Shari Della Penna
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"Small acts of kindness can change and humanise our world."
   Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks 1948-2020
   ​Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, 1991-2020
                         Author, Advocate, Advisor

Call to Order

4/24/2018

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     Later that same day in gym class, Coach Caterpillar decided to start the year with a weight-lifting competition to test everyone’s strength. Eugene knew he wouldn’t be the strongest bug in class, but he hoped to be somewhere in the middle where he could blend in and go unnoticed.
 
                         from: Super Fly: The World’s Smallest Superhero!
                                      by Todd H. Doodler (AKA Todd Goldman)
                                           Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2015
 
       I like predictability. I like days when I can stay in my pjs. I like my 5 on a 10-scale life. Is something wrong with that? I don’t think so, but everywhere you turn, there is another superhero to emulate.
       Some people love the spotlight. Some people like to be in charge. Some people enjoy making decisions. And some people like to blend in and go unnoticed.
       Now, don’t get me wrong. I am probably not an extremely boring person. But I’m not adventurous, either. I like to read and talk with interesting people. I like to think up new ideas of my own. But I enjoy quiet days when I can watch my flowers grow.
       I remember one time my mom and dad were getting ready for parent-teacher conferences. I was in third grade and having a difficult time. I asked my mom if she could please tell my teacher that I didn’t like it when our days were out of order. She always taught all the subjects, but sometimes we had math first, sometimes reading, and sometimes something else. My mom told me she’d bring it up. Well, she must have, because my teacher (who was a good teacher) announced a schedule the next morning. And she stuck to it. I don’t think I was the only third-grader who felt relieved.
       I like order but I’ve been struggling with it since I retired several years ago. Even though my work schedule varied from day to day and week to week, I knew ahead of time whether I worked morning or evening. I could plan. Now, seems like if I manage to get a plan in mind, and I’ve planned my days (in my mind) many, many times, something worms in (maybe I invite it) to re-order or refocus my intentions.
       When I worked, I never used a calendar for my personal life. I went to work, I came home and if something out of the ordinary came up, I could remember it. Now, every day is unlike the one before. No day is ordinary. I feel like I’m back in third grade! I know part of the problem is my distractibility. My wish to do something productive is usually fighting with my real knack for putting off doing that productive thing until tomorrow.
       Predictability and order may be two sides of the same coin. Motivation can conquer fear disguised as laziness. Internal drive can conquer the desire to smell the roses that someone else planted. I guess the real questions are: What is important? and How do I show I care? Or maybe too much thinking is my biggest distraction.
       Just Do It! will be my mantra this week.      
 
My new favorite book (for grown-ups) is The Story of Arthur Truluv
by Elizabeth Berg.
(Random House, 2017)
                                                                   --stay curious!
        
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         I'm a children's writer and poet intent on observing the world and nurturing those I find in my small space .

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