I like this idea. I think I will start looking into doing something like this in my community here. My local public library would probably know of any such groups in my area here. Thanks for this.
How awesome! What a wonderful adventure you had😊 Pretty selfie too; you look great in red. I'm sure everyone who met you was impressed.
More of us should get out and do something, anything. I've become a hermit too; it started during the pandemic and creeps up with age. I want peace, simplicity and safety.
"I am not great at organizing things. I’m better at showing up and doing my small bit now and then." Ditto!
"This reminded me that the small bits matter. A few bucks here, a few hours there – it all adds up." Yes. Just because they are small bits doesn't mean they don't do good.
"And I think it did me as much good as it did the kids." And ain't THAT the truth! 💚
Reading has always been so hard for me. Growing up in Florida in the 70s and 80s we'd take the California Achievement Test every few years to place us in class for the following year. I always scored in the 90th percentile for all categories except reading comprehension which I'd score in the 70th percentile. It's just so darn hard for me to focus on reading. My first day of middle school (6th grade) I was shocked when I walked into my remedial reading class. All my other classes were gifted and advanced. I have a clear memory of going home to ask my mother why I was in that class. She told me it was because of my scores on the CAT.
I love the idea of being reader. And I have read some good books in recent years. But most often when I try to read, my mind darts elsewhere and it takes extraordinary effort for me to keep my focus on the words on the page. I had a TA in college who told us that reading tomes didn't get any easier the longer we stayed in school. It would always be a challenge and we just had to train our brains to focus and get it done. It never worked for me--college reading was so painful. Now I think the advent of technology (and especially smart phones) has made it even harder for me (and many others) to quiet the mind enough to read.
Were the books you read about Puerto Rican girls in New York written by Esmeralda Santiago? Some of the books I read recently included her three-part autobiography series.
Reading is such a great pleasure to me and it takes my mind off everything else! I get into a zone.
The specific book was called The Spider Plant. It was aimed at pre-teen girls and told the story of a young girl struggling to fit into a completely different way of life. I was living in a lily-white town of 200 and it was so striking to me. By chance, I read lots of books about people from other cultures and always loved that.
Dear Michelle Teheux and Trailer Park Rules enthusiasts along with strip mall denizens this wide and mystery-filled universe out beyond the parking meters and police tapping on car-window glass with their flashlights across all of the human traversed world of parking lots and Douglas Adams' vast Hitchhiked & Guided galaxies & shape-shifting narratives over.
I thought of this here Substack communal feature from our little corner of Oregon when listening to and sending out to my email newsletter's Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa based Media Discussion List\Looksee this additionally enjoyable bit from the audio archives of our state-wide and Pacific NW regional Public Radio inter-active gab fest & Vo Da Ville variety shows via weekday daily dialogues if not roundtable or high school auditorium assembly-broadcast recording sessions.
Done live, canned and aired again in the evenings as well as featured like this particular project when checked in on seasonally years and kid life phases later (like the 5 & Up movies following kids growing up in 5 year televised increments):
"Dave Miller [narrating]: This is Think Out Loud on OPB. I’m Dave Miller. The David Douglas High School class of 2025 graduated yesterday. As you’ve probably heard by now, journalists from OPB have been following this class since they began kindergarten, 13 years ago. We started this project because of an audacious goal put forward by then Oregon governor John Kitzhaber. He said that by 2025, the state would achieve a 100% high school graduation rate. So a group of OPB journalists decided to follow the first class of students who were expected to hit that lofty goal."
"In June of 2014, when the class was just finishing first grade, we recorded a live show in the Earl Boyles Elementary School library with students, parents, teachers and administrators. In honor of the class of 2025’s graduation, we’re going to listen back to that 11-year-old show today...."
Such a great story to read, and fun to see the interests the kids show. I had actually taken a 'Storytelling' class in college. Best class ever, and really helped with public speaking. One of the guests one class was a storyteller named Kevin Kling. He's from Minnesota, pretty well known, and has wonderful stories. Worth checking out if you are interested.
Small acts of kindness and community add up and can have a ripple effect. The kids were fortunate to spend time with you.
I like this idea. I think I will start looking into doing something like this in my community here. My local public library would probably know of any such groups in my area here. Thanks for this.
Wonderful!
How awesome! What a wonderful adventure you had😊 Pretty selfie too; you look great in red. I'm sure everyone who met you was impressed.
More of us should get out and do something, anything. I've become a hermit too; it started during the pandemic and creeps up with age. I want peace, simplicity and safety.
This is such a nice piece. Thank you.
Gosh, thank you :)
"I am not great at organizing things. I’m better at showing up and doing my small bit now and then." Ditto!
"This reminded me that the small bits matter. A few bucks here, a few hours there – it all adds up." Yes. Just because they are small bits doesn't mean they don't do good.
"And I think it did me as much good as it did the kids." And ain't THAT the truth! 💚
Reading has always been so hard for me. Growing up in Florida in the 70s and 80s we'd take the California Achievement Test every few years to place us in class for the following year. I always scored in the 90th percentile for all categories except reading comprehension which I'd score in the 70th percentile. It's just so darn hard for me to focus on reading. My first day of middle school (6th grade) I was shocked when I walked into my remedial reading class. All my other classes were gifted and advanced. I have a clear memory of going home to ask my mother why I was in that class. She told me it was because of my scores on the CAT.
I love the idea of being reader. And I have read some good books in recent years. But most often when I try to read, my mind darts elsewhere and it takes extraordinary effort for me to keep my focus on the words on the page. I had a TA in college who told us that reading tomes didn't get any easier the longer we stayed in school. It would always be a challenge and we just had to train our brains to focus and get it done. It never worked for me--college reading was so painful. Now I think the advent of technology (and especially smart phones) has made it even harder for me (and many others) to quiet the mind enough to read.
Were the books you read about Puerto Rican girls in New York written by Esmeralda Santiago? Some of the books I read recently included her three-part autobiography series.
Reading is such a great pleasure to me and it takes my mind off everything else! I get into a zone.
The specific book was called The Spider Plant. It was aimed at pre-teen girls and told the story of a young girl struggling to fit into a completely different way of life. I was living in a lily-white town of 200 and it was so striking to me. By chance, I read lots of books about people from other cultures and always loved that.
Then I eventually married a European. :)
And I married a Puerto Rican!
Dear Michelle Teheux and Trailer Park Rules enthusiasts along with strip mall denizens this wide and mystery-filled universe out beyond the parking meters and police tapping on car-window glass with their flashlights across all of the human traversed world of parking lots and Douglas Adams' vast Hitchhiked & Guided galaxies & shape-shifting narratives over.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams
I thought of this here Substack communal feature from our little corner of Oregon when listening to and sending out to my email newsletter's Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa based Media Discussion List\Looksee this additionally enjoyable bit from the audio archives of our state-wide and Pacific NW regional Public Radio inter-active gab fest & Vo Da Ville variety shows via weekday daily dialogues if not roundtable or high school auditorium assembly-broadcast recording sessions.
Done live, canned and aired again in the evenings as well as featured like this particular project when checked in on seasonally years and kid life phases later (like the 5 & Up movies following kids growing up in 5 year televised increments):
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/06/think-out-loud-class-of-2025-portland-oregon-education/
"Dave Miller [narrating]: This is Think Out Loud on OPB. I’m Dave Miller. The David Douglas High School class of 2025 graduated yesterday. As you’ve probably heard by now, journalists from OPB have been following this class since they began kindergarten, 13 years ago. We started this project because of an audacious goal put forward by then Oregon governor John Kitzhaber. He said that by 2025, the state would achieve a 100% high school graduation rate. So a group of OPB journalists decided to follow the first class of students who were expected to hit that lofty goal."
"In June of 2014, when the class was just finishing first grade, we recorded a live show in the Earl Boyles Elementary School library with students, parents, teachers and administrators. In honor of the class of 2025’s graduation, we’re going to listen back to that 11-year-old show today...."
https://www.wweek.com/news/schools/2025/03/19/too-many-high-schools/
https://www.wweek.com/news/schools/2025/04/27/pps-superintendent-says-rebuilt-high-schools-could-have-several-uses/
Health and balance
Keep on doing & being yourselves
Tio Mitchito aka
Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers
Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa (Refuge of A-Tone-ment Seekers)
Media Discussion List\Looksee
Such a great story to read, and fun to see the interests the kids show. I had actually taken a 'Storytelling' class in college. Best class ever, and really helped with public speaking. One of the guests one class was a storyteller named Kevin Kling. He's from Minnesota, pretty well known, and has wonderful stories. Worth checking out if you are interested.
The great thing is that almost every day, SOMETHING happens that’s story-able if you know how to tell it.
Yep, it sure is!
You are indeed, a community leader. I listened to this interview earlier today and I think you'd like it:
https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2025/06/14/fresh-air-for-june-14-2025?showDate=2025-06-14
It's an interview with author Ocean Vuong on Fresh Air.
Thank you!
What a wonderful experience, for the kids, and for you! Thanks for sharing!
"Book? Book? Isn't that some kind of ancient data storage media?" - Jstn Green