Balance

Balance has been a continual topic in my personal life, and it seems, in the areas I am drawn to.

It is easier to wake up to find my expectations being met; no one likes to be startled awake to find that immediate action and response is necessary.  But, if things go too smoothly it gets boring and then some unexpected excitement which tips the boat is welcome.

I grew up in a small, orderly town and at a young age felt hemmed in.  I have always sought another leg on my journey.  I think I must have had ancestors who traveled.

Homeschooling has not been a balanced endeavor, but I truly believe it has forced me and my family to learn and look at learning in a different manner.  I think I rarely give my kids a learning situation where they are just told what to do all of the time.  I have recently craved a few days where they would mindlessly follow my directions, but alas, it is too late for that to happen.  They are thinkers for sure.  Not always good on the organization and follow-through on academic assignments but certainly engaged when it comes to situations they care about.  I wonder what Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were like as students.  And, don't get me started on those Wright brothers.  However, I am trying to improve those organizational skills.

I've been thinking a lot about the continuum of bullying.  It starts in school, or even at home.  We hear lots about cases in schools and colleges.  Sometimes in the military.  What about when someone grows up and goes on to work in a company or institution like a hospital or university?  What happens when that person is responsible for other peoples' money, or lives?  Part of bullying is keeping others off-balance, right?

What about people who do a lot of good, but get off balance?  Today, while I was cooking dinner, my husband read in the newspaper that Greg Mortenson was being "investigated" on Sixty Minutes.  Big surprise for me!  I have read both of his books.  I have used the Pennies for Peace curriculum with my kids.  I think building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan are really important actions.

I listened to the report with my daughter.  I talked with her about what the report said.  I'm wondering what the ultimate truth is.  Have I ever heard of some person who committed their lives to doing something that seems to do so much good getting in over their heads?  Yes
Have I ever heard of projects that are described so vividly not really being as perfect as they were described?  Yes
If a tv reporter approached me, with a cameraman following him, asking if I would talk with him in the middle of a book signing, would I say "yes"?  Not if I'm smart.

What balance is not:  a sizable portion of the world's children not having opportunities for education.
What balance is not:  bullying.
What balance is not:  the status quo?

Would I grow and evolve if my life is always balanced?  To be continued...