Enlightening Evening
Let's play 'Where In The World Was Molly Bee This Evening'? Any guesses? Yarn shop? Nope. Library? Nope. Movies? Nope. Stop! You're killing me! You'll never guess it!
I, Miss Molly Bee was nestled in an intimate theater in the Madison Museum of Modern Art section of the Overture Center between the likes with Shirley Abrahamson (Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice) and Pleasant T. Rowland (Founder of The Pleasant Doll Company) that's where! I went to the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts and Letters Evening Series presentation of Happiness 2050: Neuroscience, Education and the Compassionate World Citizen by Richard Davidson ,who is no slouch himself being a world renowned professor and researcher in cognitive brain studies and voted as one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People of 2006.
The lecture was spectacular! The basis was that, particularly in adolescents, the brain can be trained to be more mindful, compassion and all around virtuous. This mindfulness training and meditation actually changes the brain structure; 'growing' connections to different parts of the frontal cortex not previously accessed. The implications are overwhelming. Q&A from the audience after the lecture hit on everything from ADHD and Autism Spectrum children, to our soldiers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Early Release prisoners in our overcrowded prison system. It was very enlightening and I suspect I'll be delving deeper into Dr. Davidson's mindfulness studies in the weeks to come.
As amazing as it was, here is something even more personally enlightening to me. I drove downtown, located and parked in the Overture parking ramp, found the museum and just as important if not more so, found the ramp, car and way home afterward! In the 19 years I've lived here, I've avoided driving downtown at all costs. All of those kids, bicyclists and all other manner of humanity teeming in the streets make me nervous. Even riding with someone down there in the past has made me squirmy. And don't even get me started about all of those one way streets! I've only been to the Overture Center once and I didn't drive or pay too much attention, being huddled under the dashboard and all. But as I told you a couple of weeks ago, I purchased tickets to a couple of events down there this winter and had to figure out how to get there so I sucked it up, researched it and did it! During rush hour to top it off!
So take this as fair warning State Street! I can access your shops and restaurants at will! I can go to Concerts on the Square, The Terrace and all of your other offerings! You no longer have a hold on me! I'm unstoppable! Don't even try! I'll take you down with me! I have the power and the technology!
Compassionately Yours,
World Citizen Molly Bee
I, Miss Molly Bee was nestled in an intimate theater in the Madison Museum of Modern Art section of the Overture Center between the likes with Shirley Abrahamson (Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice) and Pleasant T. Rowland (Founder of The Pleasant Doll Company) that's where! I went to the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences Arts and Letters Evening Series presentation of Happiness 2050: Neuroscience, Education and the Compassionate World Citizen by Richard Davidson ,who is no slouch himself being a world renowned professor and researcher in cognitive brain studies and voted as one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People of 2006.
The lecture was spectacular! The basis was that, particularly in adolescents, the brain can be trained to be more mindful, compassion and all around virtuous. This mindfulness training and meditation actually changes the brain structure; 'growing' connections to different parts of the frontal cortex not previously accessed. The implications are overwhelming. Q&A from the audience after the lecture hit on everything from ADHD and Autism Spectrum children, to our soldiers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Early Release prisoners in our overcrowded prison system. It was very enlightening and I suspect I'll be delving deeper into Dr. Davidson's mindfulness studies in the weeks to come.
As amazing as it was, here is something even more personally enlightening to me. I drove downtown, located and parked in the Overture parking ramp, found the museum and just as important if not more so, found the ramp, car and way home afterward! In the 19 years I've lived here, I've avoided driving downtown at all costs. All of those kids, bicyclists and all other manner of humanity teeming in the streets make me nervous. Even riding with someone down there in the past has made me squirmy. And don't even get me started about all of those one way streets! I've only been to the Overture Center once and I didn't drive or pay too much attention, being huddled under the dashboard and all. But as I told you a couple of weeks ago, I purchased tickets to a couple of events down there this winter and had to figure out how to get there so I sucked it up, researched it and did it! During rush hour to top it off!
So take this as fair warning State Street! I can access your shops and restaurants at will! I can go to Concerts on the Square, The Terrace and all of your other offerings! You no longer have a hold on me! I'm unstoppable! Don't even try! I'll take you down with me! I have the power and the technology!
Compassionately Yours,
World Citizen Molly Bee
Comments
Congrats on your successful excursion!