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Browse every published article connected to Vera Snow, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Vera Snow, or search within this exact expert archive.
It’s become more and more apparent to me lately that I’m a child of the 80's. I may have been born in the late 60's but my high school and college years spanned the full spectrum, 1981-1989. Not only do I remember the Reagan years as the “all about me” years but I can hear just about any 80's tune and know precisely where I was and who I was hanging out with at the time of it’s release.
This past week, I found myself on the road again. My family and I took an emergency road trip to my husband’s home town. Though, not a pleasant reason to travel, I suddenly remembered how much I like the actual process of traveling. When I was a kid, we traveled a lot My parents being from the Czech Republic, we went to Europe often. We also moved a bunch, four new houses in three different states by the time I was ten!
There’s a strange saying going around my house. Perhaps you may have heard it too? It sounds a bit whiny and even nasal at times. Often it’s followed by a gasp, annoyed intonation or a rolling of the eyes. Yes, you guessed it, it sounds like this: “But I don’t feel like it!”
I’ve had interesting discussions lately about the Chinese culture and how it compares to our own. First, a high school teacher and I approached our students by comparing and contrasting the education systems within the two countries. Our students seemed taken aback as we discussed how China has a tendency to lean toward “effort” versus some kind of innate intelligence or “giftedness” or privilege. Since an earlier group of students didn’t know who won the Civil War in our country, I thought this was a good topic to talk about.
This past weekend, my family and I had the pleasure of what Minnesotan’s lovingly call, “going up north!” Essentially, it means communing with nature either on the north shore of Lake Superior or in the North woods/Lakes area. It is also understood that what you experience up there is a profound secret only relevant to those who truly “get it!”
Last weekend marked the end of yet another season of basketball for my daughter. An unusually demanding season, I still found myself looking forward to not just watching her play but to cheer and gab with other parents. It started out as any other season except that I seemed much more emotionally involved regarding the outcome of each game. Not a competitive person by nature, I had my share of competitive tennis growing up. I remember enjoying the mantra of hitting and receiving the ball on my racket but very little interest in winning, or so I thought.r
Where’s the Connective Flow? With so many things shifting in our world today, it’s hard not to get carried away with political rhetoric, fear, anxiety, etc. So often, in times such as these, it’s easy to just want to control your own little piece of the world and micro-manage all that comes in contact with it. That’s how it’s been for me lately.
I first went to see Dr. P because I had a pain in my leg, now I go to him because he helps me pay attention to what my body says and needs. Let me explain.
I’m not big on schedules and structures, though I would like to be. I admire those who create their own schedules and stick to them as well as those who accept institutional structures that tell them where to be, what to do, when to show up and how long to stay. I, on the other hand, am one of those people who is often held hostage by my artistic temperament. In fact, I can quickly become resentful of any person or institution that tells me what to do or when to do it.
I don’t like to exercise! I mean, the thought of intentionally moving my body is so unappealing that I’d rather just forget the whole thing. As a youngster, I was quite athletic. In fact, in high school, I made the varsity tennis team as an incoming freshman! I guess, now, left to my own devices, I’d just much rather write at my computer or read a book.
Saw the movie Adjustment Bureau and liked it a lot! It made me think about all the times I forced myself to do something or accomplish something without my heart being truly in it. Like the many sales jobs I’ve had over the years and just didn’t believe in the product. It didn’t matter how much team building I did or how many product showcase events I attended, if I didn’t care, I just couldn’t sell it!r
My daughter has had a love affair with ball sports since any of us can remember. She’s tried dance, gymnastics, skating, swimming and even fencing but nothing seems to compare to her desire to hit, pass, chase or kick that ball! She’s not discriminating about the size of the ball either as long as she can interact with it in an all out aggressive way. This quiet, shy child of mine unleashes a beast-like energy whenever she competes for access to the ball at play.r
Last Friday, I attended something called the Spiritual Spa at the Carondelet Center in St. Paul. I was hoping to get some time to just relax, draw, journal, whatever. I ended up getting some of that and so much more Before lunch, we, the Spiritual Spa participants, were invited to collect ourselves in a room for a directed meditation by a nun from the Center. She told us about her idea of dusting off the old Beatitudes in the Bible and making them her own.