Natural - I continue to be amazed (or encouraged) when I hear topics long ago addressed in this blog, receiving headline and network news attention. This week it was the issue of "all natural" or "natural" on food labels. There was nothing new said in the stories. For most items, the label declaration of "natural" is misleading. It continues to be a poorly defined concept. The FDA merely offering that a food that is "all natural" has been minimally processed and does not contain artificial colors, flavors or synthesized substances (what ever that means). As some have pointed out, what IS allowed in an "all natural" product is HFCS - high fructose corn syrup. However, because that oversight is upsetting the sugar industry, more attention is being given to the misleading label and the FDA is being pressured to DO SOMETHING. We will just have to wait and see. The best thing to do in the meantime is read the ingredient list on packages and use some common sense. Very few things that come in boxes (frozen or otherwise) and which seem to last forever can be considered natural. Also - something I like to point out whenever I can - natural and organic,even if they did mean what they say, do not equal healthy or low calorie. They can be both things, but one does not cause the other.
Run Incident (1) - I left my campus office this past Thursday while my university was sponsoring a 5K race. I was basically crossing the finish line stretch as I walked up the hill where my bicycle was 'hitched.' All sizes, ages and paces of runners were coming down the stretch but one "older" man caught my attention. He was running in at full speed and with every footfall he grunted loudly. He was running to the chute with a "Hhha Hhha Hhha Hhha." I figured that he was going to be one of those 50 or 60 year old runners who had a heart attack at the finish line. I was thinking, "dude - if it's that hard - you need to back off." I should add that he looked as taxed as he sounded.
Run Incident (2) - I asked my classmate/friend this question, "Do I look approachable to you?" She replied, "Yes!" But you see, I really don't look approachable when I am in my own place - my zone - my personal space, etc. Yes, as an instructor and even on campus in general - I do look like someone you could approach if you were lost, for example. But my usual face, or the countenance I used to carry more often, is NOT so. Imagine my surprise at this little scenario then. First, I was RUNNING. I was in my zone just finishing up as I approached my apartment. A large sized sedan came down the road at about the same time. As the car neared, the passenger side window came down. I had a moment to think and what I thought was this, "not today." I had a shower to take and a meeting to get to. I kept on running. The car stopped there and the driver "beeped the horn!" Seriously. Of course, I still could have kept going, but I did not. I stopped my watch and backed up to the car. I looked inside as I was speaking, "WHAT?!" to a grey haired, but well coiffed older lady. (geez) She asked me where the arboretum was and so I pointed (forcefully) - she was driving along side it. She asked where to park her car in order to enter the arboretum and I told her. She then said, "sorry I beeped at you" and I said, "you stopped my run AND you beeped at me." I was foul. Did I say it rained here for like seven days in a row!
Class Size Observation - I have been working on a project for the course that teaches me to teach. As part of that course, I often have to reflect on what my personal teaching style and beliefs are or in other words, my personal pedagogy. I realized that class size really does matter and that it can be too small. First of all, if it is one student I consider it mentoring. Otherwise, less than 10 students puts too much pressure on the individual student. A year ago, most of my classes were very small. I had one in which there were three of us and another where there were four or five. In those situations, I had a 20 to 30 % chance of being the most challenged student (weakest, least smart, lowest functioning, whatever) in the class and that does NOT feel good. When you have at least ten students, then it is only a 10 percent chance of being the least skilled or apt or whatever word you want to use. As you can see, I am very sensitive to my status. It is also enfeebling to feel that kind of pressure. I do not feel it now and I do not want my students to feel it, ever.
Bicycle Incident - Oh MY. Once again, I almost hit a cyclist. It disturbs me regardless, but I think more so because I AM someone who rides my bicycle for transportation and leisure. If I am not alert and make mistakes so then will non cyclists. Unfortunately, those mistakes can get people killed. Hence, helmets really are a must. No matter how safe we make our roads, or educate cyclists and motorists, crashes will occur. The issue today was that I turned onto a road while in some deep ponderings. I realized that I hadn't thought about where I was going and had gone the wrong way - towards one highway instead of the other. I looked in my mirrors to move to the left and then to turn left in a two part U turn. I was still sort of foggy about where I was going because I hadn't been there in a while and I did have to visualize it in my mind. As I was making the second left - at a place where I routinely cross the two by two lanes while running AND cycling - I heard "watch out." It was a cyclist coming across - now I had on my turn signal so in a way it was his fault too - but I just realized that while typing this. As I heard and saw him - right beside the left fender of my car, my foot actually slipped off the break - SCARY moment - I got stopped and he went on - yelling back, something like, "look out your windows." It was a very unsettling experience - heart racing as it were. I did not yell back at him or feel angry in any way - I felt aghast at my mistake. BAH...
Batteries and Ink - Both are on the table and ready to go with me to the gym in the morning so I can place them in that nifty plastic recycling box. (Left in my bag are expired medicines and outdated checkbooks - I must see if the drug stores take the pills and shred those checks)
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