"All I Really Need To Know" by Robert Fulghum

I first heard this poem over 16 years ago and it still means a lot to me now.  It really struck a chord with me, I'll never forget it and I think we all should think carefully about it's words and meanings.  

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. 

Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday school. 

These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
Everything you need to know is there somewhere. 
The Golden rule and love and basic sanitation. 
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
 
Take any one of these items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
 
And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

And this picture from the London 2012 Olympics sums it up completely...

One day maybe we'll live in a world of peace... maybe...

Olympics & Paralympics 2012

There is always so much hype surrounding the Olympic Games, so I thought I'd introduce you all to someone very important for the Paralympic Games... say "Hello" to Mandeville - the mascot for the Paralympic Games 2012.  He's a cute and cuddly figure who represents the ethos of the Paralympic Games.

Each Paralympic and Olympic Games has a mascot, everyone knows that, right?  But I was amazed to find out that the mascot is usually an animal native to the area or a human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country.  I must say that I haven't seen many of these characters wandering around the UK recently!  But, there are important symbols coming through the mascot.  The head shape represents the 3 colours of the Paralympic Games symbol, the taxi light on it's forehead represents the London Black Taxis and the wristband on the right wrist is a personal best timer to help keep track of performance.

Paralympic Symbol

Whilst typing this tonight, I'm watching the fantastic opening ceremony of the Olympics and Paralympics and I must say that I'm proud to support Team GB... we saw the Olympic flame pass through a local town back in May which feels ages ago and tonight's ceremony concludes the journey of the flame and it is a great celebration of everything British.

No doubt I'll be writing again about the Olympics and Paralympics over the next few weeks - I'm not extremely "sporty" but enjoy watching the heats and finals with my children - it shows them how hard work and determination can pay off.  The variety of events and ages of competitors makes it interesting too.  This year, we are going to find all of the countries (if we can!) on our world map as they achieve their medals - quick geography lesson and fun at the same time!