like
Emily Dickinson could about
traveling, trains,
precise position and velocity of a given quantum particle and
death.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Are there conversations
or
(you're never sure why) moments
that stick in your memory,
bumps on the surface
disturbing the smoothness
each time you run
your fingers along
time's skin?
(you're never sure why) moments
that stick in your memory,
bumps on the surface
disturbing the smoothness
each time you run
your fingers along
time's skin?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Squeaky Wheelchair Gets the Grease
"I'm applying for a position as the assistant to the Diversity Director at Purdue," my friend Evan told me when I asked him what job he had interviewed for.
"Good thing, too! Purdue needs your help with their diversity. We need to see some more colorful characters there. The problem is, they mostly draw from just one age demographic: it's all the 18-24 crowd," I told him, "You need to start hosting bingo nights. Get a hold of that, at-risk 65-89 crowd. We've gotta get them off the streets before they fall to vandalizing out of boredom."
He thanked me for my advice, and expressed his regret that he had not thought to suggest such during the interview. I told him it was probably good that he waited until after he was hired, as it might come across as intimidating for the Director to be approached with such brilliant ideas for program improvement during an interview, when the assistant position was really only supposed to pertain to desk work.
But now, as I think back on my college experience thus far and imagine ways in which I can help increase diversity on my own campus, I can't help but think realistically about the dim possibility of any of my suggestions becoming realities in any campus or community. The problem is that those 65-89 who are at-risk due to boredom, feeling underestimated and devalued by their society, and angsty at how little control they feel they have over their lives, will never be properly attended to. And this is because, unlike the obnoxious backlashes that teenage youths have learned to lean on for attention, the elderly have never made a stand for their own cause. Until they begin to give society a clear reason to realize the overlooked, wasted potential the retired population has as members of the community, there will remain a distinct inaction and unawareness of their condition. Until grandma gets up out of her easy chair, goes out at midnight, and smashes in some windows, there will never be a reason for the community to fund more free adult-care activities, and involve senior citizens in community outreaches. We need more knitting clubs, weekly baby-holding sessions, story-telling invitations from schools, and free cat-care clinics for those among us who have already given their best years to bring up the generations beneath them.
If vandalism of public buildings and shoplifting Depends is the only way we're going to start seeing free transportation to and from water aerobics classes, then I say, by all means, buy grandpa a can of spray paint and a dark beanie. Obviously, until our community organizers sense a financial threat from a particular age demographic's destructive backlash, they will do nothing to provide for them a way to feel appreciated as an integral part of our society.
"Good thing, too! Purdue needs your help with their diversity. We need to see some more colorful characters there. The problem is, they mostly draw from just one age demographic: it's all the 18-24 crowd," I told him, "You need to start hosting bingo nights. Get a hold of that, at-risk 65-89 crowd. We've gotta get them off the streets before they fall to vandalizing out of boredom."
He thanked me for my advice, and expressed his regret that he had not thought to suggest such during the interview. I told him it was probably good that he waited until after he was hired, as it might come across as intimidating for the Director to be approached with such brilliant ideas for program improvement during an interview, when the assistant position was really only supposed to pertain to desk work.
But now, as I think back on my college experience thus far and imagine ways in which I can help increase diversity on my own campus, I can't help but think realistically about the dim possibility of any of my suggestions becoming realities in any campus or community. The problem is that those 65-89 who are at-risk due to boredom, feeling underestimated and devalued by their society, and angsty at how little control they feel they have over their lives, will never be properly attended to. And this is because, unlike the obnoxious backlashes that teenage youths have learned to lean on for attention, the elderly have never made a stand for their own cause. Until they begin to give society a clear reason to realize the overlooked, wasted potential the retired population has as members of the community, there will remain a distinct inaction and unawareness of their condition. Until grandma gets up out of her easy chair, goes out at midnight, and smashes in some windows, there will never be a reason for the community to fund more free adult-care activities, and involve senior citizens in community outreaches. We need more knitting clubs, weekly baby-holding sessions, story-telling invitations from schools, and free cat-care clinics for those among us who have already given their best years to bring up the generations beneath them.
If vandalism of public buildings and shoplifting Depends is the only way we're going to start seeing free transportation to and from water aerobics classes, then I say, by all means, buy grandpa a can of spray paint and a dark beanie. Obviously, until our community organizers sense a financial threat from a particular age demographic's destructive backlash, they will do nothing to provide for them a way to feel appreciated as an integral part of our society.
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