About R2

Oh, what to write about me!

Because I’m writing I know I am.  Or is it, “I think, therefore I am?

If I’m writing, I am thinking, or am I?

Because I am, I know there is something.

Because there is something, I have something to write about.

I am old to some and young to others.  I am too talkative to some and too quiet to others.  I am smart to some and not to others. I am retired for some and not retired for others. I am a teacher to some and not to others. I am a parent to some and not to others. I am loved by some and not by others. I am always a student!

My interest is my curiosity. I am curious about almost everything.

Am I what I write? Am I writing what I am?

I am ……….. R2!

:-)

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Perhaps, it would be better if you interviewed me. So, let’s pretend you are interviewing me.

You begin by saying:

Hello!, I’m [ _your name__].

Hello!  I’m Ron Rogers!

(We shake hands, fist-bump, bow to each other, …:-)

Tell me some things that you have done or are doing.

Well, I blogged, but strictly speaking, my blog was really not a “web log.” I wasn’t keeping a log of anything other than what I was currently mulling over in my mind.

Also, I’m retired. I don’t want to sound like, or be an impudent person, but I do, within reason, whatever I wish to do. For example, I strive for plenty of sleep, exercise, food, drink, entertainment, friendship, love and anything else I think is good and/or worthwhile.

I fix things. Living in an old house and liking to work with my hands, has led me to fixing “this old house.”

I bike, hike, walk, & shop; I attend shows, concerts, dinners, etc.; I correspond through e-mail, Facebook, telephone , etc.; I will do things I haven’t thought of yet.

I live – I am! Oops, I’ve already mentioned that I Am! :-)

What kind of blogging did you do?

That’s a good question? I remember when I first started blogging, I had that question in the front of my mind continuously. I would read other blogs and think to myself, “I would like to write like that.” But, eventually, I realized that I didn’t really want to write a blog like the ones I was reading – I just wanted to generate the interest that they were generating. But, then I asked myself, “Why is it so important for me to generate that kind of interest?” I couldn’t, and still can’t, answer that question. It’s like asking, “Why do most people want to be popular?” Or, “Why do most people want to be accepted?“

These are all questions that are good to ask, but they don’t have to necessarily be answered in order for me to have a fulfilling life. That’s it! What kind of blogging did I do? The kind of blogging that I find fulfilling. And, what kind of blogging do I find fulfilling? The kind that, as I write a post, I find I have learned something meaningful. And, meaningful leads to fulfillment, as I blog. I truly find that to be a joyous experience!

OK, so the next natural question is: “what is/was the purpose of your blog?”

For me, the purpose is, to write for learning. Simple, yes! Easy? No! At least, I don’t find it easy. The act of creating and keeping this blog going is/was laborious, and at the same time, joyous & fulfilling.

Haven’t I seen you before?

Well, it’s possible, if you have been in the St. Louis area. I taught at Parkway North High School for 27 years – from when the school first opened, in 1972, to 1999. I taught one year at Wydown Middle School, in Clayton, MO. I have also taught at Forest Park Community College and Fontbonne University. My first three years of teaching were in New Cambria, MO and Savanna, IL.  In all of these schools, I taught some form of mathematics. I say some form because what I taught was from Arithmetic to Calculus, from 7th grade to Graduate school, and from how to learn mathematics to how to teach mathematics. I also was very active, over a ten-year period, in a leadership role for a school-wide effort to improve critical thinking skills across all academic disciplines.

When did you retire from full-time teaching?

2000. An interesting fact about my full-time teaching career is that since my first year of full-time teaching started in the Fall of 1969, and I retired in the Spring of 2000, I was a full-time teacher in five different decades. :-)

Haven’t I seen you at the Apple Store and in a Wine store?

Yes, you probably have. I do like Apple products and I like wine, but I don’t like apple wine. :-) I also like lots of other things like, the biking, hiking, etc. (mentioned before), along with my most favorite thing to do – THINK! You see, I think that I live in my mind. That my mind creates the life I have, in the sense that when I experience, it’s what I think about the experience that results in the life I am living. Does that make any sense?

Well, a little, I suppose. Could you elaborate a little more?

I will, but only a little. Let me give you an example. I attended a concert with some friends. At first, I thought the experience I was having at the concert was bad. I enjoyed the music (even though it was in the background), but I was concerned about whether or not my friends were enjoying themselves. I was having an uncomfortable and bad experience because my enjoyment of life was dependent upon how my friends were feeling. After the first fifteen minutes of this negative experience, I realized what I was doing and made a conscious decision to not be concerned about my friends’ reaction to our shared experience and instead, to accept in my own mind, how much I was personally enjoying the experience. In other words, I purposefully changed my attitude.

I created my life experience in my own mind and created it in a way that removed all negative barriers that I had control over. Immediately, upon realizing how I was dwelling on what others controlled instead of creating the life I wanted, my experience changed from a negative to a positive. Also, I noticed that my friends seemed to be enjoying themselves more. Were they, or did I create their experience in my mind? :-)

Hopefully, you can see what I am “getting-at.” I find it difficult to put into words, but I really believe that we live the life we think we live. Do you have any other questions?

How can someone contact you?

Thanks for asking. You can e-mail me at : <r2mail@me.com>. That address is the first item listed in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

I realize you might want to know more about me that I didn’t say during this interview. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for more specifics.

Thanks for visiting R2 Thoughts 4U and may your life be created as a joyous and fulfilling experience by your mind for you!