Culture of cheaters and excuse makers

Everyone's cheating -according to an article in yesterday's Toronto Star.
And apparently, on balance, they're prospering.
Students fake their way to the top. Business leaders deceive shareholders and make millions. Couples cheat on each other for sport. and athletes go for the inside edge by playing fast and loose with the rules.
We are becoming a culture of cheaters and excuse-makers, researchers say. We cut ethical corners and defend ourselves by insisting everyone is doing it.
I don't want to pretend that the above are my ideas unlike George Bush's aid who lifted ideas from a Dartmouth essay and Barack Obama who also felt comfortable lifting ideas from someone else's work.
Interesting thought: if we keep copying each others work, could we create a loop of ideas that just keep circulating and very little new thought emerges?
Researchers claim that this lack of values is more prevalent during times of prosperity-is there a link? Whatever happened to hard work and sometimes, we must acknowledge luck?
Will the anticipated recession create a more moral society? Would like to read what the researchers find during times of economic difficulty when people are more desperate to succeed.
Off to play tennis and hope that my opponents make fair line calls.

Bug Monitors

A L.A school teacher created student 'bug monitors to rescue creepy crawlies and return them to the outdoors. When teacher, Melodie Conrad saw a student stomp on a bug several years ago, she knew that she had to do something. She created the 'bug monitor'. Now if any creepy-crawly wanders into her classroom, the student bug monitor swoops in with a paper towel or napkin, scoops up the critter and shepherds it outside. Her philosophy is "If you can teach a child to respect and protect the smallest and most maligned among us, you can help create better citizens who have compassion for others.'
At a time, when it seems that people have difficulty feeling empathy for others, this is a wonderful start at changing attitudes. I am sure that some teachers would have difficulty with the bugs but it is certainly worth considering. One of Melodie's students comments "I don't like hurting animals, even though they're tiny, they have an eco-system and it's a good idea to take bugs outside and to be kind,even though sometimes its creepy."
Children and others can learn more about the bugs on the website: whatsthatbug.com which offers information on which insects are harmless. Important information! Once we understand something we are more tolerant.
Maybe, I will find some of my friends who hide in the basement on the site. I won't take them outside until the snow is gone and with more snow arriving tomorrow, my household bugs are warm and toasty for awhile longer.

Hope

This morning, I could write about another winter storm and we are setting records this winter but at this point, the weather in Toronto is no longer news worthy. We have to get used to it and be careful. Michael, my husband just pointed out that there is an accident happening every three minutes this morning. I made the decision to cancel a performance by a flute quartet that I coach at my school. The quartet was going to perform at a Toronto District School Board conference on character development. I made the decision that I did not want to risk their lives trying to get them to the event. (It is my day off, so I will stay home and shovel the snow later today.)

My topic today is hope and I want to reflect on my experience last night. Last night I performed bassoon and flute duets, at Princess Margaret Lodge, a residence for cancer patients who are from out of town. This is a place they can live while receiving treatment. We had been warned not to stare and act naturally around them. This was not a problem, they were wonderful people ready to be engaged in the evening's events. The evening turned out to be a wonderful evening for us. We were extremely well received and the audience members were very interested in our instruments, especially my bassoon which many of them had never seen. Even people who visit the symphony regularly are often surprised at what the bassoon looks like because they have only seen the top and do not realize that there are couple more feet of instrument below chest level. One of the patients had warned us that she might leave during our presentation because she was not feeling well; we were honoured because she stayed for the whole concert. One of the highlights that I would have enjoyed taping and posting was the end when the audience members had long streamers that they moved in time to our last selection. My friend, Krista might even remember the music which we played at a friend's garden wedding over 30 years ago. This piece of music is still challenging and moving.
After, seeing these patients and a friend of mine who is bedridden with MS, I hope that I could demonstrate as much hope and grace as these people if I had to deal with a medical challenge. People continue to impress me. I am pleased that I am able to be part of their day and bring a new and hopefully enjoyable experience to their lives.

Mindless

"One day, at a nursing home in Connecticut, elderly residents were each given a choice of houseplants to care for and were asked to make a number of small decisions about their daily routines. A year and a half later, not only were these people more cheerful, active and alert than a similar group in the same institution who were not given these choices and responsibilities but many more of them were still alive. In fact, less than half as many of the decision-making, plant-minding residents had died as had those in the other group. This experiment, with its startling results, began over ten years of research into the powerful effects of what my colleagues and I came to call mindfulness and of its counterpart, the equally powerful but destructive state of mindlessness"

This is the opening paragraph in the book Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer. I am hoping to get insight into the how we think and how to go about activities with fuller engagement. So far the research seems to support the eastern concept of being in the moment and not going about our day without being fully engaged. The side benefit seems to be a longer life and if this is not possible a life with richer experiences.

Tonight, I am performing at Princess Margaret Lodge, a residence for cancer patients undergoing long term treatment in Toronto. It will be my goal to be fully engaged in the music in order to give as musical a performance as possible. I hope that my contribution will add to the quality of life for these residents. It is a privilege to be able to give in this way.

Catalogues of the unnecssary

It arrived that Saturday's newspaper and I spent time checking what extravagant items have been created for us to enjoy. Hedonics- catering to the hedonists- came with all the other ads encouraging us to shop. Now, I am not a smoker but I can see this appealing to the Bob Hope types- the ultimate cigar tee holder. I am sure that there some characters in movies like Caddyshack who needed this aid. My life would be better with this next item: a counter top wine cellar which stores up to 8 bottles. We are practising parts of the Mediterranean diet- the part that advocates drinking a glass of wine each day. For only $99, I can ensure that the wine is on chill and that there are back-up bottles ready for guests and future consumption. I drink wine with less guilt since it is healthy and I can take the bottle to the beer store to be redeemed for 20 cents a bottle.
The catalogue offers the instant solar fountain which actually appeals to me despite the fact that I am still looking out at least 2 feet of snow and there is more precipitation on the way. I am not a golfer but I can picture some of my golfing friends enjoying this next item- a Kooler Klub -which is a cooler disguised as a golf club, the cooler component is in the base of the club and the top has spigot which allows hot or cold beverages to come up by means of a pump. What a great idea, maybe someone will invent a tennis cooler. A waistband stretcher- when I finally give up trying to loose the extra weight so that I can wear some pants that are becoming more out of style with each passing day- I will get this.
I love these catalogues. Actually, my favourite is one that has attaches, planners and note books all in wonderful colours and styles. I am a sucker for a nice attache and planner. Have to get a new planner this week.

Seniors

For those of you who are asking how yesterday's performance was received, the audience reacation was very positive. A number of the residents made an interesting comment that we have heard repeated the past few weeks. We visited several new residences in February. The comment that we hear is how nice it is to hear classical music instead of the sing-a-longs which always seem to include songs like "Good Night Irene" (I am quoting a resident who used to play the violin) and other melodies from that era. I am not suggesting that the songs are not good but we need to start thinking about when these seniors grew up. Many are the WWII generation, their music was the music of Sinatra, Bing Crosby and others. Too early for me and I have not researched it. Might be an idea.

While waiting to perform, Len and I observed that the number of seniors' residences is increasing dramatically and many of them are now operated by corporations some of which are on the stock exchange. There is big money in these facilities run by companies like Chartwell Reit, Sunrise and Amica all of which are on the stock exchange making money for their stock holders. This is a growth industry. These new residences look luxury hotels with very nice dining rooms, spa like facilities and many amenties that we are surprised to see. A positive is that the residents appear happy despite receiving an overdose of Good Night Irene.

Music and Sharing

This afternoon, I will be performing at a seniors' residence with one of the members of my trio. Zach, the flute player will attending his brother's 50th birthday party. My ensemble, the Taffanel Wind Ensemble (named after the great flutist and composer, Paul Taffanel) has been playing together for over nine years. During this time, we have had the opportunity to visit and entertain at many residences in the GTA. We often joke that the we a casing out our future homes. This is a way to see how some of seniors live. Residences range from the delux and we must admit that we enjoy visiting these homes. The residents enjoy classical music and area more open to what we do. The recreation directors or wellness and activation as they are now known are also more inclined to book us. Once we have visited a home, we have very little difficulty booking a return visit. Many of the residents are eager for entertainment other than the usual sing-a-long of old songs. About a month, ago, we visited a new residence for us that is financially challenged and does not have the aura of elegance that some of the residences that we visit have. What was a real eye opener about the visit was that a number of the residents knew what a bassoon is and recognized some of the music as we warmed up for the performance. These people were eager to hear our performance and appreciated the opportunity to enjoy our performance. They were one of the most appreciative audience that we have entertained for quite sometime.

It is wonderful to still be playing all these years and able to share what I love to do. I started playing over 40 years ago. In my position as a part-time teacher at a high school, I have been making it a point to take student groups to places like Toronto General Hospital cardiac wing, Sunnybrook K-wing (veterans residence) and seniors' homes to share their music. It is my hope that they will continue in the future and take the time to share their music with others.