Mental Sampler 14
I went to see a performance of Our Town. Even though I’ve seen the play many times, I still started sniffling when George and Emily went out for the ice cream sodas. And I was full-out wailing by the time we got to the cemetery.
I know some people think Our Town is maudlin and others think it’s obvious, but the former has no heart and the latter has no sense. “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?” I am typing this post and this moment holds no weight because I have no clue what will happen next. That is what makes life so heartbreaking; that we have no way of really absorbing life. That most minutes bounce off our skin like oil meeting vinegar. How many times on a normal day do you tell yourself to take a moment to marvel at the world around you? I can tell you how many times I do that every day. Zero. Because Emily is right: humans are blind.
When we got home, I heard ChickieNob speaking in the kitchen with Josh. “It was so loud. I looked over because I thought dozens of people were crying. But it was just mum.”
Because it’s that sad.
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I got what just may be the coolest surprise gift ever. I went to get the mail and there was a package. I was expecting a small envelope with a thumb drive for work, but this was a huge box. And it had a scary picture on the cardboard.
But I opened it because I’m not that bright, and it turned out to be the coolest littleBits set! It’s their new Code Kit. You can build the project using the littleBits and then program it using a drag-and-drop, Blockly-like coding language. It transmits the program wirelessly from the computer to the project.
I haven’t gotten a chance to build anything yet because the twins stole the box from me. But I’m totally going to build Linus his very own electronic guinea pig friend with a LED face! Because that won’t freak out my guinea pig at all. Though I suppose I should do something more productive with it like take it to our coding club and have the kids get to try it out. But first, an electronic guinea pig!
Thank you, littleBits!
4 comments
You can build the project using the littleBits and then program it using a drag-and-drop, Blockly-like coding language. It transmits the program wirelessly from the computer to the project.
Thinks back to writing a program on punch cards.
Feels old. 🙂
Humans are blind. And time goes by way, way too fast. I am in a weird spot emotionally right now, and I can’t even look at pictures of my children as newborns for too long or else I fall into this pit of sadness for the time that has just flown.
I love Linus! I’ve never seen our town though I’ve heard about it. Sounds like a good but sad reminder to appreciate our lives and each moment we experience here.
“How many times on a normal day do you tell yourself to take a moment to marvel at the world around you? ” — I probably do this about once a week.
Our Town makes me sad, too. I taught it once, and had all the feels in front of a bunch of middle school students.
Good luck to Linus.