Roy’s Sunday Letter for September 2, 2023
- Trader Joe’s has employed a hearing-impaired checker in their FW store. He reads lips and uses gestures to affirm or answer a question on a purchase. This is one more step forward from a retail store that has pledged not to implement self-check-out.
** Netflix Movie Recommendation: Mr. Church — Eddie Murphy — Dramatic role, not comedy. Mr. Church becomes the cook for a young family, and then a guide over decades. The young daughter grows into adulthood and (the always there) Mr. Church ages as well. Excellent script.
- President Biden has been criticized for how he goes down the steep stairway of Air Force One. I will tell all, I wouldn’t make it halfway down before tumbling to the bottom step. If all who criticize could magically be 78 – 82 each would join me in the tumble.
** Mini Interview: Edith, 81, told me her granddaughter said, she was on her phone more than the granddaughter. With family no longer local, her phone and Face Time are her primary connection. Recently Edith went outside her neighborhood to see a friend near the DFW airport. She got lost and was fearful. The phone GPS got her on a road, she knew and then home. “My phone and I are life partners,” Edith said.
- TCU’s quarterly magazine has an amazing article from TCU’s Race & Reconciliation Initiative, “Forgotten No More.” The painful truths of race, N-words, in cartoons, newspapers, and annuals of TCU’s first half-century. Faculty did not take corrective actions in those days. The Chancellor, along with a diverse faculty, spoke of the importance of knowing our history as TCU moves into its future.
SUNDAY QUOTE: “We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” Richard Rohr
** The Heat Dome is still here, although 99 – 101 less searing that weeks of 110 – 111. The challenge of keeping spirits up while being physically drained and heat forced to an interior life has made a 95-degree day all smiles and joy.
- The new Superintendent of Houston public schools has terminated staff at 28 school libraries. These learning centers/libraries will be “repurposed to Detention Centers for students violating school policies and are to have their behavior corrected in these centers.” In my youth school libraries, and then community libraries, were friendly and safe places. This structural change, I believe, can have long-term consequences of a life-time of books, learning, and resource centers we call libraries.
I continue to remix my Doing and Being life. Each of you who read and comment, help me know the best path and right decisions. We Do and Be together.
Roy, Writer Guy
You cover such a great variety of interesting subjects in your Sunday missle. Thanks Roy for your sensitivity to all things human and other species of God’s creation. Hugs
You are gracious with your ongoing comments about SL and other writings.
I am hard at it to submit writing on what happened to our world to the TWU student publication Aries. Due Sept.
Best to you both…..Roy
Good morning Roy, you hit so many items this morning I know you are feeling lighter with the cooler temperatures. I am trying to adjust to not only higher temps, but more humidity, and air pollution that is not available in the mountains. I have not had a chance to read my TCU Journal I am still trying to figure out where all the stuff in my suitcases goes. But I will sit down to study the article you mentioned. Have a great week.
Take adjustment time needed ….and remember the best of days with Leslie, mountains, and better/healthier air quality.
We 3 will regroup as best for you. And, go glad you had another CO experience…..Roy
I agree with the other Frank! I will expand on the TCU magazine. When it arrived, I glanced at it and said this is going to take some time. After reading it a couple of weeks ago I told Cheryl that there is something wrong with the literary world if this magazine edition doesn’t get some major awards. You summed it up perfectly. There is a history full of growing into a super fine institution by acknowledging its past and learning from it. Proud to be a Frog, and a Ram!
Keep up the good work of reminding us of such important topics.
The Publisher took on a tough institutional topic….and did so in the best of ways. Most churches, civic clubs no doubt have similar history as well.
Beth has a call into the Editor/Publisher to express appreciation. TWU quarterly also high quality. A recent issue on Poly honest and partnering.
We continue on….Roy
Dear Roy,
This move to create more detention in hopes that punishment will take on a new role in creating service and community involvement—the making of productive, happy citizenry is so distressing to me. Libraries, books the food that nurtures our brains and provides thought-provoking inquiry, or moments of beauty. I am sharing a link from our ADW newsletter about our folks in Flagstaff who are make new maps for young people. The article was written by the Director. We need more of this, and less closing of libraries and banning books. Passionately preserving books and libraries! And helping young people navigate their turbulent world. Love you, Linda M https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c4bad68266c07eca81e69e9/t/6489d66dd6e05514b82159b3/1686754926988/SPRING_2023_ADW_Newsletter+DIGITAL+VERSION.pdf
Well written, along with the link.
Weary of white guys….Weary of schools replacing Counselors with want a be “chaplains.”
We keep doing what we do inspite of all other realities……we carry our own reality, values, to the table.
Roy
Saw a TV interview about the Houston Schools’ decision to abandon libraries (and librarians!) and turn them into detention centers. That’s thievery against a child’s dreaming and exploring what fascinates !
Indeed,, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.”
Fully agree. The school library got on me on the path to read Hardy Box and more. My safe place. Then to the more scary downtown library (the only one then)
He is bringing us with him to break trust with kids and educators. And, broken trust is more than a band aid to repair.
Roy