Paper Research: Followed Through

This is the sixth of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, these are more like mini-papers that are interesting on their own. 

In this one, Mom gives a possible opening for her paper, about getting around in school and getting her first set of braces. Near the end, she also talks about why she wanted to write.
 
The photo is of Mom with her braces in front of her house about 1950.
 

 

The film text on the Indians was very powerful. Wish mine could be that powerful. It is very interesting when you think of the documentary as being an essay or composition first. I never thought of it in those terms. It has lots of good ideas for putting something like that together.

It is amazing to me how we as a nation can treat individuals in such a manner. It doesn't matter if they are black, white, red, poor or just look different: We need to be treated with respect. The same thing goes for the disabled individual. We are all different and all deserve a break. Now that I'm getting down to business and trying to pull all of this together so that it makes some kind of sense. I'm not quite sure how to begin. I know the beginning is the most important, as that is what keeps you reading.

Maybe a little story or anecdote to get the interest. Now should it be a personal story or not. I could dream up a number of personal stories of when I was young to break the ice. Maybe the story could be when I first went to school, something like this.

When I was a little girl, I was unable to walk. I got around the house by crawling or in a small walker. Many times my brothers or sisters would carry me. Now I was old enough to go to school. I couldn't crawl in school. Yet, I wanted to go to school. The year was 1949. No one thought much about teaching kids like me. I was already bright as we played "school" a lot and my sisters showed me the letters. My mother just decided to send me to school. My brother carried me every day to the first grade. Boy, did I feel important. I got along fine in school.

In the middle of the first year, however, mom heard of this new young doctor in the nearby town that was doing some wonderful things with these disabled kids. We were in the middle of the polio epidemic. This was a dreaded disease that struck many children and adults also. Many died and many more were crippled for life. Mine was a birth defect, but everyone assumed that I had polio, as there were so many. The new young doctor was responding to the need, I guess, that was really created by this epidemic. He also cared very deeply for his patients, many of them quite small. Because of casts put on both legs and bracing I had to miss a good deal of school the first year. I still managed to keep up and by the beginning of second grade, I was able to walk with the aid of full-length braces and crutches. They were ugly, but they worked. Oh how I longed to wear pretty shoes. But I was happy with at least some shoes and I was able to walk.

The biggest problem though was that the building was so difficult to get into. There was no way that I could handle the stairs on my own. Many times the stairs were really frightening to me. I would have loved to have some of the schools here in Iowa City. Near as I can find out, my hometown school still has all the steps.

Getting back to my mother, who never had any doubt that I could learn, assumed all along that I would go to school. I give her a lot of credit for that. She could have sheltered me from the difficult world. Not that it would have done any good as you can't be sheltered. The world is there and we must learn to live in it, and let others live in it too, and as easily as possible.

My brothers and sisters too had a large role in this. They never treated me different and took me along with them so I could really see how the world was. They made me feel important. The teachers, too, made me feel good. Since this was a small school, the class was very close. We only had about 18 kids in our grade. This number increased a little in high school. There were always two grades in our rooms. For example, first and second grade was in the same room. So every other year my sister was in my room with me. It always gave me a little confidence knowing that she was there.

This is too long for an intro. Guess I will have to shorten it somehow. Once I get started, I know that I can make it sound better. I must get my thoughts organized. I had an appointment with this fellow at the vets office Friday, but it had to be postponed because of the blizzard. We had a bad one this past week. I don't like those either. They always inhibit me from getting around. Walking is difficult, even in-building as everyone has wet feet, and makes the hard tile floors very difficult to talk on. Maybe I'm just getting old.

I wish I would have started these classes years ago. I thought about it but just never followed through. Seems like I lacked some self-confidence for myself. It has taken a long time, but I think I gained a lot of self-confidence. I seem to have the respect of the people at work. I would like to improve my present station in life by doing something good. I want to write about many of the things I mentioned above. Maybe essays or compositions, or even some short true stories about myself and how a handicapped child gets along in the world, Maybe it would help someone.

Boy did I get off track here. Hope this all makes sense. Then I hope I can make it make sense in the research paper. I have got to work on the outline. That will make sense to me.


Connie, Feb. 26, 1994

Paper Research: By Just Living

This is the fifth of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, these are more like mini-papers that are interesting on their own. 

In this one, she talks more about trying to contact veterans groups for her paper, and about other things, including educating people about the disabled by just being there. She also references her Devil's Advocate paper.

The photo is of Mom on Mother's Day 2005 with a clock we gave her.

There is so much information running around in my head. I have called and talked to many people. Some of them I wasn't able to reach, while some people I had not thought of came out of nowhere and proved very interesting. The Devil's Advocate paper has been very difficult to write, without getting my personal opinion in it. Some of the arguments that I have found are arguments that I agree with - or until now I agreed with them. Then I talked with this friend of mine at Hospital School, who has a Down's child now 5 years old. I will talk to her fully later on. She did give me much literature and a new perspective. I don't know why I didn't think of her earlier.

On the other end of the spectrum I also have an appointment with a gentleman with the Vietnam vets group in Cedar Rapids. This may prove a very interesting meeting. I got his name from the director of Community Relations at the Veterans Hospital, Annie Turtle. She seemed also a very interesting person. She also gave me names and numbers of a group in Des Moines, but I've had a hard time getting through to them as I'm not home usually during the day and I can't call from work. I think I'll see what I get from Cedar Rapids. None of these people have disagreed with me on this theory on my timeline. Ms. Tuttle did say, however, that maybe I should be careful and not speak specifically about Vietnam vets, but generalize it to relate to all veterans.

It is clear that I am speaking from two different arenas here. On the one hand we have the born disabled or early childhood disabled, and on the other hand, there are the young accident victim or the war victim. These young people have already proven their intelligence earlier before the accident or war injury. It is just a matter of furthering that education in whatever manner can be done; as opposed to the early childhood disabled who is often looked to as retarded or uneducateable.

Many times these children are not only expected to keep up their school; but they are also expected to keep up a regimen of exercise perhaps and a strong desire to fit into this strange world of the "normal" children. Many children can be so cruel, especially those children never exposed to this kind of child. Maybe their parents have never been exposed either. Consequently, these children are labeled as not expected to perform.

Now back to our vets or young adults. They, too, can have a very grueling exercise schedule in addition to their learning schedule. The difference is that they have already proven what they can accomplish. They probably can already read and comprehend everything that is given to them to do. These people are the ones with voices. They are still unable to get into the buildings, because of the physical obstacle. Some of these young men may be engineers, who could say, "Look, it doesn't have to be this way. We can easily replace these steps with ramps or elevators." Many times with the backing of the government, as most of these young problem are veterans, remember, they can build the new innovation that makes life more bearable. Even the hand control used for us to drive a car was invented by someone in the government. These things are so sophisticated that you can barely have movement to use one. Yet these fellows can operate automobiles very safely. It is inventions like these that have given disabled the independence that is needed.

Unfortunately, there are some disabled children and adults that will never be this good. These are the ones that will take delight from just watching what is happening. They cannot even speak or react to what is going on. It is difficult to be in contact with them as there doesn't seem to be much encouragement. Education for them may just be a visual experience. I know such an individual. I happen to have him in my second grade religion class. I, who should know how to act, did not. I am used to a reaction from my kids or anyone that am speaking with. Here there is none, save for an occasional grunty noise and a reflex movement of an arm or leg. I may need to talk to this mother further to see what benefits she has seen with him in the classroom and how far mainstreamed he is. I may talk to her this week. I hope she doesn't feel that I am prying.

I have so much to sort through. I will have to take time to sit down and work out my plan as to which direction to go with it. Once this assignment of the Devil's Advocate paper is done I will be able to concentrate better on the things coming up.

It was real interesting to hear all the other topics. It would be fun to read their papers. It will also be fun to see their art objects. I love to watch people and what they come up with. I teach a sewing class for adults. Everyone comes up with new ideas there too. There are lots of times when they teach me. That is with the little kids too. They are a fountain of knowledge waiting to happen; and oh, the excitement of watching it happen.

I will love it when I have my basic rough draft done. At least then I will have some of the idea where I'm going. I'm anxious to do a good job as this subject has always interested me and all the changes that have occurred over the last 25 years. I think things have improved, but of course life is not perfect and isn't going to be. So we do the best we can and educate all those people as we go along by just living.

Connie, Feb. 19, 1994

Paper Research: Equal Rights

This is the fourth of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, these are more like mini-papers that are interesting on their own. 

In this one, she talks equal rights issues, and how they relate to both the disabled and people of color.

The photo is of Mom at the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa, in 2010.

After listening to your account of the campaign of the Equal Rights in this country and the way in which this was all set up and planned for is really something to think about. There is a right way and a wrong way to set up a research project if you want it to state what you want it to state and what kind of an impact that you want it to make on everyone. If you want people to sit up and take notice then the whole project has to set in that manner. Indeed even to a punch line.

In putting that film together you could set up the timeline. Therefore if you have put together a good timeline it could serve as a guide to the paper itself or an outline of sorts. Of course none of our projects will have this much punch because they are not life or death matters. However, with a project like mine, I could conceivably carry a punch.

We have a lot of equal rights issues to address. Most of our equal rights stem from the fact that basically people are ignorant. If you have not dealt with a disabled person it is real hard to relate. By the same token, I'm from South Dakota and there are a lot of small towns that have no black people. I figured that discriminating against the black people was wrong, I had no basis for saying anything as I had never met any. Not until I went to college in my mid-20s did I meet any blacks. To be truthful at first, I was a little frightened, but soon I saw them as people. I eventually met some very good ones and some I don't care for, just like white people. There are a lot of them that I don't care for.

This is not a battle, however, between the able-bodied and the disabled. Even though sometimes it may seem like it. All we want is to be treated like any other person, with respect. We need to get the equal chances and opportunities, within reason, of course, as anyone else.

Along my way of thinking, trying to prove my case for my paper, I called the lady that heads community relations at the Veterans Affairs Hospital. She was most helpful and gave me some numbers of Veterans organizations to call. I have not been able to make the calls as they are both long distance and I can't make them from work. So I have to wait until I have a day off. This Wednesday I have off so I hope to make some calls then.

She also cautioned me in using the Vietnam Veteran as a group. She said sometimes they are a bit touchy about that. One of the numbers is head of the Vietnam Vets in Cedar Rapids. She thought that I might profit from a visit with them. She agreed that my theory may be good, but she felt that it was WWII also that helped get a lot of the appliance and hardware that goes into assistance for the disabled. I am anxious to make the calls.

I got to the library once, but forgot that it closed at 5 p.m. that day so didn't get much looked up. I still need to spend some time getting the dates for legislation. I did get some things from the vertical file.

You know getting back to class the other night, it would really be an eye-opener to investigate the schools in the South. It is no wonder why the blacks feel inferior. On the other hand, it isn't just the black people here that are not getting educated. All the poor people across America can't seem to keep food on the table, much less worry about an education, even though education is the ticket out of poverty. It is one big vicious circle.

There is also the issue of self worth. Extreme poverty does little to help you feel self worth. You must feel as though you have value in order to break this circle. The story of Roots and Alex Haley is good to read, as his background was the poorest of the poor. Yet because of a determined mother and his own determination, he broke out of that circle of poverty.

I feel the disabled people for a long time have been shut up. We have been put on the shelf to live out the days. This happens in some of our homes for the aged, too. Just because you are old you cannot contribute. There is much thought to this now that is keeping these elderly more agile and attuned to the young people. In a lot of places some of the homes for the aged are teaming up with the schools and helping the children with a variety of tasks. Some help with reading skills of the young, some with math, some maybe just listen. They are able to spend time where the teachers can't spend that kind of time with the individual. This concept would be a wonderful research project.

As many elderly persons were written off as old and of no value, so too have many disabled. The unfortunate part is the disabled have been written off sooner, when the person is younger. There is no confidence builder here. Many times we have to prove to be worthy of an interview, much less the job. Most people look at you as though what are you doing here. For months at work I made sure that I wore my pin to identify me as an employee, rather than a patient. I can't imagine what it would be like to be black and disabled. They would start with two big strikes against them.

I think that I better stick to the schools and educating the disabled, and maybe what has happened to the schools and helping people with jobs, etc. since the legislation of Section 504 in the early 80s and the most recent legislation The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1993. This had a widespread influence on the employment aspect. It can't change people's opinion, only education can do that.

Connie, Feb. 13, 1994

Paper Research: Newly Energized

This is the third of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, it's more of a mini-paper that is interesting on its own. 

In this one, she talks more about researching her own schooling and the impact of polio and the Vietnam war on public attitudes toward the disabled.

The photo is of Mom reading a birthday card on a 2006 to see us out here.

I was newly energized after our meeting. I know I need to look up the law for accurate dates on my timeline. I still have not been able to get with someone at the school on our district's policy on mainstreaming; and what is expected of each student that is mainstreamed. I feel good in the fact that the majority of the schools here are accessible to most disabilities. My school that I grew up in my hometown is not. It still has all the steps, etc. It has been interesting talking to my family about when I started school. I talked to my oldest sister yesterday. She was already gone away from home when I started school; but I asked her if there were any conversations regarding whether I should go to school or what should be done. She said that there were no objections that she heard of. In fact, she was amazed at how well I fit into the school. Remember I was carried the first year of school. There were times when one of the nuns carried me to recess, etc. I wish that I could talk to that nun, but I'm sure she is no longer with us, or that she would remember me would be most unlikely. I may try to talk to a teacher or two to get a reaction from them on what they could do in a similar situation today.

I'm not sure that I want to dwell on that, however. I think I want to go basically to attitudes now with teachers and students with mainstreaming. Has it been made easier for either of them. What of the attitudes of the students if the teacher is disabled. Is there more to prove here on the part of the teacher. Is she or he taken seriously by the students. Does mainstreaming of all students help this? Sitting along side of a disabled student is one thing; but working along side a disabled worker, better yet, competing with a disabled worker for a position, can be quite another thing.

Imagine for a moment campaigning for president against President Roosevelt, and have his disability made an issue. What if someone on the opposite side said, "He can't be president, he can't even get into the White House without help. He probably can't even take care of his own personal needs. Why he needs help with everything. There is no way he can be president." Yet history has recorded that he not only was elected president, but became one of our nation's greatest presidents. I have done some research on his presidency. I firmly believe that the public did not know that he was disabled, nor how serious. All the campaign pictures were carefully staged. I'm not saying that was wrong, as America was not ready for that kind of revelation. There was so much trouble on the home front with The Great Depression, and all that, what America needed was a strong individual to fill that bill. The people's vision of a strong man was not one in a wheelchair. By the time the average American found out, it didn't matter. They saw what he could do.

President Roosevelt had Infantile Paralysis, another name for polio. The polio epidemic hit the country in the late '20s and lasted quite a while, leaving lasting impressions. Many people died and it left many children with seemingly little future. Franklin Roosevelt was already educated when the disease hit him. He also had monetary resources to help get the proper equipment to conquer the disease. I did see some news clippings from the '20s saying that his political career was over. As his health improved, however, he decided to run for governor of New York. Again, he already had built up the education and confidence of the people. Imagine starting from the beginning. He never would have been president.

Now let's go back to the many small children who also had polio about this same time. There was really nowhere for them to go to school. The few who could get around on their own, probably went to public schools. I'm not sure yet, but my guess is that many stayed home or were put into homes with retarded children. At some point in time, whether it be legislation or what, I'm not sure yet, the idea was brought forward to have Crippled Children Schools. In South Dakota, ours opened in the early '50s. These schools gave the kids the education that was required by law. I'm not sure that they challenged their minds. Some of these kids were capable of much more scholastically.

Don't get me wrong, these schools were certainly better than nothing and since schools were not built for wheelchairs, there had to be a compromise. The main part I do not like, is that it segregated these kids. A whole generation grew up not needing to think of working with, or socializing with disabled people. This is basically the generation that are running things today.

While I credit the polio epidemic and drugs like the thalidamide drug with helping the country even think about educating our disabled young people, I also credit the Vietnam veterans for bringing the government backing and research to the programs of higher education and getting the legislation for us to work with. Much of the "hardware" that the disabled use, has been perfected by and for the veterans. Things like bracing, streamlined wheelchairs, and the had controls used to drive the car. The VA has furnished many wheelchair accessible vans for the vets, complete with lifts and hand controls.

Connie, Feb. 6, 1994

Paper Research: Narrowing It Down

This is the second of these process logs from her folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, it's more of a mini-paper that is interesting on its own. In this one, she briefly references me.

The photo is of Mom at a local overlook here in 2006.

I was talking to a friend regarding my chosen topic and she was very much interested. We were on a committee called ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) passed into law in 1993. According to this law, businesses are obligated to interview and hire individuals with disabilities on an equal level with the able-bodied. This friend is deaf. She wears a hearing aid to enhance speech both on the telephone and in person. She also lip reads but must be in front of you in order for this to work. She has always gone to public schools and is now a nurse.

She was relaying to me about her problems both in school and getting into school. She said that going to college was quite difficult. The college didn't want to let her in. Another case of someone else making your decisions. I would like to interview her further with dates, etc.

I also need to speak to someone in the school district. Someone in authority who makes these kinds of decisions. I would also like to know the district's policy admitting disabled into the schools and when did it start. There is also the question of who is disabled and who benefits. There are so many kinds of disabilities. The physical is the most talked about because it is the most visible. It also evokes the most pity. Most people feel that because you have a physical disability, you are also deaf, dumb and blind and have no brain. It will take years to dispel this myth. That is why 'mainstreaming' in my estimation is the best thing to dispel these kinds of myths. Education of the disabled is the ultimate key. We should be educated to our wants and limits. Following the education, the laws like the ADA can help these kids in the workplace. But they have to have a good basis in the school system. If this experience is too difficult and socially unacceptable, then the work life will not be acceptable.

I'm worried about going into too many directions. There are so many types of disabilities. I think a whole paper can be written of the physical - wheelchair, braces, deaf, blind, etc. But I don't want to leave the developmentally disabled, or the mentally disabled; the drug-induced mental and learning problems. There is also the theory that heavy smoking contributes to learning and social behavioral problems.

I'm thinking I may have to narrow this paper down to the physically challenged, since that is the problem that is near to my heart. There is the thought that I could group all these ideas in the different areas into sections and try to touch on them but centering on the main focus, which would be the physical aspect. This also affects the biggest expense by remodeling the school buildings so all the physical aspects are taken care of. This seems to be the biggest expense but in the long run, is the simplest and the one which will benefit the most people. What if my chosen profession is being a teacher. Most schools would not allow me to do so.

My timeline will include the changes that I have encountered when I started school and the changes that my son has encountered through the public school. He is now in high school and very smart. This campaign is so different from the equal rights campaign in that there were no staunch campaigners. I plan to visit the library and seek magazines that may show me how all this happened. Here is my theory, to be explored later: The polio epidemic brought a huge influx of handicapped children into the world. Polio not only struck the children, but the adults as well. Again, if you were rich, things were done for you and you were able to do many things. President Franklin Roosevelt was struck by polio and yet he was able to campaign for president and win the office four times. I did a speech on him and what the ordinary person knew of his disability. I firmly believe that at that particular time in history, the communications were such that the fact of his disability was not widely known, especially in the first campaigns. I feel we sort of missed the boat on this one. If someone in a wheelchair can be elected to the highest job in the land 60 years ago, then why are we still struggling. My theory was that it was not made an issue, so nothing was done about the physical problems in the schools. Not until the Vietnam War did something start to happen. The government began to look into rehabilitation. The government started to look at the accessibility of buildings. There were so many vets coming home who had a voice. They had access to education and insisted on it. They did not want to sit around at home all day. They had brains and knew. These young men went into the community and paved the way for many disabled children to follow. The exposure of the normal children in the classrooms is both welcomed and needed. If we will expect these children to work side by side with a disabled worker, then they better be exposed to them early.

In talking with some of my brothers and sisters about when I started school, I found out that nothing was said about whether I was to go to school. The choices were limited. Either I go to the regular school or I stay home. The staying home was not an option. So I was enrolled in school like all my brothers and sisters before me. My sister feels since this was a small Catholic school, taught by the Sisters, that they had no objections to the extra work that having a handicapped child in their class. There were not tests done to see if I was able to do the work. The first year of school I was carried to my classroom. This had to have created some extra problems. I would like to have known what the expectations were of me as a student, whether I was expected to keep up.

Like I said, this topic is so broad that I might have to see what kind of research I can get on all of it, then to narrow it down to one aspect.

Connie, spring 1994

Paper Research: VA Meeting

Mom had a few of these process logs in her folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, it's more of a mini-paper that is interesting on its own.

The photo is of Mom and Dad in Bennington, Vermont, on a 2006 trip out to see us here.

Friday, I had a meeting with a Mr. Phil Ross, readjustment counselor at the Vet Center in Cedar Rapids. It was very interesting to speak with him. I showed him my outline that I prepared for class. He fully agreed with everything that I had said. I think that he also was interested in the different perspective of a disabled person.

The difference between the one who was recently disabled and the individual like myself who has come up through the system, so to speak. He did say something interesting about the existing attitudes. With the newly disabled they have a before and after approach. Before, I could do this, I felt this, now after, I feel this. The disabled from birth have no flashback, no delusions. They also have a preconceived attitude put there by well-meaning adults that they have a place in this world and it is not in the leadership role. Many times it isn't even in the following role. Most times, unfortunately, they weren't in the running at all.

Without the original chance to try out intelligence, so to speak, we lost ground in the battle. Now we have some strong individuals in the forefront showing what they can do. Most of them, however, are the newly disabled. These are the ones who have had some formal education. We need more of the strong individuals who have come through the ranks of the educational system. I feel very strongly that I have seen both worlds. Having the good fortune of a strong family education ethic, I was able to get that good basic education. Unfortunately, still, great things were not expected of me. My mother felt that if I passed, or got by, that was good enough. To make a long story short, I wish I would have gone after the better grades, like I am now. I know that I could have done it. Maybe ended up at the top of the class; Wouldn't that have been something. If we knew then what we know now. How many kids have said that?

Mr. Ross agreed with me that the Vietnam War created so many disabled young men and women because of the modern medical personnel sent to the front lines and the quick evacuation methods. Men and women lived when they perhaps shouldn't have and wouldn't have in earlier wars. With the government backing and Congressional sympathies in their direction, money was no object when it came to inventiveness in the appliances for these men.

Much of the bracing and the new wheelchairs were invented through the military for the military. Some of these new wheelchairs can fold quickly with ease and stored in the back seat by the person in the chair. Years ago, even when they were folded, they were difficult to handle. They have also become narrower, hence easier to maneuver everywhere. The severe disabled have really advanced with the electronic chairs and chair lifts into the van. A lot of this has also progressed through the military. The new and improved hand controls were perfected by the military. Here again, it was out of necessity, I'm sure, that these were invented in the first place. The vets knew how to drive and knew about cars, hence it wouldn't take long to be very inventive.

The advances in prosthetics alone have improved life of the artificial limb user. Many times they can simulate the actual leg. Sometimes they can get so proficient at walking that it is difficult to tell if you don't know. There are many unseen areas of improvement that we don't know about.

Not the least of which is the exposure. They are really responsible for bringing disabilities to the forefront. We missed the chance with President Roosevelt, as no one knew of the extent of his disability. Even today, it is difficult for me to realize what he must have gone through from his critics. Maybe it was too early in the game for some discussion with him on his disability. Maybe the country wasn't ready for this. They were still viewed as disabled helpless and no brain.

I feel that my visit was very profitable. If for no other reason than the fact that he not only agreed with me, he supported the conclusion that I came to. Now to get to the writing portion of it.

I feel that my introduction will be lengthy. I will try to make it a story and keep it interesting. I believe that it will be quite personal and from my point of view. The conclusion, too, will follow a personal line. I will show what I have done with my life and what I plan to do in the future. It should tie all of this together. Writing the paper isn't really my problem. All the mechanics that go along with it. The collecting the reference materials, then putting them down in proper order on the Works cited lists is what frightens me. I never seem to get it down right. There seems to be something stupid that I leave out, or don't do right. I wish sometimes that I could have someone look at it then I can finish it.

In short, I have all the ideas, it is getting them down on paper in the proper form that is my problem. I also tend to ramble on and lose some of my sentence structure. Then when it is read to me, it sounds OK because that is the way I talk and sound and I knew what I meant.

I may have to have someone else do my final read on it. I'm not sure who that would be because I don't want too many opinions. I guess I'll just keep working on it.

Connie, March 5, 1994

Vocabulary Exercise (Part 2)

More vocabulary words from Mom's spring 1994 writing class. I find these interesting because Mom explains where she hears the words, giving a look into her day.


The photo is of Mom and Dad in 2006 on a boat ride near me on Lake George in Upstate New York.

11. Coalition
The word "coalition" has begun showing up in a lot of news writing. It seems to be in connection with groups of people. It almost seems like it could be groups of groups brought together to share ideas. Webster's says a body formed by coalescing, distinct elements combination, temporary alliance a purpose.

12. Ambivalent
I came across this word in reading an article in the Ligaurian. It was about violence and our prison system; about a sister visiting inmates on death row. It talks about the attitude (I think) of the prison in the ambivalent prison personal victims on both sides of the "chair." The Webster says "simultaneous and contradictory attitude or feelings as attractions and  repulsion towards an object, person, or action."

13. Myopia
I encountered this word in response to a letter to the editor. "Unfortunately the article contains a too-widely-held American Catholic myopia concerning our capitalist system." This sounds to me to be a sort of tunnel vision. The dictionary is the lack of foresight or discernment, a narrow view of something.

14. Condescending
This word has been used a lot here and denotes to me an attitude. When grace and spiritual friendship is absent or unknown, they may deny intimacy needs altogether becoming instead cynical, sarcastic and condescending. Webster: To descend to a less formal or dignified level, unbend, to wave the privilege of rank to assume superiority.

15. Virile
We encounter this word many times when a man is trying to show what a big man he is. I came across it again in an article on man's spirituality. The Latin word for strength in man is a virtue from the work. Vir, which means man and from this we get virile and virility. I wasn't sure if these words do indeed mean strength. Webster says that it means having the nature properties or qualities of an adult male.

26. Lethargy
I encountered this work regarding a patient at the hospital. It referred to a patient in a state of lethargy. I took it to mean that the patient was depressed and not caring much in his condition. In the dictionary, it says that it is a state of apathy or indifference, abnormal drowsiness, sluggish.
His illness left him in a state of lethargy.

27. Stagnant
This word was used in conjunction with the elderly. It referred to the seniors' lives as stagnant. To me this seemed to mean that their lives seemed to be in a state of stillness. Nothing of significance going on in their lives. They are going nowhere. Much like a pond of water that is stagnant because it doesn't flow anywhere.
The dictionary says to vegetate, going nowhere.
The nursing home residents had no recreation program to keep them busy, they just sat stagnant.

28. Plagiarize
This word has been seen many times in instruction with this comp class and with speech class. To me, it means not to use another's ideas and not to give them credit. Trying to claim their ideas as your own.
The dictionary says to appropriate and claim as one's own the literary work of another. Present as new material that has been presented before.
The young writer needed a poem to hand in for an assignment, took a poem out of a book and plagiarized by signing his name on it and handing it to the teacher.

29. Ligament
This word was also used at the hospital when referring to parts of your body. Something to the effect that a ligament holds the knee together. When we cut up a chicken or turkey we can see the ligaments joining the bones. Dictionary rough band of tissue which connect articular extremities of bones or supporting organ in place.
The athlete had a torn ligament in her ankle after she fell during the game.

30. Amazon
I saw this word in a magazine describing a big sexy girl. In some cases, the description may be derogatory or not complimentary.
The dictionary says feminine, alluring, big - a member of a race of female warrior.
The model appeared to be an amazon modeling her swimsuit.