Physical fitness:  Void where prohibited

Y'know, hard as this might be to believe, I wasn't always a ground-bound, out-of-shape slob.

Oh sure, it's true that I do  have the body of a god - Buddha. (grin)  But in my youth (*cough*), I actually used to move around, run & jump quite a bit.  And - are you sitting down? - I actually used to be able to do this little trick called a cartwheel.

Boy, am I glad I grew up in my particular era.  If I were a pre-teen today, in this scaredy-cat world of PC, I might actually be punished  for trying to play and be active and stay fit.

Sort of like this girl did.

An 11-year-old girl in West Covina, Calif., was suspended from her school from doing "dangerous" cartwheels and hand stands during lunch time, according to a Local 6 News report.

Deirdre Faegre, who is a Student of the Month at San Jose-Edison Academy in West Covina was dismissed from the school this week after school authorities warned her for the last time to stop doing gymnastic stunts during lunchtime.

"Young lady, you stop doing those assault cartwheels right this instant, you hear???

Administrators at the school said they were concerned about safety of their students.

They said gymnastics on the playground creates an unsafe situation.

Oh, absolutely it does.  I mean, by doing cartwheels, she could...(gasp!!!)...stay in shape!!!   That means she could (arrgggghhh!!!) be physically superior to the other kids!!!!   And...oh, no...beat them in sporting competition!!!!!   Oh, the humanity!!!!!

"I thought they were absolutely weird, because I see other kids playing baseball and soccer and I think that's more dangerous than gymnastics," Faegre said.

SSSSSHHHHHHHHH, Deidre!  Don't tell them!!!  They'll ban baseball and soccer, too!!!

Deirdre's parents are giving the school's actions a failing grade. The family says they'll continue to stand by their daughter.

"I don't think they care about the children at all," father Leland Faegre said. "What sort of a parent or administrator would ever enforce a rule that would proscribe a child from using her arms and her legs? We have got to fix this mess because we have to let children be children."

As opposed to having the administrators be that way.

Seven wonders of the world

This comes courtesy of the Mothergoose.  Maybe I'm turning syrupy in my old age (*cough*), but I liked it enough to share it with you Denizens...

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the "Seven Wonders of the World."

Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student
had not yet finished her paper. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:

1. To See
2. To Hear
3. To Touch
4. To Taste
5. To Feel
6. To Laugh
7. And to Love."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wonderous!

A gentle reminder -- The most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

Okay, so it's sickeningly sweet.  So sue me. (grin)