Word Play

I’ve been fooling around with some of those little word magnets. You know the ones that you’re supposed to arrange into poetry on your refrigerator? I’m calling mine “Motivational Kitchen Counter Poetry.” Since my refrigerator has no space, arranging them on the counter is much easier. And, I’m forced to look at them everyday because they’re in my way.

Susan helped me get it started a couple of months ago when we broke apart a panel of motivational words from a conference I attended years ago. We hoped that arranging them would give us some insight into our psyches after a conversation about our families. It’s funny that I’ve been so intrigued by it because I’ve “hated” poetry for many years now. It hasn’t always been that way. I even wrote a bit of it when I was a young, disturbed teenager — and left it behind when I left my husband in my late 30s.

While I haven’t revealed my psyche (or have I?), the intrigue has apparently penetrated it. A poem that cracked me up all day, just popped into my head when I started my usual Saturday routine of listening to my favorite NPR programs. The anticipation of the Listener Limerick Challenge and the weeks experience with “counter words” combined into this:

Saturday Sounds on the Hill

Wait wait…don’t tell me!
Whad’Ya Know?
There’s Car Talk
in This American Life

It’s still making me chuckle. If you’re a Michigan Radio listener, you might be too. If you’re not, it probably doesn’t make any sense at all.

Confined to “motivational” words, I came up with two poems. They started on the counter and have moved to my refrigerator now. They’re not works of art, but I had fun looking at the limited choices and putting something together that has nothing to do with “success,” “determination” or “110%.” (Or DO they!?)

Chance Victory of Great Difference

Every reach for the dream is
opportunity to change
up your limit
give your destination at the sky


What Purpose Love?

Never give my heart limit
don't believe life
dare imagine a strength you expect —
find fullest dreams together

That was my creative spurt for the week. I think all the sunshine is getting to me. Yay sunshine!

Petey Greene

I always think of Petey Greene as being from Detroit. Maybe it's because I grew up in the 60s and remember all the energy and change that took place during that time — across the country and Michigan. Petey Greene was not from Detroit, he was from Washington, D.C. And I have to say, nine minutes into the Independent Lens presentation of ADJUST YOUR COLOR: The Truth of Petey Green, "Talk to Me" with Don Cheadle didn't even begin to tell this story!

This is great timing for me after two-and-a-half days of anti-racism training. First, let's think about how people in Washington, D.C. do not have a true voice in our government. (They do not vote for representatives of Congress, but instead have a NON-VOTING delegate). Petey wanted to talk to his fellow D.C. citizens. He gave them a voice when theirs was non-existent.

And, his voice was so important! He changed media in a profound way. He started in radio, then moved to cable access (need a link here about how it's funded and why it's important — more likely a whole new entry!). Howard Stern did "black-face" on his show while Petey called him an ignorant cracker, and yes, he used other offensive language, but it was (and still is) an offensive time. It was honest. It changed things. He started a conversation about race, and our history, through observations of the chaos of his time.

Go Petey — wish you were still here with us. I'm thankful for your awesome break-through — just wish your TRUE American story was still widely told. Maybe it will make a comeback and help a new generation of people talk with each other about their history. It's 40+ years past time to start that conversation again.

First After Second

This should have been my first post, not my third. The one that tells you right away that I am not a writer. I struggle with how to arrange words and thoughts into cohesive sentences. I can't spell, I suck at grammar, and my knowledge of punctuation is very limited. It's very hard work!

I've been working on a — rant/letter/viewpoint/blog — about the switch to digital TV. I refuse to pay for television and so I'm one of millions that will be screwed over when the switch happens. I'm pretty pissed-off about it and I'm trying to articulate the reasons why — and at the same time educate the — public/congress/the President/family/friends — about why.

But, I've written, re-written, added, subtracted, rearranged and mixed it up, and still can't get it to come out simple and powerful. Maybe I need to take my emotion out of it. I'm not sure, but I don't think the blog is going to be something I find myself posting to very often. Writing in my journal is more satisfying (I love the act of writing long-hand), and I don't have to worry about whether or not my audience understands it!

Cities Green Light on Traffic-Signal Deal is No Deal for Taxpayers

I read with interest an article in the 01.06.09 Gazette about the maintenance contract for traffic lights in the city. I was hoping to learn Kalamazoo was following the lead of other cities across the United States and replacing the incandescent signal bulbs with light emitting diode (LED) units. I was disappointed to see the reporter did not ask this question of our traffic engineer Mr. Abbas.

It’s an excellent question when you learn how much money LED’s can save a city. I had raised the issue with of one of the Gazette editors when I read an article this summer about the City purchasing new traffic signals. And, while I think we have an excellent city council, none of them asked the question either before approving this contract. So, my question has yet to be asked, let alone answered.

Maybe it’s the PBS programming I watch that makes me an informed citizen and want to investigate what MY city is doing. Everything I’ve seen and read about LED traffic lights tells me it’s great way to save considerable amounts of money in maintenance costs, and even more in energy costs. And as a bonus they reduce our carbon footprint!

A majority of U.S. cities are in the process of replacing the old energy wasting incandescent bulbs with LED’s in their traffic signals because they are a better choice for numerous reasons. First, they last for years instead of months (most of the $100,000 a year to maintain 90 traffic signals in Kalamazoo is in changing the bulbs). Secondly, they are brighter than the old-fashioned bulbs — especially helpful on foggy days. Thirdly — and best of all — they can save up to 80% in energy cost — and taxpayer dollars.

The bulbs can be switched out with minor modifications, so the signals themselves wouldn’t need to be replaced. So, I’m still asking the question: why is Kalamazoo in the dark about LED traffic lights?

If you want to learn more, visit NOW on PBS, watch a clip from Orlando, or visit How Stuff Works.

The View is Very Snowy!

I created this blog over a year ago as practice for one I needed to create for work. Well, I learned by doing — while I worked. I never did get back to this. I have a journal — what was I going to write on-line for the world to see?

Then I was a part of the Kalamazoo Gazette's Reader's Panel. I thought it would be a great opportunity to be "heard" by the editorial staff. But, my voice was not 60+ years old and conservative, so I didn't always feel comfortable voicing my opinions.

Sometime during the end of that experience I decided I would use this blog to create my own "Read & React" to the articles in the Gazette. I hadn't gotten started on that until today when I was inspired by my dear friend who has moved to the other side of the state.

She is truly inspiring in her creativity — a TRUE artist in everything she does — writing, sculpture, photography (looking for love and romance!) and now blogging! Her work always amazes me. Thanks hilarywho for all the inspiration over the years, and the kick in the butt I needed to get going on this. I may find it's too much to keep up with, but it seems like a fun way to express my own opinions about what is happening in Kalamazoo. (Gives a whole new meaning to self-publishing, doesn't it!?)

The View today is amazing! Over a foot of snow between Friday and Saturday. It is beautiful. It reminds me of the winters we had when I was a kid and makes me want to go out and play in it! Especially since I didn't have to shovel it all out of the driveway. I have a wonderful neighbor with a big snow-blower that takes care of me when it snows like this. It is STILL coming down, so I'm sure I'll be out there shoveling before the day is over.

I haven't read the paper yet, but I do have a couple of posts I want to add from last week. The Gazette has created a new "Read & React", though it seems that posting here is just as likely to be read.