THE ANTARCTIC SHORE

The Antarctic is genuinely a place of wonder.

There is no rain there, no lightning, and no thunder.

It is so cold there that there is no water for you to drink

There’s no snow, it’s hard letting you walk anywhere and not sink

You need crampons with spikes to prevent slipping, as well as an ice axe.

It is a hazardous place, you need all the equipment to keep safety at the max.

Scientists love it, so much to learn. They don’t last long, it is too cold

It’s the last land frontier. To explore there, you need to be bold.

The seals, penguins, sea birds, and whales love it there.

Lots of food in the sea. They don’t have to share.

The tourists on all the cruise ships

Stand at the rails and stare.

Making photos to take

Home and share.

They care.

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One Way To Learn

          My father taught me my work ethic and my job in life: to be a good husband, father, and provider for my family. He taught me by example. My mother helped me with my schoolwork. Every morning, we went over what I had studied the night before. No one knew I had aphasia. I was also legally blind in my left eye when I was young. She thought I was just slow because I wasn’t too bright, and so did I.

          It wasn’t until I was 18 years old that I found out I wasn’t below normal IQ, but was actually above normal IQ. That was when I was diagnosed with aphasia. When you know what the problem is, you can mitigate it and adapt. It becomes just a challenge instead of a problem. I did that and got my confidence back.

           Because I was reading slowly, I had learned to listen to others and pay attention to what they said. Everyone I knew, or even just met, had experience in something I did not. I made learning from their experience a major part of my experience.

          Pick your friends carefully; They are the teachers in your world as you travel along on your path. My mother told me that when we moved to a new neighborhood, pick your new friends by who their friends are, not by who they say they are. It is good advice.

           We are three people. Who we think we are, who others think we are, and who we really are. It is ok, we all ride in the same car, but it helps if we are acquainted with all three of them.