On flip-flopping

We heard Malcom Gladwell in Salt Lake last week. He is an incredible thinker, and I like his hair.

As an aside, in his speech, he mentioned that if you don't "flip-flop" regularly, you have a closed mind. It made me think of the many changes-of-mind I have had in my life. (I won't count the countless instances of "buyer's remorse" and "menu envy" I am prone to. These are flip-flops with a longer shelf-life.)

1. Being a Republican. The latest iteration of this party seems downright mean-spirited, whereas the Grand Old Party of my parents' time was the party of discipline and common-sense; but also of community-spirit and looking out for the good of the whole. I'm ashamed of what Republicans have become.

2. Phonics in the reading wars. Yep. Whole-language grabbed me "hook, line and sinker," but as time went on I realized that wholistic teaching left whole groups of students without the skills to succeed. We were privileging the privileged (a nouveau-GOP idea, if there ever was one). Many, many students need the reading code taught explicitly. Hooray if you or your child or your grandchild learned to read instinctively. Other kids need more, and phonics is the answer for them. It will help your kids learn to spell. 

3. Green olives. Every Thanksgiving I would try one. Yuuck! Until about age 20, when maybe my taste-buds died, or became sophisticated or something, and now I love them. 

4. Same with cracked wheat cereal, except it was more of an every day experiment. Still hate it. Still hate it. Still hate it. I was closer to sixty when I tried Zoom in the temple with brown sugar, raisins and cream. Oh my. Dessert for breakfast.

5. Purple. I truly must be an old lady because purple makes me happy. I also love orange, but I have always liked it. Purple used to have no redeeming qualities in my eyes. How could I have been so blind to its richness and personality? My new glasses are purple and I don't care that they don't match most of my wardrobe. My wardrobe is subject to change, and I'm keeping these babies long enough to justify their price tag.

6. Paying tithing on the gross. It is making figuring out ten-percent of retirement income very complicated. Pay on what actually comes into your hands. Or follow the prophet. Either one.

7. Technology. There was a time when I sneered at even such simple gadgets as the microwave or a VCR (you remember those, right?)--when would I ever be so lazy that I couldn't take out meat to defrost in the morning, and what movie would I ever want to view more than once?!--Ha! 

8. Sensible shoes. Two pairs of Toms platform shoes bought me "coolness" to the whole sixth-grade, and are actually pretty comfortable. 

9. The ideal temperature. I truly hated heat and humidity. I guess I still do, but my range of acceptable temperatures has shrunk from both extremes. I'm like the baby bear and like not only my porridge, but the ambient temperature "just right." I used to love a good cold day, but now, as Suzanne says, "I'm too old to be cold." I love being either in front of the fireplace from October to May, or in the sunny window-seat we just put in. I'll just take seventy degrees, thank you very much. Eighty, ninety, or even a hundred are fine if I'm in the desert.

10. Might as well make this a list of ten. Hmmmm. Old ladies with long hair. Used to think it smacked of polygamy. Now, I think it smacks of never having to go get a haircut. And you can put it up as fast as that.

So, be like me and flip-flop to your heart's content. 

I just thought of another flip flop. We used to call them thongs and wore a pair out every summer. Tell that to your kids.