests happen in the streets,
it is also a time for us to silently search our own hearts, to look at ways we've been conditioned, and to learn better ways as we move forward.
Of the most racist people I've known personally, I am no longer in contact, or I keep quite a distance, but I can say they were people who ultimately hated themselves. I wonder if these people had been taught to love themselves if they would have hated others less. When humans have been taught to believe their race is better than another, the problems of history have begun. When people are conditioned to believe another race or ethnicity is inherently "bad," they can justify doing terrible things to them.
All humans are 99.9% identical in their genetics. The idea of 'race' was a fabricated concept from very recent history on the timeline of human history. As more and more people get their DNA tested these days, we discover within our own ancestry that the lines of the borders of countries blur and that the very ethnicities some of us had been taught to fear actually are within us. Science traces DNA to a 'Mitochondrial Eve' and you and I have a DNA match to a woman in Africa many generations ago. She is a grandmother to us all. Certain theories say everyone on earth alive today is at most a 50th cousin to anyone else. Other theories say we are at most a 10th cousin to anyone else on the planet. As the family tree of all humanity is built, Gen Xer A.J. Jacobs writes, "Human beings are biased to treat family members with more consideration...By revealing the cliché of "We're all one big family" is true, we hope to provide bad news to bigots who will have to face the important fact that they are related to whatever ethnic group they despise..." </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0QnTenzAGRcr5w2ThT6IzC4vSbztZq3T7Vpfn1gGL1atWYidfNw3c9PPpdAmit851bqm-vzCVwqbpbks4zDygGa5y9uOBTng6lpXOaegEH90QvrgeaYEizDHIHqCZNtoJHF-yWKLU40L/s667/BLM+futures+matter.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0QnTenzAGRcr5w2ThT6IzC4vSbztZq3T7Vpfn1gGL1atWYidfNw3c9PPpdAmit851bqm-vzCVwqbpbks4zDygGa5y9uOBTng6lpXOaegEH90QvrgeaYEizDHIHqCZNtoJHF-yWKLU40L/w150-h200/BLM+futures+matter.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo source: Unsplash<br />photographer credit: Jon Tyson </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>If we had any idea how closely related we are to the person behind us in line at the grocery store, to the person on the street corner, or to the person holding up a sign with words we might or might not agree with, biology shows us what was theorized for a long time before there was evidence for it: everyone is related to everyone on the planet. </div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>As we witness angry conversations happening online and people yelling from their cars at people holding up poster boards, the response is often "all lives matter." Black Lives Matter doesn't mean other lives don't matter, it means they also matter, and for far too long, Black lives have been most vulnerable. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-JTdQ5Mh0BvtUz7DuAmMoY0mmhb207nMQVMNcmD3BaIUe76-IbQtE-g2RhP9Sq15gHz-cmb_KWimJre0Z6hre1d3DOY93MZB1aLnqQlj5Z0JCeJ_lmgK1YV7Wl_jdFWbldo9MmtzKeOt/s750/BLM+generational.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-JTdQ5Mh0BvtUz7DuAmMoY0mmhb207nMQVMNcmD3BaIUe76-IbQtE-g2RhP9Sq15gHz-cmb_KWimJre0Z6hre1d3DOY93MZB1aLnqQlj5Z0JCeJ_lmgK1YV7Wl_jdFWbldo9MmtzKeOt/w266-h400/BLM+generational.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo source: Unsplash<br />Photographer credit: Nathan Dumlao</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>As the idea of everyone having an equal place in the human family spreads, I'd like to think of the Gen Xers of today, a little older and wiser now, as the mentors in this era, and the Millennials and Gen Z learning from us just as various socially conscious Boomers learned from the Silent Generation and the GIs. Of the founders of the BLM movement, Alicia Garza (b. 1981) is a Gen Xer, Patrice Cullors (b. 1983) and Opal Tometi (b. 1984) are Millennials. One of the defining principles of BLM is intergenerationality - generations coming together to collaborate and mentor from wisdom and experience. </div><div><div><br /></div></div><div> "When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression, and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and power of everlasting love be your guide." </div><div><br /></div><div>-John Lewis </div><div>_________________________________</div><div>Gen Xer Don Lemon's podcast: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/don-lemon-silence-is-not-an-option" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Silence is not an Option</a></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Remembering C.T. Vivian (1924-2020) of the GI Generation,</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>and John Lewis (1940-2020) of the Silent Generation </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Memory Eternal </b></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> (c) 2020 writing by Chloe Koffas 2020, all rights reserved </span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">sources: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wikipedia</span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/07/30/together-you-can-redeem-soul-our-nation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58006/we-are-family-family-tree-entire-human-race" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A Family Tree of the Entire Human Race - A.J. Jacobs </span></a></div><div><a href="https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-mitochondrial-eve-connected-all-humanity-and-rewrot-5878996" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">How Mitochondrial Eve Connected All Humanity...</span></a><br /></div></div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-38038229946432943182020-04-26T19:20:00.002-07:002022-08-05T14:06:14.995-07:00ONE Campaign <br />
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ONE is a global campaign that is both nonpartisan and non-profit. The focus is to end extreme poverty and preventable disease so that human beings everywhere may experience a life of dignity and opportunity. It's a shift in thinking beyond charity, it's about creating justice and equality. Whether it's lobbying political leaders or running grassroots campaigns, ONE steps up to have conversations with governments in different parts of the world to empower millions of lives.<br />
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Members of ONE include writers, artists, faith and business leaders, healthcare professionals and scientists. It was co-founded by Bono and includes people of every culture and generation. </div>
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If there ever was a time when world leaders needed to come together to come up with a unified plan for solving something, it is now. Defeating the COVID-19 pandemic will take every one of us. There is currently a petition on the one.org website that you can sign to urge world leaders to come up with a global pandemic response plan: <a href="https://act.one.org/petition/one-world-petition-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one world petition</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2020 image credit: ONE Campaign </span></div>
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-30857583526792462272020-02-28T16:33:00.001-08:002020-02-28T19:25:09.710-08:00Food and Water (and setting up a system for giving) <br />
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While Generation X is the generation that gives the most to charities and is very big on volunteer work, as I talk to busy Gen Xers, I often hear them say they wish they could do more to help our communities and beyond. Many of us want to be more charitable with time and resources, but in the rush of daily life, work, kids, and responsibilities, it can get moved to the back-burner. My solution for this is sorting out a couple of quick <b>logistics. </b><br />
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Here are two key ideas: having a <b>place</b>, and having a <b>system</b>.<br />
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Let's say you want to give to a food bank, and you set food aside to do this, but by the time you finally have time to drop it off, the food is already expired so you have to throw it away. Coming up with a <i><b>system</b> in your home </i>can solve this. You can usually do this in 30 minutes or less. Maybe you have a retired neighbor who sees a friend once a month who volunteers at a food bank. Knowing you are not usually going to have time to drive 20 minutes to do a food bank delivery, you could put it on your calendar to drop off food to that neighbor's porch every month on a certain day. Having a specific <b>place</b> in your house to set the food aside you want to give means it doesn't just get mixed back in with the other food in your pantry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg212P-saqKzoscR-NjpLaCAqow9cORqa_zQf68BmTokqbThyapQtGn0kfN4iHbrUNSizDiUtDdrYikx87gSNSQKOHKGISgc51_QeiI33FDUeyZixnwg8gsP1Qs30cKKjAnRtk06NQHMaKY/s1600/recycling+cans+for+charity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg212P-saqKzoscR-NjpLaCAqow9cORqa_zQf68BmTokqbThyapQtGn0kfN4iHbrUNSizDiUtDdrYikx87gSNSQKOHKGISgc51_QeiI33FDUeyZixnwg8gsP1Qs30cKKjAnRtk06NQHMaKY/s400/recycling+cans+for+charity.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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My family and I wanted to help villages in third world countries get accessible wells. Westgate Church in San Jose, CA takes plastic recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans, uses the volunteer work of its members to process everything, and donates the money. Since this began in 2013, there are 37,000 people in 16 countries who now have access to clean water who previously did not.<br />
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<u>Here's what we did on our end:</u><br />
We put a separate recycle bin just for cans <i>right next</i> to our regular recycle bin. We put a big label on it so that down the road it doesn't accidentally get moved or used for something else. We set up a <b>system </b>where we crush the cans about once a week or so. We have a larger bin in the garage that holds the crushed cans. Both of these bins created a specific <b>place </b>in our house so that this could work, and by thinking it through, we now have a <b>system</b> - the bin in the garage is right next to the car and even right next to where we store bags, so we can easily pull it all together and drop it off when it is convenient.<br />
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If you want to give but you don't know what charity would most help people, here are two simple, practical ideas for you: just think of food and water.<br />
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<b>Water:</b> by helping villages in third world countries get wells, this solves all kinds of problems. Other than having water to drink, and for health, it also means they can water crops and grow food. This can mean that less people have to leave a village to go to a faraway city to be breadwinners so families can stay together, and the list goes on. Having clean water helps protect human rights; it creates a way for a community to thrive. World Vision has brought clean water to thousands of villages:<br />
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<a href="https://www.worldvision.org/about-us/media-center/universal-water-access-achieved-more-2400-villages" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Vision </a></div>
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<b>Food: </b>One out of six Americans go hungry. If you've ever experienced any amount of time going hungry, it is unbelievably hard to make it through the day. Life is hard enough, and being hungry makes it hard to concentrate in school or at work. When fresh garden food goes in the trash, it's because people, who would actually <i>like</i> to give it away, don't have a way (a system) to do this. Ample Harvest helps connect gardeners to food pantries:<br />
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<a href="https://ampleharvest.org/hunger/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkePyBRCEARIsAMy5ScuuyWveN0P8f4-6YxuY_jG9dmZrpgfHmaDoojk4ffSmtmF2KIu2aboaAkVXEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ample Harvest web site</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2020 writing and photo by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved </span></div>
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-73856126500500325642019-12-10T18:53:00.003-08:002022-10-22T16:33:16.531-07:00Ryan's Reach One evening, when I was in my mid-20's, I turned on CNN right at the moment my extended family had asked America to pray for my cousin, Ryan Corbin. He had fallen three stories through a skylight at the top of his apartment in Brentwood, CA on June 19, 2001. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in critical condition with multiple internal injuries, severe internal bleeding, broken bones, and a serious brain injury. He was not expected to live through the night. But he did, and was moved to ICU while in a coma for weeks. After existing in the space between life and death, multiple surgeries, being treated in six different medical facilities, and with specialized treatments, he has has continued to progress over the years physically, with speech, memory, and in many other ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m0Kq493QvKLhhjCVV2lBlm9hMUbVZxzSdM9tDh4YA_-t5SPW4SpU8ag8_1eDiR7O2t_PmZBVODKLgysPbvj2z-vv2mtNHcV8HPEY75hsf0190V6_nMd5X2ubgSfLGsYbLlKgK14_6qvK/s1600/Ryan+Corbin+%2526+Chloe+Koffas+-+Boone+Cousins.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m0Kq493QvKLhhjCVV2lBlm9hMUbVZxzSdM9tDh4YA_-t5SPW4SpU8ag8_1eDiR7O2t_PmZBVODKLgysPbvj2z-vv2mtNHcV8HPEY75hsf0190V6_nMd5X2ubgSfLGsYbLlKgK14_6qvK/s400/Ryan+Corbin+%2526+Chloe+Koffas+-+Boone+Cousins.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
A team of care givers and therapists help him day to day, and he still requires around-the-clock care. He has fought for his life, and is a strong person who gets stronger by the day. He has a divine warmth and kindness that radiates until your heart feels whole just by being in his presence. My faith is stronger because I've been allowed to witness the miracle of his life. This Thanksgiving weekend, I was fortunate to meet my cousin Ryan for the first time. Ryan and I are 5th cousins, both of us are the 6x great-grandchildren of Daniel Boone, and we are both Generation X.<br />
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That evening, back in 2001, when the family asked for prayers on CNN, I prayed along with millions all over the world. That day almost 20 years ago led me to this day, when I had the honor of getting to visit Ryan at his home where he lives with his amazing mom, Lindy, and his lovable stepfather, Mike, in Orange County, CA.<br />
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The Boone family is deeply rooted in faith. Ryan's grandfather, Pat Boone, sang gospel and other music, had thirteen gold records, and acted in multiple movies. I remember many weekends in my growing-up years when Pat Boone was in a movie on TV. I also remember many mornings getting ready for school and hearing Ryan's Aunt, Debby Boone, singing on the radio.<br />
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In those early weeks after the accident back in 2001, Ryan was surrounded by love and words of life from parents, grandparents, siblings, and others. One of the very first signs of hope he gave his family while he was emerging out of his coma was a kiss on the cheek, a display of his intrinsic love. The road to recovery continues to be long and hard, and yet, the story has been full of redemption and hope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqOR0MZjBssrmXHxsxB6bUmICBfilGvYiqEP8UKcmQfNYm8GtnQqax9TH9vSuWNOleR9dQM0YEejOhgC2Ag_XvY7fAmNnoIe96DEUWSJrdXLzmUD1_IxiEhbZ5mg_fvmryQanznebt5rt/s1600/Lost+Hills+Sky.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqOR0MZjBssrmXHxsxB6bUmICBfilGvYiqEP8UKcmQfNYm8GtnQqax9TH9vSuWNOleR9dQM0YEejOhgC2Ag_XvY7fAmNnoIe96DEUWSJrdXLzmUD1_IxiEhbZ5mg_fvmryQanznebt5rt/s400/Lost+Hills+Sky.jpg" width="400" /></a>People often think of LA as the place where movies are made, record deals are signed, and the magic happens. In reality, struggle is present, both seen and unseen. People often associate the freeways of California with the coastline, the crashing waves, and endless sun. Further inland, driving along I-5 through Central CA, it's a whole other world: the rough terrain, the open, empty spaces under the power lines, the farmland. About halfway between where Ryan lives in Southern CA, and where I live in Northern CA, is a town called Lost Hills. I looked out on the way home after the visit while a storm slowed down traffic and thought about all the times in life we feel completely lost.<br />
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A traumatic brain injury completely alters a family's life. Sometimes people have to give up a career to take care of a loved one every day.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the raindrops on the window make the landscape look blurry. </span><br />
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Sometimes the clouds are so heavy we have to drive with the headlights on even in the middle of the day.<br />
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On the way home, I sent out prayers into the rows of the almond trees, and in the vines of the vineyards, and in the spaces above the golden grasses for Ryan. He led by example throughout his growing-up years, from student body president in middle school, to captain of his basketball team in high school, to president of his fraternity at Pepperdine University. He wrote a screenplay, he traveled, and he was starting a career.<br />
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And now, even as he works for each milestone of recovery, it may be that his life is even more full. His light and leadership reaches others on an even larger scale. He had an abiding love for God before the accident that remained with him all the way through - it is here with him now, maybe even more fully as he transitioned into this new life. Ryan felt strongly that he had a calling to be a light to Generation X with God's love, I believe he still has that calling, his light and love reached me in ways that were completely unexpected. He has had an extraordinary impact on my life, and I don't want his story to be forgotten. <br />
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Earlier this year, I came across the book, <i>Heaven Hears</i>, by Ryan's mom, my 5th cousin Lindy. It was amazing to hear her tell the story in person, and what has happened since they first asked for prayers on <i>Larry King Live</i> in 2001.<br />
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Lindy has done an incredible job of seeking out every kind of therapy possible for Ryan, and she coordinates a team of care givers for him even as she runs the nonprofit Ryan's Reach. She believes that there is no limit to the way people with TBI can continue to heal, if they have the resources.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix69qRXLisfuMPCGfRkr6ktxW_VfQnSYcg8glE0YGZq85FMf3q37hrxDPXZNYDzzwHe-XheZxpGWBBoFyNTN8UV7UYHJPFqvBEqcSU3GXNMZnnGIIAPbxp_FPioo2KY2nD4l0UuMY_3IHR/s1600/Lindy%252C+Ryan%252C+Mama+Shirley%252C+Daddy+Pat.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="639" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix69qRXLisfuMPCGfRkr6ktxW_VfQnSYcg8glE0YGZq85FMf3q37hrxDPXZNYDzzwHe-XheZxpGWBBoFyNTN8UV7UYHJPFqvBEqcSU3GXNMZnnGIIAPbxp_FPioo2KY2nD4l0UuMY_3IHR/s200/Lindy%252C+Ryan%252C+Mama+Shirley%252C+Daddy+Pat.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindy, Ryan, and his grandparents</td></tr>
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Each day of our lives is a miracle.<br />
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To speak life, to choose light as we walk into our darkest nights, and to use our struggle as a source of strength for others when they go through the same struggle is to fight the good fight. To do all of this with love is to experience redemption in each new sunrise. In one hand we hold the fragility of life and the questions, in the other hand we hold eternity, we hold hope.<br />
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If you are in the LA area, each September you can participate in the annual fundraiser for Ryan's Reach, the <a href="https://www.ryansreach.com/dove-dash-race" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dove Dash Race</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2GsfoihM76G6XaEbVu3aXA5NMdoogeiYGUcn8gntY6ZY2qrE6jdi7I0gwbJ4TM6KORjlpxs0obEQBguEgrVuibWI3RzvqL9ZzO-jIEwHJlP-QPrj2ZIzIUC9JPys4ewI81aUf7vXgnuf/s1600/Ryan%2527s+Reach+Foundation.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2GsfoihM76G6XaEbVu3aXA5NMdoogeiYGUcn8gntY6ZY2qrE6jdi7I0gwbJ4TM6KORjlpxs0obEQBguEgrVuibWI3RzvqL9ZzO-jIEwHJlP-QPrj2ZIzIUC9JPys4ewI81aUf7vXgnuf/s1600/Ryan%2527s+Reach+Foundation.jpg" /></a>If you are looking for a non-profit to donate to this holiday season, or are looking for a new one to begin donating to in the new year, Ryan's Reach helps people in profound ways. In short, the money donated goes to:<br />
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1) Providing financial assistance for brain injury survivors to participate in the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA<br />
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2) Supporting the operation of Ryan's Reach Group Home<br />
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To make a secure, easy online donation:<br />
<a href="http://ryansreach.com/donate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ryansreach.com/donate</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qNVMhceukWc597CaU4rKKyCKDKFpraBvoHlvHlvFf-xkNK73H8Rb7-W2rHeJaaMHjJuyuS4f4DzMFjePa6u86vniYSPDx_-vPkwirZCKwPzJUmifsJmCflFKSC_xm7y501LWbJQmcaGu/s1600/Ryan%2527s+Reach+-+Residence+%2526+Respite+Tustin%252C+CA.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qNVMhceukWc597CaU4rKKyCKDKFpraBvoHlvHlvFf-xkNK73H8Rb7-W2rHeJaaMHjJuyuS4f4DzMFjePa6u86vniYSPDx_-vPkwirZCKwPzJUmifsJmCflFKSC_xm7y501LWbJQmcaGu/s200/Ryan%2527s+Reach+-+Residence+%2526+Respite+Tustin%252C+CA.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan's Reach Rest & Respite Home in<br />
Tustin, CA </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ryan's Reach creates scholarships for people with brain injuries to attend High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA where Ryan has also benefited from their therapy. As Ryan's Reach has grown, they have set up a residence and respite care home for people with brain injuries and their families, and a second group home is scheduled to open in the coming months. Funds raised assist in providing rehabilitation and home care, as well as respite relief for caregivers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ryan's Reach is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization honoring Ryan Corbin who suffered a severe TBI in 2001. Although Ryan personally is financially secure, his experience into the world of TBI brought attention to the fact that most families are not as fortunate and once the insurance runs out, TBI can use up all of a family's savings which also affects the loved one's ability to recover. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">These are the families Ryan's Reach helps. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.ryansreach.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ryansreach.com </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 - I-5 photos by Chloe, other photos and logo via the Ryan's Reach web site, used with permission</span></div>
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-60426539390514269092019-11-17T17:11:00.002-08:002020-02-28T16:04:14.441-08:00JBJ Soul Kitchen<br />
As the fall air gets chillier and the holidays get closer, this blog will focus on non-profit organizations that are in some way connected to Generation X. The holidays are a time when we are often the most generous. My hope is that some of these stories will spark generosity. I've been inspired by the stories I'll be sharing, I hope to pass on a spark of that inspiration by starting with the JBJ Soul Kitchen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_EKXx2yaBib33S8mGYEZWHlgpDuu4pmMBFqd9Mf6VSPGLwokHCHuJmyM-4BMiE0TXMIzLKlkvybJQkDgqeQaVjE2ChZLzjsonaVC9dCwRDbALYYVHCI33n2EK3Ip33V7PADyGfZeuYzu/s1600/JBJ+Soul+Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="300" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_EKXx2yaBib33S8mGYEZWHlgpDuu4pmMBFqd9Mf6VSPGLwokHCHuJmyM-4BMiE0TXMIzLKlkvybJQkDgqeQaVjE2ChZLzjsonaVC9dCwRDbALYYVHCI33n2EK3Ip33V7PADyGfZeuYzu/s320/JBJ+Soul+Kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: JBJ Soul Foundation </td></tr>
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Jon Bon Jovi has been a mainstay in the music collections and memories of Gen Xers and is a first wave Gen Xer himself. With the other members of Bon Jovi, he has received a long list of awards over the years for songs, albums, and videos. So much of his music reverberates in the background of many of my Gen X memories, from cassette tapes to school dances, and into my adult life. His albums have continued through the decades, and a lot of social consciousness has emerged in his music. He'll be releasing a new album in the coming year.<br />
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In 2011, the Jon Bon Jovi Foundation, which focuses on the issues of hunger and homelessness in the U.S., opened JBJ Soul Kitchen. This restaurant serves both paying and in-need customers, where there is a focus on volunteering, community, and dignity. All are welcome. They use locally sourced ingredients and even grow some of it in gardens on the grounds of the restaurant. Their fall menu includes all kinds of seasonal comfort food, like ginger squash salmon and green bean cranberry salad. Now there are two Soul Kitchen restaurants, one in Red Bank and one in Toms River, New Jersey. Both have a warm, happy, and cozy setting - it's a great place to have a hearty meal if you are in NJ or passing through, and an awesome foundation to consider if you are looking for a charity to give to this holiday season.<br />
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<b>Happy Thanksgiving!</b></div>
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<a href="https://jbjsoulkitchen.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soul Kitchen </a><br />
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<a href="https://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JBJ Soul Foundation</a><br />
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-29929491067056937102019-10-10T17:56:00.001-07:002019-10-10T17:56:20.053-07:00Retro Halloween Treat BagsI had a teacher in my elementary school days who would give us candy corn and little candy pumpkins as rewards in class. As she got older and her hearing started to diminish a little, she would give me rewards even when I had the wrong answer! I remember a day just before Halloween when she brought our whole class little treat bags full of popcorn and candy. We were the happiest kids you've ever seen. Sometimes it's the smallest things that bring us joy. <br />
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I love to make these treat bags for Halloween parties, and a basket of these is easy to throw together. When people see these, they instantly smile and light up! Many Gen Xers have memories of these kinds of retro treat bags from when they were kids.<br />
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Happy Halloween, and may your day be full of little candy pumpkins and all the good things of the holiday!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 - popcorn popped and picture taken by Chloe Koffas</span>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-36915337009834445102019-09-25T12:24:00.000-07:002019-09-25T12:24:12.594-07:00Pet Rocks at the Pine Derby We invited the pet rocks to our pine derby races....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qfWyVEYY9nK-z3rFqngILV13DaYiDdDuAx-hS2ZfHXBO4qLyUDF8S1NS_RZ7IiwF0RTH45YnUP8HAg_Pr7rXLlVORjAaFDD16OU_KaEXPtGLPmg7Epuc5fOHQ62o8vt5UCfMEiVflCFR/s1600/pine+derby+cars+-+red+and+pink.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qfWyVEYY9nK-z3rFqngILV13DaYiDdDuAx-hS2ZfHXBO4qLyUDF8S1NS_RZ7IiwF0RTH45YnUP8HAg_Pr7rXLlVORjAaFDD16OU_KaEXPtGLPmg7Epuc5fOHQ62o8vt5UCfMEiVflCFR/s400/pine+derby+cars+-+red+and+pink.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8FJr3v_e_VE4GiTeD-aOwNE8JIftgC4MLCuqYBALTLXua10T1SwOn6TTHOtQWuLYRFY50okdrHXyiN86aVQ-BElS9AWOT4HP0ARFvLhH6wk515i38skVrzwfuyXneyQ6MX5_ApkqjJIy/s1600/pet+rocks+watching+the+pine+derby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8FJr3v_e_VE4GiTeD-aOwNE8JIftgC4MLCuqYBALTLXua10T1SwOn6TTHOtQWuLYRFY50okdrHXyiN86aVQ-BElS9AWOT4HP0ARFvLhH6wk515i38skVrzwfuyXneyQ6MX5_ApkqjJIy/s320/pet+rocks+watching+the+pine+derby.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Everything started out normal - they sat in their seats, watching excitedly. Well, mostly watching. Rocky started getting ideas about how he could start driving one of the cars.<br />
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The next thing we knew, Rocky and Chippy were riding the cars. Pet rocks always need to be reminded to wear their seat belts, as you can see below, they "forgot".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BbE9blw7C2CxGJNRSPGsCelq00x8z8ExSdzs9vdZBa-_vK30CwtVwDpeLfIi5lfCT34a9drgUCgq_QV2wpmmfGG_087rH6JVY0wYE1uLYE-Ha8YIv44JZYNpMAcBH-fAEdVwjEdE8KO7/s1600/pet+rocks+pine+derby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="997" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BbE9blw7C2CxGJNRSPGsCelq00x8z8ExSdzs9vdZBa-_vK30CwtVwDpeLfIi5lfCT34a9drgUCgq_QV2wpmmfGG_087rH6JVY0wYE1uLYE-Ha8YIv44JZYNpMAcBH-fAEdVwjEdE8KO7/s400/pet+rocks+pine+derby.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of other things pet rocks enjoy, playing cards is a favorite pastime. They don't actually know how to play, they just act like they are playing. It keeps them happy, so I guess that's all that really matters.<br />
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My Godson bought these mini cards during one of his summer visits. This past summer, he made a new pet rock, Chippy. Chippy and Rocky are relaxing and playing a game they "made up". Nobody really knows who wins, or when the game is over. Chippy's smile is even bigger than his other pet rock, Skippy.<br />
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As it turns out, pet rocks also enjoy dominoes. This would be yet another situation where they don't follow (or even know) game rules, they just kind of move the dominoes around and put them on their face. Here, Rocky tried to throw his domino off the side of the table, only to realize that the it was magnetic and the table was metal, so it just kind of stuck there.<br />
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Another favorite pet rock activity: walkie-talkies.<br />
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Pet rocks enjoy secretive conversations with each other. As you can see in the picture above, Chippy is spying on his surroundings from a folding backyard chair. With his walkie-talkie tuned to channel 8, he mentions seeing beach balls, pool noodles, and forgotten badminton rackets. He is reporting his findings to Rocky. As you can see below, Rocky is camouflaging himself in a nearby plant he spotted on a very important backyard pet rock mission. Semi-hidden under the leaves, he thinks he is being really clever.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 photos above and story by my daughter and Godson - Light from a Pixel - all rights reserved </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8mgLG3AIGfRqHPJFVNBSv6-Y3LHBS9qXwT1RDs2jST3Q1DureA04xiLrnjSG3ShvXP0P6gRpLQzUQoSalNYx7tdztL20VMRfISr0u_PVd1YEALa9PUg85yvpzFq5nGA3Kkg0e8uEb_7F/s1600/pet+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="468" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8mgLG3AIGfRqHPJFVNBSv6-Y3LHBS9qXwT1RDs2jST3Q1DureA04xiLrnjSG3ShvXP0P6gRpLQzUQoSalNYx7tdztL20VMRfISr0u_PVd1YEALa9PUg85yvpzFq5nGA3Kkg0e8uEb_7F/s200/pet+rock.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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P.S. While the original pet rocks didn't have eyes, sticking googly eyes on them is pretty fun. Christmas of 1975 is when many first wave Gen Xers got these as gifts. When I was a second wave Gen X tot in the early 1980's, my neighbor had one in its original pet carrier box with "breathing holes." I would look through the holes at the rock in his little nest, wondering if he needed to be taken for a walk!<br />
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Pet rocks will always be one of the favorite toys of Generation X. <br />
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-28399911561372815022019-08-08T19:19:00.001-07:002019-08-08T19:19:35.068-07:00Pet Rocks at the Pool Sometimes a pet rock just needs to take it easy....<br />
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Here's Rocky, relaxing in what used to be a floating pool beverage holder. Now it is his favorite place to hang out. Pet rocks often like to swim at dusk so they don't have to worry about putting on sunscreen. They like to spend about an hour at the pool. They call this "swimming".<br />
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When Rocky floated to the side and asked for a snack. He wanted crackers and cream cheese with a garnish of fresh dill on top of each one. And a Slurpee from 7-11.<br />
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When Rocky's mom got seasick - her pink flamingo kept tipping from all the tiny waves<br />
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When they both got scared after an orange butterfly flew overhead...<br />
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Our pet rocks always get distracted by fluffy clouds, especially when they are hanging out at the pool.<br />
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Our two pet rocks - just floating under the blue sky, taking in the wonder of it all, and then asking for two tiny towels so they could dry off and go back inside.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 writing and pics by Chloe Koffas (with help from my daughter!) - all rights reserved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-61484851569615528052019-07-03T10:11:00.001-07:002019-07-03T13:36:29.730-07:00When Pet Rocks House Sit for Retro Fisher-Price Little People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our pet rock, Rocky, and his mom, Roxanna, were asked by a family of retro Fisher-Price Little People if they would house sit while they went on vacation. It's a house with a lot of amenities, so they happily agreed. When the rest of the little family was packed up in the car, Fisher-Price Mom gave a few final instructions on picking up the mail. Then, she put on her favorite red outfit, and headed out the door....<br />
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If you are ever going to house sit for someone, I would highly recommend doing this for retro Little People circa 1969. Their houses have double ovens, and as you can see here, they left a roasting turkey for their guests in the lower oven and baking bread in the top one. The only reason Rocky was sinking behind the table was because his mom told him he was going to have to eat some asparagus with his dinner.<br />
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After dinner, Roxanna went upstairs to see about unpacking her suitcase. When she turned on the light, she realized the closet was already pretty full of late 1960's styles clothes, including some Jackie Kennedy style hats in boxes up on the shelf. She decided just to keep her clothes in her suitcase.<br />
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Meanwhile, Rocky was upstairs checking out the kids' room where he was going to stay. He had so many questions in his mind...was it okay to play with their toys? If so, did the sailboat need to go back to the exact same spot on the shelf?<br />
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Just then, he remembered he had left the garage half open. Any good house-sitter knows, you have to close the garage.<br />
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It was the end of a long day. They decided to relax by the fire as the sun went down. Every day is an adventure when you are a pet rock, especially when you are friends with retro Fisher-Price Little People....<br />
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Happy 50th anniversary to the little blue Fisher-Price house that so many of us Gen Xers played with in our pre-school days! My earliest childhood memories of the late 1970's are full of the images on the walls of these rooms.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 Chloe Koffas </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Note!</b> We recently stumbled across some info about how certain retro Fisher-Price toys are toxic. Be careful about letting kids, especially little kids who chew on things, play with your old toys. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of the pieces have</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> been found to contain mercury, lead, arsenic and other toxic substances. Link here</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> to Tamara Rubin's blog: </span><a href="https://tamararubin.com/2019/03/vintage-plastic-fisher-price-little-girl-doll-please-dont-let-your-children-play-with-these-dolls-90-ppm-lead-is-unsafe-for-kids/" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Lead Safe Mama</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. She sends in toys to a lab to get them tested and blogs about it. We're all about the new Fisher Price vintage toys that have been made in recent years with the same style and graphics of the older toys. </span><br />
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-30115756359760912732019-06-11T18:52:00.001-07:002019-06-11T19:53:58.460-07:00Meet the Pet Rocks The list of Gen X things loved by the Gen Z kids in my life is pretty extensive - Atari, Rubik's Cubes, fiber optic lights...and one thing they really love is pet rocks. We've decided to bring out the pet rocks for the summer and maybe adopt some new ones.<br />
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Last summer, we took some photos of Rocky (my daughter's pet rock) and Skippy (my Godson's pet rock). We'd like to share them with you now....<br />
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Skippy, who is always smiling, and Rocky, who is often in a state of surprise, talked about going for a swim. They brought out the pool toys, but then got concerned about sinking. They decided just to sunbathe instead. Then, later, they decided they did want to swim after all and got onto a tiny inflatable raft.<br />
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Rocky and Skippy, on their skateboards, hanging out on a hot summer day. The plan was to do some cool tricks, instead they starting zoning out, and stared straight up at the big, fluffy clouds passing by....</div>
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Rocky, after Skippy flew back home from his visit. As you can see, he wants to be flung from the launcher to score points. He's all about arcade ball, and he's a big talker, but he doesn't really know how to play.<br />
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Pet rocks like to give hugs, but they don't have arms, so they just snuggle comfortably on your cheek.<br />
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More pet rock pictures on the way soon...it's going to be a very fun summer!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 photos and writing by Chloe Koffas</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rosebud Entertainment currently holds the U.S. trademark rights to the Pet Rock. </span></div>
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-29020780273479396392019-02-01T13:12:00.002-08:002019-02-01T13:12:30.661-08:00Visiting the Wonder Years House <i>The Wonder Years </i>created a brilliant parallel between generations and time -- it aired from 1988 -1993, yet took place from 1968 -1973. The story was set against the backdrop of that turbulent era, focused of the coming of age of late-wave Boomers in the suburbs and covered the life of Kevin Arnold, as he grew from age 12 to 17. Danica McKellar played his girlfriend, Winnie Cooper, and was born (in real life) the same year I was, and all the actors who played these characters were late-wave Generation X. By design, from the history to the soundtrack, there was a strong connection that Boomers had to this show. And even if also by design, there is something universal about teenage angst, and it created a bond between people my age and the show's characters. Fred Savage, a young Gen Xer, made the show even more relevant to both generations.<br />
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Here's <i>The Wonder Years</i> house in Burbank, CA as it is now. I took this photo in late December 2018 when we came to visit this house with a friend. It brought up a lot of coming-of-age, deep emotions for me, as it probably does for anyone who stands in this space. The mild Southern California weather causes this majestic tree to drop its leaves at each passing Christmas even as the early spring buds sprout out at the same time -- like some literal symbol of family trees, and time, and generations. This tree keeps its roots exposed above ground like it has nothing to hide. And what we know of the suburbs and the human situation is that each story is ultimately the same story. The broken souls of Vietnam came home to the suburbs of America, and their own scars often became the scars of their children, just as their fathers, the soldiers of WWII, came home to the suburbs and did the same a generation before.<br />
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The soft light of the afternoon sun shines on the front of the house, warm and gentle, as it came through Harper's Woods, a symbol of firefly-catching childhood innocence in the show in 1988 as it depicted 1968. As the last days of 2018 turned to the days of 2019, the last of the leaves fell from this tree.<br />
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Of history that would unfold on this street in real life, and on any suburban street in America, an enormous rift would take place between the Boomers and Generation X that, for the most part, has never really healed. When the final episode of this show comes to an ending, Kevin's older sister, a Hippie Boomer, has a Gen X baby in 1973. Sometimes I hear of a Boomer who bought into the <i>Me-Era</i> of the 1970's or sold out to the<i> Greed is Good Era</i> of the 1980's who later apologized to their Gen X children who were often left to raise themselves, but it seems pretty rare. The current of culture can be alluring, and life is hard for any generation; maybe this show was a pause that we took once a week, for a few years, where we could momentarily empathize with each other. In the episode where Kevin goes to work with his father and sees the depressing job that makes him the tense and angry middle-aged man he is, it is a reflection on understanding as a path to forgiveness that spans the experience of all generations. As a person who often finds myself in generational conversations, I have noticed a pattern in our lives: when someone can actually just say the words, "I'm sorry" it speeds the forgiveness process by a lot -- reducing it to months or years rather than decades or lifetimes.<br />
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To quote the end of the pilot episode about growing up in the suburbs that applies to the way the 1960's yielded to the 1970's, and the way the 1980's gave way to the 1990's:<br />
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with it's Dodge parked out front, </div>
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and it's white bread on the table, </div>
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and it's TV set glowing blue in the falling dusk, </div>
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there were people with stories, there were families bound together in the pain and the struggle of love,</div>
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there were moments that made us cry with laughter, </div>
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and there were moments...of sorrow and wonder." </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2018/19 photos and writing by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved</span></div>
<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-22949090827120997662019-01-03T21:26:00.004-08:002022-08-08T21:28:25.646-07:00Visiting the House from E.T. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb5LZe9dmJ5L2IFWz7nJo-60HEhIY5NHbg_AssbwW0okPi_mZNJgFdXWIiGV_84b9TWdVAFehExzUTO3YTtS0uGj-J41qmGpHNARHhbhgpbKkTa44_3XgM4vPCxH5Kv9VAgEZjliurm_v/s1600/ET+House.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb5LZe9dmJ5L2IFWz7nJo-60HEhIY5NHbg_AssbwW0okPi_mZNJgFdXWIiGV_84b9TWdVAFehExzUTO3YTtS0uGj-J41qmGpHNARHhbhgpbKkTa44_3XgM4vPCxH5Kv9VAgEZjliurm_v/s400/ET+House.jpg" width="300" /></a>The house from <i>E.T. </i>backs up to the steep and extraordinary San Gabriel mountain range in Tujunga, CA. We had the chance to see it recently under a blue afternoon sky which was more than exciting and a little surreal. This picture was taken the week of Christmas 2018.<br />
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Whenever I am visiting one of these iconic Gen X places, like one that I first saw on the silver screen in my most formative years, my heart speeds up and I feel like some kind of electricity is connecting time and space in the ground below my feet.<br />
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Below is me in my Atari shirt in front of the house rocking it like it's 1982. I was born the same year as Drew Barrymore, so I looked a lot like her with the exact same string-tied blond pigtails when I saw the movie. She and Henry Thomas became a part of our hearts the first moment we all saw them in this house.<br />
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Decades have passed and the house hasn't changed much. These trees were just seeds in the ground as the film was being made - this was a brand new neighborhood at the time of the filming. <i>These trees grew up as Gen X did. </i></div>
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When we arrived at this suburb, it looked instantly recognizable as the place where Elliott and company trick-or-treated all those years ago. It felt strangely and unexpectedly bittersweet, </div><div style="text-align: left;">like I was visiting one of my old neighborhoods. </div>
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After we went and saw the house, the kiddos watched a viewing of E.T. in our friends' Burbank home theater while we had dinner and wine. On their tree was an ornament that was bought right after the movie came out. Another little unexpected snapshot of history to end a perfect day.<br />
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This was the gift box I put together before the trip to thank our friends for inviting us over (and for the kids to snack on during the movie). I took an empty box that had been full of Hallmark Christmas cards, put in some Reese's Pieces, and small cans of soda. I put in some microwave popcorn and my daughter drew and colored a Speak & Spell and taped it to the front. I cut out a white piece of construction paper for the moon and used a black marker for the trees. </div>
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Here's to every magical moment we experienced as a generation. Here's to the greatness of story and how our own stories are a part of a greater collective story. As the last light-filled moments of the holiday season linger on, and as a new year begins, here's to hope that at any given moment, between the flicker of the stars, the universe may reach out to us in a way we never would have expected. </div>
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<b>For M.B. </b></div>
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As a fun tidbit: </div>
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Later the same year the movie came out, the Atari game for <i>E.T.</i> wasn't exactly what everyone had hoped for since the programmer didn't have much time to work on it, and the overstock of hundreds of cartridges were buried for years in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico. A few years back, many of the games were pulled back out and sold on eBay. Read more here: <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2015/09/01/technology/atari-et/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CNN Article on buried E.T. Atari games</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2019 all rights reserved, pictures by Chloe and Telly Koffas</span></div>
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-7817556514201538912018-11-12T19:25:00.000-08:002018-11-12T19:25:02.549-08:00A Pink Sun Over Northern CaliforniaIn Northern California, when the fires tear across the land, the sun sometimes turns pink, even hours <i>before</i> sunset. It gives you this sorrowful feeling that colossal suffering is happening not so far away. It reminds me of when I lived in the Midwest - when the the eerie yellow-green light would fall onto the streets just before a tornado would touch down. Pink sunlight in the middle of the day is <i>surreal - and you always view it with smoke-filled lungs. </i><br />
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When I heard that the fire nearby was the worst one since 1933, I couldn't help but think of the turnings of time, the patterns of generations, and how much of what we have experienced through history as Gen X, is connected to the Lost Generation - like earlier this year when the unbelievable flu season we endured was compared to that of 1918. When you are traveling in open spaces in California and you look out at the fields under the power lines where the green vegetables quietly grow, it's like you can still feel the sorrow and exhaustion of the migrant workers who came to California during the Great Depression.<br />
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Many of us are rolling up our sleeves organizing help in small local ways, because that's what Gen X does, and we are bringing our resources together. People across the state are offering whatever resources they have - land for displaced horses to graze, free housing, they are using airport space to reunite people with lost pets, good people in food trucks are giving out free tamales. Goodwill is handing out clothes, blankets and other necessities. Sometimes what people need most is a toothbrush. Sometimes what they need most is a hug. There are countless ways to help people in both parts of CA, whatever nonprofit you trust, if you want to donate, they are most likely helping out.<br />
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In the midst of all the great suffering and tremendous loss that has gone on under this sun, there are heroes emerging every moment - paramedics, fire fighters, people who are reuniting lost loved ones with each other and lost animals to their families, and girl scouts stacking canned soup into boxes that will be driven north.<br />
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Sometimes we don't even realize the resources we have, and in a flash of genius we are able to offer something no one else can. Sometimes we pray and we don't even realize we are praying. Sometimes we give because we remember a time in our lives when our suffering was similar to the people we see suffering at this moment.<br />
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In this moment, there may be a way for you to give in a way that no one else can.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(C) 2018 Chloe Koffas </span><br />
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-48775379502983881052018-10-12T18:28:00.001-07:002023-11-18T18:44:10.350-08:00Get Ready for the Great Pumpkin! My daughter and I made a Great Pumpkin diorama in a wooden crate as part of decorating for Halloween....<br />
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Sally should be making an appearance here somewhere, though these are the characters of the lil' Peanuts set we have, so we'll just go with it. Frosty little pumpkins await the upcoming holiday while Woodstock leans in for a hug and Snoopy dances.<br />
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Charlie Brown is disappointed to find rocks in his trick-or-treat bag during this beloved holiday special, though this was only because of a playful argument between animators. Empathetic children from all over the country mailed candy to the studio for Charlie Brown for years each time the special was aired. Those were some thoughtful little Gen X kids!<br />
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When the world is not the kind of place we would like it to be, let's use our voices, and hold up our signs, and when we grow tired, let's find a way to quietly sit, and wait, and hope for something better under a starry night sky....<br />
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<b>Watch <i>It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown </i></b></div>
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<b>Thurs., Oct. 18th, 2018 </b></div>
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<b>8pm ET on ABC. </b></div>
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<u>How we made the diorama:</u> Green scrapbooking paper is the ground of the pumpkin patch, blue sparkly paper is the night sky. The moon is construction paper, the pumpkins are decorative vase filler pieces, and the white picket fence is from a miniatures store.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c) 2018 Writing and photos by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved</span></div>
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Source:<br />
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<a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/g12446559/great-pumpkin-charlie-brown-facts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seven Facts You Never Knew About It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC/Iconix Brand Group, Inc. </span><br />
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-60581725979446186972018-07-24T09:46:00.001-07:002018-07-24T11:51:58.192-07:00Visiting the Arcade from the Original Karate Kid Movie My family and I spent a day this summer at Golf 'n' Stuff, an arcade and fun center in Norwalk, CA which is one of the locations the original <i>Karate Kid</i> was filmed. The Gen X nostalgia here floats above the tables, where arched windows look out upon the mini golf course. A walk through the arcade and around the buildings proved that while some things have changed from when they filmed the movie here in the fall of 1983, some things are amazingly the same....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf28D27V0BvHrHgaPvdEJdnuOSfXHeVtnIdPOoQsQGltg2VkDO6ZKqJnFWzMfGeWixrJSv6LJ4TlKyviK1LxZPbfte_e_zDikfkSZeH38prGv3pLI8OJ99qq0S_4YfHDDhI44Jm099d1w/s1600/journey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1200" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf28D27V0BvHrHgaPvdEJdnuOSfXHeVtnIdPOoQsQGltg2VkDO6ZKqJnFWzMfGeWixrJSv6LJ4TlKyviK1LxZPbfte_e_zDikfkSZeH38prGv3pLI8OJ99qq0S_4YfHDDhI44Jm099d1w/s640/journey4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxfgOoMx20wzI5Nyw10iEmjWuCZ83FYsxUju54Lg7qeAFxJERe4H6cp8Jorq9We0Q-m5F3eqgjdKOEmVoCuWkfPAAf4HbB7fGiCXWl6UZQ98yLCQDBCL9blaPUaQ1f7JBe_Of0aCT2ES6/s1600/golf+n+stuff1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxfgOoMx20wzI5Nyw10iEmjWuCZ83FYsxUju54Lg7qeAFxJERe4H6cp8Jorq9We0Q-m5F3eqgjdKOEmVoCuWkfPAAf4HbB7fGiCXWl6UZQ98yLCQDBCL9blaPUaQ1f7JBe_Of0aCT2ES6/s320/golf+n+stuff1.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Many of the 80's games that were shown in the movie have disappeared, like the analog mini hockey game Daniel and Ali played in the movie, and the water slide is now gone. High voltage poles still stand behind it, as if they are there just to power the rides and arcade games.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWudO1GZMrgjSShp0kDmUQbDcpiVL3gylR0BJ3vCazqJF1yzvq1l6swsYduscqfE54RphGVJoZcqN-te2G8fwNt9ld_GXZEf8uIps7_v3Y0KVUdlDUF-XJ_aw2-3H0QIMR41WEO52xKUMC/s1600/tickets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWudO1GZMrgjSShp0kDmUQbDcpiVL3gylR0BJ3vCazqJF1yzvq1l6swsYduscqfE54RphGVJoZcqN-te2G8fwNt9ld_GXZEf8uIps7_v3Y0KVUdlDUF-XJ_aw2-3H0QIMR41WEO52xKUMC/s320/tickets.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Golf 'n' Stuff sign on the far right</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">While I was taking some pictures, a man in flip flops and a hoodie who looked very Gen X was giving me this huge smile - he knew exactly what I was doing since nostalgic Xers often stop through here as tourists. It's the kind of place you might visit when you're in the LA area and you've already been to Universal and Paramount, and still want to experience some little piece of film history. Later in the day I saw another fellow Gen X tourist, even as younger people passed him by and had no idea why he was taking photos of the Golf 'n' Stuff sign. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R29bsgUeLqwWaXXdbruAJqnS-i1M0OPcPDuXdRZPJ6yUe7GI_w6DJvQ3doU-o8zjsVDUrGAFACH5g8H4iG5TVIWV4YWIaWE0zvmyUunwOu_azhfjdsHIhR2ZoWUrrvTp6rdqc4AvwxUD/s1600/IMG_4022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R29bsgUeLqwWaXXdbruAJqnS-i1M0OPcPDuXdRZPJ6yUe7GI_w6DJvQ3doU-o8zjsVDUrGAFACH5g8H4iG5TVIWV4YWIaWE0zvmyUunwOu_azhfjdsHIhR2ZoWUrrvTp6rdqc4AvwxUD/s640/IMG_4022.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mini golf course! On left: mini clock tower, mini Russian Orthodox style church, on right: mini pagoda</td></tr>
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There is the feeling here that this is the symbol of any arcade or mini golf course you hung out at as a kid or teenager in Anytown, USA, just as there is this feeling we got from the movie that any of us could be the main character. Most of us know what it feels like to be the underdog. The script was based on a true story of a real Gen Xer from the San Fernando Valley.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHrtQj2IbpHWUSl7tJ-kBK42MnHZIrAZHraYkvO7QC8kMQ8HJLXaInB0KHUQgW8RXlt4YzjwnwErlNu7zfPHZ39omzJpXQHaR79CzMMxUqE4bI4CG28-YQ74UKzWHnIwUpqEf7swVtrLg/s1600/arcade1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHrtQj2IbpHWUSl7tJ-kBK42MnHZIrAZHraYkvO7QC8kMQ8HJLXaInB0KHUQgW8RXlt4YzjwnwErlNu7zfPHZ39omzJpXQHaR79CzMMxUqE4bI4CG28-YQ74UKzWHnIwUpqEf7swVtrLg/s320/arcade1.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8-TcDQCB-m5WimzxcILiRdwxKWwtTc9bRCALugmm56qLOt3pmu0GHQZ6hNhzz6dHFnkg0yQx0K0jDn-o_Y3u3RMEl-mEuvprXHJeqOc7m9W1-Le2dcR2LhyphenhyphenypO_q2mDViaI6xq4Vjyf9/s1600/arcade+ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8-TcDQCB-m5WimzxcILiRdwxKWwtTc9bRCALugmm56qLOt3pmu0GHQZ6hNhzz6dHFnkg0yQx0K0jDn-o_Y3u3RMEl-mEuvprXHJeqOc7m9W1-Le2dcR2LhyphenhyphenypO_q2mDViaI6xq4Vjyf9/s200/arcade+ceiling.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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I am always looking for the little retro things, little remnants that may go unnoticed, like this blue and white checkered ceiling....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3SDpA7kJeGnGWuiplCHKyQb7v6YQz42409fkRGdAKqwJEd8VnWvBvvvny6vWQ7QpPlRo_xWTPCOnS79nzf57aNRgHkjMkZyrdx5-4hNASJjpCZ_MMRrRI_J9U7a1C2qyDVEcHBVwaL9x/s1600/golf+n+stuff+ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3SDpA7kJeGnGWuiplCHKyQb7v6YQz42409fkRGdAKqwJEd8VnWvBvvvny6vWQ7QpPlRo_xWTPCOnS79nzf57aNRgHkjMkZyrdx5-4hNASJjpCZ_MMRrRI_J9U7a1C2qyDVEcHBVwaL9x/s200/golf+n+stuff+ticket.jpg" width="200" /></a>A mix of analog and digital games still fill the arcade, even if most of them are different now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WuwxTiqL8ZZ85xMwNVG_l-61AH5vqa68NdfxPT2BeeYHe7tQROthPTqxh9utmrMbAAcLzCUDVyzqBBKgGvv5f1d4CSv3c5R6dFdAvJzJbxyLE2-jErqcNXTPPhSBLP_A-D5FTqWrp4TF/s1600/bumper+boats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WuwxTiqL8ZZ85xMwNVG_l-61AH5vqa68NdfxPT2BeeYHe7tQROthPTqxh9utmrMbAAcLzCUDVyzqBBKgGvv5f1d4CSv3c5R6dFdAvJzJbxyLE2-jErqcNXTPPhSBLP_A-D5FTqWrp4TF/s320/bumper+boats.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The bumper boats look the same as they do in the movie.<br />
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The little race track looks about the same as it did in the film, though it's no surprise that all the go karts have been replaced.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBmE-m7EoOWxTBxtYOXIctB97oUesTctvxZzODDgmCWJeJi8Em6hqmgK9w5kKPP7o-pzT93IzRRlo7_96hy-1Shqb1qTfFKo22R1zklpaFniE4OQ4duck7eRG9S3NY9KcuVw04gpLUQpH/s1600/race+track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBmE-m7EoOWxTBxtYOXIctB97oUesTctvxZzODDgmCWJeJi8Em6hqmgK9w5kKPP7o-pzT93IzRRlo7_96hy-1Shqb1qTfFKo22R1zklpaFniE4OQ4duck7eRG9S3NY9KcuVw04gpLUQpH/s400/race+track.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Part of the mini golf course and its little buildings can be seen behind the snack bar area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpojFuM8m41ZGd295RMhS5JG0cFB39CCyQXKVUFtis7GuLxbpGnUQlrHvohNnUcG_jKAi7lJxRr_nTC8xe2hiza3kSRDetf0wrCMlR5ZLaS9vhBP9hVJFRLw3rFh4Ssf3ujDjne0TRFnLr/s1600/IMG_4019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpojFuM8m41ZGd295RMhS5JG0cFB39CCyQXKVUFtis7GuLxbpGnUQlrHvohNnUcG_jKAi7lJxRr_nTC8xe2hiza3kSRDetf0wrCMlR5ZLaS9vhBP9hVJFRLw3rFh4Ssf3ujDjne0TRFnLr/s400/IMG_4019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We had the place mostly to ourselves during the breezy, cool California morning, and as the afternoon came, the clouds parted and it gradually began filling up with families and people on dates.<br />
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I love retro outdoor tables and the way that they all look similar to each other across America - the bright pops of color of the seats and tables.<br />
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Where the main entrance used to be is now a party room that can be rented by the hour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF_YMkjzC0xSjCrf5sFC-mbSJ1qzg3QwXYYmudPbdHaDnYy-4gEJcHJNc_lJtqBBWykUGnWS87DJqiLQsRmMu6LPzR3ShH2kDourJPNQfAO9xsOrEMjlsSXqwDIsIqBPZW0nL6cBb_w8V/s1600/party+room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWF_YMkjzC0xSjCrf5sFC-mbSJ1qzg3QwXYYmudPbdHaDnYy-4gEJcHJNc_lJtqBBWykUGnWS87DJqiLQsRmMu6LPzR3ShH2kDourJPNQfAO9xsOrEMjlsSXqwDIsIqBPZW0nL6cBb_w8V/s400/party+room1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Inside the party room: it's hard to describe the energy in this space -- it was kind of strange. It was like there were a million memories from the decades, good and bad, that had unfolded in this space during parties and get-togethers. It was all kind of just hanging heavy in the air, like the smell of the pizza they were baking in the ovens nearby. It seemed as if all those memories, those intangible mementos of time, had no other place to go and just got stuck there.<br />
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The day we were here, a boy was about to have his birthday party - he was a sweet kid who looked like he was about 12. He held the door for us as we came in, while his Gen X mom was busy setting up decorations on the table they had reserved. I wondered if maybe she once had a Gen X birthday party here as a kid. She probably did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrUOKAVOYpaSlbKbORy9So7cAmWB1epSe6LsCReNjjHlcr78arvGoYt9Wf_-rINdCpTZHBS7i2HIntPM3hXDTSR0dqNy2iZo1VW1xT2_65hdurnOwlnWbW0n-el3Ycr8TrpJBLkronAuH/s1600/party+room+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrUOKAVOYpaSlbKbORy9So7cAmWB1epSe6LsCReNjjHlcr78arvGoYt9Wf_-rINdCpTZHBS7i2HIntPM3hXDTSR0dqNy2iZo1VW1xT2_65hdurnOwlnWbW0n-el3Ycr8TrpJBLkronAuH/s400/party+room+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Movie poster on the wall by some 70's-looking decor</td></tr>
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No one expected the original <i>Karate Kid</i> movie to be as successful as it was. All these years later, we are still talking about it, spin offs are still happening. Maybe part the reason the original film became so well-loved was because its cultural value. There weren't many good roles for Asian Americans in films those days and Pat Morita as Mr. Miagi played this wise, lovable father-figure. His role was a breakthrough, he was nominated for an Academy award, and he won the hearts of many Gen Xers.<br />
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Along with the cultural piece, there were also spiritual and philosophical components in the film. "Wax on, wax off" has become one of the most well-known movie quotes of all time. It's a philosophy that if you do some seemingly mundane thing many times over, even without realizing it, it can make you more ascetic, or even cause something extraordinary to happen. Occasionally I hear someone talk about how the Miagi philosophy applies to our spiritual life, and I have found it to be true. For those of us Gen Xers who did not have someone like this to look up to, we quietly wished Mr. Miagi was our own mentor, and inadvertently got a profound set of spiritual lessons from the movie - impulse control, self-discipline, to only fight as a last resort.<br />
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No doubt this film was very important during the formative years of Gen X, which was why it was so interesting to visit this place. A view from the middle of the golf course above - possibly the one in the movie where you see Daniel and Ali playing mini-golf on their date. This place seemed so magical when I was a kid. Back in the 80's, my husband who grew up nearby, used to hang out here with friends. While I didn't yet know my husband in the 80's, being here with him, in some small way, makes it feel like I did, and connects us in some magical way through space and time.<br />
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Near the end of the visit, I made a stop at the token machine so we could all play a little skee ball. It was the first time I've ever made the 100-point target and the first time my daughter ever did, too!<br />
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I had my eye on these little Pac-Man ghosts, but alas, we only had enough tickets for two pieces of candy - that's how it goes when you are out of time for more skee ball and have other places to be!<br />
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Our very last stop was the hand-crank machine to make a pressed souvenir penny for my daughter to keep. Of all the amusement parks, museums, and landmarks I went to as a kid, making a penny was always one last moment to savor the experience.<br />
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Here's to all the Gen X journeys we go on, the places <i>that we go back to</i>, from movie scenes we watched as kids to the places we once went with our friends that hold memories of our childhood. At this place, for my family, it was both.<br />
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Whether we experienced an important place with one friend, or if we experienced it collectively with our entire generation, <b>all of it is significant. These are the places that made us who we are.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/arts/how-a-movie-shot-in-the-san-fernando-valley-made-us-all-the-karate-kid-4790700" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LA Weekly: How a Movie Shot in the San Fernando Valley Made us all the Karate Kid</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2018 writing and photos by Chloe Koffas - all rights reserved</span><br />
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-59401836548611842232018-06-30T21:53:00.001-07:002018-07-01T09:22:56.736-07:00Welcome to Side Two When we flip the mix tape of our life over to side two, we are done being the version of who people told us we <i>should </i>be. We begin to find a way to trust ourselves; we begin to find our truest selves. If we spent side one looking to someone else to answer the big questions, side two is where others look to us for the answers.<br />
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There is this inherent need in the psyche of human beings to mark their transitions, the shifts of our universe. This Southern California late June sunset was the last sunset of my <i>side one</i>. The sunrise of the following morning was the beginning of my <i>side two</i>.<br />
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After about six straight months of a string of profound disappointments, crises, and of life-altering grief, the storm seems to have mostly stopped. What truly amazed me in the past weeks is that whenever I felt I was getting too far out into the water, there was always an unexpected piece of driftwood for me to hold onto, a kind person to reach out to me, more grace to sustain me. Of all the times life has taken me to that place of feeling like I might drown, I'm not sure if I realized how much that grace was there with me.<br />
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In my experience, when the universe hands me a crisis, it is giving me an opportunity to let go of something, or to let go of someone. After not having the chance to write for six months, and after my life seems to have re-wired itself, I felt this need to walk across Highway One, and to stand at the edge of the ocean, because this seemed like a place where a person would begin again.<br />
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We can spend so much of our younger days trying to be enough for everyone's expectations, but what I really want is not having to <i>keep up</i>. In my Gen X school days, when the last week would come before summer break, the teacher would take down the images on the bulletin boards and nothing was left but a few staples and the remnants of colored paper like leaves from the seasons that we had just weathered. I would get this feeling of relief that I had nothing else to prove, because the year was over, that I no longer had to be cool enough or smart enough - and that I could just be myself for a while.<br />
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I have reached this place where I am gradually able to let go of what I thought <i>should be</i>. I've been saying the few, simple lines of the serenity prayer at night. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The fuller, original version of this prayer</a> looks as if the writer had skimmed centuries of wisdom from all the major religions of the world. It's a profound enough prayer to be part of the foundation of 12-step programs.<br />
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I am realizing that the courage to change the things that I can has been a force in me all along, it's just much bigger now. It's as fierce as any crisis that I have lived through. It helps me to say what needs to be said in the moment and somehow even helps me learn to listen more. And when I have spoken my peace and someone does not listen in return, this is my cue to <i>just peacefully walk away.</i> I have learned in these past months to take life one day, and even one hour, at a time. I am learning to accept the things I cannot change when I have tried for many years and decades to change them.<br />
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I am now on side two. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2018 - writing and photos by Chloe Koffas </span></div>
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Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-43969408609242705862017-12-31T13:50:00.004-08:002023-05-07T11:22:13.456-07:00Messages from the Lost Generation to Generation X: A One Year Journey <br />
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<b>Gen X's Connection to the Lost Generation</b><br />
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While the late wave of the Lost Generation experienced the last years of their lives, Generation X experienced their earliest years. They were the red leaves that had hung on through the worst heat of summer, while we were the green blades of grass shooting up toward the sun, only just realizing how cold the coming winter would become. As I've been on a one-year journey to find the Lost Generation, I have sought their wisdom. And I have realized that these leaves, this generation, even as they fell, were often trying to protect us or give to us in whatever way they could. When I was a small child, my Lost Generation great-grandfather had brought me a seedling tree from Illinois, down Highway 35, and across I-40, and planted it in our front yard. In the summer, it had shadowed me as my pinwheel blew in the soft breeze and, when fall came, it dropped its leaves in the street like little treasures.<br />
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When Ethan Hawke's character picks up the phone in <i>Reality Bites</i> and says, "Hello, you've reached the winter of our discontent," he isn't just alluding to the crisis that Gen X remembers as kids, he is reaching back in some way to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4796.The_Winter_of_Our_Discontent" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steinbeck</a>.<br />
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Sinclair Lewis summed up the experience of the Lost Generation: "Winter is not a season, it's an occupation." As generations go, every four cycles is a 'lost generation', and the history that goes with those cycles is always winter, always discontent. This was life for the Lost Generation, this has, in many ways, been life for Generation X.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknkH1uX3U90iP2G5U8rmswcfHtNHWHodPKiqX45dsgzqGZ7-fNaPjVqYknRKMQVXB-J9B4FBvkoaIzUHKmywpHfiONEBjvnHSJPhyKkHMzZdva1zOLWDkqFlg0NW5NqrLzI5b6ySiduWj/s1600/IMG_4998.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknkH1uX3U90iP2G5U8rmswcfHtNHWHodPKiqX45dsgzqGZ7-fNaPjVqYknRKMQVXB-J9B4FBvkoaIzUHKmywpHfiONEBjvnHSJPhyKkHMzZdva1zOLWDkqFlg0NW5NqrLzI5b6ySiduWj/s320/IMG_4998.JPG" width="320" /></a><span><b>Why it matters to understand a previous generation</b> is that it helps to better understand our own. Why it matters to study history is so that we don't keep repeating the same mistakes. We are still very much affected today by issues of the Lost Generation. History, as we experience it, is even continuously altered by WWI. One all too real example of this is that many bombs, designed to explode on impact, were left behind in the fields of Europe as the tired arms of soldiers sometimes laid them in the grass and walked away. Today, as farmers plow fields, or as people walk by, those bombs sometimes explode and those people are sometimes injured or killed, even though it is now a hundred years later. This is known, darkly, as the Iron Harvest.</span><br />
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Another chilling example of our connection to the Lost Generation is H1N1. In the winter of 2009, this virus was constantly in the news as a potential pandemic. We stood in line at a clinic for shots in the freezing cold, while volunteers handed us warm blankets. The Red Cross sign on the side of their truck had me thinking about the way they had helped relief efforts during WWI, but I did not know that what we were about to get immunized for was a variation of the same flu that wiped out a large number of the world's population a century before. <span style="font-family: "arial";">Sadly, the Lost Generation was born during years that </span><a href="http://time.com/79209/solving-the-mystery-flu-that-killed-50-million-people/" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Arial;" target="_blank">made them more susceptible </a><span style="font-family: "arial";">to this horrible virus because of a different flu they had gotten as children. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKkJbB5_TuvzqCAtQ_ie5fgSF9u41ZoSz8t3mkN1J5KLFJYBupXNPPKZqQ9nHmVa7p3zw2ncqaMAS3ezCDUpoVzv_hc7jAyKzL7eibQcyO177DIQgwWxGKMQJse1Su-35A9W6DInKfnX0/s1600/IMG_6854.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKkJbB5_TuvzqCAtQ_ie5fgSF9u41ZoSz8t3mkN1J5KLFJYBupXNPPKZqQ9nHmVa7p3zw2ncqaMAS3ezCDUpoVzv_hc7jAyKzL7eibQcyO177DIQgwWxGKMQJse1Su-35A9W6DInKfnX0/s320/IMG_6854.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
If you are Generation X, you may have known and loved people from the Lost Generation - I surely did. One thing that became more and more clear to me through this year of searching for them, for their wisdom, for their messages left to us, is that they saw our suffering, and <i>knew</i> our suffering because it was painstakingly familiar to them. Their lives were coming to an end as ours were beginning so they were often unable to intervene in our lives or help us in a way they could have if they had been younger, though I think they often did what they were able to in the time they had left.<br />
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The Lost Generation lived through a similar pattern of history, and therefore had a similar struggle that Gen X has now, and any wisdom or hope they left behind helps us on our own long journeys. Some of those messages are quoted on this blog over the past year. Beyond that wisdom, these are the two messages I found from them that have affected me the most....<br />
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<b><u>How to Fight</u></b><br />
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One of those messages is the example they left us of <i>how to fight</i>. There were two well-known truces that took place during WWI: <a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2016/12/finding-last-lost-generation-christmas.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Christmas Truce of 1914</a> (which would have been a day that would have the most meaning to soldiers on the Western Front) and the Easter Truce of 1916 (a day that would have the most meaning to soldiers on the Eastern Front). In both cases, soldiers stepped out of their trenches and broke bread with the other side, an act that included both risk and profound love. Many other small, localized truces took place during the war as well. This was a powerful message from the Lost Generation to us: we should always take a moment to see those we consider an enemy as truly human, or even if just for a moment, as brothers and sisters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT2rWUm9Ogdby9xQPd0HzzkVRxjSL43TWcGLoO-Pv4_JcdbTFai1LaCdgSMPJJThCXLxo0cTCtkGgYoWS7lbenr-8czU5bsUtHZwhaKstCp-a52r621Vr1HxffmbUUpUemabi4RJbueIu/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnT2rWUm9Ogdby9xQPd0HzzkVRxjSL43TWcGLoO-Pv4_JcdbTFai1LaCdgSMPJJThCXLxo0cTCtkGgYoWS7lbenr-8czU5bsUtHZwhaKstCp-a52r621Vr1HxffmbUUpUemabi4RJbueIu/s320/IMG_5774.JPG" width="320" /></a><u><b>How to Have Hope</b></u><br />
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C.S. Lewis, one of the brightest voices of the Lost Generation, told us the reason our heart yearns for something earth can't supply is proof that heaven must be our home. This is the ultimate hope and the ultimate explanation for why we feel lost, <i>because we are not yet home. </i>This image of hope and light shows up in different ways in the writing of the Lost Generation - it was the green light that the Great Gatsby reached toward over the water, it is the lighthouse that Virginia Woolf told us to look toward.<br />
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Here's to the coming new year, when we look toward hope. It will be exactly one century from the year that WWI came to an end. In November of 2018, a centennial memorial for American WWI veterans will finally be opened. Up until now, the veterans of every other major war have been given a monument in Washington D.C., the Lost Generation has not. <div><br /></div><div>This is exactly what it means to be a lost generation.<br />
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May the Lost Generation rest in peace. And while we've said it for generations, it is always worth saying it again:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peace on earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) writing by Chloe Koffas 2017, photos by Chloe, Portland, Oregon</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Time Magazine: <a href="http://time.com/79209/solving-the-mystery-flu-that-killed-50-million-people/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solving the Mystery Flu That Killed 50 Million People</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/honor/national-wwi-memorial.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAyZLSBRDpARIsAH66VQKWGRZ4eHPavOZgMgI1EaUlUpqmps646GoiLcptgxgI1H69V6-TB1oaAg30EALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">WWI Centennial Memorial Info and a link to donate</a><br />
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<i style="font-size: small;">The Sun Also Rises</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">, Ernest Hemingway</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia: Iron Harvest </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/news/easter-truce-1916" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Easter Truce, 1916: Gateways to the First World War</a></span><br />
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</div>Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5078672505139352535.post-17245358370007528272017-12-19T19:25:00.000-08:002017-12-19T19:25:00.050-08:00The Speed of History - Finding the Lost Generation: A One Year Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDyOcLeeKANchqKB4ZpXDQ6sAMCj05G7dQM0eHV_5RFB2QgFJKbQ28KXBfP-VL6VZZsinu577bYWFGVgYBEdYcNoJFatP0rwp1Zvy_OXA6l2bob8d-KlsawgfzehiWW_7S2AAJvZTWtRk/s1600/NY+subway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1280" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDyOcLeeKANchqKB4ZpXDQ6sAMCj05G7dQM0eHV_5RFB2QgFJKbQ28KXBfP-VL6VZZsinu577bYWFGVgYBEdYcNoJFatP0rwp1Zvy_OXA6l2bob8d-KlsawgfzehiWW_7S2AAJvZTWtRk/s400/NY+subway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Lost Generation (born about 1883-1900 or soon after) lived through momentous world history and enormous change - like they were on a speeding train as the years of their lives went by. They saw the New York subway open the same year as the Trans-Siberian Railway (1904). They experienced the first wireless transmission making it across the Atlantic (1901) and they experienced the tragedy when the Titanic did not (1912).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTrr3kEO-3q88t7XJEv3A9qAWtXXl-KjnDFYJRVKGPgWEFD-ZHE57t2HIx91QyQyujambzo_qelaVGQFWvVOzERc8qVA-TSxTYcVntS2vrwk03ViFZf1ciX5chffpCjpjs1-blHn69KYF/s1600/crayola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="371" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTrr3kEO-3q88t7XJEv3A9qAWtXXl-KjnDFYJRVKGPgWEFD-ZHE57t2HIx91QyQyujambzo_qelaVGQFWvVOzERc8qVA-TSxTYcVntS2vrwk03ViFZf1ciX5chffpCjpjs1-blHn69KYF/s200/crayola.jpg" width="141" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGktZaKTp30-OAwTscmVFNlN_QQEitGMYcpwymDmSWh5_WKgebPkWdDKgVUjiXSypnhrB9EqgB4rJ5RnsHWgwjjCSld-7g83szOFORjTjXhlmAyZ7LnpSyIgu9xjtvch_HozdP2p7hvQy/s1600/1903+bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGktZaKTp30-OAwTscmVFNlN_QQEitGMYcpwymDmSWh5_WKgebPkWdDKgVUjiXSypnhrB9EqgB4rJ5RnsHWgwjjCSld-7g83szOFORjTjXhlmAyZ7LnpSyIgu9xjtvch_HozdP2p7hvQy/s200/1903+bb.jpg" width="127" /></a>They experienced the first World Series (1903). Norman Rockwell painted moments of their lives that we <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Norman-Rockwell-World-Vintage-Inches/dp/B00CJW4YU4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">still remember</a> them by. The second wave of the Lost Generation would have, with small hands, colored with the very first Crayola crayons images of an unfolding modern world that seemed like wonderful things might be possible, at least at first....<br />
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As they came of age, if they did not lose someone they loved from the Balkan Wars (1912-13) or <a href="http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orangecountync/peeps/WWI/WWI.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WWI</a> (1914-18), they lost someone from the flu pandemic of 1918 which took away a substantial piece of the world's population and even shortened the Lost Generation's life expectancy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq-oiB2CtFAE-GE3j2GdCh3vr4phZyenRS6LFW13ZouS8dbW0GIcNED37h5oJViDNiHo9MDK3IZf7MeBQfAZCFDrSOiuzS4hWoIQ8Ym1Imxj4m5j4Vy4gD_xA8oZKD4GWUTeDpp58GMy7/s1600/IMG_20120823_195135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq-oiB2CtFAE-GE3j2GdCh3vr4phZyenRS6LFW13ZouS8dbW0GIcNED37h5oJViDNiHo9MDK3IZf7MeBQfAZCFDrSOiuzS4hWoIQ8Ym1Imxj4m5j4Vy4gD_xA8oZKD4GWUTeDpp58GMy7/s200/IMG_20120823_195135.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
WWI veterans came home to America, Britain, and other places to become disillusioned with a post-war society that did not always welcome them back. Many of them, including some of the most well-known Lost Gen writers, became expatriates and were known in France as Generation au Feu - the "Generation in Flames." For many, a war's impact on their body and psyche lasts a lifetime. And it goes far beyond that. I have seen that trauma get passed down through multiple generations. WWI soldiers felt a hatred for their leaders who had sent them into the trenches to die and this was, and is, a piece of the bigger picture of how each lost generation loses hope in leaders and institutions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzzfHioYp8Npgxke4fJ8P4BaSqb_ErfX50_aHmWSICWKWuJ6vdUT85TBVizfVZ5zs9wwiE6RnAaXI-ixbQEOEKQBHaaN5ockj6XJgqWQDOYcq5pHNsY5w1LpuY_UcGdIRABRi5lBZmu8Q/s1600/orphan+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="560" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzzfHioYp8Npgxke4fJ8P4BaSqb_ErfX50_aHmWSICWKWuJ6vdUT85TBVizfVZ5zs9wwiE6RnAaXI-ixbQEOEKQBHaaN5ockj6XJgqWQDOYcq5pHNsY5w1LpuY_UcGdIRABRi5lBZmu8Q/s400/orphan+train.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the early days of the Lost Generation, Russian Czars still ruled over snow-covered villages. Immigrants from around the world came in waves through Ellis Island as Orphan Trains transported children from poverty on big city streets of Eastern American cities across golden plains to farms in the Midwest. Some of those Lost Generation orphans found themselves in good families and some went through terrible abuse. Some of those orphans grew up to become well-known and successful, some eventually had to leave the Midwest Dust Bowl and head west once again to look for work during the Great Depression.<br />
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The Industrial Revolution's long, dark shadow was still casting itself across the poverty-stricken neighborhoods of cities in the Western world and many of the Lost Generation worked in factories as children and could not finish school. Yet, in their adulthood, many of them fought for public benefits, specifically those that were part of the <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/new-deal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Deal</a>, even knowing that most of them would never be the recipient of those benefits themselves. They had suffered enormously under the Great Depression, and didn't want future generations to experience this again. Any lost generation becomes the clear-eyed managers for the older generations ahead of them and the selfless protectors of the younger generations coming behind them.<br />
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The skyscraper became the icon of the Roaring Twenties, even while people lived in 'poor houses'. As teenagers and twenty-somethings, the Lost Generation built American railways and rebuilt San Francisco from the devastating 1906 earthquake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljaCAT6spl0ZXx8Xb1bDbGD91pIPWq_mSRfc42aYIWgF7bclnfwOTHY4i9fkRRcBKARAL1QiFJkGQCLIlfKcRcxsgdPS4rcfUz2C8J8_bS4gJ8UxHTUofNwiVC6mt_JI3WNzr-OUVzwqT/s1600/View+-+Hotel+Huntington.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljaCAT6spl0ZXx8Xb1bDbGD91pIPWq_mSRfc42aYIWgF7bclnfwOTHY4i9fkRRcBKARAL1QiFJkGQCLIlfKcRcxsgdPS4rcfUz2C8J8_bS4gJ8UxHTUofNwiVC6mt_JI3WNzr-OUVzwqT/s400/View+-+Hotel+Huntington.JPG" width="400" /></a>The Lost Generation bought their first radios to hear George Gershwin, Louis Armstrong and Irving Berlin gracing the sound waves. By the late 1920's they were gathering around their radios to listen to westerns, soap operas, and detective shows. In mid-life, they would have sat by those same radios to hear FDR's fireside chats.<br />
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While Al Capone and Mae West became household names, and speakeasies popped up in back alleys during Prohibition, and while the parties of the 1920's were known for being big, elaborate, and full of champagne, not everyone lived a life of the nouveau riche. Many people worked in sweat shots in 'valleys of ashes' or lived simple lives in small towns. If having fun during the Roaring Twenties was a response to WWI, then eventually living a life of simplicity with a disdain for over-indulgence became the Lost Generations' regretful response to the 1920's.<br />
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After a long struggle, women in the West filled out their first ballots (1920). Women like Golda Meir, Dorothy Parker and Virginia Wolfe began to find their voices. Flappers pushed the boundaries of social class, which ultimately paved the way for Gen X to be known as the first generation to exist outside of social class.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXyZ1gkWYRoH3my0nzcpiYqO4KH_bjRZG9RMjX0st8XNshMeCILf1CodBd_Whq1oqb5uPdcwK93EFtk9ZjmmVlXGpNMhJTnzkQxXB6xXNyfkdnvqJpvd_KCnYsYt8KKMLJPiNoY02xqr8/s1600/migrant+mother+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXyZ1gkWYRoH3my0nzcpiYqO4KH_bjRZG9RMjX0st8XNshMeCILf1CodBd_Whq1oqb5uPdcwK93EFtk9ZjmmVlXGpNMhJTnzkQxXB6xXNyfkdnvqJpvd_KCnYsYt8KKMLJPiNoY02xqr8/s200/migrant+mother+2.jpg" width="156" /></a>In the early years of the Lost Generation, the first Nobel prizes were given and society worked to push itself forward. All the while, as if a strange shadow of the Dark Ages still reached over them, they suffered in Hoovervilles, in TB clinics, in asylums. So many books have been written about their suffering and a thousand of their stories still wait to be told.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RE5v1aiNdoW6-GeHXgp3V5dco_nBeLL2debdM0oXPUMZDcbsuTGAwPKEH7o45C5DFz9cUL0m7dKeKX6_SawPTqRouAbo1r9yW-bBA43Z562HeeqwsqX8bT0xP_zLuTMjmHGzrZNFcIkw/s1600/vanity2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RE5v1aiNdoW6-GeHXgp3V5dco_nBeLL2debdM0oXPUMZDcbsuTGAwPKEH7o45C5DFz9cUL0m7dKeKX6_SawPTqRouAbo1r9yW-bBA43Z562HeeqwsqX8bT0xP_zLuTMjmHGzrZNFcIkw/s1600/vanity2.jpg" /></a>While many of them were born just as X-rays were invented, they eventually saw the first PCs making their way into their younger neighbors' homes. As the Lost Generation came of age, they experienced WWI and then the Roaring Twenties, followed by The Great Depression and WWII in their midlife. In their older years, they saw both the building <i>and </i>the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. While they watched Amelia Earhart fly solo over the Atlantic ocean in their youth, as their hair began to turn gray, they saw the first moon landing. <i>No wonder they were tired by the time we met them.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNdbfKQpGmu-5uPXf8BzhVi23Pc-nYgzW9AkWOFiURCxf-Ii5zWCdMAozezr7uW_z7azlIRWcoi14FWiadKIxT52ONjXYN-wCgZm9VYouPh965YULKvJImDLZVhrSA9hzykIY_UZ6RfwB/s1600/yellow+and+pink+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNdbfKQpGmu-5uPXf8BzhVi23Pc-nYgzW9AkWOFiURCxf-Ii5zWCdMAozezr7uW_z7azlIRWcoi14FWiadKIxT52ONjXYN-wCgZm9VYouPh965YULKvJImDLZVhrSA9hzykIY_UZ6RfwB/s200/yellow+and+pink+sunset.jpg" width="200" /></a>While I have been on a one year journey to find the Lost Generation and have written month-by-month of their lives, this has all just been a small slice of their experience. I have looked at their art deco furniture and their San Francisco skyscrapers. I have spent time with their writers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzfctYKU9JoqHdbRQoddgqB4Mzih1mYDzTCEZiHb_GJkA0uS97FuhsEreFRdsBD4e-gk3WaE6oRe1MjHhSkBxEpS8qyFAdc992ZJn24SZECVBOAPlQreIDmpnWOy2_GfWwHNDjEo237Hv/s1600/last+lost+Xmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1415" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzfctYKU9JoqHdbRQoddgqB4Mzih1mYDzTCEZiHb_GJkA0uS97FuhsEreFRdsBD4e-gk3WaE6oRe1MjHhSkBxEpS8qyFAdc992ZJn24SZECVBOAPlQreIDmpnWOy2_GfWwHNDjEo237Hv/s320/last+lost+Xmas.png" width="320" /></a> I have remembered those from the Lost Generation that I loved. As I began this journey a year ago, there was one last known Lost Generation soul still alive in the Western World named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Morano" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emma</a> and she passed away in Italy in April 2017. The Lost Generation soul who had the biggest impact on my life was also named <a href="https://genxpixels.blogspot.com/2017/02/finding-last-lost-generation-emma.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emma</a>, who had survived the Great Depression by leaving Oklahoma and going West, which is where I met her as a child. The last Lost Gen soul in America was the adorable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susannah_Mushatt_Jones" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susannah Mushatt Jones</a>. The oldest living Lost Gen man is <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5054977/Meet-world-s-oldest-living-person-probably.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Celino Jaramillo</a> in Chile, while the Olympics were held in Athens -- he is believed to be 121. I am in awe in of how much history he has experienced. The last Lost Generation woman now still alive is Nabi Tajima,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabi_Tajima" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nabi Tajima</a> born in 1899, the year of the first Hague Convention. I send her my respect and love over the Pacific from California to Japan. I can hardly imagine what memories she must hold in her heart and mind. She and Celino are the last known people in the world born in the 1800s. Here's to the wisdom and beauty of Nabi Tajima, here's to the amazing Lost Generation.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(c) 2017 all right reserved - writing by Chloe Koffas - all photos taken 1923 or before: fair use, other historic photos - public domain, newer photos by Chloe: Downtown San Francisco, Rockaway Beach, Oregon, Downtown Boise </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Generations</i>, William Strauss and Neil Howe (c) 1991</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(All other sources are linked to within the piece) </span><br />
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<br />Chloe Koffashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13194170147086045368noreply@blogger.com0