New weekly posting–idea stolen shamelessly from here.

Adoption
I think it is very appropriate that I start my A list of ordinary life events/words/comments with a word that is very dear to me and a word that I live everyday.

Adoption is that amazing (and sad) process that has allowed Hubby and I to know what it is to be a parent.  I am happy that adoption exists for purely selfish reasons and am very sad that there is such a need for adoptive parents from the perspective of a human being.  All children deserve loving and safe homes with a parent(s) who love them.  Minnow and Peepers are loved by us deeply, but I think they would have been loved and are loved by those who have deemed it necessary to give them up to a “better” life. 

Next time to meet an adoptive family–please refrain from telling the parent or the child how lucky the child is that they get to live in America or with this particular family.  Tell the parent how lucky they are to be blessed with the opportunity to raise the amazing gift of a child.  It really is the parents who are the luckiest.  This is certainly how I feel everyday-even at 4 in the morning when Minnow decides he is done sleeping. 

Academia
I have spent a huge portion of my life as a member of Academia.  How is this possible when I despise Academia on so many levels.  I hold 2 degrees in English (BA and MA) and am currently working on a PhD in Education.  I despice Academia for its elitist ideas and its focus on self-preservation.

Academia only exists for itself–in its most theoretical branches (English–literature not comp).  But Academia serves a purpose…or do I only want to think that because I am so enmeshed in it?  For those of you who have advanced degree–I have not idea why they call them that–you understand the completely cerebral nature of the Academia that often has no real world application.  I have written papers ad nauseum about works of literature that will never serve me in polite converstaion…I mean when will I need to discuss the emasculation of Nat Turner? 

More A’s to come next week….Still waiting for more word suggestion (Jenni-I will certainly do your word next week)