Please complete and return your form

Almost a month ago, my census form arrived. I remember it this time, probably because all the census conversation, research and articles written since late fall — and the note from the Census Bureau telling me it was coming — had me waiting for it to arrive.
I watched the mailman deliver the mail that day, and I was at the mailbox before he could get past the house next door. I was surprised to find the census form, but opened it first.
The ads say — 10 questions, 10 minutes — but I'm sure it didn't take that long. Once it was securely in the envelope, I drove to the nearest mailbox and dropped it in. I don't think 10 minutes elapsed from delivery to returning it to the post office.
For about a week afterward, I joked that my form had to be the first one to make it back and felt I should get an award for returning it so promptly. It's too late to be first — and no, I didn't get a prize — but we still need everyone to complete and return your form. 

No Housework Day!

I just found out today is No Housework Day! In a way, that's pretty exciting — a day set aside for the specific purpose of not doing housework. I wonder if it's a gift holiday too? Perhaps your significant other is supposed to get you a robotic vacuum or some new version of the Swiffer®. And what do the greeting cards look like?

eHow has some ideas for how to celebrate this holiday — and other information related to housework — but the gift angle could take off.

Of course, for those of us who are often so much on the go that getting it all done never seems to happen – dishes today, but sweep and mop the kitchen two days from now — it doesn't seem necessary, or expedient, to say, "OK, today don't do any housework." Around here, that could (and does several days a week) happen naturally.

Prior to coming across this wonderful news, the plans for today included a couple loads of laundry, dishes, grocery shopping and taking recycle items to the collection site. What am I to do now?

It's quite a dilemma. Do I respect the time honored day of recognition for diligent keepers of clean houses everywhere? Or do I stick to my plans because I'm not sure of my next opportunity fit in those most important chores?

One thing's guaranteed, it's going on my calendar, with a reminder set for a week in advance. I will be prepared to skip housework next year on April 7th.

I'm looking forward to it!

Happy No Housework Day everyone. I'm off to start my line of greeting cards.

Thoughts on Dr. Dorothy Height

One of the world's tireless advocates for justice turned 98 this past week and has been hospitalized. Dr. Dorothy Irene Height has spent most of her life fighting for the rights of children, women and African-Americans.

In all her years, she has never slowed down and has never failed to go when and where called. Having never married or had children, she has been nicknamed "secular nun" because despite not being part of a religious order, her service has been as selfless and dedicated to the public good as that of a nun.

I wish I could say I'd had the pleasure, to date, to meet Dr. Height. There are so many questions I would have asked her. Blessedly her life is available as an example.

Despite the hurdles and roadblocks placed in her way, she didn't pity herself and stop, she didn't become bitter and destructive. She got angry and used it to find creative ways around or to remove the roadblock. She used it to see the problem – not just the surface issue but its underlying motivations and causes – and identify potential solutions and implement them.

Sitting Ducks

When I heard, shortly after Thanksgiving 2006, about the shooting of Sean Bell by five New York City police officers, that he was killed with four bullets from a torrent of 50 shots, my thoughts were not only of him. They were also of Amadou Diallo.
Diallo was killed in February 1999 when 19 of 41 shots from four New York City police officers pierced his body, mere feet from the safety of his front door, after one of the officer identified his wallet – reached for to provide identification – as a gun.
These men, now dead, had some interesting things in common. Both were 23, both were headed home after participating in legal early-morning activities, both were unarmed, both were shot at by multiple officers at the same time and those responsible for both their deaths were found not guilty and set free. Oh and both were Black.
But why in 2010, you ask, am I talking about this old news?