Monday MeMyBook&Eye: Geek Episode 1

Welcome to Geek Episode 1 of the MeMyBook&Eye solo book club. (Point-click your membership card to the left.) As you know from here and here, I’m reading Bringing Up Geeks by Marybeth Hicks. And, in case you didn’t know, geek is the new cool.

In just over 300 pages, Mrs. Hicks advocates an approach to parenting that rejects the “culture of cool” so prevalent in our society and advocates raising “genuine, enthusiastic, empowered kids.” And, from what I’ve read so far, it makes A LOT of sense.

“My goal with these ten geek strategies is to launch a child-rearing movement that promotes innocence over exploitation, substance over style, and genuine self esteem over superficial acceptance. I hope they inspire you toward your most courageous, effective, and satisfying parenting experience.” (pg. 24)

Eighty-something pages in and, yep, I’m inspired.

I had to laugh at Mrs. Hicks’ opening story about a fellow school mom who took great issue with Marybeth’s description of her own children as geeks. After the experience she said, “I trudged back to the van, all the while wondering why it was so important to that mom that my children be popular.” (pg. 2) Why, indeed? As the book makes the case, popularity today equals a sort of pseudo-adulthood. Knowledge equals popularity, being in the know (and often in the experience) about culture–what’s big in celebrities, movies, fashion, toys, girls and boys. In pondering (and deciphering) my notes, three thoughts from the opening chapter completely got me on board the geek train.

Popularity is learned by example.
The start of Bringing Up Geeks reminded me that although every person wants to be liked, children don’t come out defining popularity in terms of social culture. They learn the importance of popularity by example. In my mind, there is a clear distinction between the desire to be loved and the desire to be liked. The desire to be loved (which transcends popularity) is something we are born with. The desire to be liked is something different. Sadly, I think it’s often the parent’s ideas of what constitutes popularity that begin a child’s quest.

Even at my kids’ young ages, I see lots of parents rushing them through their innocence, rushing past Winnie the Pooh and Elmo, and on toward Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers. It’s not always easy to go against that flow. As Mrs. Hicks put it, “raising uncool kids takes effort.” (pg. 2) And, in my limited preschool experience, it’s not for the faint of heart.

Childhood is important.
“A geek is an empowered kid enjoying an innocent childhood.” (pg. 5) There is a normal process of maturity that culture often tries to circumvent. It rushes our children past preschool into some mini-size version of adolescence and then on to a pretend version of adulthood.

But, that process is short-sighted. It produces an artificial maturity without the true skills for wise choices. I want to think long-term with my boys and Baby Girl. I want to start raising them NOW to be the kind of grown-ups I’ll admire when the time comes–real, productive, powerful, compassionate adults, not a cheaper Hollywood version.

My kids are more than culture expects them to be.
Look around. Culture has set the bar so incredibly low for my children. They can’t be expected to behave. They can’t be expected to sit still. Asking them to speak and act with respect might hurt their tender feelings. They can’t learn when they’re in the “terrible twos.”

Wait a minute. My kids are better than that. They deserve better than that. As Mrs. Hicks reminded me, “I’m convinced our kids will meet us where we expect to find them.” (pg. 21) I want to expect more than what culture tells me I can. And to do that, I have to be even more relentless than culture is. The time and energy I neglect to spend in protecting their childhoods will be quickly filled by a culture that is relentless in pursuing and having its way with my kids.

Uh uh. Not on my watch.

Needless to say, I am completely inspired to master culture in the life of my family, rather than be mastered by it. I’m resolved to be my kids’ champion by raising my level of expectations beyond what culture says is important and acceptable. Because I believe my children can accomplish more.

Thanks, Marybeth! Stay tuned for MeMyBook&Eye Geek Episode 2. It’s thoughts on raising a “brainiac” and a sheltered kid–GEEK rules #1 and 2.

*Updated: Read Geek Episode 2

Read Vicariously: Introducing Me, MyBook & Eye

It’s a win-win situation. I’m starting something new today–actually two things: 1) a book; and 2) a book club, sort of.

That’s me up there with the new book of choice, Bringing Up Geeks.  Author Marybeth Hicks graciously gave me the opportunity to review it for EyeJunkie readers, and I’m very excited to oblige. I’ve heard lots of buzz about this book, and I love Marybeth’s no-nonsense/make-sense writing.  I couldn’t wait to rip open the envelope and flip through it, sharing quick quotes with Hub–one about Target and hell jumped out.  (More about that later.)  I’ve only read about 3 pages into the introduction and already I have a couple of “you tell it, sisters” in the hopper.  I think this one is going to warrant a little more than one post, and more than a few conversations.  Since my reading is most often done in the wee hours, however, I have a feeling that my conversations are going to be with myself, BuddytheCat, and well… you.  Which brings me to item #2.

That’s the solo “book club” I’m starting over there at the left:  MeMyBook&Eye. I’ve always been interested in the concept of book clubs.  It takes me back to my first pseudo-reading club experiences in the elementary and middle school program, “Junior Great Books“.  We read short stories and book excerpts and discussed them in a much smaller “class” environment with desks all pulled into a circle.  I remember reading Flannery O’Connor’s The Lottery in 5th or 6th grade and expressing the jarring effect of her scenario.  Great Books was a place where we were actually encouraged to make notations in our books, to circle words we didn’t understand and to jot questions in the margin. Thus began a thinking girl’s discussion of books.

Unfortunately, the concept of book clubs forces me to read on a schedule, which I’m not good at anymore. It forces me to be able to read and decipher my notes well after writing them–another thing I’m not good at anymore.  Plus, I don’t think they have book clubs at 11pm when I might be willing to take time away from eating and playing with my kids. So, I’ve decided to start my own, sans most of the pesky accountability–if going solo (in the non-virtual sense) can be considered a club.  It’s me, my book of the moment and EyeJunkie in a little reading lovefest.  And, since my lovefest is more of a love/hate kind of thing depending on the current contents of my purse, schedule and brain, the MeMyBook&Eye club is also an entirely self-centered attempt to guilt myself into taking less than three years to read a really good non-fiction book. I said it was sans most of the accountability.

I’m looking at this as a great way to record my thoughts on a book as I’m reading it rather than waiting to the end when the nuances are lost in overview.  And, even if you don’t like to read, you can do it vicariously through me with just a click in your RSS feed [hint!].  It’ll be almost like flipping the pages yourself.

If you’re interested in reading vicariously through me, we make it easy here at EyeJunkie.  No attendance record and no dues required. Just scroll back up and point-clicky to grab the membership card for yourself. Drop it on your blog, email it to yourself or print and carry it in your wallet–just to remind you of me and the book I’m we’re reading.   Oh, and if you want to read with me actually instead of vicariously, pull up a comment and stay awhile.

Coming soon… Bringing Up Geeks, episode 1.

MIPOTW: The Story

I’m either late on last week’s Most Interesting Phrase of the Week or early on this week’s.  We’ll see which one as the week progresses.  Either way, I was so pleased to read this USA Today interview with Eric Carle about the 40th anniversary of his classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  We have the board book version, and it’s a favorite at bedtime and lots of other times.  Mr. Carle gives a great account of how the book was originally conceived and how he finally settled on the main character.  He’s just published a “pop-up” version of the book to commemorate the anniversary, and I can’t wait to get it.  Its interactive quality reminded him of “computers” which prompted this quote:

“I know things change,” he says. “I like to hold books and touch them. But in the future, who knows? When they invented papyrus, someone probably said, ‘Storytelling was so good. Why did we have to go and put it on papyrus?’ But one thing doesn’t change. It’s the story that counts.”

Junkspiration: First Day of Spring

The first day of Spring.  It’s official, at least by the calendar’s estimation.  And, the few flirtations with warm weather we’ve had here in Mississippi assure me that soon the weatherman may not be too far out of the loop on the change of seasons.  Spring brings an inescapable feeling of newness.  As the earth reawakens and brown blades and bark give way to green, I find my spirit renewing as well.  Just the introduction of a little more color in the landscape makes me crave more. New life is inspiring.

So, aside from the calendar and temperatures above 60, what’s inspiring me to think Spring these days? Try this Junkspiration collage of ten on for size–purchases, old favorites, colors, designs.

1.  I bought these placemats at Wal-Mart because I loved the colors and chunky woven texture.  We’ve taken a break from placemats for a while, so when I put them on the table everyone was excited (yes, placemats and toddlers can co-exist). They brought my rustic table made from old rescued floorboards to a whole new level.  Spring green, and turquoise, with a touch of red, orange and chocolate.  I’m sure those colors will show up in some design work over the next few months.

2. Bodoni Ornaments–my favorite font of old-style printer’s ornaments.  They are a wonderful design punctuation.

3.  Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White’s tale of a Spring pig and his eight-legged friend, was first published in 1952.  I was prompted to pull out my 1973 ragged paperback copy after several viewings of the stunning movie version featuring Julia Roberts as Charlotte that we bought my gifts for Valentine’s Day.  Garth Williams’ illustrations are timeless and I love that the turquoise dye on the page ends still hasn’t worn off. White’s story is aptly capped off by this statement:

“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

4.  Vladimir Script–a lovely calligraphic font that’s not too frilly

5.  I love this guy!  He’s the bumblebee that came to Frog and Miss Mouse’s nuptials with “a banjo buckled on his knee” inspiring a “nimble flea to dance a jig.”  Feodor Rojankovky provided the picture for John Langstaff’s Frog Went A-Courtin’ which one a Caldecott Medal in 1955.  Nothing like a Spring wedding!  And, Little Drummer Boy especially likes it when I sing a few bars after the reading is done.

6.  From Robert Frost’s account of the season’s rite of passage “Putting in the Seed”:

You come to fetch me from my work tonight
When supper’s on the table, and we’ll see
If I can leave off burying the white
Soft petals fallen from the apple tree
(Soft petals, yes, but not so barren quite,
Mingled with these, smooth bean and wrinkled pea),
And go along with you ere you lose sight
Of what you came for and become like me,
Slave to a springtime passion for the earth.
How Love burns through the Putting in the Seed
On through the watching for that early birth
When, just as the soil tarnishes with weed,
The sturdy seedling with arched body comes
Shouldering its way and shedding the earth crumbs.

7. Fine floral engraving from a book of reproducible versions we have at work.  The drawings from a multitude of disciplines are an endless source of wonder.

8. This nest and a single egg was a logo development rejection for one of my financial company clients a few year’s ago (the nestegg gave way to an illustration of her trademark dog breed), but I’ve always loved it.  The nest is more alive with three eggs of “robin’s egg” hue.

9. A lovely hyacinth blossom from the recycled gray-brown pot of bulbs I also purchased on my spring-inspired Wal-Mart jaunt.  Vibrant with a multi-colored cloth belt from my college years tied around it. It’s purple and sweet smell are the unmistakable cues of Spring.

10. Cotton pastel pink and turquoise and chocolate dots for my Baby Girl pea pot soft spot–her first Spring in a continuous string of firsts.

Welcome, Spring! God’s yearly reminder of life and growth and creativity is here again!

MIPOTW: Magpie?

Yeah, this is clearly a case of acronym gone awry:  
Most Interesting Phrase of the Week (MIPOTW)
But, it is accurate and I’m intrigued by the possible pronunciation:
mi-POT-wuh  
Sounds like some sort of Native American sacred greeting or maybe a healthy afternoon snack? (another digression)

Anyway, phrases sometimes jump out and grab me, jiggle me up and down and make me chuckle and/or throw things as the case may be.  So, I thought it would be fun to share, as I am prone to do.  And, might possibly do on a regular basis.

This week’s phrase comes from my current mystery, The Body on the Beach, by Simon Brett (pg 70):

“The room was like the nest of a kleptomaniac magpie.”

Mental picture anyone?

[Very incidentally, Wikipedia tells me that the English magpie is the only non-mammal species that can recognize itself in the mirror.  That one's for free.]