March 11, 2003
Is your fire burning bright?
We talk a lot about "fighting the good fight" and "keeping our fire burning" and "having tools in our tool belt" and use all sorts of metaphors for really, what is simply, being serious about the line of work we are in.
I keep with me an image of a bright candle in my belly. When I am out speaking I visualize myself sharing some of the fire with you to keep your fire burning. Then I see you going back to the places where you work and sharing some of the fire with others. Sometimes our fires go out and we feel empty. Sometimes we try to give fire to those who don't want it and we get burnt.
I share with you, you share with others, you share back with me, then I share with others. It's like a big chain letter of bright burning fires! If I could I would give everyone a little votive candle after each workshop to hold onto and keep - in my minds eye I give you all an imaginary one. Sometimes all the candles go home, images to assist in remembering and staying connected. Sometimes I find a few under the chairs, forgotten. Sometimes I find them in the trash, discarded.
It could be easy to get frustrated - "you tossed yours out last time - why should I give you another one?" but I sure try not too. Even if you threw yours away last time, or left it under your chair - I will always offer another one. You might not want it. That's ok. You might need six! That's ok. You might not need any. That's ok too. But when you do - I'll be here for you. I really try to run the workshops the same way I run the classrooms - always inviting and always encouraging. I know that each time you come you are some place different on your journey and I try to meet you there.
Sometimes when we least expect it - we are ready for that candle. Sometimes we just want to hold it. Look at it. Put it on a shelf. Then, at some point we are ready to fire it up, enjoy the brightness and the light it shines. Eventually after enjoying the light ourselves we are ready to share the brightness with others. Usually at this point we are so excited that we want to share the light with EVERYONE! And we might get sad when we find out that many do not want it! We wonder WHY??? We might get frustrated when others don't undersand the importance of our fire and we may get MAD when they try to blow our light out.
Sometimes the light does go out - whether it has been blown out by others, (accidently or on purpose) or by ourselves (accidently or on purpose)... how we handle this stage is so important. We are faced with a choice. To rekindle or not to rekindle - that is the question! Do we light it ourself? How? Ask someone to light it for us? Who? Sneak some flame from an unattended fire? Where?
We will either rekindle that flame or let it die out.
It is my goal that we stay in touch with those who share our views so we have resources to call upon to assist us when we are faced with this choice... I am blessed by the circle of fire we have created together... what goes around comes around... you help me, I can help you... the more we give, the more we receive...
I am proud to be a part of this support network with you.
All my love,
lisa
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The very existence of research studies on play suggests that our is a serious society able to take the fun out of almost everything - including fun itself.
Stated by Walter Kirn in the article "What ever happened to play?", Time, April 30, 2001.
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I see how so many of you need the WORDS to support what we do in the classroom on a daily basis... so I wrote my article about "The Language of Wolves" and provided you with a list of words that can be connected and linked to the hands-on experiences which we are providing daily... that worked for so many of you so well that we reprinted the OOEY GOOEY HANDBOOK and added all the "science words" (aka: "wolf words") to all 70 of the activity pages for you! So no matter which ooey gooey idea you are doing you have a list at your fingertips of "what the children are doing and learning" while engaged with that activity! You can order your updated edition of THE OOEY GOOEY HANDBOOK on line here in our shopping section or by calling us at (800) 477-7977
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Many of you know our house is (was?) for sale. Escrow is a fickle slippery thing, so we think we are almost done with the whole kit and kaboodle but who knows... point being we are selling our house in order to get the $$ so we can print books and start the Playrooms.
Banks do not like our ideas... they told us that we didn't "fit into the program"... And although they sounded WAY too much like when laminated lady told me to "get with the program" so many years ago - this time I am a lot stronger (stubborn?) and won't refuse to wait three years before getting on the right track. So since the bank wouldn't assist us in our adventures we are selling our house, moving into a condo and using all the $$ to expand the business.
Maybe I'm providing too much information but HEY you are our biggest supporters and many many many of you have been waiting a long long long time for book #2. It was time to get a fire under our butt (not just in our belly) and get some of these projects out there for you.
Stay tuned for all the nitty gritty details!
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CAEYC Conference in Sacramento was an absolute amazing adventure! Ooey was played to a packed house.. I know that many of you got there early and still did not get in - please know that you can get the handout by clicking here! Also, please know that CAEYC is in San Diego next year. I have already told them that I will want to do OOEY twice and that all the workshops need to please be in a bigger room. We are already making plans for you to be accomodated in 2004!
For those of you who did join us, I again wish to thank you for your on going support! I know that many of you woke up early on Sunday to get in to "Early Experiences" only to find that the room accomodated 20! How funny we must have looked as we dragged everything out into the hallway to make floor seating room for 50! How mad they must have been when we jumped ship to take advantage of the ballroom and left everything out there... don't worry - we took care of it... no one was mad!
So we played to a packed room on Sunday and you blessed and honored me with my first ever standing ovation. All of your energy - your clapping - your standing - your tears of support and hugs of encouragement - words cannot sum up the flood of emotion I felt - I thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to come out and support the work that we do.
I thank you.
Ooey Gooey® and The Ooey Gooey Lady® are registered trademarks of Ooey Gooey Inc. All rights reserved.
All workshop titles and articles written by Lisa Murphy are © Lisa Murphy, Ooey Gooey, Inc. Rochester, New York.
For more information call Ooey Gooey, Inc. 800-477-7977, www.ooeygooey.com
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