Love Note Day – 2012

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By Terry Orr

Having one of your first and very personal love notes read aloud in class can have a significant impact on writing additional ones.  Fortunately, I was brave enough (or maybe stupid enough) to write more – and yes, there were more intercepted to my great embarrassment.

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Expressing one feeling, emotions and love for others just seems natural – and trying to find a different way to express yourself beyond ones love for another.  Writing poetry is one form Love Notes – as telling the special someone they look or smell exceptionally nice.  Perhaps they are glowing or their smile is extremely beautiful.

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You can jot a short love note to the one you love anytime and without any special reason – those often mean the most…

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International Literacy Day – Literacy and Peace

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By Terry Orr

“Education brings sustainability to all the development goals, and literacy is the foundation of all learning. It provides individuals with the skills to understand the world and shape it, to participate in democratic processes and have a voice, and also to strengthen their cultural identity. “

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General

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Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy.

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Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy. There are good reasons why literacy is at the core of Education for All (EFA).

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A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~ Chinese Proverb

A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning; literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet pressing development.

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According to International Reading Association, more than 780 million of the world’s adults (nearly two-thirds of whom are women) do not know how to read or write, and between 94 and 115 million children lack access to education.

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No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. ~ Confucius

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Things we can do to help:

• Read a book to a child
• Have a child read a book to an adult
• Take a professional development course
• Join a social media platform – Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Write a letter to an old friend – the snail mail way!
• Share this list with friends and coworkers – and dare them to take the challenge!
• Play a game of Scrabble
• Look up and learn a new word (and continue to do so every day for a month!)
• Use a new form of technology (Smartphone, self‐serve checkout, etc.)

“Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or endeavoring something for the public good.” ~ Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471)

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I cannot live without books. ~ Thomas Jefferson

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A library is a hospital for the mind. ~ Anonymous

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There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island. ~ Walt Disney

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References and Links:

http://www.reading.org/general/conferences/InternationalLiteracyDay.aspx

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/

http://www.bookaid.org/get-involved/events/international-literacy-day/

http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-156.html

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Write a letter?

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By Akindman,

National Letter Writing Week occurs the second week of January every year. This year, pick up your pen or pencil and drop an old friend a line. Due to the prevalence of cell phones and e-mail, handwritten letters, or "snail mail," have become old-fashioned and passé. But the personal touch that comes with a handwritten message cannot be replaced by any other communication method. Finding a letter or postcard.

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Several years ago, there was a company that tailored software fonts to your individual handwriting – one of these days when the mood strikes again, believe I will find a someone like that once again.  I can remember writing long hand, with nice pen and then make a spelling error about two-thirds the way through what I was writing.  As one my guess – I have done most of my letter writing via a computer for the past several years.  It is also much easier to read than my penmanship.

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Diane and I were chatting about this while writing this article and she mentioned about the cost of stationery and postage these days as another factor for not using snail-mail these days.  Most of my family and friends have email addresses and are active in one of the top social networking sites.  Both are great ways of communicating to the entire family in near real-time.

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Hand writing is becoming a lost art and we should really try and write letters, postcards or notes more often – especially loved ones.  So, move your keyboard aside and jot a note to someone special today in celebration of National Letter Writing Week!

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