"Fever isn't such a new thing..."

I have a low fever. My temperature is normally low, so that explains my feeling fever-ish. Sniffles, body ache, the usual. I guess you could call it a cold. A cold that doesn't like to stay away too long. A cold that visits me when I work hard and feel stress.

A dear student just emailed me this video. It doesn't have all the answers, of course. And yet it addresses a real issue that is important and ignored. Schools and teachers do give messages that they wouldn't mind if some kids weren't there. And the kids that evoke/provoke that message telegraph that they want that message. And so the dance continues. I recommend giving this video a look, even if it pretends to have The Answer. I love this quote at the end, “I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” - Edward Everett Hale

I love the Fred Rogers saying "If it's mentionable it's manageable" and have cited it here on at least these five occasions. It's an interesting thing, as mentioning can be taken too far. And yet I think most people suffer more from not mentioning enough than from mentioning too much.

I owe comments back to some lovely recent comments here. Please bear with me. I have a feeling that many who read and comment here may be super sensitive like me. Please don't take it personally when I don't answer right away - even though I would (or would be tempted to). Being sensitive is a blessing and a curse.

In the Torah G-d says, "See that I put before you a blessing and a curse. Then we're told what the blessing and curse are. The question could be asked it came up in class, "Why is the intro pasuk necessary?" Various answers were offered. Perhaps it's to be clear, or to show how severe the subject is. Rabbi Yaakov Luban suggests that it's to show that there are blessings and curses before us in the world and we sometimes don't have an easy time seeing which is which. It just dawned on me that this verse can be telling us too that the same thing can have within it elements of blessing and curse.

I'm in the middle of viewing a charming, interesting film called O'Horten (Roger Ebert's review, A.O. Scott's review). Consider it if you like slow moving character focused talky movies with artistic direction, great acting, and no special effects.

Perhaps my dear childhood friend's dying a month after my mother died was meant to bring mortality even closer to my psyche:
r

One day death will die

but the living will die first

Her, him, you and me.

p

Goodnight and G-d bless

I write again like Augie's

daily Smoke photo