Contemplative Education: Modeling Mindfulness in the Classroom

Just as when enjoying every moment of a sunrise,
mindfulness requires non-judgmental observation.

Barbazat and Bush, writers of Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning refer to mindfulness as "the practice most widely incorporated into higher education" (2014, p. 98), yet mindfulness remains difficult for students to define.  

Nonetheless, faculty committed to contemplative educational practices, and faculty who model specific mindfulness behaviors in the classroom, can help students learn to understand the essence of mindfulness.

Defining Mindfulness

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, in his  Mindfulness in Plain English, refers to it as "pure awareness" (2002, p. 138), "nonjudgmental observation," and an "impartial watchfulness" (p. 139).  He goes on to explain that mindfulness "is not thinking" and "it does not get involved with thought or concepts," and "it does not get hung up in ideas or opinions or memories" (p. 140). Faculty ask for a type of concentration mindfulness practices can enhance during lectures, when they want students to be "in the moment," taking notes as they listen so they can quietly reflect on the ideas later, perhaps in a paper or online post.  Faculty also often ask for negative capability, or the ability to hold two contradicting ideas as true at the same time, a type of mindful concentration students must practice when faculty present hot button issues, wanting students to accept information without, as Gunaratana states, getting "hung up in opinions or memories."  University faculty, however, even those who model a mindful presence in the classroom, may not realize that mindful classrooms rarely exist without structured guidance towards mindfulness.  Furthermore, practicing mindfulness in the classroom can be difficult for students and faculty both, all who have learned to live in a world that promotes narcissistic behaviors such as overt defensiveness against criticism or new ideas, or clinging to assumptions to protect the self or one's unique identity. 

Modeling Mindfulness: Silence and Hospitality

Radical Presence: Teaching as Contemplative Practice presents two ways faculty can model a mindful presence for students is by incorporating both silence and hospitality into the classroom experience.  On moments of silence in the classroom, O' Reilley reminds us that "The classroom, in today's multimedia culture, may be the only site of reflection in a student's day" (1998, p. 7).  Of hospitality she writes:

Hospitality calls me to consider the singularity of each person, the diversity of needs.  The discipline of presence requires me to be there, with my senses focused on the group at hand, listening rather than thinking about what I'm going to say - observing the students, the texts, and the sensory world of the classroom. (p. 9)

Silence

The extended moments of silence to which O'Reilley is referring allow faculty to create a classroom space for students to practice mindfulness, for both students and faculty to notice what is happening in the classroom, and to move beyond mindfulness to thinking.  Mindfulness must occur before thinking, and thinking must occur before answering, discussing, or writing.  A respectful silence that does not last long enough may promote "off the cuff" responses, responses that stem only from personal opinions or experiences, or responses students guess the professor may want to hear instead of authentic, thoughtful responses that allow for true assessment of learning objectives and outcomes.  Faculty who incorporate silence into the classroom are modeling how to create a space others can use to be mindful.  The faculty member must set aside his or her ego and embrace what may be an uncomfortable silence in order to simply observe what is happening in the classroom.  This allows for more accurate and authentic assessment of the levels of proficiency of student learners.

Hospitality

The very specific activity O'Reilley explains as an act of hospitality is one with which many faculty are familiar, that of taking attendance (1998, p. 8).  She uses a method similar to the "Student info cards" method explained by Barkley in the text Student Engagement Techniques, which suggests faculty keep index cards about each student completed by each student (2010, pp. 113-114).  Although there are several other ways to learn more about students in order to promote successful learning suggested by Barkley, O'Reilley uses the note cards as a way to have a mindful presence in the classroom each day as she marks attendance on the reverse of each student's individual note card.  "Hospitality," she states, "defines a space for the visitor - the student - to be herself, because she is received graciously" (p. 8).  Again, the faculty member must set aside his or her ego in order to focus on the acceptance of the students in the moment, as they are, each individual on each individual day.  

More than being a "tip" or "strategy," for classroom management or retention, silence and hospitality are mindfulness behaviors faculty should model for students, especially students struggling with narcissistic behaviors such as speaking out for attention or suffering from feelings of isolation or otherness.  By following their professors' examples, students can learn to negotiate social interactions in and out of the classroom more effectively.

Want to read more about pedagogy and learning?  Try

Modeling Compassion in the Classroom

Modeling Gratitude in the Classroom

Students' Learning Outcomes

References

Barbezat, D. P, & Bush, M. (2014). Contemplative practices in higher education: Powerful methods to transform teaching and learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Barkley, E. F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.

Gunaratana, Bhante H. (2002). Mindfulness in plain English. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.

O'Reilley, M. R. (1998). Radical presence: Teaching as contemplative practice. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/ Cook Publishers HEINEMANN.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Contemplative Education: Modeling Gratitude in the Classroom

Finding ways to express authentic gratitude.

Gratitude, as most college students will understand, is a sense of gratefulness, an appreciation for what others give, or thankfulness.  Just as simply as students should be able to define or explain gratitude, each should each be able to demonstrate or give an example of what behaviors, or speech acts, demonstrate gratitude: Generally, a "Thank you."  

What students may not know is that people who exhibit prosocial behaviors that demonstrate gratitude are more satisfied in life than those who do not display the same behaviors.  They also may not understand the antithesis of gratitude, which is entitlement, a value and set of behaviors associated with narcissism.  

Just as Gunaratana (2002, p. 90) teaches that a positive emotion can replace a negative emotion, Twenge and Campbell assert that "One of the best ways to combat entitlement is to be grateful for what you already have" (2010, p. 241).  This can include stating thanks or behaving in other ways that show appreciation, like taking great care with an item on loan or keeping the classroom tidy.

Whether what faculty have are abstractions, like the attention or respect of students, or commodities and resources, like comfortable classroom furniture and access to technology, faculty can model gratitude in the classroom to help encourage students to do the same.

Opportunities for Authentic Gratitude

When modeling gratitude in the classroom, faculty must model authentic gratitude.  Faculty may already find themselves saying "Thank you," when students turn in work, but several additional opportunities to express true gratitude may present themselves throughout the term.  For example, faculty are generally genuinely grateful when students ask insightful questions, compliment the lesson, or arrive to meetings prepared and on time. Such behaviors should warrant a specific comment, such as "Thank you for asking an insightful question," or a personal note.  These are speech acts, which go beyond kindness and display an action that demonstrates the transference of gratitude.  Only with the speech act is the student aware of the faculty member's gratitude, and therein the prosocial behavior is modeled.  

Faculty can also encourage students to take pride in the classroom and show gratitude for having it made available to them by asking them or reminding them to take good care of it; cleaning up after themselves, turning off computers and lights, and leaving the boards clean and ready to be used by others.

Avoiding Entitlement

Furthermore, words and actions that demonstrate entitlement must be avoided.  Although all faculty have at one time been in classrooms where resources are scarce, technology is broken, or supplies are missing, faculty members must refrain from behaving, specifically verbalizing, as though they are unequivocally entitled to those things.  Just as modeling mindfulness, compassion, and gratitude can help students learn to live their lives by those values, modeling the opposite can have the opposite effect.  For example, faculty who leave trash in the classroom show little to no appreciation for the efforts of those who do keep the classroom clean and ready for the next person.  Students may follow that example and leave their own trash, as well.

As Arthur Zajonc emphasizes, the material items we are missing in the classroom are not worth as much as the opportunities we are presented that help us model gratitude. Higher education, he says, must focus on "a 'revolution of the spirit' that changes mental attitudes and values," not "the 'improvement of material conditions'" (2013, p. 90).

References

Gunaratana, Bhante H. (2002). Mindfulness in plain English. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.

Twenge, J. M. & Campbell, W. K. (2010). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. NY, NY: Free Press.

Zajonc, A. (2013). Contemplative pedagogy: A quiet revolution in higher education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 134, 83-94. DOI: 10.1002/tl.20057

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Modeling Compassion in the Classroom

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Flipped Classroom: Before Making Videos

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Contemplative Education: Modeling Compassion in the Classroom

Overcome the "Cultural Shadow"

Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen defines compassion while explaining the difficulty of teaching students to have compassion: "Compassion is not a behavior," she says, nor an "action," nor an "act of obedience" nor "even because we want to be good people" (1999, p. 34).  

So what is compassion? How do we do compassion?  How can faculty model compassion?

Defining Compassion

"Compassion" Remen continues, "emerges from a sense of belonging: the experience that all suffering is like our suffering and all joy is like our joy" (p. 34).  She goes on to argue that American individualism isolates individuals and often prevents the feeling of connectivity necessary for the discovery or remembrance of compassion.  She refers to this damaging effect as "the cultural shadow," (p. 35) and in it echo the narcissistic traits of our society as written by Twenge & Campbell: vanity, antisocial behavior, and an overwhelming desire for uniqueness.  However, "Education," Remen wisely argues, "holds the greatest promise for healing the wounds of the cultural shadow" (p. 35).  

Modeling Compassion in the Classroom

There are ways faculty can model compassionate behaviors and help students discover compassion through a sense of connectivity to others, a sense of community. Modeling compassion in the classroom opens up the potential for us to help students become happier people by being more compassionate people.

Self Compassion and The Sharing of Joy and Accomplishment

Kathryn Byrnes offers an extended example of how faculty can model compassion in the classroom.  She profiles "Gil," of The Academy, a school with a contemplative orientation that defined compassion as "the ability to maintain one's own sense of self along with a sense of belonging to a larger group" (2012, p. 2).  In a section of the article called "Serving Others (Teaching with Compassion)," she explains his methodology.  

• One aspect he modeled was self-compassion, his "attempt to be more accepting of his own personal anxiety and self-criticism" (p. 4).  His self compassion allowed him to have more compassion for his students.  
• Yet another aspect was his willingness to create a relaxed environment for learning by being present with his students.  For Gil, being present included playing soccer with them and allowing the students to see his love for it (p. 4-5).  His love and joy became their love and joy, and vice-versa.  
• Most importantly was his willingness to listen to students without interruption and to mirror students' accomplishments (p. 5).  In this way their accomplishments were his accomplishments, and Gil created a sense of connectivity with and among his students.  

In other words, Gil modeled compassionate behaviors.

Practicing "The Clean Slate" through "Loving Friendliness"

Gunaratana teaches that "Compassion is a manifestation of loving friendliness in action, for one who does not have loving friendliness cannot help others" (2002, p. 93-94).  The pain of "resentment" and "indignation," he says "can cause uneasiness, tension, agitation, and worry" (p. 93).  In order to overcome those negative feelings and have a greater ability to help others, faculty must practice what many of us have come to learn as "the clean slate" principle, where we offer students with whom there has been a confrontation, a "clean slate" when he or she returns to class.  The mental process necessary to enact a "clean slate" or practice compassion through "loving friendliness" can be transformative, both for faculty and for the students for whom they model the behavior.  "You can balance a negative emotion by instilling a positive one," says Gunaratana (p. 90).  

Gunaratana continues:

You start out by banishing thoughts of self-hatred and self-condemnation.  You allow good feelings and good wishes first to flow to yourself, which is relatively easy.  Then you do the same for those people closest to you.  Gradually, you work outward from your own circle of intimates until you can direct a flow of those same emotions to your enemies and to all living beings everywhere (p. 90-91).

This process of enacting "loving friendliness" is the antithesis of the narcissistic tendency to live in the isolation of "the cultural shadow," as Remen calls it. Just as the profile of Gil demonstrates how the students' joys and accomplishments were shared by Gil, the "clean slate" principle demonstrates how faculty can model for their students how compassionate behaviors can help ease a shared suffering. Not only are there implications for retention, but these practices reiterate the very pragmatic advice of Barkley: "Humans have a basic need to be part of a social community.  Students will engage more in classroom-based learning if they feel they are welcomed, valuable, contributing members of a learning community" (2010, p. 110).

References

• Barkley, E. F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint.
• Gunaratana, Bhante H. (2002). Mindfulness in plain English. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.
• Remen, R. N. (1999). Educating for mission, meaning, and compassion. In S. Glazer (ed.), The heart of learning. (33-50). NY, NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.
• Twenge, J. M. & Campbell, W. K. (2010). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. NY, NY: Free Press.

Read more about pedagogy and teaching:

Teaching Cultural Diversity through Functional Pottery

Composition and Field Journals

Prewriting the Research Essay: Starting with "I Think"

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Top 10 Crochet Gift Ideas for Grown-ups

Need a crochet project gift idea for an adult?
  Don't stress!  Just consult my top 10 list!

When holidays, birthdays, showers, or parties roll around, it's pretty easy to hop online or flip through any crochet book to find an easy-to-make gift for a new baby or a child. Practical gifts for older teens and adults are not-so-easy to find. Although some grown-ups appreciate amigurumi characters or granny square sweater vests, most would prefer something more usable.

However, even when you are in a hurry to whip up a W.I.P. for an adult friend or family member, there are many projects to consider.  Here are my top ten crochet project ideas for grown-ups, listed in order of general, relative difficulty.  Links will take you to instructions and patterns.  Enjoy!

Use finer yarns for tablecloths and bookmarks.

Beginner to Intermediate Crochet Projects

• Washcloths, Dishcloths, Hot Pads, Placemats and Tablecloths
• Afghans and Pillows
• Scarves
• Bookmarks

Each of these projects can be made with single crochet or double crochet stitches worked back and forth across rows or with granny squares.  In other words, if you can crochet a rectangle, you can make any of these projects! You can use acrylic yarns or pure cotton for the kitchen and bath items, and you can use any number of beautiful natural fibers for scarves: For winter wearables, the softer the better. Bookmarks and tablecloths can be made as dainty as you prefer using finer yarns and smaller hooks to match.  Always check the yarn labels to find the recommended hook sizes, and plan your time wisely. The smaller the hook and finer the yarn, the longer a rectangle will take to make.

As you progress, try working in different stitches to add unique elements to your designs. Tablecloths and bookmarks are great first filet crochet projects, and Tunisian crochet is an excellent method for making placemats.

Intermediate to Expert Crochet Projects

Try making jewelry using the cro-tatting method.

• Hats
• Bags and Purses
• Ties
• Socks and Slippers
• Gloves and Mittens
• Jewelry

Each of these projects generally is worked in the round, yet most can still be created using the single or double crochet stitches.  Ties and jewelry are made using finer yarns and take longer to make, while hats and bags can be made fairly quickly.  Again, the only limitation is your imagination, as you can add beads, bobbles, tassels, and art yarns to your projects, or you can experiment with another method for making jewelry, cro-tatting.


The next time a gift-giving get-together rolls around, skip the worry about "What to make?" or "How much time do I have?"  There are plenty of ideas for unique crochet gifts that can be personalized to the giftee from the gifter - even for grown-ups!

Want to learn more about crochet? Try

Online Course - Crochet for Stree Relief with Patternless Projects 

Blog Post with Patterns - Crochet Christmas Tree Ornaments

Blog Post - A Brief Introduction to Crochet Hooks

Blog Post - Product Review: Ergonomic Crochet Hook Set

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Sentence Diagramming: Grimm Wednesday

"She'll sting you one day, Oh, ever so gently, so you hardly ever feel it.
'Till you fall dead." - Jacob Grimm

If you are in the mood to work with beautifully macabre language today, interpret and diagram the following quotation.

Today's sentences come from Jacob Grimm, one of the brothers who famously authored Grimm's Fairy Tales.  

Darker than new readers might expect, the first sentence in this quotation relies on adverbs and adverbial phrases for its grim message. Furthermore, the second sentence is actually a sentence fragment, so I have diagrammed it here as an additional part of the first sentence, an additional adverbial phrase.

The complete Kellogg-Reed Diagram

To begin the diagram, I first identified the nouns in the sentences and determined if they were each subjects or objects.  After placing the nouns in their proper places on base lines, I began pairing each of the subject nouns with their respective verbs.

Once I identified the nouns and verbs and how they worked in pairs, I went back to the second sentence because I identified it as a sentence fragment.  There is no noun the precedes the preposition "'till."  That made it easier to identify the noun clause because a preposition should be followed by an object.  In this case, the object of the preposition "'till" is the noun clause, "you drop dead."

The beauty in this quotation lies in its use of adverbs and adverbial phrases.  None of the adverbs work alone; each is accompanied by another adverb, making the sentence pleasing to the ear. This includes the prepositional phrase, which is  used here also as an adverbial phrase to describe how long "she'll sting," or when she will cease stinging.

I was sure to place the coordinating conjunction, "so," that links the two independent clauses, and I checked to be sure I had correctly indicated the prepositional phrase with its base line crossing the preposition line.  Lastly, I checked to be sure I had correctly incorporated the interjection, "Oh," which is capitalized in the quotation.

My final interpretation and diagram includes two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction, a fragment used as an adverbial prepositional phrase with a noun clause as its object, and a stand alone interjection.  Adverbial phrases add to the beauty of the quotation, its specific, visceral language.

Want to read more about diagramming sentences? Try

Diagramming Vonnegut: "So it goes."
Diagramming Pangloss: "All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds."
Diagramming Hamlet: "To be or not to be."

Want to learn even more about diagramming sentences?  

Take my complete online course, "Sentence Diagramming: From Beginner to Expert in 12 Lessons" on Udemy, or purchase my text, Diagramming Sentences: A Playful Way to Analyze Everyday Language (affiliate link) on Amazon.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Which Weaving Loom is Best for Beginners?

Frame Weaving Looms Are Great for Beginners

There are many types of weaving looms, all with varying degrees of mechanical complexity. From rigid heddles and cards to treadles, pins, bobbins, and dobbies, there are a multitude of ways to work a warp, weft, and weave.  By far, however, the best weaving loom for beginners is the simple frame hand loom.

Although there are some variations even among the different types of hand looms, most are made up of a frame on which warp threads can be wound, and . . . well, that's it. Even a square of cardboard can be used as simple hand loom. There are many commercial looms to choose from, as well, all of different prices and quality.

The beginner's  weaving loom I've found to be of the greatest value is the Prima Fiber Arts Loom kit. However, I also paid half the price for a simple loom from Target, on which I made one of my favorite wall hangings. When in doubt, there are also several ways to make a loom for yourself!

Prima Fiber Arts Loom Kit Review: Special and Substantive 

The Prima Fiber Arts Loom kit came with everything I needed to create a wall hanging, minus scissors: the loom, a shuttle, the shed, a large tapestry needle, a weaving comb, and instruction manual.  The kit even came with all of the yarns and bits and bobs needed to create a piece "right out of the box." All of the hardware needed to hold the loom together was present and accounted for.

The adjustable loom and wooden tools are all made with high-quality materials, and  I am especially pleased with the weaving comb and wooden tapestry needle and shuttle.  They feel substantial when held in the hand, more like "real" tools than toys.  Additionally, the loom is decorated with flower "doodles," which adds to the feeling of its specialness.

I do have two reservations about this loom kit, however.  First, I did have to sand the tools before I could use them.  Although the loom is made with quality materials, I feel as though the workmanship is a bit shoddy.  There were splinters and rough edges on the tools when they arrived.  Second, the warp thread that is included is very slippery and shiny.  Although it looks lovely, I would never recommend this slippery thread for a beginner's project.  It makes it very difficult for knots to hold and for the project to be tight.  Of course, a different thread or yarn can easily be substituted.

Hand Made Modern Tabletop Loom Review: Lightweight and Simple

The Hand Made Modern Tabletop Loom came with almost everything I needed to create a wall hanging, minus scissors: the loom, a shed, three shuttles, an instructional flyer, and a traditional (metal) tapestry needle.  It also came with a cotton thread to use as a warp thread.  However, the loom is made with much lower quality materials, and it feels more like a toy than a "real" tool.  The loom is held together with the tension of the warp, not with hardware.  Because the shed is a bit wimpy, it did flip on me a few times during my project.

On the other hand, the cotton thread was much easier to work with, and the loom is much lighter, making it easier to hold to work or to pack up and take away from home.  Furthermore, although I love the wooden tapestry needle that came with the Prima kit, a traditional tapestry needle is very useful in a tight spot.

Homemade Loom Review: Free and Portable

There are several Pinterest Pins about making and using handmade looms, from using copper pipe and fittings, to using dowel rods, to picture frames and finishing nails, to scraps of cardboard and cardboard boxes.  Although I opted for the simplest-looking handmade loom made of a square of cardboard, I was not successful in making a cardboard loom with a straight warp.  However, I was able to make a crooked little weaving.

The best part of the cardboard loom was that is was free, and it was a creative way to spend an afternoon; not only in the weaving, but in the making of the loom.  As for being portable, the cardboard loom also wins by a longshot.

Ratings

The important thing to remember when choosing a beginner's loom is the beginner's preferences and needs. Portability, quality, weight, and price are always worth considering.  Starting a hobby with lower quality materials can sometimes work out, but more often than not, the wrong tools will stymie the user's desire to continue. I would recommend choosing the sturdiest loom your budget will allow.

Want to read more about fiber arts or arts and crafts? Try

Make a Celtic Tatting Shuttle
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Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Stitch Fix Review: Styling at 40

If having a personal clothing stylist sounds good to you, give it a try!  

What is Stitch Fix?

For those who haven't yet heard about it, Stich Fix is a subscription-based clothing stylist service. A Stitch Fix clothing stylist chooses and sends clothing back to a subscriber based on her given online profile.  The subscriber can pay for the items she receives that she likes.  She sends back, at no cost, the items she doesn't like, letting the stylist know which items she likes or dislikes, and why.  Those notes back to the stylist help each Stitch Fix order get a little closer to perfection.

Why I Tried Stitch Fix

Because I've been a bit frumpy lately (more on that later), like for the past several years, my gift to myself for my 40th birthday was a commitment to a monthly Stitch Fix. It's a little outside my comfort zone to spend much money on clothing, but after so many years of thrifting, I think it's time. I'm also a little nervous about letting someone who doesn't know me very well pick out my clothes, but I think it's time for that, too.  I think.

What I've Noticed about Stitch Fix

1. There is an opportunity for the stylist to get to know me, and I get to know me.

In addition to creating the initial profile on the Stitch Fix site, a subscriber can also choose to share with the stylist other social media clues, like a Linkedin profile and Pinterest boards. Although it's optional for subscribers, I did take advantage of sharing my social media accounts for Pinterest and LinkedIn.  I made notes, both positive and negative, on the Pinterest items I added to my board called "Stitch Fix." Additionally, I created clothing sets using Polyvore, and I shared those to my "Stitch Fix" board, too.  This helped me learn what styles I really like, what might look good on my frame, and the kinds of things I should look for when I do venture out to go shopping.

Subsequently, I became overly obsessed with Pinterest and with how I dress.  I know it was "overly" because I was thinking about clothing instead of paying attention to the real people around me. This realization made me remember why I got frumpy in the first place: Frumpy is comfy, and the best way to chill out around the people who surround me is in comfy clothes that I don't have to worry about adjusting or maintaining.  I also like clothes that make me look thin, but I will settle for clothes that do not make me look pregnant.

2. The first "Fix" is usually "blah."

I read the observation on several other reviews that the first batch of items the stylist sends is generally not perfect.  I would suspect this is because the stylist hasn't gotten to know a subscriber very well by the time a first fix is sent out.  This was definitely true for me, as well.  I felt as through the stylist had perhaps not looked at the copious postings I had made to Pinterest or hadn't really read my initial notes, or perhaps that I was too old to be using the service: For example, I specifically stated how much I hate stretch denim or low-cut pants, and the first thing I pulled out of the box was a pair of super-stretchy, distressed, low cut jeans that were very short on me.  I returned everything with friendly notes, and I am going to try one more time.

That said, when I shared what had been sent with my husband, he immediately recognized that the items were in no way something I would generally wear, and he noted that maybe the clothes the stylists have to choose from aren't even in the wheelhouse of my likes or personality.  That got me thinking about my "likes and personality," and even how the people who know me best think of how I dress; not strangers, but the people who know me best (and love me anyway).  In other words, if I were an "Apples to Apples" noun card, on which adjective would I get played?  Would it be on frumpy or something else?

3. Shopping got easier.

As I mentioned in point #1, the time I spent obsessing over Pinterest pins about women's fashion made shopping a lot easier.  I knew the sorts of things I wanted to look for when I stepped into the Goodwill and Value Village thrift stores; that's right, the thrift stores.  What did I take home from said thrift stores?  The same kinds of clothes I've been wearing for 40 years: one pair of long, wide-leg denim trousers (non-stretch, Ralph Lauren), one short sleeve, vintage western-cut shirt from the men's department (with pink, pillow-ticking type stripes), and a bright, heather blue cardigan. It was easy to find these items because I had been thinking about what I like, and it was easy to walk out with them because I had donated two boxes of clothes I no longer was wearing.  Most of those donated clothes had been purchased at the same two thrift stores.  A rotating wardrobe!

Final Thoughts on Stitch Fix

So, if shopping got easier, and signing up for Stitch Fix only got me obsessing about clothes and a failed first fix, "why," you might ask, am I trying again (as stated in point #2)?  I'm going to give the service another try because I think there's more to learn about myself, and I might get some neat clothes out of the deal, really.  After all, when I went shopping, I left with the same things I've been wearing for 40 years, for Pete's sake.  I think it's time to try something new.  I think.

Scratch That Last - Addendum Regarding the Second "Fix"

I've now received and returned every item in my second "fix."  Although I clearly stated in my notes back from the last box that I will not wear stretch denim, I do not want hand wash or dry clean only clothes, and I prefer natural fabrics and materials, I received hand wash Rayon tops, skinny jeans, and some cheaply made earrings.  To be fair, it's a different stylist, and she made it clear she looked at my Pins, so she was trying.  Also, a few minutes after I left the Stitch Fix Web site, I received an email letting me know that since the first two boxes were not to my liking, the third styling fee would be waived for me if I tried one more time.  There were additional questions for me to answer about my preferred silhouette and styles.  I think it's a wonderful marketing and customer service advantage, so I answered the questions and agreed to one more go. I'm fairly certain the third time will not be a charm, but I will try.

In the meantime, does anyone have any recommendations for a Stitch Fix alternative?  Please share in the comments!

Want to read more about my complicated relationship with my clothes?  Try

Project 333 Math: Making My Own Rules  




Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Contact the author for permission to republish.

Denotative and Connotative Meaning in the Poetry of Denise Levertov

From "Of Being" by Denise Levertov
Image curtesy of Amy Lynn Hess

Both the denotative and connotative meanings of words are of the utmost importance to poets, most of whom dedicate their lives to finding not just the right words, but the exact words to express their ideas as specifically and concretely as possible.  

Denise Levertov is no exception. In fact, her poetry relies upon her readers' dedication to investigating each carefully chosen word's definitions and associations.

Murray Bodo speaks of her use of words in the essay, "Denise Levertov: A Memoir and Appreciation." Bodo states, "She seldom spoke glibly. It was as if she were searching for the right word to emerge as she went along, much as she said a poem proceeds—organically word by word, image by image, line by line" (n.d.).  Armed with this knowledge of her proficiency with words and the expectations she has of her readers, those readers can begin the process of analyzing her poems one word at a time.

Analysis of Denise Levertov's "Of Being"

Denotation

In "Of Being," there is one word in particular that requires an exploration of its denotative meaning, its dictionary definition: "ineluctable."  Although it is similar in meaning to "inevitable," "inexorable," "unavoidable," or "unpreventable," its very subtle difference in meaning opens up the poem for better interpretation.

From "Of Being" by Denise Levertov
Image curtesy of Amy Lynn Hess

"Inevitable" implies that future consequences, results, or effects cannot be avoided.  "Inexorable" implies there is, much like the continuous tense, something happening in the continuous present, an action that cannot be stopped or prevented.

"Ineluctable," the word Levertov chooses in "Of Being," implies there is a fact that cannot be denied. 

If readers replace, much like in algebraic equations, "a fact that cannot be denied" for "ineluctable" in the poem, the truncated clause, with each subject paired with the predicate, reads:

This shimmering of wind in the blue leaves is a fact that cannot be denied.
This flood of stillness widening the lake of sky is a fact that cannot be denied.
This need to dance is a fact that cannot be denied.
This need to kneel is a fact that cannot be denied.
This mystery is a fact that cannot be denied.

These are undeniable facts, she says.  She doesn't say they are effects, consequences, results, or actions.  Because of the exact use of the exact word "ineluctable," she refers to this list as facts, undeniable facts.

Connotation

From "Of Being" by Denise Levertov
Image curtesy of Amy Lynn Hess

In addition to carefully examining denotative meanings of words in poems, like "ineluctable," readers should also examine connotative meanings, or the culturally or socially defined emotional associations of words.

Connotative word associations or feelings often appear in patterns. In "Of Being," such a pattern appears with the words "looming," "suffering," and "fear."

When analyzing word connotations, which are generally either in some way positive or in some way negative, some are difficult to interpret, and some are quite obvious.  In this instance, the negative emotions associated with "looming," "suffering," and "fear," are easy to notice.  This doesn't mean, however, that they were not carefully chosen.  When we think of "looming," we may feel a sort of oppression from above or from around a corner, just out of sight. We think of a predator, while we are the prey.  This connotative meaning reiterates the idea of "peripheral vision" that appears later in the clause.  The idea that suffering and fear wait just out of sight, ready to pounce like predators, is exceptionally important; important enough to be indicated twice.

Yet, she tells us, even though these predators wait for us, for a moment there is beauty:

This shimmering of wind in the blue leaves is a fact that cannot be denied.
This flood of stillness widening the lake of sky is a fact that cannot be denied.
This need to dance is a fact that cannot be denied.
This need to kneel is a fact that cannot be denied.
This mystery is a fact that cannot be denied.

In the face of "fear" and "suffering," "happiness" appears, even if "provisional," as she states in the first lines of the poem.  In the face of "looming presences," "happiness" appears.

Conclusion

In poetry, using the exact words matters.  It is the task of a careful reader to scrutinize and research the meanings of words while formulating an interpretation.

References

Bodo, M. (n.d.). Denise Levertov: A memoir and appreciation. Image, 27. Retrieved from http://www.imagejournal.org/article/denise-levertov-a-memoir-and-appreciation/


Levertov, D. (1997). Of Being. In E.V. Roberts & H. E. Jacobs (Eds.), Literature: an introduction to reading and writing (8th ed.), (pp. 480). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Want to read more about analyzing poetry?  Try

Diagramming Mina Loy's "Letters of the Unliving"
Ars Poetica: When a Poet's Fly is More Than a Fly
The Shoe as Image in the Poetry of Amy Lowell and Charles Simic

Want to learn even more about diagramming sentences?  

Take my complete online course, "Sentence Diagramming: From Beginner to Expert in 12 Lessons" on Udemy, or purchase my text, Diagramming Sentences: A Playful Way to Analyze Everyday Language (affiliate link) on Amazon.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess.  Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Remove Mobile Strike Video Advertisements

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PTSD Foundation of America: The Statistics

While I was recently relaxing, playing a cartoonish game on my IPad called "Plunder Pirates," my game was interrupted by a video advertisement for another game called "Mobile Strike."  It was a very disturbing video, to say the least.  The video included exploding tanks and jets, assassination by snapping another person's neck, and moment after moment of the sights and sounds of combat violence.  After the video ended, I was prompted with the option of purchasing the game.  I declined, and my silly little pirates on their silly little pirate island returned to the screen.

That this advertisement runs as an interruption within a non-violent simulation game is beyond reprehensible: It is irresponsible.  For the sake of all combat veterans and their families, I urge game makers and promotional companies to immediately cease creating promotional videos that cold potentially trigger dangerous symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans.  War, assassination, and combat violence are not "games" that should ever be advertised, unannounced, to unsuspecting players of very different game genres.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, through the National Center for PTSD, reports that "about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime," "about 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year," and "about 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF [Operations Iraqi Freedom] or OEF [Operation Enduring Freedom] have PTSD in a given year" (2016).  Furthermore, and more to the point, they also report that "veterans with PTSD may be even more likely to see their PTSD symptoms get worse if they are exposed to reminders that are similar to their experiences in the military" (2016).  In other words, because of the sheer numbers of American combat veterans currently coping with combat-related PTSD, there is a distinct and probable possibility that veterans with combat-related PTSD are not only seeing these advertisements, unannounced, but also being affected negatively by those advertisements, which contain realistic reminders of combat moments that may have contributed to their PTSD.

Just as undeniable as the effect the Mobile Strike videos are having on veterans is that these videos are having an effect on their families, especially spouses and children.  According to the Family of a Vet Web site (2007), "Thirty-nine percent of those who live with a veteran who is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder will develop Secondary PTSD (also known as STS or Secondary Traumatic Stress)." Specifically, children might take on the stressors and triggers of a parent with PTSD, might take on the role of caretaker, or might withdraw and begin exhibiting stressful behaviors in school (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 2016). 

Plunder Pirates was named one of the best games in 2014 (Midoki, 2015), and it stands to reason that combat veterans, spouses of combat veterans, and children of combat veterans are probably playing that game. That also means they are probably unexpectedly being faced with Mobile Strike videos, a potential combat PTSD trigger.  When one takes into account that Plunder Pirates is only one game out of an many,  and that Mobile Strike was featured as an advertisement during the Super Bowl, it is more than probable: It is an undeniable certainty that veterans who suffer from PTSD and their families have unwittingly been subject to Mobile Strike's videos, a combat PTSD trigger.

The Mobile Strike game makers and promoters cannot deny the numbers of former soldiers and American families their realistic, violent, and dangerous videos are affecting.  Each and every time these videos play, it is possibly a trigger for serious symptoms of combat PTSD.

References

• Family of a Vet (2007). Secondary PTSD in Children. Retrieved from http://www.familyofavet.com/secondary_ptsd_children.html
• Midoki (2015). Plunder Pirates.  Retrieved from Plunderpirates.com
• PTSD Foundation of America (n.d. ). The Statistics. Retrieved from http://ptsdusa.org/what-is-ptsd/the-statistics/
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2016). PTSD: National Center for PTSD. Retrieved from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/index.asp

Read More about Critical Thinking and Argumentation

Deductive Reasoning: Testing the Soundness of Arguments
Introducing the Syllogism by Example Example Example
Writing an Argumentative Essay: Basic Terminology

Product Review: 2015 Chevrolet Equinox

Is your Equinox evil?  I think mine might be.

I drove over to a big Jim Ellis dealership in Atlanta a few weeks ago and purchased a used 2015 Chevy Equinox.

 

Unfortunately, I hate it. This car rates a "D," at best.

The things that are important to me in a car are stability, usability, enjoyment, and safety.  Here's how the 2015 Chevrolet Equinox rates in my book.

Stability

This car drives like a rollerskate.  To be fair, not everyone agrees with me and my trade-in was a 6 cylinder Jeep Liberty with great pick-up and excellent power steering and stability, so to compare may not be entirely fair.  However, with the Equinox's stability and traction control features, I expected a lot more control.  It drifts to the right, bumps in the road send me bouncing all over my lane, and I constantly feel like I have to have a death grip on the steering wheel because the wheel doesn't seem to straighten back out very quickly after a turn.  When I returned to ask about maybe getting a different car, the dealership suggested their service department fix the air pressure in the tires (since they hadn't done that very basic thing before I bought the car).  It still drives like a rollerskate.

Luckily, a very nice salesman over at Heyward Allen Auto in Athens suggested an alignment.  I appreciate his advice and will try that, next.

Usability

I asked for a trailer hitch and a rubber mat for the storage area, but I guess that was too much to ask because those things don't seem to exist in Atlanta unless the buyer coughs up another several hundred dollars. AWD, apparently, is also not available.  In other words, the three features that would make this car the most usable for me were unavailable.  I like to work in my yard, and my yard needs a lot of work, so having a way to haul supplies and equipment when necessary is important to me.  I also intend on driving north, which means snow.  I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed.

By the by, if anyone can sell me a Canyon with 24,000 or so miles on it, I'd be interested.

Enjoyment

All in all, the sound of the tarp shifting and shaking in the back in lieu of the rubber mat won't be as bad as the sound of the dashboard rattling when the car is in Economy mode.  Not that the rattling bothers the voice controls that are supposed to be so "enjoyable."  The car can't understand what I'm saying, regardless.  The only response I can get when I speak is that there is too much background noise.  The most annoying thing about this car is that I cannot wear my hair up, which I do every day, because the headrest juts so far forward it pushes my head and bumps my ponytail or bun as I drive. Much like a child on an airplane, it's trying to see how far it can go before I toss it out the window.

On the other hand, I did get a few free months of XM, so I can listen to Bluegrass Junction to my heart's content.  Furthermore, once in a while Siri can understand me, so I can make calls when she is in the mood.  Lastly, I get great enjoyment out of being able to see my average and best gas mileage on my dashboard and the variations in my tire pressure.  My current average is 28 MPG.  My current tire pressure is 34, 37, 36, and 38.

Safety

Most importantly, this car's score is saved by its safety features.  It has lots of airbags to offset the multitude of blind spots, OnStar services, and seatbelts that cut into my neck and armpit areas.

Other than that, I have smacked my head twice while putting things in the backseat, and I have smacked my knees and shins each time I have gotten in or out of the passenger seat.  Lastly, the MyLink screen shines in my face at all times, and from what I can tell, there is no way to turn it off. Please, if you know how to turn it off, please tell me.  This car didn't come with a manual, and this screen is extremely distracting when it's dark outside, which is 50% of the time  I am driving.

Final Score

Don't get me wrong, it's my own fault I bought this car (in too much of a hurry, apparently) and not the car I tested while I was in Michigan. I also think it worth noting that the salesman at Jim Ellis who sold me the car was very nice and very personable.  In the end, I just really hate this car and needed to take a moment to vent my spleen.  As it stands, I am stuck with this car until a tree crushes it (while no one is in the car), or until I can find something reasonably priced to trade.



Copyright 2016 by Amy Lynn Hess, resentful owner of a P.O.S. Equinox.