<font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><font size="2" style="font-family: arial;">in this listserv:</font>
<div style="font-family: arial;"><font size="2"><br>
</font></div>
<div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Innocents'
Day<o:p></o:p></font></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">We are not going for the toddler's welfare which is the
focus of tomorrow's Innocents' day in the Christian liturgical calendar. For biblical scholars familiar with Matthew
and Luke, the first was written for the Jews and the second for the
gentiles. Luke bothered to trace Jesus'
lineage to the widely known martyr John the Baptist but did not provide much
fanfare in not having a room in the inn; the infant child had to be born in a
manger, with only shepherds and angels in attendance.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Matthew was writing to the Jews of the synagogue to prove
that Jesus was a fulfillment of the prophetic messianic vision, so he was not
only particular about Joseph being a descendant of King David, he also got Magi
to visit and trick King Herod by skipping town without due notice. The King then proceeded to have every
two-year-old boy in Bethlehem and surrounding areas killed, <i>ala</i> the Mosaic tradition of Moses
surviving the Pharaoh's edict of a similar genocide in the exodus story. Not unlike the family of Joseph of old,
Jesus' family also escaped to Egypt and returned only after Herod died.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">I bother to point out both of these items in Luke and
Matthew just so readers know that we are way beyond the literalism that usually
accompanies Bible literacy in our time.
The liturgical Innocents' day had been observed for the innocent
suffering in the world, mostly those of children in war, disasters, and famine.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">I focus this reflection on the second group of children,
those into 2nd childhood years of which I have suddenly entered. Since formally retiring after Liaoning
Province of China that owns and runs the Shenyang Aerospace University
implemented its book rule on not having foreign teachers over 65 (China still
retains the old life expectancy record that led to women retired at 55 and men
at 60 though a revised five year addition has just been announced since almost
a fifth of the population are on superannuation), I realized how much of the
stereotype associated with second childhood has already become mine.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">First, there are the body symptoms like the jowl that looks
like that of the turkey forgiven by the WH on Thanksgiving, and the butt that
used to attract approving giggles from the school girls in the elevator when I
skin tight it in body fitting jeans springtime but is now virtually ignored for
its non-existence! The finger dexterity
that keeps dropping things has become only too painfully familiar, and lifting
one's body a foot higher on a stool invariably results in vertigo. Coming along these ways was not our idea of
maturing into the soufflé of our years.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">If my vaudevillian incoordination is often a source of
embarrassment and discomfort, the incredible emotional tolerance for
pluriformity and diversity almost lines me up with the bleeding heart
liberals. I suppose, the extensive
travel around many rural villages (the urban</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> </font><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">centers all look alike) around the world for more than a
decade, living in many places by choice, the longest of which was residing in
Saipan as a religious and secular teacher, left us with enough elbowroom to
accommodate virtually everyone.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">But if
the heart has a chamber big enough for the planet and then some, the memory database
has become harder to access.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">My second
point, names of persons and places, dates and events have now come to elude us!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 6.4pt;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Still, as a third, having been impacted
by the cognitive overview effect provided by the earthrise photo from Apollo 8
in 1968, our intuitive acceptance of the trustworthiness of life as it is
given, and the compassionate leeway we impose on every humanly invented image
and metaphor, accepts no bounds.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><font size="3"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman"">The Wikipedia states it better: The <i>overview effect</i> is a
cognitive shift in awareness while viewing the Earth from orbit or from the
lunar surface. It refers to the
experience of seeing the reality of the Earth in space understood to be a tiny,
fragile ball of life, "hanging in the void", shielded and nourished
by a paper-thin atmosphere. National boundaries vanish, the conflicts that
divide people become less important, and creating a planetary society with the will
to protect this "</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_blue_dot"><span style="font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:windowtext;
text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">pale blue dot</span></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">"
becomes both obvious and imperative.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Our primary pedagogical admonition is for students to
"pay attention" to their existence with their body senses, emotions,
intuitions, cognitions, and decisions. I
give it my naughty twist and arrogate to myself the skill of doing the same
with "playing attention" to distance myself from the commercial
connotation of the previous phrase.<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Society's blame game, with its cause-effect linear thought
pattern, lends a susceptibility of the previous generation to charges of benign
neglect or senseless cases of willful commissions in the experienced woes of
the earth. <o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Of course, there is nothing innocent about second
childhood. In fact, the universal
response among the confident, aware and self-conscious is usually, "Guilty
as charged!" That is, if one still
remembers the reality of what one is being charged with!<o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">And this is where life's grace and compassion is
incontrovertible. Not only does it let
you know and feel that the past is irretrievably done, and in fact, mostly
forgotten; it also wondrously and unconditionally forgives. <o:p></o:p></font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3"> </font></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman""><font size="3">Now, if I could only remember where my last thought was . .
.</font><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</font>