Adventures in Living a Healthy, Juicy Life by Cheryl Ragsdale ♥ “Eyebags – the price we pay for debauchery, workaholism, and insomnia. Especially when accompanied by telltale dark circles, they are a source of consternation for those who pr…

I really am 48. I’ll be 49 in a couple of weeks. I’m not sure why I look younger than my age. I sure don’t act my age. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to relate to my students as well as I do. Hanging out with young people does help keep you young.

I guess I am already an activist with my blog and with my students. I call them on their opinions when they aren’t based on facts but on beliefs (unless beliefs are appropriate, like religion class). I work hard to get them to think through issues from history to current events and compare and contrast the past with the present. I also require critical thinking in discussions. If I get an opinion, I want a fact-based argument to support it. I know I’ve gotten a few young minds to think for themselves.

My job isn’t to indoctrinate them, it’s to teach them to use reason, facts and real arguments to draw conclusions. They can disagree, but they have to know why and they also need to understand there are other legitimate points of view based on the same facts. Biggest challenge lately is what people like Sarah Palin spew. I’ve gotten quite a few students to conclude her arguments and those of other right-wing nut-jobs are fact-free opinions and beliefs that are indefensible.

Being in math and science and teaching evolution to religious school students is less controversial than I thought. Religious schools, especially Catholics, have decided biology and evolution are real science, and religion and Bible creation stories are for religion class. The Pope decided evolution is legitimate and that Bible stories are just stories people made up to explain things they didn’t understand. A semi-nomadic people 6000 years ago had a universe significantly smaller than what we know about today. In fact, they weren’t aware of a universe, just their own, God-made area of the world.

I’m a local Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav activist because I’m here, and so much still needs to be done. I know a lot of Democrats were furious with Senator Landrieu about her cloture vote delay on the health care bill, but she wheeled and dealed and got Louisiana $100 million for Medicaid in 2011. We need it with the disproportionately poor, uninsured population and ranking 48th overall in citizen health out of the 50 states. Only Mississippi and South Carolina have worse health outcomes for the money spent.

I email and call my Senators and Representative pretty often about various issues from health care legislation to issues about equal protection under the law and the Constitution.

If I were to join the ACLU, I wouldn’t want to be an envelope stuffer. I’d want to work for them as an employee, not as a volunteer. I’d be interested in their poverty project, education project, LGBT project, or the prison project. I’d want to be involved in policy, speak at rallies, lobby Congress and work directly with affected populations.

As long as I feel like I’m making a real difference doing what I’m doing, I’ll keep doing it. Besides, I really love math and science. I am a true geek, dork, nerd. It would be hard for me to give it up.

Sherri
.-= Being the Change I Wish to See´s last blog ..U.S. not really about equality =-.

I kind of saved you for last.

People probably do not know that you are married to my son.I want you to know how blessed I feel that I had the luck to have you in my family.

You are like my own daughter. But better than I probably would have been able to reproduce.

You ALWAYS do the best you can.

I don’t think you know how to do it any other way.

“I’m about a year and a half out from the big 60 and I’ve made some important personal decisions about aging. I’ve decided to age backwards for a while.”

Please. REALLY? I WANT TO SEE YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE TOO.

Aging backward is a good idea. I once heard that your real age is if someone wakes you out of a sound sleep and asks you how old you are.

I am 38. What would you say?

But I admit you do type well with one hand.

What can I say about your mother? My dearest Auntie Babie.

Maybe that she NEVER said an unkind thing to or about anyone. I adored her. When I was a kid, she was my best friend. I saw her almost every day.

She was the holiest person I ever knew. And she never preached to anyone. She lived it.

The only thing I begrudge her for was not leaving me her spicy tripe recipe. She cooked it for me all the time.

Maybe she’ll read this in Heaven and get it to me somehow.

Thanks for weighing in here.

I liked this -

“Think H A P P Y!!!! THINK PLUS(+), LAUGH!”

Let us know where you get your happy pills. Lots of us need them.

And your wonderful sense of humor. You always make people laugh.