The Creative Classroom by Mitchell Lopate, M.A.T. = Academic humanities advising-mentoring, tutoring, writing support: 30 years college & university and middle-elementary education in-class/online with a B.A. in psychology and a masters in education. (PS: it's fun.) Cross-curriculum humanities concepts, career counseling, MBA instruction, composition and research methods, and values, ethics, and writing. “Learn by example, succeed by effort." mitchLOP8@yahoo.com / 840-216*1014
I'm sharing this for several reasons: some of my MBA students are interested in risk management for their future or career ahead. At Franklin University where I am an online graduate professor, we are rolling out a RM program in 2025. I'm providing here some of the links/sources that I offer to students who have interest in this option so that they may decide if it fits them.
Also: Meet the real business environment--and it's SCORCHING.
Allow me, please, because I know a recent MBA graduate who was in my first class--with a background strongly in finance--and he and I talked about the Capstone class. The final class you take. And he told me that (1) there were students who did NOT have a strong finance background, and (2) he had to bail them out.
How/why? Each WEEK, YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATES in a group have to use one week = one year of making money for a company. The team that makes the MOST money gets the best grade. Are we clear on this? And you can imagine how you're going to feel if in your team SOMEONE doesn't have the chops to fulfill his/her portion of responsibility. Therefore...
From a movie in 2008; "Margin Call"; which really does indicate the background and aftermath of the mortgage industry crash that took down Shearson-Lehman Brothers brokerage--here's a boardroom business environment sequence of events. Just be aware that I told you so. And note this: the CEO is VERY aware of everything--including that he has @ a $70 million-dollar-salary that he's NOT going to lose, and that he knew about this problem with bundling mortgage packages from the start. And he wants to see who in his team will speak up--or not. I use this lesson in 707 for a reason, and in 711, it's just as valid as it will be in the capstone class. If finance isn't your game, you STILL will see it. That's also why I emphasize risk management--which IS part of these movie clips. It's the role of the guy in the blue tie who is just as much to blame--but saves HIS job. And the poor guy who's the sales manager wants OUT at the end--but he NEEDS the money--and the CEO has him where it hurts.
Business Environment 711, at your leisure. (My apologies ahead for any offensive language in the videos; I did not write the script. But I am sure the conversation is quite real.)
I've mentioned risk as a field within the MBA domain--and I hope if you're inclined that you'll find these video links helpful. This includes training videos for banking, general interviews, types of risk, and strategies. I assure you from contacts that are part of the Franklin MBA program: this is where the BIG salaries come into focus.
Human Resources Financial healthcare Environmental Corporate....Sports
"Go to college and find yourself--and pick a major." That's been something told to students by parents (and counselors) for a few decades, yes? I have a better idea--and mine comes from 22 years of experience (that's how long it took me to begin and finish my undergraduate degree. I wish I knew then what I learned now about how to go to college). First: PLEASE consider a community college. It will save you a LOT of money, and allow you to learn about the demands of a college schedule for classes, the choice of working a job and managing your life. You can get MUCH better grades and then transfer to the four-year school that you wanted. Your diploma at graduation will be from the 4-year school, and you'll be happy, wiser, and better prepared for choices.
DON'T take your major classes in the first two years. I KNOW your parents are likely to question your reasons, but getting adapted to college is more important, especially if you haven't really paid attention in the last four years of high school--or even middle school. Plus, the likelihood of a student becoming aware of his or her interests while in college (or other school training) is far greater, along with the new learning of ideas.
May I otherwise suggest that a student take courses that are of significance that may help with prerequisites: psychology, public speaking (there I go again with that subject!), math, or science. Remember, I'm speaking from 22 years of experience.
By my own efforts, I found that most schools require at least one course in psychology. It certainly helps someone learn about society and how to manage him or herself. Teamwork and cooperative management are part of psychology--so it pays to have a basic understanding of how we interact. Public speaking has already been posted as an idea, and for the same reasons, I'm saying that it will eventually become a prerequisite for a degree program.
Most majors require at least 12 credits in math or science--and I was not good at math, and I didn't want a lab science. What I took instead for science were courses in biomedical issues, environmental studies, anthropology, and human life science. They were credited classes, and they were interesting because I was a psych major who wanted to learn about society. For math (I had to take algebra again, and most degree programs are looking for calculus as well), I took courses in life skills, such as how the post office uses their routing and schedules to effectively cover territory, or how to divide property for an estate so that everyone gets a fair share. It wasn't about doing math problems, but using my mind to solve ideas. I would also suggest that a foreign language class would help if you're really good at it--but stay at the basic level so that it's not overwhelming. No one is asking you to translate 14th-century Italian if you only need one semester and aren't planning on being a historian in European fine art.
I would also suggest not immediately declaring a major because most students decide by the beginning of their junior year about what they want to pursue. In my case, I found that I had overlapping classes in psychology: what I learned in the spring semester for the first four weeks was often what I had learned that previous fall. So I was focused on my major at that time and not having to keep so many subjects in my mind. There's always room to learn about college classes and the demands it puts on a student--and if you get used to the idea early and learn WHY and HOW to study, take notes, and be responsible, it will be much more rewarding when the time comes when you take your major subject and earn the degree you want.
An academic memory: the assignment was to design a product, make a video, and implment a sales pitch for the item.
From my students at Jiangxi University, this one was very special to me. (And yes, those dorm rooms are VERY austere.)
Remote-control door opener designed by Jiangxi University, China, students. International Accounting 145A.
Holly (Hu Tuo), Daphne (Xu Li), Cathy (Tong Ying), Susie (Wu Yang)
I've said before that I consider myself a "fluid learner"--a phrase I coined to describe someone who thinks outside of normal parameters, and one that I feel more accurately describes the new generation of children who are not bound by traditional methods of teaching. With that in mind, I'll use the example of the 4 Elements (above) as a lesson in discerning how to narrow down a topic for research, as well as how to focus more specifically on a subject for academic or professional means. In this example, someone has just asked me to help them find an idea for an assignment--or they have just graduated from college and are trying to identify their career plans and goals. The mention of "environmental studies" is the key. My first response to this individual: "Let's use the 4 Elements as guiding points to help you identify where your interests are, and which one best suits your answer." After that is established, I then take each element and its nature, then apply a range of ideas that may be suitable. For example: Air: (Air) pollution - management of hazardous waste gases; quality of air control in residential or commercial locations Water: Potable water supply and management; ocean pollution and recovery; oil & natural gas spillage-recovery Fire: Recycling garbage for fuels Earth: Alternative fuel sources; landfill management and soil reclamation; ecosystem preservation and recovery; animal and wilderness preservation Do you have a subject or topic you'd like to see mixed-and-matched with the 4 Elements? Try Fluid Learning techniques and methods--or if you're in need of something different, write and ask me!
Words of wisdom from the Original First Lady, Eve, by way of Mark Twain, from Letters from the Earth.
From "Extract of Eve's Autobiography"
But
studying, learning, inquiring into the cause and nature and purpose of everything
we came across, were passions with us, and this research filled our days with
brilliant and absorbing interest. Adam was by constitution and proclivity a
scientist; I may justly say I was the same, and we loved to call ourselves by
that great name. Each was ambitious to beat the other in scientific discovery,
and this incentive added a spur to our friendly rivalry, and effectively
protected us against falling into idle and unprofitable ways and frivolous
pleasure-seeking.
Our
first memorable scientific discovery was the law that water and like fluids run
downhill, not up. It was Adam that found this out. Days and days he conducted
his experiments secretly, saying nothing to me about it; for he wanted to make
perfectly sure before he spoke. I knew something of prime importance was
disturbing his great intellect, for his repose was troubled and he thrashed
about in his sleep a good deal. But at last he was sure, and then he told me. I
could not believe it, it seemed so strange, so impossible. My astonishment was
his triumph, his reward. He took me from rill to rill -- dozens of them --
saying always, "There -- you see it runs downhill -- in every case it runs
downhill, never up. My theory was right; it is proven, it is established, nothing
can controvert it." And it was a pure delight to see his exultation in
this great discovery.
In
the present day no child wonders to see the water run down and not up, but it was
an amazing thing then, and as hard to believe as any fact I have ever
encountered.
You
see, that simple matter had been under my eyes from the day I was made, but I had
never happened to notice it. It took me some time to accept it and adjust
myself to it, and for a long time I could not see a running stream without
voluntarily or involuntarily taking note of the dip of the surface, half
expecting to see Adam's law violated; but at last I was convinced and remained
so; and from that day forth I should have been startled and perplexed to see a
waterfall going up the wrong way. Knowledge has to be acquired by hard work;
none of it is flung at our heads gratis.
That
law was Adam's first great contribution to science; and for more than two centuries
it went by his name -- Adam's Law of Fluidic Precipitation. Anybody could get on
the soft side of him by dropping a casual compliment or two about it in his
hearing.
He
was a good deal inflated -- I will not try to conceal it -- but not spoiled.
Nothing ever spoiled him, he was so good and dear and right-hearted. He always
put it by with a deprecating gesture, and said it was no great thing, some
other scientist would have discovered it by and by; but all the same, if a
visiting stranger had audience of him and was tactless enough to forget to
mention it, it was noticeable that that stranger was not invited to call again.
After a couple of centuries, the discovery of the law got into dispute, and was
wrangled over by scientific bodies for as much as a century, the credit being
finally given to a more recent person. It was a cruel blow. Adam was never the same
man afterward. He carried that sorrow in his heart for six hundred years, and I
have always believed that it shortened his life. Of course throughout his days
he took precedence of kings and of all the race as First Man, and had the
honors due to that great rank, but these distinctions could not compensate him
for that lamented ravishment, for he was a true scientist and the First; and he
confided to me, more than once, that if he could have kept the glory of
Discoverer of the Law of Fluidic Precipitation he would have been content to
pass as his own son and Second Man. I did what I could to comfort him. I said
that as First Man his fame was secure; and that a time would come when the name
of the pretended discoverer of the law that water runs downhill would fade and
perish and be forgotten in the earth. And I believe that. I have never ceased
to believe it. That day will surely come.
I
scored the next great triumph for science myself: to wit, how the milk gets
into the cow. Both of us had marveled over that mystery a long time. We had
followed the cows around for years -- that is, in the daytime -- but had never
caught them drinking a fluid of that color. And so, at last we said they
undoubtedly procured it at night. Then we took turns and watched them by night.
The result was the same -- the puzzle remained unsolved. These proceedings were
of a sort to be expected in beginners, but one perceives, now, that they were
unscientific. A time came when experience had taught us better methods.
One
night as I lay musing, and looking at the stars, a grand idea flashed through
my head, and I saw my way! My first impulse was to wake Adam and tell him, but
I resisted it and kept my secret. I slept no wink the rest of the night. The moment
the first pale streak of dawn appeared I flitted stealthily away; and deep in
the woods I chose "a small grassy spot and wattled it in, making a secure
pen; then I enclosed a cow in it. I milked her dry, then left her there, a
prisoner. There was nothing there to drink -- she must get milk by her secret
alchemy, or stay dry.
All
day I was in a fidget, and could not talk connectedly I was so preoccupied; but
Adam was busy trying to invent a multiplication table, and did not notice.
Toward sunset he had got as far as 6 times 9 are 27, and while he was drunk
with the joy of his achievement and dead to my presence and all things else, I
stole away to my cow. My hand shook so with excitement and with dread failure
that for some moments I could not get a grip on a teat; then I succeeded, and
the milk came! Two gallons. Two gallons, and nothing to make it out of. I knew
at once the explanation: the milk was not taken in by the mouth, it was
condensed from the atmosphere through the cow's hair. I ran and told Adam, and
his happiness was as great as mine, and his pride in me inexpressible.
Presently
he said, "Do you know, you have not made merely one weighty and far-reaching
contribution to science, but two." And that was true. By a series of experiments
we had long ago arrived at the conclusion that atmospheric air consisted of water
in invisible suspension; also, that the components of water were hydrogen and oxygen,
in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter, and
expressible by the symbol H2O. My discovery revealed the fact that there was
still another ingredient -- milk. We enlarged the symbol to H2O,M.
INTERPOLATED
EXTRACTS FROM "EVE'S DIARY"
Another
discovery. One day I noticed that William McKinley was not looking well. He is
the original first lion, and has been a pet of mine from the beginning. I
examined him, to see what was the matter with him, and found that a cabbage
which he had not chewed, had stuck in his throat. I was unable to pull it out,
so I took the broomstick and rammed it home. This relieved him. In the course
of my labors I had made him spread his jaws, so that I could look in, and I
noticed that there was something peculiar
about his teeth. I now subjected the teeth to careful and scientific
examination, and the result was a consuming surprise: the lion is not a
vegetarian, he is carnivorous, a flesh-eater! Intended for one, anyway.
I
ran to Adam and told him, but of course he scoffed, saying, "Where would
he find flesh?"
I've mentioned Critical Thinking as a process to solve problems, to resolve issues; to handle disputes, and to effectively manage both personnel and businesses. Let me share a video about the Ooda Loop, which was the basis of a fighter pilot who claimed (and correctly so) that he could evade an enemy pilot trying to target him WITHIN 60 SECONDS. That meant this individual used Critical Thinking to not only save his life, but to GET THE JOB DONE. And sometimes, it takes Critical Thinking and ANALYSIS to do so.
In the movie Margin Call, which I share with my MBA students, at the boardroom meeting, the CEO says to his Chief Financial Officer, "It's 4:00 [a.m.}. You have until 5:00 {a.m.} to break this down and get me out a plan {of action to liquidate assets that are toxic in volatility to the company}." And the CFO nods because there is no other course of action other than to do what he's told!
THEN the CEO asks who else knows about the nature of the company's problems. He's informed by the Chief Risk Officer AND the CFO that this individual is no longer employed--and the CFO adds that they have been trying to locate him. The CFO turns to another person--whom we don't know in official capacity--and tells him by name, "Get me {this individual"} here by 6:30 a.m., AND THE MAN AGREES TO THE REQUEST. HE DOESN'T COMPLAIN, ARGUE, OR CHALLENGE THE REQUEST. HE WILL GET IT DONE.
My point in this: are you capable of getting the job done even if it is an obvious challenge? I mean this in life as well as management or any other profession you choose. I'm also saying with just about 70 years of experience: Life will and does throw challenges at all of us. What are you willing to do in order to solve problems that may only be temporary distractions? ESPECIALLY if you want to run your own company/business or you want to work for someone else--WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IF IT REQUIRES CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND ACTION?
I'll share with you a real-life event that happened to me when I was teaching public speaking at Jiangxi University in China @spring 2017: my students were not listening to me that day and totally distracted from my lesson. And that was enough to agitate me to ask what and why--because it was against my standards of behavior. And they said, "We are sorry, but our next class is up in 20 minutes, and we don't understand the assignment. Our professor is VERY strict {yes, they, as students, could be and were physically and verbally abused for failure}."
So I made an immediate decision: "Put aside everything for me, and let me see this assignment." It was about finance--and it was several pages of a handout. I read it quickly: "Assess and describe the implications of 'A Double Dutch Twist with an Irish Treat' regarding Apple, Inc., and taxation procedures."
Huh? Well, first, I don't teach finance, nor is it an area of my interest nor expertise. BUT I CAN READ AND COMPREHEND TEXT AND DOCUMENTS. (I once had to proofread a friend's Ph.D. analysis of animal husbandry/management for the effective production of pigs. I also have no background in that--but I could understand from what she wrote.) So what I did was to break down the finance assignment BECAUSE I COULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE BEHIND THE PACKAGE GIVEN TO THE STUDENTS because I could critically think about what I was reading.
In short: Apple, Inc., was rerouting pre-tax capital gains through two banks in the Carribean islands owned by the Netherlands (Dutch) country. After they were "processed," the monies were then sent to a bank in Ireland--and THEN re-routed back to Apple, Inc., at a lower tax rate. "A Double Dutch Twist with an Irish Treat." And my students were so thankful that I had not only solved their confusion at the title but also the value of the lesson ahead--and possibly spared them from some physical pain and worse.
And I also told them: "DON'T tell the professor in the next class that I helped you. Tell him that YOU all figured it out yourselves. Let HIM think that you're smarter, better, and prepared." Oh, you'd better believe that they were grateful. And I was thankful for the chance to help--and also that I had learned again how valuable critical thinking skills could be. My point is simple: I had 20 minutes to solve the needs for my students.
This is a two-part tale, and you'll need the Periodic Table of Elements to solve it. But stay with it for the adventure and the answers! Now, get ready to hand over the loot!
The (Au)-Dust
Kid mounted his trusty, rust-colored horse, Old (I).His shooting (Fe) was strapped to his belt,
alongside a shiny (Ag) buckle from Mexico.The bright, new invention, (Ne) lights, lit up the night sky like a (Mg)
flare.There was danger in the
wind:The Kid was aiming to rob the
midnight stagecoach with the payroll money!The nearby (U) mine was getting ready to make a deposit at the local
bank, and The Kid was looking for one last big stick-up.He decided to use a bag of burning (S) to
confuse the horses and make the stagecoach driver stop.The Kid hated the smell of the stuff—it
reminded him of a rotten goose egg.But,
it would make any dumb animal or man helpless when it was inhaled and make them
forget everything but the need to breathe clean, crisp fresh (O).
He
was getting too old to do this, and his bones ached from (Ca) deposits he had
developed in his knees from hard work in the (Zn) refinery.He had led a hard life:as a young man, he had been a scout in the
army and had used (He) balloons to spy on the enemy during the War Between the
States, and he was a Confederate soldier from Texas.A rancher’s daughter had loved him too, and
she tried to poison him with (As) when she found that he cared for another
woman.He just wanted one last robbery
to make his fortune and then he would leave his life of crime.
Up
there!—the stagecoach was coming, guarded by a deputy with a (Tn) badge.The Kid lit the bag from his hiding spot and
tossed it in front of the horses, causing them to rear up and snort in
fear.The deputy went for his rifle, but
The Kid drew first and filled him with (Pb) slugs.The (Cu) shells from his pistol clattered on
the ground—the deputy’s life wasn’t worth a plugged (Ni). A (Pt) blonde
passenger with red lipstick screamed at the sight of The Kid, and she held
tightly to an (Al) box under her seat.“Give me those diamonds on your fingers,” snarled The Kid, “or I’ll
crush them into (C) dust!” The woman
fainted in fear.
Suddenly,
shots rang out again, and the sheriff and his posse galloped out from their
hiding spot with their guns raised.The
Kid was taken before a judge and thrown into a jail with (Co)-colored
steel-reinforced bars—the sun would burn out of its supply of (H) before The
Kid would be a free man. His jail sentence was a warning to all that crime
never pays!!
H _______________ Co__________________ C ______________ Ni
____________
(This article is presented by me because (1) I lived in Japan and China, and I have eaten some strange things like sea worms--but not ever as dangerous as this, and (2) it's the kind of cool educational idea that can make for a great class report or presentation.
The Japanese delicacy fugu, or blowfish, is so poisonous that the smallest mistake in its preparation could be fatal. But Tokyo's city government is planning to ease restrictions that allow only highly trained and licensed chefs to serve the dish.
Kunio Miura always uses his special knives to prepare fugu - wooden-handled with blades tempered by a swordsmith to a keen edge. Before he starts work in his kitchen they are brought to him by an assistant, carefully stored in a special box.
Miura-san, as he is respectfully known, has been cutting up blowfish for 60 years but still approaches the task with caution. A single mistake could mean death for a customer.
Fugu is an expensive delicacy in Japan and the restaurants that serve it are among the finest in the country. In Miura-san's establishment a meal starts at $120 (£76) a head, but people are willing to pay for the assurance of the fugu chef licence mounted on his wall, yellowed now with age. He is one of a select guild authorised by Tokyo's city government to serve the dish.
When he begins work the process is swift, and mercifully out of sight of the surviving fugu swimming in their tank by the restaurant door.
First he lays the despatched fish, rather square of body with stubby fins, on its stomach and cuts open the head to removes its brain and eyes.
They are carefully placed in a metal tray marked "non-edible". Then he removes the skin, greenish and mottled on the top and sides, white underneath, and starts cutting at the guts.
"This is the most poisonous part," he says pulling out the ovaries. But the liver and intestines are potentially lethal too. "People say it is 200 times more deadly than cyanide."
Twenty-three people have died in Japan after eating fugu since 2000, according to government figures. Most of the victims are anglers who rashly try to prepare their catch at home. A spokesman for the Health and Welfare Ministry struggles to think of a single fatality in a restaurant, though last year a woman was hospitalised after eating a trace of fugu liver in one of Tokyo's top restaurants - not Miura-san's.
Tetrodotoxin poisoning has been described as "rapid and violent", first a numbness around the mouth, then paralysis, finally death. The unfortunate diner remains conscious to the end. There is no antidote.
"This would be enough to kill you," Miura-san says, slicing off a tiny sliver of fugu ovary and holding it up. Then he carefully checks the poisonous organs on the tray, making sure he has accounted for every one, and tips them into a metal drum locked with a padlock. They will be taken to Tokyo's main fish-market and burned, along with the offcuts from other fugu restaurants.
Miura-san's skill is therefore highly prized. Fugu chefs consider themselves the elite of Japan's highly competitive culinary world. He started as an apprentice in a kitchen at the age of 15. Training lasts at least two years but he was not allowed to take the practical test to get a licence until he was 20, the age people become a legal adult in Japan. A third of examinees fail.
So proposals by Tokyo's city government to relax the rules have been met with an outcry from qualified chefs. Coming into effect in October, they would allow restaurants to serve portions of fugu that they have bought ready-prepared off-site.
"We worked hard to get the licence and had to pass the most difficult exam in Tokyo," says Miura-san. "Under the new rules people will be able to sell fugu after just going to a class and listening for a day. We spent lots of time and money. To get this skill you have to practise by cutting more than a hundred fish and that costs hundreds of thousands of yen."
The authorities in Tokyo impose stricter regulations than any other Japanese city. In some, restaurants have already been able to sell pre-prepared fugu for a long time. And even in Tokyo these days, it is available over the internet and in some supermarkets - one reason why officials think the rules need updating.
In terms of cost, it is likely fugu would become available in cheaper restaurants and pubs (izakayas). But going to a proper fugu restaurant to eat good wild-caught fish, prepared on-site, is quite a luxury - because of the cost, if nothing else - and also quite an event. For many, playing the equivalent of Russian roulette at the dinner table is the attraction of the dish.
Some report a strange tingling of the lips from traces of the poison, although Miura-san thinks that is unlikely. He also scoffs at the myth that a chef would be honour-bound to commit ritual suicide with his fish knife if he killed a customer. Loss of his licence, a fine, litigation or perhaps prison would be the penalty.
Image captionThe translucent fugu is carefully arranged in the form of petals
Miura-san serves fugu stew, and grilled fugu with teriyaki sauce, but today it is fugu-sashimi on the menu. He carefully slices the fish so thinly that when it is arranged like the petals of a chrysanthemum flower on a large dish the pattern beneath shows through.
Raw fugu is rather chewy and tastes mostly of the accompanying soy sauce dip. It is briefly poached in a broth set on a table-top burner - a dish known as shabu-shabu in Japan. The old journalistic cliche when eating unusual foods really does hold true - it tastes rather like chicken.
Fugu lovers, though, would say it has a distinctive taste, and, even more importantly, texture. Japanese has many words to describe texture because it is a very important aspect of the cuisine.
Another part of the fish's appeal is that it is a seasonal dish, eaten in winter, and Japanese diners attach a particular value to this. In the same way unagi, eel, is an important summer dish. But whatever you think of eel, it's not quite fugu - it lacks that extra thrill that comes with the knowledge that by eating it you are dicing with death.
Plugging my own skillset here because a state university wants to know if I am qualified to teach writing. Well then: aside from my 25 years in doing it, how about a sample? Maybe from--a different time period? But yes, I am sure I can teach Critical Thinking for Writing in any subject. Like this:
Every man and woman faces major challenges in life. They are part of a continuing cycle: love, security, courage, the ability to communicate, and confidence. In “A Modern Woman,” an offer is made to a lady to show how she has faced those demands. However, the summons for her presence and a set of encounters that follow has come from the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who will decide her fate.
The unexpected offer as well as outcome is far greater than anything she has ever known or considered: if she wins, immortality is granted. If she loses…she may face death. Her results indicate how each one of us can decide our own future when our own challenges occur. The way we view ourselves and how we have prepared our own values are our greatest gifts that we either use or discard.
Short answer/essay response:
Why are each of the answers given by the novice accepted by each of the challenging gods and goddesses? How and why are they convinced? How does she use her answers to them? Describe her comments: what impression is she presenting? Be descriptive: how does she speak? How are her answers received? Who adds to the importance, and why does it help make a difference?
Who really appears to be in control of Olympus and why does this make the lesson of the story that much more empowering? Why and how is this different than other stories of adventure? Finally--and optional: if you think this story reminds you of someone--anyone--even you--why? How? What difference has your story brought regarding Character, Wisdom, or Encouragement in YOUR life? (I wrote this story to express admiration for someone.
Yes. This is an original story.)
A Modern Woman for the 21st Century
The gods and goddesses were surprised at the news. A new arrival was to be heralded on sacred Mt. Olympus. All were interested to meet the newcomer and prepare their tests of measure and worth. Hera, queen of the gods, enlisted several of the others to be sure that they understood the challenge. A new goddess had not been selected to sit on a throne on Mt. Olympus for many thousands of years, long after the glorious days of Socrates and Solon, of Athens in her splendor and Sparta in fighting majesty, had long passed to dust.
Zeus himself was pleased: another goddess might mean another female to pursue, a womanly figure to entertain his eye and desires. And then a conch shell blew. It was Poseidon, god of the Sea, calling all together to hear the reading of the Scroll of Immortality. Hermes, the Messenger, stepped forward into the Circle of Light and held aloft the scroll and the names inscribed upon it. Before him sat brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles; all gods and goddesses of Universal magnitude and authority.
There was Ares, defiant god of War; Aphrodite, goddess of Love and pleasure; Apollo, keeper of the Chariot of the Sun; stern Hades, ruler of the Underworld and the riches of the earth; Athena, goddess of Wisdom, bearing her shield with the image of the Medusa’s head, and an owl perched on her shoulder. And watching carefully over the others, Queen Hera. She wanted to ensure that the novice goddess-to-be was worthy of a sip of ambrosia, nectar of the gods, and the immortal life that would follow. All were directed to bring their full energies to bear upon the initiate during her test. Zeus threw a thunderbolt earthward, announcing to the mortals below that the trial had begun.
Up stepped Apollo, brandishing the reins to the horses that drew his chariot. For a full day, he raced across the sky, pulling the Sun behind him. And when the day had passed, he returned and addressed the others. “I have let the strength and brightness of the Sun fall upon her,” he said. “I have not been able to diminish her presence. She radiates a greater light from within than the Sun itself. She has passed my test.”
Next came Ares, carrying his sword and shield of battle. “I can handle this woman, who would dare call herself a goddess,” he swore. “Come forward, if you dare, and face a true warrior!” The gathering became a field of combat, the sounds of armor and weapons clashing. Finally, Ares lowered his sword and said sullenly, “She knows the arts of fighting. I accept her as an equal.” The novice brought her own sword to bear, and swung at Ares. A new battle followed, with the initiate taking the role of aggressor. Athena stepped in and brought the fight to a halt. “It seems, brother, that she has issued her own challenge. Do you accept her answer?” Ares gave her a dark, baleful stare in reply as he wiped the blood from fresh wounds, but a stern look from Hera, his mother, silenced his thoughts.
“She has met me on the arena of battle. I declare her to be a warrior of strength and courage,” he admitted to the others. The initiate spoke up: “Take up arms not against such as me. I have faced greater fights and stronger opponents and won, and do not take lightly the thought of being oppressed by the foolishness of anyone.” Zeus smiled at the boldness of the answer and a murmur of approval was heard through the gathering. Hercules spoke up, giving his favor. “I would gladly take this one along on an adventure if she is willing!” Hebe, bearer of ambrosia and wife of Hercules, crossed her arms softly and stared at her husband, and he quickly added, “Of course, it would be for the glory and praise to be reckoned for such a noble one as she!”
“I am next,” said Hesta, keeper of hearth and home. “Come show me, little one, what you know of the comforts of a place for dwelling and rest, a shrine for body and soul.” The novice replied, “Behold my own abode: I have guided and built it with my own energy and vitality to be a welcome and warm beacon for all who would become my friend and family. Come feel the security, the beauty, of that which I have forged with my hands and heart, and the serenity that brings company to my door.” Hesta gazed down at the sight of the home and smiled. “I should have easily recognized the lady and owner of such property before me.”
“My test is far more difficult,” said a voice that floated with the sighs of heroes and gods hanging on her words. Aphrodite came down off her throne to the silent gaze of all others. The gods who were present had all longed for her in their hearts. She had been promised to Hephaestus the lame, forger of metals, but her affections were not for him. Among mortals, only Adonis had truly won her over, and his death had wounded her deeply. “What do you know of love, of giving yourself to another, my friend? Have you ever shared heart and soul without reserve, and longed for a warm embrace?” she asked.
Her words did not come aloud; they burned across the distance and were only heard between the two women. The look that carried the answer held the stories of lovers come and gone, of marriage and a lifetime’s dream cast aside, of loneliness and empty arms; and hope, for happiness yet to come. The goddess of Love knew the heart that gave the answer, for she had helped craft the emotions that were found there. “I have known your response before it was asked by me,” she said softly. “You have my approval and trust forever.”
“My turn,” cried Hermes, god of words and thoughts. “And what do you know of the versatility of the mind, of speech; the nimbleness of an idea well spoken? Can you outwit me, the master of liars and thieves? Are you clever enough to charm your way out of the snare of a god?” The initiate looked back at him. “I know enough,” she replied, “to know that my thoughts and words can travel to the ends of the earth, and men and women find me most entertaining. Would you deny that I favor you highly amongst those who reside on this sacred mountain? I find the idea of a well-turned phrase most pleasing to my ear. I trust that a good conversation is a cup well sipped from. Is not the gift of speech, and a timely thought best offered in the company of those who can appreciate it to the fullest?” Hermes bowed gracefully and tipped his winged hat in admiration. “I salute your eloquence and imagination!”
And then Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon stood. Only Hades stayed behind, for he knew he was losing a soul to safeguard at the door of the Underworld. Poseidon spoke first: “I see within this child, the depths and mysteries to the ocean deep that I rule. I give to those who ask, the answers to the illusions of the seas that I keep hidden from the eyes of men and women. Guard my secrets carefully; you have earned my respect.” It was then Zeus’s time to address the gathering. “My brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, we have been cast aside by those who once worshipped us. But the old ways are not forgotten by those who remain faithful to those times long passed by. I now call this test to its completion, and bid the bearers of ambrosia to bring the sacred cup forward to be sipped by our newest member. I give her the safeguard of Athena, for wisdom and merit.”
Athena bowed graciously to her father and stood beside her charge. “Let the artisans begin work on a throne for our new companion,” she declared. I find her worthy to be known as the goddess of Perseverance, of Determination, and Endurance, for she has met our challenges most strongly with those qualities. I call upon those mortals below to grace her name with dignity and respect. And I bid them to call upon her by her name when she was a mortal, for now she has become one of us. For I, Athena, will take this one’s fame to the far corners of the world.”
Finally, Hera spoke. “I have championed your invitation to sit amongst us, to be rewarded for your vigilance and commitment. I need not ask for approval; by my request for your presence, you have already been accepted. I give both blessing and approval to your words, Athena. Herald the new goddess on Olympus and welcome her by my order and her new name as a goddess: We knew her when she was called “******” at birth." (c) MDLOP8 1992
