Reading Lips

Have you seen this video? This video proves that Michelle Obama is the queen of everything. But putting that fact aside, a professional lip reader decoded what had been said between the President and Boehner (check out what went on here). The idea someone could learn to read lips professionally blows my mind. It's now on my list of "Jobs I Wish I Had, But Never Will Get the Chance to Do."

This video reminds me of the Bad Lip Reading things on Youtube. (Check them out. They are pretty funny.) If I were to try to lip-read the video above - let alone anything - it would be a huge disaster. Boehner would end up talking about overthrowing Obama's power and Michelle would join him. I would be putting words into his mouth that are far from the truth.

This week, I've discovered I can't speak for people. I cannot say that this is what they said and this is what they think. It's like the game of telephone - words get messed up and lost in translation. It is the basic lesson about gossip for me, although it seems less like gossip and more like me trying to get my way. Although I wish I could say this person thinks that because of this reason, it is often far from their truth. They see their life differently than I see theirs and in the end, it is their life and their story to tell, not mine. And I can only hope they understand that my life and my story are mine and mine to tell.

No matter how tempted I am to read lips or create stories that fit the little bits of information I know, I have to understand that the outcome is going to be as ridiculous as thinking Boehner is trying to overthrow Obama.

Peace!

-Nicole

Ode to MPR

"There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation." -James Nathan Miller

Hi hi, it's Megan.  I hope you had a pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving.

When I go home, I usually drive my mom's Buick wherever I need to go.  My dad sometimes drives the car and so the radio perpetually finds itself tuned to MPR.  Over summer, I would usually tune it back to some variety fm station, but I decided to just sit and listen this time.  The older I get, the more I appreciate MPR, and this past weekend was no exception.  The programming seems to coincide perfectly in some way or other with what's going on with me either internally or externally.  I drove home late at night after getting together with friends at a coffee shop to a beautifully told story.  On my way shopping with my mom, we listened to a conversation about the value of allowing kids to do wild and crazy things, despite our desire to keep them safe from disappointment.  It definitely provided a much needed external perspective for my mother and I.

On Friday, I spent most of the day with my dad.  We realized we hadn't talked at all since the election and so we had a great conversation about global politics, the Israeli/Palistinian conflict, and about successful economic policies in countries other than the United States.  This included a rather excited conversation about Social Security. :P  I missed my dad quite a bit and was rather sad I missed my family's Thanksgiving celebration and the annual all day board game playing session that goes along with it. My dad and I tend to be partners no matter what game we decide on. Since we've lost many family members on that side, holidays are always intensely bittersweet and I lament missing any of them.  

It might sound crazy, but board games always remind me of my family members. I always feel closer to them during a lively round of TriBond or even CatchPhrase.  In the same way, I also feel closer to my dad when listening to the familiar voices on MPR.

Peace, love, and warm thoughts as the weather grows colder.

-Megan