Anti-Rant! Life has been pretty good lately. Our home remodel is almost complete. I’m in better physical shape. My time is starting to free up and the weather is warming up. I still have plenty of rant material, but life is more fun when you’re positive.
Everyone knows about the Nature versus Nurture debate. The more I live and the more I observe, the more I think that there is a whole lot of substance to the nature side of the argument. My oldest child is a great example.
She is not equal parts of my wife and I. She is 95% “me” and has always been that way. She looks like me and acts pretty much how I did when I was her age. She loves to read the same stuff and unfortunately, is stubborn like me as well.
Anyway, she recently came home from school and said this:
We are singing a song called “Simple Gifts” for our music performance at school. I really love it and can’t wait to sing it for you!
I had never heard of the song, so didn’t think much about it. Then I went to her performance:
‘Tis the gift to be simple,
‘Tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.‘Tis the gift to be simple,
‘Tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend, we will not be ashamed,
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
‘Til by turning, turning, we come round right.
I was blown away.
And here is a version with words:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYi9Vr8bHJY
Fascinating! I’ve listened to that song countless times, but never actually “heard” it for it’s deeper message. Some of the best things in life are super simple.
Glad to hear the remodel is almost complete! 🙂
Michael @ Financially Alert recently posted…What Does a Good Real Estate Deal Actually Look Like?
Yeah, most of the best things in life are the simplest. There aren’t many things better than getting together with nature (a nice hike) or conversation with good friends.
I haven’t heard that song in forever. Maybe we sang it in choir in high school? Who knows. Anyways, I never realized how “simple” and beautiful it is until now.
And I have to agree with you-life is more fun when you’re positive!
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Haha, She looks like you?! Poor girl 🙂 Seriously though, I’m impressed that she grasps the meaning of that song in elementary school. My mom and I sang that when I was young. I always pictured Puritans working hard in Victorian England.
As for the nature vs. nurture debate with our kiddos….. The Little Man has my body type, but my wife’s disposition. What we both find hilarious though is that he has all these little mannerisms like me. For instance, he sticks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth when concentrating. He’s been doing it since he was 8 months old. There’s certainly something in those genes
Glad some time is finally freeing up. Hope you guys have a great week.
-Bryan
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LOL! Income Surfer, I won’t forget this when I see you in just a couple weeks! I hope I “accidentally” spill a beer on you! Just kidding, I’m too cheap to waste a good beer on revenge. Maybe…
I don’t believe I have ever heard that song but it is a great message! Some of the best things in life are simple. No need to overly complicate things!
Thias @It Pays Dividends recently posted…The Power of Compound Interest
I remember singing that song as a kid! I believe we sang it in Girl Scouts. Its a great reminder 🙂
Mrs SSC recently posted…I’m not Cheap, I just don’t “overbuy”
We sang that song, and another one that was based on it (Lord of the Dance) all the time in church growing up.
Mrs PoP recently posted…Do You Deserve It?
As soon as the music started playing I recognized the tune to Lord of the Dance (which I always thought was a very pretty song). I never realized it was from Appalachian Spring. I like these lyrics too.
Not sure why, but it made me think of a song called “Red is the Rose”
Also, I once did a college paper on nature vs nurture with respect to media like video games causing aggression. I failed the class(C-) because there wasn’t enough people that had done research on the topic and I didn’t have time to change the topic. I looked back a couple years later and there was a ton more research done on that topic right after I took the class, still irritates me I had to retake a class because I was ahead of the curve. I found everything about us as humans is just an amalgamation of nature and nurture, it’s not one side or the other.
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Interesting, Is there anything you don’t know about? Fusion reactors and now this?
I’m still digesting all of the information you sent me by the way. I’ll respond soon.
And I may be in ET in April. Want to grab a beer?
Researching random things has been probably my biggest hobby of them all lol. I was very interested in psychology, there really isn’t much that doesn’t interest me. I once diagnosed my ex with Celiac disease that was later confirmed positive by doctors because I can’t help but research things. I think doctors missed that for over a decade. Elmer Fudd here did it in a couple hours on that there interwebs.
ET = East Troy? Sure, I’m always here. My office is a block from the square. Several bars near and my office will have home brews on tap.
Yeah, East Troy! Probably Saturday, 4/16.
Even better, I’m stopping at Toppling Goliath on my way. Any requests?
I’ll mark 4/16. Light Speed is pretty tasty, it’s made with Millennium hops and Falconer’s Flight blend. PsuedoSue is good. I haven’t tried many though, close your eyes and grab blindly and you’re sure to get a tasty brew. I’ll brew and bottle something for the occasion too, but I’m not at TG’s ninja brew master level.
Right on! I’ll email with more details shortly.
Awesome to hear things are going good for and getting better for you these days. Right now is a great time of the year just before spring hits and I think everyone is starting to get giddy!
I know I am! 🙂
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It’s a great song. I sang it in about five choirs and it isn’t one that leaves your head after many, many years. It’s a pretty good one to have sticking around.
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Hah – we sang that song in school too – about 40 years ago now. It is actually a Shaker song which explains the messaging. We sang it in rounds. Thanks for the nostalgia infusion today.
Yeah, I read the shaker thing! Pretty neat. What an awesome message. Completely love it and I hope my child keeps the meaning close to her heart.
Fascinating. I’ve known that tune most of my life and never knew that it had words. We used to play it in HS band
And here I am getting Sophia the first songs. Can’t wait till she’s older than 3! At least I like Disney movies and know most of those songs. 🙂
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Love that song! They sing it every Friday at our daughters Montessori in Austin TX along with a few other songs expressing the virtues of smart living and decisions. I sometimes even find myself singing it in the car by myself!
I hope it sinks in for at least some of the kids!
The version I know is by Raffi, a Canadian children’s singer-songwriter. My kids had it on one of his albums and I loved it from when I first heard it. Thanks for reminding me of this great song. Here’s Raffi singing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMNedKv3ro4
Ah, what a beautiful thing to share with your daughter. And thank you for sharing it with the rest of us. I remember learning to play that song in middle school and haven’t thought about it much since then. It is a true delight. Thank you.
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I remember singing that song in elementary school! Delightful!
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