Week Three Story: The Prophecy of Brahma Rishi

Week Three Story: The Prophecy of Brahma Rishi

Image: Actor Rishabh Shukla as Dasharatha in Zee TV's 'Ramayana'
  Courtesy of ZEENEWS.)

It came time for Dasaratha, King of Kosala, to see to the education of his four sons. Although the land was filled with many fine Brahmins, their expertise focused solely on austerities and they knew little about governing.  Gossip of a pilgrimage undertaken by Viswamithra had reached King Dasaratha.  Knowing the path of the pilgrimage would bring the former king near the city of Ayodhya, Dasaratha called on Vasishtha, his royal priest, with the intention of sending him to intercept Viswamithra and inviting the sage to spend a few days of respite within the palace.  Dasaratha hoped that through his offer of hospitality he could convince Viswamithra to become the governor in charge of the young princes.

As Dasaratha was preparing Vasishtha for his journey, a herald approached the king to announce that the honorable Brahma Rishi had come to the palace and requested an audience.  Dasaratha looked at Vasishtha with concern.

"Who is this Brama Rishi," Dasaratha asked.

"He is known as a powerful seer," replied Vasishtha.  "If he is requesting an audience, it is best to accept.  The gods must have an important message for you if he has traveled all this way."  Dasaratha briefly considered the words of Vasishtha.  

"Very well.  You are my most trusted advisor and also a favorite of the gods," Dasaratha turned to the herald and requested that Brahma Rishi be granted an audience and treated as an honored guest.  As the doors opened and the guards escorted in the seer, Dasaratha began laughing warmly as Vasishtha uttered a surprised gasp and rushed toward their visitor.  

"Viswamithra!" shouted Vasishtha. Remembering who he was speaking to, Vasishtha quickly bowed at the feet of the visitor. "I was just preparing to intercept your journey and bring you here at the request of the king!  I do apologize on behalf of all of Ayodhya.  We were informed that the seer Brahma Rishi was our guest.  If you will allow me to place you in the audience of the king, I will arrange a reception more fitting of your station."  Viswamithra matched Dasaratha's laughter as he bent and took the hand of the priest.

"Ah, Vasishtha, my friend!  You honor me more than my new station warrants." Viswamithra pulled Vasishtha to his feet and grasped his shoulders warmly.  "You see, I am the one known as Brahma Rishi.  Retirement grew boring and unfulfilling.  As I focused on my austerities, the gods chose to bless me with this new title along with the gift of prophecy. And you, my oldest friend," Viswamithra turned toward Dasaratha, walking quickly and leaving the guards behind, "the gods have sent me to respond to your request of a governor."  

"Praise the Gods," cried Dasaratha, "but the journey has been long, and we must give you a place to rest."

"That is kind, yet unnecessary," responded Viswamithra.  "My austerities have given me mastery over my body.  I am not in want of food or rest at the moment.  I should like to continue my audience with you.  If Vasishtha could be allowed to stay, I would appreciate his company as well." In spite of Viswamithra's insistence, Dasaratha bid to the guards to bring in couches and refreshments.  Once the three men were lounging comfortably, Viswamithra looked expectantly at the king, waiting for his permission to continue with the business that brought him to Ayodhya.

"So, old friend, you have answered the call to educate my sons," began Dasaratha.  "I can think of no one better to mentor my eldest son Rama in the ways of a king and my other sons in following their austerities." The seer looked thoughtfully at the goblet in his hand, gently swirling the golden liquid inside.  "Ah, I know that face," continued Dasaratha.  Do you still delight your dinner companions with stories, or as Brahma Rishi have you replaced your stories with lectures?"  

"Stories are superior to lectures when passing on wisdom," replied Viswamithra. "There is a story from a country in the west about a man called Abraham who is known as the Father of Nations.  His plight was much the same as your past plight.  He and his wife Sarah were unable to conceive and prayed devoutly to their god to bless them with children.  Sarah was desperate for children, so she gave her servant Hagar to Abraham as a wife.  Hagar became pregnant and bore Abraham a son named Ishmael.  Many years later, although Sarah and Abraham had passed into their evening years, their god performed a miracle and Sarah became pregnant.  After Sarah gave birth to Abraham's son, named Isaac, she became overwhelmed with jealousy.  

'If I am truly your favorite wife, you will drive out Hagar and that thief Ishmael!  He has stolen the birthright that God has intended for Isaac.'  Abraham was distraught, but his love for Sarah caused him to exile Hagar and Ishmael.  He packed supplies for them and sent them into the desert.  Soon, the exiles were out of food and water.  Ishmael became so weak that he collapsed under a shrub.  Hagar, unable to watch the death of her son, crawled away from the shrub and cried.  The depth of her anguish reached the ears of her god and she and Ishmael were provided with a deep cool well to ensure their survival.  Although Isaac received the inheritance of Abraham-the blessing to become a nation, their god provided Ishmael with the same birthright and brought forth a nation through Ishmael on the land that saved his life and the life of his mother."

Dasaratha stared dumbfounded at Viswamithra. "Are you insinuating that I would dare exile my son Rama?  He who is the best of us all? He is the firstborn of my first wife.  There is none who could challenge his birthright!"  

Vasishtha cleared his throat.  Looking down at his hands, he quietly muttered, "have you forgotten the promise you made to the father of your second, and favorite, wife?  Bharatha could challenge Rama if he knew the commitment you made to win the hand of Kaikeyi."

"I would like to mentor young Rama," stated Viswamithra. "I need someone strong and capable to accompany me on my pilgrimage to Sidhasrama."   

"I am not exiling my son based on a story from another land!" shouted Dasaratha.  "Do you expect me to believe that the gods that granted me Rama would send you to take the youth away?"

"This is not an exile.  As I said, I would like to mentor Rama.  His exile will come at some point in the future and the gods have sent me to prepare him to withstand it."  Viswamithra rose from his couch, "I request to take leave of you my king.  I need to prepare to return on my journey, and I would like to give you time to think about my offer."  Dasaratha was staring sullenly out the window, so Vasishtha caught the seer's eye and gave him a slight nod of dismissal. 

 As the door closed, Dasaratha spit the words, "Brahma Rishi!" as if the words were venom.  "He is a dethroned king playing at being a holy man.  He has come to steal my son from me!"

Vasishtha turned and bowed toward the king.  "Your Majesty.  If I may advise you on this situation..."

"Yes, please, Vasishtha.  You have always been a sensible counselor on all matters concerning this court," replied Dasaratha.  

"I would like to remind you that Abraham, Father of Nations is the ancestor of King David.  He was also exiled by his predecessor, but before his exile, he was mentored by a holy man by the name of Samuel and aided by his predecessor's son Jonathan.  David and Jonathan were as close as brothers.  Without Samuels tutelage and Jonathan's unwavering support, I doubt David would be the king he is today.  He is a just ruler that is loved by his people, and I have often heard that he is a man after his god's own heart.  He has delivered his people from the scourge of the Philistines."  Vasishtha paused, weighing his words carefully.  "I have long suspected that Rama is meant to deliver our people from the brutality of the rakshasas.  Do not forget that Viswamithra was once a conqueror of lands, and trained his fiercest warriors himself.  He is the mentor that Rama needs."

"Yes," conceded Dasaratha, "I see your logic.  But who am I to send as his Jonathan?  Bharatha?  Surely that will drive a wedge between the two and quicken the demand of Rama's exile"

"That is a simple decision.  Lakshamana and Rama have been joined at the hip since birth.  Wherever you send Rama, he will refuse to go without Lakshamana.  The same is true if you were to send away Lashamana."

Dasaratha sighed.  "It is settled, then.  Rama and Lakshamana shall be outfitted with the palace's best weapons and sent with Viswamithra on his pilgrimage to Sidhasrama.  In the meantime, I will devise a way to prevent Rama's exile.  It is his birthright.  I shall pay the price for my foolish words, not him."  Dasaratha stood and straightened his garments.  "Guards, send for the Brahma Rishi."

Artist's Note:

I am reading R.K. Narayan's adaptation of The Ramayana.  Leading up to the exile scene, it is obvious that Dasaratha knows that Bharatha will somehow stand between Rama and the throne, so he attempts to distract Bharatha and Bharatha's grandpa while getting ready for Rama's coronation.  I wondered how Dasaratha knew, there's no indication in Narayan's version.

I also want to merge the stories we're reading with stories that we might be more familiar with.  I've always felt sorry for Hagar, even though Ishmael became the father of a nation.  The way that Rama's own mother and stepmother responded to the news of Rama's exile made me think of how Hagar felt when she thought Ishmael was going to die.  Lakashama and Rama's relationship made me think of David and Jonathan's relationship, and since David was also exiled, I decided he was also an important parallel to make.  I don't know when the timeline of King David happens in relation to the timeline of the Ramayana, so I just decided to make David a current king that Dasaratha would be aware of and would respect.  

Yes, I know that this turned out way longer than our writing prompt limit, but I was having fun with it.  I've been working on dialogue in my creative writing, so you guys have to suffer through my drafts while I'm practicing!

Ishmael's story comes from Genesis chapters 16 and 22.  David's story spans through the books of Samuel 1 and 2.  

The image at the head of the post comes from The Ramayana telenovela that was popular in India during the 1980s.  I know Indians don't call their shows telenovelas, but it makes sense to me label it as that genre.

Bibliography

Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. 1972. Penguin Books, 2006.

YouVersion. The Bible. The Message Version. https://www.bible.com/. Accessed January 30, 2020.

 

 

Reading Notes, Ramayana Part B

(GIF courtesy of Giphy.)

Reading Notes, Ramayana Part B

Bibliography

Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. Penguin Books, 2006.

Currently Reading:

Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way: Lessons from an Urban Classroom

by Brian Shultz

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

(Image courtesy of 123RF.)

Bibliography

Narayan, R.K. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. Penguin Books, 2006.

Currently Reading:

Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way: Lessons from an Urban Classroom

by Brian Shultz

Feedback Thoughts

Feedback Thoughts

Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback

by Tim Herrera

New York Times, March 2018.

Overcoming the Fear of Feedback

by Unnamed Writer

Impraise, 2020.







Why is it so hard to hear feedback?  It isn't just negative feedback that leaves one's heart racing.  Walking into a performance meeting or opening an essay containing feedback response without knowing whether the feedback is going to be positive or negative feels more overwhelming than being certain that the feedback will be negative.  Tim Herrera's article identifies the primary issue.  Humans evolved to have this anxiety.  It's a survival instinct.  Fortunately, neuroscientists and psychologists have done extensive research over whether humans can retrain their brains to turn off their conflict avoidance presets when approached with feedback.  The short answer is: yes!

However, the above articles do not discuss maladaptive personality disorders such as avoidant personality disorder and rejection sensitive dysphoria.  While humans are naturally predisposed to conflict avoidance, these disorders amplify the intensity of an individual's emotional response to conflict which causes the individual to go to social extremes in order to avoid the possibility of conflict.  While APD and RSD share many of the same symptoms, they are very different. 

APD is believed to be genetically predisposed and triggered by environmental influences such as emotional abuse, prolonged rejection by caretakers and/or peers, and PTSD.  APD only affects around 2.5% of the population.  

RSD, however, is a symptom of other mental disorders such as ADHD, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and most forms of depression, anxiety, and social phobias.  RSD causes intense feelings that mimic APD, but the feelings are shorter in duration.  RSD can be reduced by proper treatment of the primary disorder.

Although APD and RSD should be treated and monitored by a medical professional, taking active steps to create new habits and behaviors, like those suggested in Overcoming the Fear of Feedback, should be part of an ongoing treatment plan. 

Topic Brainstorm: Making Connections

Topic Brainstorm: Making Connections

(Image courtesy of Clipart Email.)

I used the above graphic to help me brainstorm on four topics that I could look at while deciding on the focus of my final project.  The overall theme I want to explore this semester is Making Connections.  By text, I mean Indian Mythology as a whole.  Each question requires mining to match stories to the topic I chose to answer the question. 

Topic 1: Text to World-Dharma

 How does the text connect to the world at large?  The concept of Dharma and the Hindu ideal of Rta, or universal order, gives insight to this question.

Topic 2: Text to Text- Epic Heroes

How does one text connect to another?  This can be evaluated in two ways. 1.  How does the text connect to the mythology of other cultures?  2.  How do multiple texts starring the same antagonist or protagonist connect with each other to create a deeper understanding of a particular figure?

 

Topic 3: Text to Self: Kharma

How does the text connect to the individual?  Karma evaluates individual actions and intentions and illustrates how consequences stem from those actions in both short term and future results.

Topic 4: Text to Culture: Festivals and Holidays

How does the text affect the culture that reads it?  What religious practices, holidays, or festivals are directly influenced by the text?

Currently Reading:

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead

by Rick Riordan

Week Two Story: Rampion and Figs

(Image Information: Rapunzel of India by Julia Jacob.)

Artist Spotlight: Julia Jacob

Julia is an amazing artist, architecture student, and aspiring storyteller.  Her art ranges from fan art and character reimaginings (like the Indian Rapunzel above) to original works.  You can view her art, watch her drawing process, or buy her a cup of coffee.  I cannot wait to see what she creates in the future!

Rampion and Figs

A western scholar traveled to India to learn the ways of the Buddha.  One evening, the Master was unwell and asked the students for a volunteer to share a story in lieu of the Master's evening tale. Another young man who viewed the scholar as a rival spoke up.  "Master, perhaps our western Brother can share a tale from his homeland."  The scholar readily complied.

"Once upon a time in a land far away..." began the scholar.  

"Once?  Far away?" interrupted the rival.  "Do you not know the origins of your tales, Scholar?" 

"It is the tradition of my people to begin stories in this manner." replied the scholar.  "Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a farmer and his wife.  The farmer's wife was great with child and could do little more than sit by her window and await the birth of their child.  The farmer grew all manners of vegetables and herbs and their farm was well-tended and produced in abundance.  However, there was one plant that did not grow on their property.  On the neighboring farm, acres of rampion grew, but none would grow on their own farm."

"Excuse me, rampion?" barked the rival as he smothered a laugh. "What on earth is that?"

Composing himself, the scholar replied, "It's a European bellflower.  Makes a great salad.  Now, the farmer's wife craved the rampion but was afraid to approach her neighbor because the neighbor was rumored to be a witch.  However, she thought about the tasty rampion night and day.  She nearly went mad with desire.

'Dear Husband,' the farmer's wife cried, 'if I do not have some of that rampion, I'll surely die!'  The farmer was also afraid of the neighbor, but his wife looked so miserable he decided to concoct a plan to get the rampion.  He could easily slip over the fence in the dark and take some of the rampion without his neighbor noticing.  After all, he was young, lithe, and strong, and the witch was old and blind and seldom left her cottage.

The farmer slipped over the fence in the dead of night and began cutting leaves off the nearest plant.  His confidence quickly built and he decided to exit through the gate rather than go back over the fence.  As he turned to walk toward the gate, he came nose to nose with his neighbor.

'Farmer!  What brings you over the fence into my garden,' the witch demanded.

'One of our chicks got separated and wandered under the fence,'  replied the farmer, congratulating himself on his quick thinking.  Surely the milky-eyed witch could not tell that what his satchel contained.

'You fool!', screamed the witch. 'I know you have taken some of my crop.  I shall turn you into a rat because only a rat would sneak into a garden and steal something that would have been freely given if asked!'

'No!  No!', cried the farmer, shaking and falling to his knees. 'Please! My wife needs this, or she will die!  She is pregnant and will soon be giving birth.  She needs me!'

'Your wife can have as much rampion as she wants, but you must choose the payment for my crop.' replied the witch.  'I can either turn you into a rat and keep you as a pet, or you can bring me the infant when it is born.'

'I will bring you the baby in exchange for the rampion and my life,' promised the farmer.  The farmer's wife ate rampion to her heart's content.  Soon, she gave birth to a baby girl, and the farmer forgot about his promise to the witch.  One evening, the witch appeared at the cottage to collect the infant.  The witch took the baby and named her Rapunzel, in honor of the plant that brought her such a precious boon.  The witch..."

"We have a story much like that," interrupted the rival.  Without waiting for a response from the scholar, he launched into his own tale.  

"During the time of Brahmadatta's reign in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life again as the Monkey-King.  He lived in a valley next to the Ganges that was rich with fruit trees and other tasty plants.  The Monkey-King grew large and strong as he lived and played on the banks of the river.  A Crocodile and his wife moved to a nearby bank to start a family.  Crocodile's wife soon went to nest.  As she sat on the bank watching over her eggs, she would watch the Monkey-King bound up and down his area of the bank.  She began to crave the Monkey-King's heart, thinking how tasty it would be.

'Dear Husband,' Crocodile's wife cried, 'if I do not have the heart of the Monkey-King, I'll surely die! I fear that I am done for because the Monkey-King is too strong to overpower and too smart to outthink.'  Wanting to prove his prowess to his wife, Crocodile quickly thought up a grand scheme to outsmart and overpower the Monkey-King.

'Halloo! Monkey-King!' Shouted Crocodile as he approached the Monkey-King's bank.  'Grand day isn't it?  Oh, my.  In this bright light, I can tell your fruit is not faring well in this heat.  I just came from the far side of the river, and there are gorgeous fruits over there that you've never even heard of.'

'Halloo, Crocodile!' the Monkey-King responded.  I'm always interested in trying new things. Unfortunately, although I can swim close to the bank, I don't think I can make it to the far side of the river.'

'No worries, Friend Monkey.  I can take you across on my back,' promised Crocodile.  The Monkey-King stepped on to Crocodile's back and settled in for the ride.  Crocodile was so confident in his plan that he couldn't resist shouting, 'Ha! I've got you now, Monkey-King!  I am a master of the water.  I will drown you and feed your heart to my wife!  She has been craving your tasty heart while nesting with our eggs.'

'My heart?' cried the Monkey-King. 'Oh, dear!  I'm afraid your wife will be sorely disappointed.  You see, we monkeys live a high-risk lifestyle- running and swimming along the banks, swinging and jumping from tree to tree- it just isn't safe for us to carry our hearts within our bodies.  I left it in the Heart-Tree with the other hearts.  If you turn back, I can give you my heart to take back to your wife as a gift.'

'We will go back to get your heart, but you must come with me and tell my wife about how I bested you with my intelligence and my superior swimming skills,' replied Crocodile.  Crocodile took the Monkey-King back to shore.

'There,' stated the Monkey-King, pointing toward a large fig tree.  'That's the Heart-Tree.  If you'll land there I can retrieve my heart from the highest branch.'  Crocodile landed under the fig tree and the Monkey-King bounded lightning-quick to the top.  The Monkey-King turned and addressed Crocodile. 'Let this be a lesson to you, foolish Crocodile.  It was more important for you to be revered for your intelligence and strength that it was for you to care for your family.  If you had been honest in the first place, I could have given you one of my figs for you to share with your wife to give you both the strength and swiftness you will need to care for your many young.  Instead, your wife will curse you for your foolishness.'

You see, Scholar," boasted the rival, "the Monkey-King is like your farmer.  He managed to escape the wicked Crocodile, yet he outsmarted Crocodile and came away from the experience without having to make a sacrifice to escape."

"Actually," interjected the Master, "the Bodhisatta is like the witch.  Both had the capability to freely bless their neighbors, but the farmer and Crocodile chose to approach them with subterfuge rather than truth, and their spouses suffered because of it.  You, however," the Master looked meaningfully at the rival, "are like Crocodile.  You were more concerned with proving to me that your intelligence matched our western Brother that your foolishness robbed us of the opportunity to find out what happened to the little Rampion-Girl.

Author's Note:

I love seeing connections between stories around the world.  These connections show us two things.  1.  Humans share similar concerns and experience no matter where they are located.  2.  World cultures influence each other.  I wanted to show the connections between Rapunzel and The two Crocodile and Monkey-King stories listed in the Jakata Anthology.  I drew on my favorite retelling of Rapunzel from the "Fractured Fairytales" shorts that were part of The Bullwinkle Show cartoons of the 1960s.  Here is a YouTube link to the short: 

Fractured Fairytales: Rapunzel

Bibliography

Chalmers, Robert. "The Crocodile in the River." Vanarinda Jataka, in The Jataka: Volume 1. Web Source: Jakata Anthology

Hayward, Chris, and Chris Jenkyns. "Fractured Fairytales: Rapunzel." The Bullwinkle Show. Jay Ward Productions, 1959.

Shedlock, Marie L. "The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart." Eastern Stories and Legends. Web Source: Jakata Anthology

Random Information: Rampion and Figs

You can grow both rampion and figs in the United States!  

(Image information: Rampion from
 Strictly Medicinal Seeds.)

Rampion is a flowering herb that was once common in England, as well as other European areas.  Its leaves can be used as in a salad and its roots can be cooked in the style of popular tubers like turnips and parsnips.   According to Botanical.com, rampion tastes like wild dandelion and can be used as a substitution for spinach in the summer and autumn.

Rampion can be used as an herbal treatment for sore throat and other inflammations of the mouth and throat.

 Rampion is a hearty plant and can grow in zones 3 through 9.  Seeds can be ordered for spring planting from the link listed in the image info.

(Image information: Fig Tree from
Dibbs Farms.)

Fig trees are native to Persia, Asia Minor, and Syria and were adopted by other Mediterranian countries.  Figs were introduced to ancient Italy and spread through the warm and temperate climates of Europe.  The fruit of the fig tree can be eaten fresh or dried or fermented for a wine-like drink.  Although figs are grown in the United States, most of our dried figs are imported.  

Figs are mentioned in a variety of world mythologies.  The Sycamore that the biblical character Zacheus climbed to view Jesus is a type of fig tree that was planted near roads because their tall stature and wide-spreading branches provided much-needed shade for travelers.  

The Greeks and Spartans valued the fig because they believed that the fruit added to their strength and swiftness.  Figs are known to be used medicinally as a gentle laxative (probably why the Greeks and Spartans learned to be so quick) and to combat sinus infections and other inflammations of the mucous membranes.  Figs were also boiled and made into poultices for dental abscesses, tumors, and boils.  

Figs can grow easily in zones 8-10 and a few varieties can be grown in zones as low as 5.  Special thanks to Botanical.com where I learned the above information.   Fig trees can be ordered from Dibbs Farms and orders are fulfilled by Wal-Mart.com.   

Reading Notes: Week Two Anthology

Reading Notes: Week Two Anthology 

(Image Courtesy of Vecteezy)

Notes:

Bibliography

Shedlock, Marie L. Eastern Stories and Legends. "The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart." Web Source: Jakata Anthology

Chalmers, Robert. Vanarinda Jataka, in The Jataka: Volume 1. "The Crocodile in the River." Web Source: Jakata Anthology

Week Two Reading Overview

Week Two Reading Overview

I chose the two comics pictured below because they are names of two minor characters in the urban fantasy universe created by my favorite author SM Reine.  She enjoys studying mythology and folklore, so I would like to read these tales to see if there's any correlation between the mythological characters and the personality traits of Sara's characters.  Granted, I could just ask her myself, but this seems more fun.  

 Tales of Arjuna: The Exploits of an Exceptional Warrior

Aniruddha: Beloved Grandson Of Krishna 

I plan to watch the videos below.  The first video is to orient myself to new knowledge through Greek Mythology; a literary tradition I'm already comfortable with.  The other videos focus on the Ramayana.  Since we'll be spending time reading the Ramayana, it makes sense to watch videos to broaden my understanding of the Epic.

Currently Reading: 

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor 
by Rick Riordan

Time Strategies

Time Strategies

I chose two articles on time management to focus on:

How Checklists Train Your Brain To Be More Productive And Goal-Oriented 

by Lauren Marchese

Increase Your Creative Output With 14 time Management Tips Just for Creatives

by Amanda Oliver

Lauren's article is more than just suggestions about checklists, although the article is full of great suggestions- dividing a large task into smaller tasks, for example.  She goes into the psychological science behind why checklists work and why the simple act of checking off a box on your to-do list feels so darn good!  Personally, I like writing my to-do lists on Post-it Note tab strips so I can crumple up the paper and slam-dunk it in my desk trash can when I complete a task.  This is considered gamification, or making mundane tasks fun by adding competitive or rewarding elements.  My reward is the tactile feeling of crushing a goal in my bare hands.  It makes me feel powerful, probably because of the rush of dopamine that Lauren points out in her article.

Amanda's article may say "Just for Creatives," but the article is excellent for neurodiverse individuals as well.  I have ADHD, and time management is a major struggle for me.  To many people the suggestions in this article may be "well, duh" suggestions, but for those of us that tend to let our tasks run us rather than taking control and running our tasks Amanda presents these mindfulness tips to help us redirect how we expend our energy through the day in order to maintain control over our day.  

Technology Experience

Technology Experience

(Image courtesy of BestFunForAll.)

I feel confident using the site and browser recommendations for this class.  It helps that my husband is a computer applications developer, so I have free tech support!

Assignments Anticipation

Assignments Anticipation

I am looking forward to reading stories.  I love mythology and folk tales.  I don't have a lot of exposure to Indian mythology, so I am excited to focus on their traditions.  I am also a big fan of modern adaptations, so I'm looking forward to reading how my peers fold these classic tales into their own life experiences.  

I'm glad that extra reading is part of our extra credit options.  I tend to fall down the rabbit hole when I'm reading mythology since the characters often cross into each other's stories.  I've started making my own encyclopedia to help me keep track of what I learn about each character featured in the Character of the Day post.  

I feel a little overwhelmed right now.  There's a lot of information coming at me, and I'm not always sure what is relevant to class and what is extra information.  I'm a category and list person, and having to sort through announcements and hyperlinks to piece together what is supposed to be going on is stressing me out.   

(Image Courtesy of e993.)

Comparing Growth Mindset with Thinking Fast and Slow

Comparing Growth Mindset with Thinking Fast and Slow

Image courtesy of Transforming Education

Learning about Carol Dweck’s growth mindset philosophy makes me wonder about what is going on inside the brain and how we can affect the thinking process to move between a fixed and growth mindset.  According to brain scans performed during Dweck’s research, fixed mindset students had less brain activity than their growth mindset peers.  Why is that?  Are the fixed mindset students refusing to think about a difficult problem, or is something else happening within their brains?

I think that analyzing the growth mindset philosophy through the concepts presented in psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking Fast and Slow will give insight into what is going on mechanically within the brain and help us find ways to access a growth mindset.  Kahneman divides thought processes into two systems.  System 1 is the quick thinker that filters through previously obtained information to develop a quick response to an external stimulus.  System 2 is the slower process that makes a conscious effort to analyze an external stimulus.  Each system serves a purpose.  One is not better than the other and they often work together.  The major difference is that System 2 consumes a lot more energy to process information than System 1.  That’s why after performing deep thinking you tend to feel the same amount of hunger and exhaustion that your body would feel after a strenuous workout.  It’s also why the brain scans of the students lit up during growth mindset thinking versus fixed mindset thinking. 

I propose that growth mindset encourages a paradigm shift that boosts students desire to increase how much time they engage in System 2 thinking.  I would like to spend my extra credit time exploring this proposition further.      




Currently Reading: 

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor 
by Rick Riordan

Introduction of the Eden

Introduction of the Eden

Hi!  I’m Eden Cook.  I am married.  My husband and I have two children (Ce’Nedra- 12 and Wesley- 9 5/6^th), three cats (Jasper and Ginger- twin fire tips and Ari-a tuxedo kitty), and one dog (Lexi- German Shepherd/Lab).  We’ve lived in Moore for over nine years.  Before that, we lived in Stillwater.  My husband is a Stillwater graduate. I graduated from Marlow High School.  My husband is an OSU alumnus.  We met when he was in the OSU marching band and I was in The Pride of Oklahoma.  We’re not really a house divided.  I’m not that into sports, but I’m a huge Gundy fan.  I don’t really care who wins, as long as it isn’t Texas.

Jasper acting spoiled.

 I am a Language Arts Education major.  I hope to teach high school when I graduate.  I’ve worked with high school aged kids for about fifteen years as an advisor for an organization called DeMolay.  DeMolay is a leadership organization for young men between the ages of 12 and 21.  We have a sister organization called International Rainbow for Girls that my daughter joined last year.

Ginger thinks she's going on a trip.

Ari's toe beans!

 In addition to working with DeMolay, I am also a Girl Scout leader for a multi-level troop.  We have girls from first grade through eleventh grade.  I started with the Daisies when my daughter was in Kindergarten and moved up with her group as they got older.  I now work with the Cadette, Senior, and Ambassadors groups (6^th-12 grade).  They are a lot more fun now than they were when they were Daisies and Brownies!  Yes, cookie season starts soon, and YES! my daughter would love to sell you some cookies!

I’m a huge literature nerd.  I consider literature any creative endeavor that tells a story: books, movies, television series, cool blogs, podcasts, cartoons, etc.  I. LOVE. STORIES! My current reading for pleasure is the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan.  I am currently watching Medical Police on Netflix.  My current podcast binges are My Favorite Murder and Wine and Crime.  I am excited to share my stories with you and to  read the stories that you all post. 

Lexi waiting for Robert to get home.

(Images information: Photographs of the Cook pets, 2019.)

Storybook Favorites

Storybook Favorites

I first storybook I am reviewing is How I Met Your Mother by Rachel Cunningham.  The storybook focuses on stories of men telling their children how the men met their wives.  The title caught my eye because I am a huge How I Met Your Mother fan.  Rachel incorporates running gags and sayings from the show in her retelling of the stories.  The one thing that stands out that I would like to incorporate is that there is a link at the end of each page to the next story, so I don’t have to scroll back up to the top to the site map to go to the next story. 

My second review is over King Arthur in India by Jake.  I am a big Arthur nerd and I took Dr. Coleman’s Arthurian Legend class a couple of semesters ago.  When I was reading about the Dashavatar, the embodiments of Vishnu- Parshurama, Rama, Krishna, and Kalki- made me think of Merlin and Arthur.  Parshurama and Krishna coordinate with the roles of Merlin in the legends, and Rama and Kalki coordinate with Arthur.  I want to keep this storybook in mind because I was leaning toward exploring the Arthur connections, but I want to make sure I don’t repeat any of Jake’s hard work.  I like how the main menu stays at the top of the text even when I scroll, so I can click the next story, but I like how Rachel made her links better.

The last review is the storybook Karma for Kids: Stories for your Unruly Children.  Sometimes my kids get a little unruly, so the title caught my eye.  The storybook focuses on a mother and her young triplets.  In the introduction and each story, the children cause trouble and the mother tells them a story that relates to the situation the children caused.  I like this focus because the author employs one of the major purposes of mythology- teaching life lessons through story.  Of the three, I think this storybook did the best implementing the images within the text to make it feel like an actual storybook.  

The image can be found at Clip Art Library.

Port Aransas, TX My Favorite Place

(Image Information: The Cook Family at Port Aransas, TX; photo from September 2016.)

     My family's favorite place to visit is Port Aransas, TX.  It is located on the Gulf of Mexico between Corpus Christi and North Padre Island (the non-party Padre).  We have visited Port A every Labor Day weekend for the past nine years, except for one.  In 2017, Port Aransas was part of the Gulf Coast that endured extensive damage and flooding from Hurricane Harvey.  The hurricane hit land one week before the Labor Day weekend, so we had to change our annual plans.  When we returned in 2018, we were surprised and impressed by how quickly Port A recovered.  Not only were they able to rebuild or remodel the damaged businesses, the city council was able to attract new businesses to replace the few shops and restaurants whose owners chose not to reopen.  

     We typically rent from Beachcomber Vacation Rentals.  They treat us very well and their properties are clean and comfortable.  When we get to town, we shop at the local IGA supermarket for breakfast and lunch items that we eat at the rental.  We eat at a different restaurant each evening.  We have eaten at most of the restaurants in Port A and we haven't been disappointed with a single meal.  

     We like to spend most of our time at the beach, but over the years we have tried the local dolphin tour and the pirate cruise.  We recommend both, but the pirate cruise is more engaging for children between 4 and 12 years of age.  We also drive to Corpus Christi to tour the Texas State Aquarium every few years.  The aquarium is just large enough for a day trip, but not so large that we're exhausted at the end of the day.  If it's ridiculously hot, there is a huge splash pad at the entrance of the aquarium to cool off and to burn off any cranky energy our kids might have before they get packed into the car for the thirty-minute drive back to Port A.  

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