Two summers ago I went to Mystic, Connecticut. We visited the Mystic Seaport which is a port with museums, fun activities, and whaling boats! As I come to the nautical part of my book I am brought back to Mystic Seaport for some nautical knowledge. I came across Captain George Comer, who was a foster kid! and Captain, (first set sail at age 17), and anthropologist (extensively studied the Inuit!) All three fit my book.
Some of the amazing statistics Comer accumulated during his 14 Arctic voyages:
Typical voyage length: 27 months
Total time away from home, 1875-1919: 23 years
Number of surviving journals and notebooks: 30
Number of photographs taken: 300
Number of sound recordings made: 65
Number of Inuit artifacts collected for museums: 4,000
Number of plaster life masks made: 300
Close calls: 2 shipwrecks, 2 near-drownings and 1 attempted shooting
Details about the schooner Era's voyage to Hudson Bay, 1903-05:
Number of crew members: 20
In pounds, amount of bread brought along: 21,803
In pounds, amount of coffee brought along: 1,900
In pounds, amount of sugar brought along: 1,982
In Fahrenheit, coldest temperature registered during their stay in Hudson Bay: -53 degrees
In feet, thickness of ice measured: 6' 3"
Another helpful site is this one I came across early one morning. The Bounty Blog that follow Tall Ship Bounty on an adventure sailing this summer along the East coast from Florida, above Nova Scotia.
Animals are instinctual. A dog does not look at a squirrel and think...should I chase it? Should I stay on the leash with my owner? Or a cat doesn't think...I shouldn't hiss, that wouldn't be nice. He can be trained to stay next to his owner, but that is training. Animals DO NOT deliberate in their mind what they are going to do. This is something only humans can do.
We, humans, have choices. We can use our minds to make up something in our head. We can believe that something exist that isn't there, for example, God. However, even that sentence would be offensive to those that believe in God because in their mind, GOD DOES EXIST. Or, vise verse, we can believe something didn't happen when it did. We can make up our own mind.
Protestors, for example, like to change peoples minds. They think ALL people should think they they do. OR they believe that they can change peoples minds. OR for people that haven't made up their minds, they persuade them to believe the same as they do.
Others that try to change your mind and do not value your opinion, thoughts, or perceptions are abusing your mind. Your mind is yours. If you talk about something that isn't there, people can have empathy for you, but they should not devalue your mind. They do not convince you're wrong. This would be a form of abuse. They are attempting to control what you think.
We can change our mind. We are never forced to do drugs. It is not instinctual to be addicted. Addiction is an illness, but we still have a choice if we want help.
The MIND is fascinating. We change it when ever we want. We believe what we want or We believe what we don't want.
The most WONDERFUL thing about being human is that WE CAN CHANGE OUR MIND!
Why feel bad about canceling the wedding the day before, it is the most inherited right from above, to CHANGE OUR MIND.
Some people get upset when people change their mind! IT IS OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR MIND. If humans decide they don't want to do something they just change their mind. Some people do this frequently. But I have never met anyone that likes to change their mind. It is seen as a negative thing. As if, the person didn't know better. They were ignorant. Changing your mind may mean you were enlightened or deceived. If it is the latter, change your mind again. DON'T FEEL OBLIGATED!
And children will hold you to your word if you said you would take them to the park. But, explain this: I can change my mind. Because children need to understand that it is OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR MIND.
The mind can also block unwanted memories. This a protection for humans. The mind can exaggerate things. This is fascinating. Just as in the Movie "A Beautiful Mind". He believed things were happening and no body could just say to him, this isn't real. He believed it. It was an illness, but his mind saw and heard things that were not real. A child can believe what they want.
No body can make you believe something that you don't want to. No one can take away your beliefs as true or false as the may be. People can talk to you for hours, and try to change your mind, but it won't happen unless you choose. I can decide to like someone or not. You can't change my mind. It is wonderful to have control over this.
This is why I love our minds. People can try to control your mind. But, people ultimately have control over their minds. Someone can talk to you until they are blue in the face. Someone can make you repeat phrases or say things you don't mean....But you still believe what you want to believe. They can't see your mind. You and only you can know what you believe. The MIND is fascinating.
So, if you are ever worried about changing your mind....don't be. It is your inherent right to change your mind. You are not an instinctual animal.
Here is a link to the April- June 2014 Issue of Skipping Stones- A Multicultural Literary Magazine.
Erman was a proud contributor (his Apache words) on the story that I wrote about the Disappearing Language of the Apache People on the reservation. They are slowly losing their language as the newer generations do not teach it to their children.
And this is food for thought. My niece was in a store and over heard to white woman discussing the Natives in Arizona. This is what she heard them saying. Although it was true, I feel it was said with the utmost disrespect.
Something that was being discussed right in front of me 😒.
"Of all the adversities the Natives went through, they are still here and that was their main goal right? just to exist and show the government they can't kill them off that easy? and wasn't the governments main purpose to kill the culture, keep the individual? that my friend is happening now. How many Native Americans still practice their tradition on a daily basis? How many speak the language that makes them who they are? Not many. The traditions that were once sacred are now being treated as events or festivities and money has to be present in order for people to show up or host. That is not what those practices were intended for. Their language is basically history and no one follows old traditions. Times are changing and so are the people. Many natives think their own culture is wrong and many don't want to learn their language or keep it alive. This new generation of natives will be the proof that the government won. Their language is dying along side the traditions not many practice. Soon they will be a bunch of English speaking, treating their traditions as history, fully transitioned Americans, and that my friend was calvary and the governments goal."
Whol FhayeA huge topic and platform to cover, it is said also some tribes are consider putting in the agenda that future generations will only be considered enrollment if parents are married bcuz of many kids are born to parents that are unmarried. I wonder how that will play out??? Jus something I heard
Paula IvinsWhat's sad about it is that they introduced Alcohol & Drugs to help in killing the values of our traditions, keep them drunk & incompetent to keep them from thinking straight.. Prayer & Faith is what well help in restoring what we can and know to be True.. A good topic to bring up to a Candidate Atiana A Jay.. ❤️
What about boys...24 out of 44 U.S. Presidents were first borns. 21 out of 23 Astronauts were first born sons. One reason first borns are so success full....
according to wise geeks...... "because oldest children tend to be given more responsibilities, such as babysitting their siblings, which might translate into the older children becoming comfortable with being leaders. First-born children might also have more confidence because they do not have to share attention with others as much during the first years of their lives, and their milestones are often more celebrated because they are the first in the family."
I went to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon this month with my beloved husband. He is the one that pesters me, laughs at me, makes fun of me, makes me the pun of his jokes, and believe it or not, loves me. He has taught me to laugh about the small things and I have taught him to laugh at the big things. We each deal with problems in our own way. I could name all my big problems for you, but you have your own to forget about. We move on, past our problems, but we don't forget them.
Antelope Canyon
Page, AZ
Our problems, progression, mistakes, pains, joys, and gifts, are all engraved on each of us. Each one is like a layer in the Grand Canyon. It took years to get all those beautiful layers of rock, silt, dirt, and minerals. Some layers are thicker than others. Some are thin. Some even have little pebbles embedded in the layer, like the scars we carry with us. And after each layer water would come and wash in a new layer. I would be baptized with rejuvenated hope. And then, the water would dry up again and leave another layer. Each time another problem would come, I would blame my creator. Why? Why me? The layer would dry eventually leaving another bed of dried rock to carry on top of the others. Then the rocks crashed against each other and some were raised and others went deeper into the earth forgotten and out of sight. The ones that raised above the earth reached for the sky and revealed their layers. People would come an look at these rocks and behold their beauty. All those layers revealed her secrets, yet it was beautiful.
Then the sandstone that filled the crevasses, the years of no joy, no learning, no pains, were washed away by the rushing water. We must have those years of no joy, to see the joy. We must have the years of pain, to enjoy the years of no pain. No layer is more important than another. They all work magnificently to create a breathtaking view. Now thousands of people love to visit these Canyons and see her years of creation. It was the time that created her, and it will be time that creates our beautiful life. We must stick through the tough time and see that there will be beauty to behold.
Grand Canyon
Arizona
South Rim
I think back to my young life at 17. I got pregnant and married. I remember times when I would go pick up my child from kindergarten and some moms would not talk to me because I was so young. I could feel people look at me with pity, "That poor girl is already pregnant. She will never get to enjoy life. Her marriage is doomed. Her poor child." The women that sought out different things in life only pitied me. "Your not old enough to have a 10 year old! How old are you?" (I still hear this!) Your not old enough to have a son that's married! I have already prepared myself for, "You're not old enough to be a grandma!" I will say, "Oh dear! Enlighten me on the age requirement. And what is the age requirement for having a doltish tongue?"
Then there were the ones that didn't judge me for those social standards the world set. They saw a girl wanting what was best for her child and marriage. They saw a young girl, but one that was determined. I just used my "handicaps" to weed out the women that abhorred me. It was easy to like me or hate me. Those that didn't see my life as pitiful became my friends. I was fortunate to find some wonderful friends. I have never regretted having children young. Infact, in third grade I said I wanted 100 kids. I have since changed my mind. I may have different layers in my life that create a different canyon. That is the beauty of it, we all have different lives. I was fortunate that I couldn't hide my differences (becoming pregnant at 17), but some people try to hide their differences from society. Don't hide it. Use it. Show your layers.
If you suffer from a mental illness, don't be embarrassed.
If you have a medical diagnosis, don't hide it.
If you made a mistake, own it.
If you lost, congratulate the winner.
If you failed, wipe off your knees and try again.
I love myself!
(FICTION)
When I was 5 and learning to ride a bike I would fall. "Get up, get up. Try again." I learned to ride the bike in 3 days.
I NEVER heard, "How come you fell off!? Don't you know you have to keep peddling!"
Then I turned 11 and tried smoking with my friends. "What were you thinking!" I learned to hide my mistakes.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You can try again at this game called life. Get back up and try again. Tomorrow is another day."
Then I was 15 and watched some porn. "You are going to be a sex addict and never understand relationships." I learned to hide my curiosity.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "You may have curiosity, but this is addictive. Try again tomorrow and keep peddling through life."
Then I was 17 and became pregnant. Silence. Sadness. I learned to regret my life.
INSTEAD, I needed to hear, "keep peddling in this game we call life. This will one day make a beautiful layer in your life if you let it."
Now I'm 22 and have 3 kids. I tell them for every mistake they make, to get back up and try again. We all have to keep trying. We make mistakes, we fall down. We don't master being a teenager in a week. We need encouragement to get back up and try again. We don't master motherhood in a year. We must try again. Masters were not created in a month. It takes years. Just as a canyons take years. And we may not ever master it, because we are ALL always learning.
I wonder if people know how to love. If they can't love, where did they learn to not love?
What makes you LOVE? Who taught you to love? Who gave you the security to put you heart out there and love other people?
Love is a decision.
First, we choose not to love when we say we can't love. Love takes effort and continual fighting for.
Falling in Love usually includes a denominator of sexual passion. This is a kind of love, but not the kind that we should continue. (The Road Less Traveled.) But, let's admit it, passion is a plus.
Then there is the love that comes when we have kids. This is the kind most people think comes naturally, but if we haven't learned to love, the kids can really end up screwed up!
Then adopting. Some people know they can't ever adopt because they just wouldn't love the child the same as their own. (not my words). I have heard it said before this way, "if my house was burning I would grab my own kids first, then the others." TERRIBLE.
Then kids learn to love their parents and siblings from watching their parents. Hopefully, parents do not teach their kids to love conditionally.
Then men have to learn to love their mom's and let them go to love their wife. Some boys have a hard time doing this. We can blame the mom's for this.
OR vise versa, every woman is not as mean as their moms. The boys have to learn to let their guard down and love a girl fully.
Then the daughters have to learn that every guy is not as nice as their dads. So they leave the house and are naive.
OR Vise versa, every guy is not as mean as their dad. The daughters keep a guard up and do not love fully.
Then there are the cat people and the dog people. They use their pets to replace a significant other because they will never be rejected.
Bottom line, don't live in fear. Bust a move. Quit being so selfish and ego-centric. Who cares if you get hurt? Get back up and love again.
I got married when I was 17 years old. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I came from a "broken home". I lived with my mom and from 6th grade on. I also thought that my dad was a horrible person. I didn't trust people and thought that all boys were 'out for one thing'. I was also told by Donahue and Oprah that I would marry someone just like my dad unconsciously. That was the last thing I wanted. I had seen Forest Gump, and the only nice man that I saw was handicapped. So, I got pregnant soon after I turned 17. I just plunged into marriage and hoped for the best. I knew he was a nice guy. He supported me in my dreams. He took care of my little family and loved my new baby. He told me every morning as he left for work, "I love you." I would pretend I was asleep sometimes. Other times I said it back. But he kept saying it, every morning. He would get on my nerves sometimes. I would tell him everything he was doing wrong and he never told me anything I did wrong. He worked. I stayed home with the kids and quit school. I just kept truckin'. I thought I wanted to divorce him when we had a rough year. I made plans and soon the rough patch healed. We made it through the good and the bad. He didn't judge me when I was losing my mind and I let it go when he had a bad day at work. He helped me at home with the kids and I helped him stay on the straight and narrow. When I struggled he held me up, and when he struggled I held him up. Then 20 years passed. I woke up one morning realized, This guy really does love me. He has stayed with me this long, put up with my chaos and always showed his devotion to me. Then guilt swept over me. I hadn't always let him know how much I appreciated everything he had done. Although he wasn't the romantic kind, he had always been there. That was much more than adorning me with riches.
I thought of how every older woman had gotten under my skin by letting me know that a man is one that is romantic, or that he remembers your anniversary. But that wasn't my man. He was simple and unconditional in his love. He loved me with my unshaven legs and feisty mouth. And I loved him when he sat and watched TV for hours. It was hard with little kids. Somedays I felt like I held everyone together. I cleaned up the puke, called the insurance company to appeal unpaid bills, paid the speeding ticket, then made dinner and did the dishes. Some days are like that. But, I do think that finding someone to do all that stuff with matters. When it is all said and done I look back and say, we have made it that far.
Looking at the "adulting" that people hate now, It does suck. I remember thinking that adults had it all. But when I got to that plateau of adulting, I realized that adults can really suck. They can be self absorbed, alcoholics, beating, cheater Sons of Bitches. But Adults can be good. I sometimes look at old people and wonder how they made it through. The same way we have over the last thousands of years, getting back up and trying again. It sucks. My grandma died eating a Snickers everyday, but she had lived and survived. She deserved that Snickers everyday. But I also think that we have to be NICE as we do it. And if we can remember that, it can be GREAT.
