Wednesday 25 February 2015

Stay weird, Stay different


The above strong message was given in an Oscar acceptance speech by Graham Moore who won an Oscar last Sunday for best adapted screenplay. He wrote the screenplay for the Imitation Game. It was a heartfelt speech which stayed with me. Not only because it was the one Oscar for a film that needed more recognition in my eyes, but because there are so many people in the world who are struggling with being different, and who are being labled 'weird'.

In schools these days teachers can't cope with all the kids who are different. They need children who can walk in the same pace. Or even better; children who are better at achieving something. The better you are in achieving the better it is in the schools these days. At least here in the Netherlands it is my experience.
My sons always were normal children, until they had to perform in school. Had to is the right word here because teachers weren't looking at what a kid can do, kids were pushed to perform and do the same things as the average kids. But what if your kid isn't average? What if you are different? If you are they want to label you. In my youngest son's case they needed to test him and he got the label: Mild autism with ADHD.






But what if you have a label? Does that help the child to develop better? Be a better person or a quicker study? Well no because if you have that label it only means you are 'weird' and difficult, or different and because we live in a society that thrives on achieving we can't deal with being different, or being weird. So they start to neglect and exclude the weird and different children. Simply because they wanted them labeled. (Which leads to bullying but that's a different topic entirely) What if they hadn't labeled them? Would they still be different and weird? Probably, only without the stigma of the label! My son hates his label! He recently turned 18 and now says he doesn't have what they diagnosed him with. He's better than his label, he's more than his label, he is his own personality.

 Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing in the Imitation Game

As long as I can remember I was being told not to talk so loud, not to laugh so hard, to pay attention more. My teachers said to my parents I was seeing every bird on every branch.
(I think I still do) 
Yes I think I do have that label as well, only I was never tested. Am I different? Am I weird? I probably am but does that bother me? Not in the slightest, I like being different.
Is being different so very difficult for a teacher? It probably is more work but why should it? When our parents were children there were no labels and no one was talking about how hard it was to have all those different children in one classroom. They were just children without labels.
Why do we live in a society that concerns themselves so much about how people are? Live and let live I always say! Maybe with a tiny bit more attention the weird and different people will thrive more then the 'normal'  people ever will! Or maybe we should just stop labeling people. Stop focusing on the performing but pay more attention on the qualities that each and every child possesses.
It would be a much brighter world.

© KH

Sunday 22 February 2015

Music on Sunday; Academy Awards Best Score 2015


And the Oscar goes to...
Well for best actor and best film I want The Imitation Game to win with Benedict Cumberbatch as best actor of course but when it comes to best score Alexandre Desplat has two chances of getting the gold man in his hands tonight. Once for the Imitation Game and the other for the Grand Budapest Hotel.
Who are the other contestants and who do you think deserves the Oscar for best score at the Academy Awards tonight?
Judge for yourself:











© KH

Tuesday 17 February 2015

An unkindness of ravens




Walking through misty fields
A kestrel screeches in despair
Or so it seems in the distance
An unkindness of ravens circling
Darkness is falling along with the drizzle
The cloud of starlings dances
Nature’s going to take a nap
The army of frogs is ready to take over
When the day is peacefully turning into night
And the voices quiet down
While some sounds still echo on over the lochs
The last skein of geese flies over
Time for the night owls to appear

© KH

Sunday 15 February 2015

Music on Sunday, Love


Because it was Valentine's day yesterday some Love songs today. Normally I don't like those so much but there are some I really love! Here are some wonderful examples:













© KH

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Accidents will happen


Accidents will happen or as we say in Dutch ' een ongeluk zit in een klein hoekje'.
Last Sunday I thought I just go upstairs to the attic where we dry the laundry in winter and fetch it but when I went to go down I fell... First the laundry basket fell then I followed it soon after. I yelled (or I must have yelled) and I was down on the ground. My eldest son found me there as I was blocking the bathroom door for my hub who was inside and couldn't get out to help me. I must have been 'out'  for a minute or so and my son said 'mum there's blood under your head'.
'Nah' I said 'can't be'
I got up (I know I shouldn't do that) but I was sore all over. I saw the blood, not a little, no quite a lot, and asked my son for a towel as I just had washed my hair, it was still laying on the bed.
Son pressed the towel on my head and helped me get downstairs so hub could get out the bathroom.
To make a long story  short; the ambulance came, they checked me out and put a bandage on my head. Because it's cheaper to go to hospital yourself they said we could do that and they'd phone ahead. We don't own a car anymore and our neighbour drove us to hospital where I got about 8 stitches or so.

I'm fine now bit dizzy at times, sore and bruised and very tired still. I wanted to go back to work tomorrow but I just can't. I work with elderly people doing housework and that's just too tiring. I'm even tired from showering and walking downstairs! Silly really!

Just to let you know how I am but I'm getting better, just need to take a step back. ;)

And see? Housework is very, very dangerous indeed! :D

© KH

Sunday 1 February 2015

Music on Sunday; Melancholy mood


Lately I'm listening a lot to singer/song-writer/Indie music and some of it is maybe a bit melancholy or it brings me in that mood I don't know. All I know is that it makes me happy, makes me feel good. I have gotten to 'know' a lot of new (new for me that is) artists that I like a lot.

So here are some for your listening pleasure; Enjoy!


















© KH