2/21/2025

My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,

            When you were at the National Building Museum meeting the Governors yesterday, did you see the Building Stories exhibit, featuring children’s author, David Macaulay? He’s the “Explainer in Chief” who wrote, How Things Work. He has cultivated his mind’s eye & uses drawing as a way to think through things. He considers procrastination a gift. He deserves Presidential Recognition! He’s weird, but in a good way.

            Are we weird?

I know I am. At least, I often feel like I am “not a normal person.” That’s in quotes because I told my husband that when we started going together & he used to remind me of it frequently. He’s not normal, either, so we make a good pair.

            One way that we are weird, is we do our own thing, even when it’s not popular. For example, we avoid buying new things, especially cars. The car we drive now is a 2000. You are the opposite & are extraordinary in your lavish spending. In either case, we do not conform to most people’s consumer habits.

            According to author, Jacob Nordby (JN), our weirdness makes us “blessed” because we teach others to “see through different eyes.” We are “rebel magicians.”

            I came across JN’s manifesto for creatives after googling, “creativity will set you free,” which, BTW, is my latest mantra. It is guiding my work with the 4th graders. I am trying to convince Mr G that cultivating imagination should be our highest priority when teaching math. He’s not convinced, YET.

            Speaking of teaching, I was so sad to learn that Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, was brutally murdered on February 14 in his parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Archdiocese of Mandalay as he was organizing classes for the 40 children in his parish. He was so beloved that 5,000 mourners gathered in the village of Pyin Oo Lwin, defying the dangers & prevailing violence, to honor him. 

A group of rogue soldiers seems to be responsible for Father Martin’s death demonstrating that when we train people to kill, they can run amok! It doesn’t matter which side they are on, there’s always a danger that soldiers will murder their brethren, especially when intoxicated or addled, as this group was.

            WINTA!

            BYBS,