No no no, I’m not going to go off on the Iowa legistature for discussing mandatory retention of lower reading third graders (though I should), nor am I going to go off on the Dallas Cowboys for their possible salary cap issues (not that it makes much of a difference).

However, I have to show everyone this:

The episode is from a PSB show called “The Elecritc Company” and we happened over it last night just flipping channels.  What struck me about it, more so then the use of the word falafel was that for every negative, a positive was put in it’s place.

My class and I watched this today just before our common reading time, and the things we took away from it: words are fun, you can learn and laugh, and it’s just as easy to be positive as it is to be negative.

I am just as guilty as the next person, complaining about things, finding fault without looking for solutions, but listening to my students talk about what they saw, how much easier would it be? I know that there’s scientific evidence that states the human body ages faster with stress, and a negative attitude about things is certainly stressful.  No, we all aren’t suddenly going to love unicorns, puppies, and rainbows (though we should), but finding that positive every once and a while, it can make a difference.  If you aren’t doing it for yourself, do it for those you love, or who love you.

Besides, smiling, while healthy, always makes someone think you are up to something, and who can resist that? 🙂