I was raised as a REAL learner. My earliest educational memories take me back to a two room schoolhouse nestled in a farming valley in the green mountains of Vermont Our small community of back to the landers was not dissimilar to Green School with an eclectic make up of free thinkers from all over world that valued authentic life experiences with a vision for the world. These are lucid memories. The teachers were standouts and I still remember their names and have vivid images of running through fields and jumping over streams during recess.
The teachers were standouts and I still remember their names and have vivid images of running through fields and jumping over streams during recess. Floyd Cone, Mark Sheryl and Janny Jacobs, you instilled me with a love for learning that lit my fire to make change as an educator. At my core are your lessons and you will always be in my heart and honor your work as educators.
Sustainable practices are truly at my core and at a young age I started volunteering with my father, a US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, to bring back the endangered New England Atlantic Salmon. My father was an inspiration and I latched onto his life lessons and philosophies about conservation. His fish hatchery was my second home and I grew up spawning, releasing and recapturing salmon to combat negligent human acts. Even in college I did extensive research on salmon habitat destruction due to deforestation and hydroelectric dams.
After a long career as a nurse, my mother as she enters a new life chapter, has found a fresh purpose and has taken to the front lines of politics. She ran a successful campaign that effectively banned the use of plastic bags in my hometown. She is now on a roll and continues to work on campaigns that support local positive change for the environment and social cause.
The people of Indonesia have a very silly side that that is fully revealed during Independence Day, known a Merdeka Day. The greasy pole is a real crowd pleaser where you stack people one on top of another until you reach the prizes that dangle some 25 feet above the ground. This was my first time doing it and if I have the chance to do it again not sure that I would choose to be the anchorman.
I am always looking for zany ways to enjoy life. About 10 years ago, I discovered a cheese rolling competition in my parents home town in Maine. It is an absolutely silly tradition that gives the family something to laugh about for the year and turn into exaggerated stories and fish tales. That said there are some big life take aways. There is the obvious fun, absolute silliness and reminder not to take life too seriously and rehashing the races witty strategies about my hypotenuse theory brings good cheer to the family. Recently, I have added the local New Year's Day Polar Bear Dip to the repertoire to bring a nice summer winter balance to the spirit of ridiculous fun.
