Happy President's Day!

Lincoln Memorial

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

                                                                         --Abraham Lincoln

Romeo and Juliet - Happy Valentine's Day!

Romeo and Juliet by Frank Dicksee

Frank Dicksee, an English painter (1853-1928), created my favorite Romeo and Juliet painting.  His handling of fabric and lighting is exquisite, as is the emotion on Romeo's face.  I love this painting, and have an inexpensive print of it.  But, on this Valentine's Day, I can't help but find myself questioning the use of Romeo and Juliet as an example of romance.  In Shakespeare's play, a 13 year old Juliet is swept off her feet by an impetuous Romeo, and Romeo himself is on the rebound from an infatuation with Rosaline.  This does not make him a good catch.  You can almost excuse Juliet because of her youth, but this story of star-crossed lovers is more of a cautionary tale--an example of what love should NOT be.  Despite the tragic end, however, the fascination with Romeo and Juliet continues.

The story of Romeo and Juliet emerged from other early romantic tales, including that of  Pyramus and Thisbe.  Perhaps the earliest version of the story is set not in Verona, but in Siena, Italy.  Anne Fortier explores this story in her wonderful book, "Juliet."  The heroine, Julie Jacobs, is in Siena in pursuit of a purported old family treasure.  Once in Siena, she is entangled in a sometimes perilous journey that includes researching the story of her medieval ancestor, Giulietta.  Fortier deftly blends the story of Giulietta with that of Julie Jacobs.  Medieval Siena comes alive with all the drama of the famous Palio de Siena horse race, as well as the timeless tale of forbidden love.

The famous Palio de Siena is still held in modern Italy.

Shakespeare is the one credited with moving the story of Romeo and Juliet to Verona.  He also made Juliet much younger.  Although there is some historical basis for the existence of the Montagues and the Capulets, there is no evidence that the two families were in a feud.  Nor is there any evidence that Romeo and Juliet really existed.  Today, Verona entices tourists to Juliet's house, and her tomb.  Not bad for a literary fictional character!  

"Juliet's Tomb" in Verona, Italy

"Juliet's House" complete with balcony.

The book, "Letters to Juliet," recounts the history of multiple Romeo and Juilet stories, as well as the development of the current tourist sites.  The book also chronicles the trend of people writing letters to Juliet asking for help with their romantic problems.  Several years ago, volunteer secretaries facilitated by  the city of Verona began answering these letters, and this continues today.  The book has excerpts of letters, and tells the story of the secretaries of Juliet and their dedication to writing replies to the lovelorn.  

2010 movie "Letters to Juliet"

In the movie version of "Letters to Juliet," the letters and secretaries are background, and provide the jumping off point for the story of Claire searching for her long-lost Lorenzo.  Starring Vanessa Redgrave as Claire and Amanda Seyfried as Sophie, the fact checker and aspiring writer who assists Claire, this 2010 Summit Entertainment film is a fun romance for Valentine's Day.  It is a bit predictable, but is worth it for the scenery of Tuscany and Verona.  Siena has a cameo in an overhead shot of the famous piazza where the horse race takes place.  Vanessa Redgrave is the scene-stealer here, and has a commanding presence every time she graces the screen.  It is a treat to watch her.  Both the book "Juliet" and the movie, "Letters to Juliet" have happier endings than the original Shakespeare play.  But if your Valentine's Day is shaping up to be tragic, Shakespeare's version may be just what you are looking for.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Technology vs. the Family - Where Do You Draw the Line? Part 2

Camping at The Spruces, outside Salt Lake City, UT

I recently read "The Winter of Our Disconnect," by Susan Maushart. This book chronicles the experiences of a very-wired family in Australia who went "screen-free" for several months.  That's right, folks, nothing with a screen was utilitzed in their home.  No computers, smartphones, ipods, televisions, etc.  Now, technology was allowed outside the home, so the kids could use the computers at the library for homework, or play video games at a friend's house, so they weren't completely cut-off from technology.  However, this family chose to free their home life from the chains of constant connected-ness, and the results were not only dramatic, but positive.

I thought I only needed to be aware of the lure technology is for my children, but as I read this book, I became more aware of the hold it has on me.  Specifically, I noticed the changes having a smartphone has made in my life.  I have only had one for a few months, and it has been a huge convenience to be able to check a map when we were lost, or to answer emails while I am waiting for one of my kids.  However,  I also noticed how hard it is for me to NOT check that phone when I am at dinner or in a conversation and I hear that little noise indicating a new message has come in.  Since when do I have trouble getting through dinner without wondering who sent me an email?  This book was an eye-opener, and is worth reading if for no other reason than it helps you observe what the effects of technology are on both you and your family.  What do you spend your time on now?  What did you used to spend it on?  The author found her son, who spent hours gaming with friends prior to their disconnect experiment, picked up his saxophone again and joined a jazz band.  Other members of the family wanted to renew their gym membership, and long neglected board games came out of storage and became a staple of family interaction.  If you disconnected your family, what could you do?  The possibilities are endless.

Playing games instead of gaming.

While writing her book, Susan Maushart read a large quantity of research on technology and the family.  She weaves her findings into her own observations of her family's experiences.  She writes about the myth of multitasking.  When her kids were "multitasking" and doing homework while listening to music and messaging their friends, they were in reality accomplishing almost nothing.  After the disconnect, Maushart writes "...I watched as my kids awoke slowly from the state of cognitus interruptus."   Maushart found in her research that although the idea that technology allows us to multitask has become prevalent, that is not the reality.  Researcher Clifford Nash set up a study to show the advantages of multitasking.  In Nass's own words, he sums up what he discovered--"multitaskers are just lousy at everything."  Maushart found that in reality, multitasking makes people worse at things instead of more productive.  Turning off the technology and tuning in to what we are doing, in other words, makes us more productive and successful.  So the next time your children tell you they can do their homework while doing several other things with their electronics, realize that their brain is switching rapidly between tasks, and not very well.

A non-electronic activity--making apple pie.

In an article entitled "Is Technology Fracturing Your Family", Dr. Gary Small writes about the many benefits of having regular family dinners, and also about the negative impact technology is having on those dinners, and family life in general.  He says "The potential negative impact of new technology on the brain depends on its content, duration, and context.  To a certain extent, I think that the opportunities for developing the brain's neural networks that control our face-to-face social skills--what many define as our humanity--are being lost or at least compromised, as families become more fractured."  Think about your family life, and ask yourself if technology is bringing you closer to or farther from the people you care about?"

Watching the waves

I have heard before that if you want your children to be creative, let them get bored.  In "The Winter of Our Disconnect" the author points out that boredom does not exist as a concept in every culture, and that it is actually a recent cultural concept in our society.  Boredom is almost a luxury, and our fear of it is unwarranted.  Maushart writes "...boredom--far from being an energy-sucking black hole to be avoided...has actually served to fuel human progress...."  It is healthy for all of us to disconnect enough each day to have some reflective time in which we might nurture our own creativity.

Susan Maushart has a great deal of humor about the whole experiment, and this book is a worthwhile and interesting read.  Be warned if you read her book, however, that you may see yourself in its pages.  As instant information and instant electronic gratification become more pervasive in our lives, it is worth thinking about how much is too much.  Could you disconnect?  For how long?  And would it be a wonderful experience, or would you go through withdrawal?  After reading this book, I want to make sure my family controls our technology instead of letting it control us!

Maushart concludes her book with her family's 11 commandments.  Her list includes such rules as "Thou shalt bring no media to thy dinner," and "Thou shalt keep thy bedroom a media-free zone."    What would your commandments be?  Where do you draw the line?

See my other post on technology and the family

2002 Winter Olympics Remembered...Happy Anniversary!

Olympic cauldron burning - February 2002

During the Olympics we took advantage of as many free activities as possible.  One afternoon we went to take pictures of the Olympic flame.  The cauldron is a permanent fixture by Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah.  We took all the typical photos, including ones where it looks like you are holding the cauldron as a torch.  Today, the site features other commemorative Olympic items on display.

Flags flying during the 2002 Winter Olympics

Salt Lake City became an international city during February of 2002.  It was wonderful to walk the streets and hear different languages, to talk to people from other countries, and to see things like this amazing flag display.  Some days we went downtown just to soak it all in.

Our boys learn the art of pin trading.

Pin trading is an unofficial Olympic sport.  I confess I never got really good at it, but did trade a pin or two.  It was fun to watch our children interact with people as they tried to get a pin they thought looked interesting.  I doubt any of my Olympic pins have large dollar values, but I am happy to have amassed a small collection.

A successful trade!

We also went to a pin show in a local Greek church.  It was free of charge, and several pin traders had tables set up.  We enjoyed wandering through and seeing pins from previous Olympic games, as well as ones from the Salt Lake games.

Snake winding through the streets of Salt Lake.

We watched a parade, which was fun for kids and adults alike.  The weather was bitterly cold one day when we were downtown, but on other days, the weather was quite pleasant and made activities like viewing the parade or watching Japanese drummers perform outdoors really enjoyable.

Another view of the parade.

The parade highlighted Utah's western wildlife and featured large puppet horses, buffalo, a rattlesnake, and more.  I was glad we took the time to see it.  It was an inexpensive way for our children to enjoy the Olympics.

Photos like these on venues and buildings provided the look of the Games.

We were privileged to host a friend and his son who came for a few days of Olympic events.  Having someone crash in our living room while hotel accommodations were in short supply was another of my favorite Olympic experiences.

The Salt Lake organizing committee arranged several cultural events that were held during the Olympics.  Although you had to get a ticket, the tickets were widely available and not terribly expensive. We went to two cultural events:  a Navajo exhibit, and the Dale Chihuly blown-glass exhibit.

A woman at the Navajo exhibit.

At the interactive Navajo exhibit, we were able to talk to people about crafts like blanket weaving and basket making.  Several skilled people were on hand giving demonstrations.  In one area, we listened to Navajo words on headphones and tried to pick out which words had which meanings.  Navajo is a difficult language, and I was terrible at matching the words!

Navajo Codetalkers

It was a tremendous honor to meet these World War II heroes who served in our military as codetalkers.  The Nazis were never able to break the Navajo code.  These men were sworn to secrecy and were unable to discuss their great contributions immediately after the war.  It is only recently that these heroes are getting the recognition they deserve.

Chihuly art - Salt Lake 2002

Dale Chihuly's art was on display on the street, in Abravanel Hall, and in a special exhibit.  We bought tickets, watched a movie about Chihuly and glass-making, and walked through an amazing "underwater" exhibit where blown class scenes and creatures floated above our heads.  It was enchanting and beautiful.

We also attended a free Beach Boys concert outdoors.  It was a festive couple of weeks.  But the Olympics are, above all else, a sporting event.  We applied for tickets early, and tried to maximize our dollars and variety of events.  I attended part of the ice dance competition, short track speed skating, men's and women's aerials, and two women's hockey games.  It was our first introduction to post 9/11 security procedures, however, all the volunteers were efficient and friendly.  Every venue was wonderful, the crowds were great, but most of all, we loved seeing the best athletes in the world compete!

USA women's hockey game

During one hockey game, we met speed skaters from Kazakhstan.  They graciously let us have our pictures taken with them.  I think they were impressed with the torchbearer jacket my husband wore throughout the games, too.

Me with speedskaters from Kazakhstan

Even the "nose bleed" seats that I could afford for most sporting events were good seats.  My son loved short track speedskating, and although Apollo Anton Ohno was a hero of the 2002 Winter Games, my son became enamored with the maple leaf flag and cheered for Canadian athletes throughout the competitions.  We also had tickets to a medals ceremony and got to attend the night Derek Parra received his gold medal for long track speed skating.  The band Creed performed, and it was a great party as the athletes were honored with their medals.  

Short track speed skating relays

The night of the closing ceremonies, the TV coverage cut away just as the big fireworks display was taking place at Rice-Eccles Stadium.  We hurried outside into the cold night air, and standing on our street, watched the fireworks soaring above the stadium in the distance.  It was a wonderful end to a wonderful Games.  Of course, we were a bit sad to see it all come to an end, so we went to a Paralympic hockey game in March.  As is common, Salt Lake hosted the Paralympics after the Olympics had ended.  These courageous athletes were fun to watch, and carried on the spirit of sportsmanship and competition we had experienced during the Olympic Games.

The governor of Utah announced two days ago that he would form an exploratory committee to see if it is feasible to bid on the Olympic games again.  I hope the answer comes back as a resounding yes! I would definitely go again.  Just think, if Salt Lake were to be awarded the Olympics again, you would once again have SEVEN years from the time the bid is announced until the Games are held to save up for tickets!  

What do you think?  Should Salt Lake City host the Olympics in 2022?

Salt Lake 2002 - Ten Year Anniversary of the Winter Olympics

Olympic flame burns in Salt Lake City, February 2002

Can you believe it has been ten years since they lit the cauldron for the Salt Lake City winter games?  Today, that cauldron will be re-lit to commemorate the anniversary.  Where were you ten years ago during the Olympics?  Were you watching them on TV?  Were you lucky enough to be there?

When Salt Lake was selected as an Olympic city after years of proposals and hard work by the bid committee, it was a day of celebration!  I went downtown for the bid announcement party, and we held our breath while then IOC-head Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded the bid.  When he read "...the city of Salt Lake City," the whole crowd erupted into applause and cheers.  I figured I had several years to save up for a ticket, and there was no way I was going to miss out on this once in a lifetime experience.  

I had always dreamed of going to the Olympics, and since early in my life it became evident I wouldn't go as an athlete, having them in my own backyard provided the perfect opportunity.  With a wonderful blend of cultural and athletic events, pre-Olympic test events, free and low-priced events, it seemed very easy to take part in this amazing international experience.  The winter games in Salt Lake came just months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and there was some question as to whether or not the games should take place.  How glad I am that the world had this opportunity to come together in sport and camaraderie.  It helped bring us back to life after those dark days in September.

Building decor provided the "look" of the Games.

My children were small, so I was unable to volunteer for the Games.  The time commitments for volunteers was significant.  However, I learned there were three ways to be an Olympic torchbearer.  Nominating essays were considered by the sponsors (Chevy and Coca-Cola), and they each selected a third of the torchbearers.  The remaining torchbearers were selected by the Olympic committee in Salt Lake. I wrote an essay nominating my husband, and he was selected as a torchbearer by Coca-Cola.  The great advantage to this was, Coke paid for his torch, so we didn't have to buy it!  Thanks, Coca-Cola!

Greg gets ready to carry the torch.

Early in the morning, my husband scraped snow off our little Hyundai Excel and left to meet the shuttle that would take him to his spot to carry the torch.  That left me with cameras and kids in tow to meet him at the appointed stretch of road where he would get to run.  It was a chaotic but exciting morning.  We had many friends and family members come to see him run.

Lighting the torch.

Fortunately, a nice security person let me cross a bridge they had closed for the torch run (my plight of running late while carrying kids and posters and camera bags apparently tugged at his sympathy), and we made it to our spot before Greg arrived.

Carrying the torch - moment of triumph

I had gone to see the torch relay go through Salt Lake City in 1996 on the way to the summer games in Atlanta, and it was really exciting to be a part of it on February 8, 2002.  My husband was surrounded by people after his short leg of the relay who wanted to get photos and talk to him.  We had great family support, and also met people from all over the world.  I remember talking to a young couple from the Czech Republic who wanted to take a picture of him.  It was a taste of the minor celebrity experiences he would have throughout the games when he wore his torchbearer jacket.  We even got interviewed during the USA vs. Germany women's hockey game and they broadcast the interview over the large video screens in the arena. If you'd like to read Greg's first-person account of carrying the torch, click here. 

If you are one of those who has a volunteer jacket or a Roots beret from the 2002 Winter Olympics, now is the time to dust them off and wear them on the streets as we celebrate the anniversary of a wonderful sporting event and world party held right in our own backyard.  Stay tuned for more about the things we did during the Olympics in 2002!

Salt Lake City is hosting some anniversary celebration events.  Although the public is not invited to the lighting of the cauldron, there will be a free sports festival on Saturday, February 18 at the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake.  For more information about the anniversary events, click here.