Language matters

For the last eighteen months I have been a contributor to the Indoor Cycling Association website. I have provided articles on instructor education and have also contributed a number of class profiles. These are detailed descriptions of classes with rationale, music and suggested cues. When I received my cancer diagnosis I asked if I could write some articles which linked my health challenges with activities that take place in an indoor cycling studio. I titled the series Cycling Lessons from the Cancer Clinic

The first of the pieces was published this week. It is aimed at a specific audience but I think the message is a general one.

Language Matters

In my journey through the health care system I have been observing the interactions I have with "authorities". When you become a patient everyone who carries the key to your wellness is an authority. It is an interesting turn of events for someone like me who is accustomed to being the leader and the one that has the answers. I can learn some valuable lessons from the experience of being on the 'other' side. The first and very salient lesson came in the form of an experience with language.

As coaches we use language to communicate with those we are seeking to help. The more precise our language, the more effectively we can convey our meaning to our students. Precision in our choice of words and phrases can lead to enhanced performance. But, perhaps more important, careful use of language can reduce stress and create an atmosphere of fairness and respect.

I recently experienced an example of sloppy use of language. I was in the Emergency Room and the attending physician told me that he was going to order a CT scan so that I wouldn't have to wait a month for one in the out-patient system. He returned a few minutes later to say that he had spoken with radiology and that they said they couldn't take me until "after dinner". He would not  be on shift when I had the CT so was going to leave instructions for me to be discharged immediately after the test. Instead of getting the results right away I would have to wait until an appointment five days later.

I settled in for the long wait and actually managed to fall asleep. I was surprised to be shaken awake at 2:00 pm with the news that CT was calling for me. The nurses rushed to insert an IV and escort me to radiology. At that point we all realized what had happened. Here in Maritime Canada "dinner" refers to the second meal of the day. Elsewhere in North America it refers to the third meal of the day. Both the physician and I are from outside the region. When we heard "after dinner" we assumed that the test would be done in the early evening. In fact, the staff in radiology were referring to a period in the early afternoon. If they had simply said "between 2:00 and 3:00 pm" lots of things would have been different.

Did the imprecision in use of language make a difference? Yes and no. Workflow was affected for the nurses in the unit and I was faced with a long wait for results I could have received that afternoon. In fact, the ER doctor gave me an off-hand diagnosis which was not confirmed by the results of the CT and I had to live with that more dire scenario until my next appointment. This wasn't a life-threatening event but it added to my stress and caused me to lose some faith in the system as a whole.

In our classes, it is rare that a single instance of sloppy use of language would create more than a little stress. But continued imprecision will diminish the chances that our students will learn and improve and increase the likelihood that they will lose confidence in us and our employers. Please give some thought to my 'dinner' story the next time you describe an effort or a time interval or a sensation to your students.

Art is ...

A friend responded to a draft article that I sent her with this. It is from a book titled The Magazine Article: How To Think It, Plan It, Write It by Peter Jacobi. 

"The American teacher and poet Edward Weismiller once noted that the artist breaks up the world of fact by making us see comparisons, analogies, meanings we never saw before. They lead to nothing, of course, but our own deeper understanding of ourselves and the rest of humanity."

I like that. It got me started on a search for other descriptions of what artists do. I want to compile them and then see what patterns emerge. In the meantime, go look at this. It may not fit your definition of art. But the creator certainly had the determination we all need to finish what we start.

When in doubt, add a photo

I was unexpectedly kept in hospital overnight. Thank goodness for my iPad. I have been able to stay in touch with friends and do some work. But I don't have much of anything to contribute to the blog. Here are some random shots from the photo library in the iPad. They aren't great - I only use its camera if a better one isn't handy. And I store downloads from other sites in the same place.

Enjoy. These made me happy when I scrolled through them while waiting for the nurse to bring me a sleeping pill.

Women at work

Last night I taught a clinic to beginning cyclists to review a few basic skills for riding on the road and to teach flat repair. I offer these clinics at no cost to assist people, mainly women, who want to develop the confidence to ride independently. It was a lovely summer evening - perfect for puttering about on bikes. But what made it most fun for me was the attitude of the women who attended. They wanted to know what I wanted to teach. They were attentive while I talked and demonstrated and then were able to put into practice what I had described. They carried out repetitions willingly and improved each time. I believed them when they said they would go home and practice on their own.

During the flat repair instruction they weren't afraid of getting their hands dirty. I find that many people become very tentative when it is time to practice the skills that I show them. Not these ladies. I could hear them repeating the steps out loud while they worked carefully but without fear. As a result we completed that portion of the clinic more quickly than ever before.

This morning I will have surgery for my cancer. I hope my doctor and the nurses who will be by her side have the same attitude to learning and doing as the women with whom I worked last night.

Community

Yesterday a discussion on the SAQA Yahoo group, which started as a request for links to interesting blogs, evolved into a more wide-ranging examination of two other issues. One thread examined the reasons for blogging - are they personal, commercial, a mix of the two? What is an appropriate frequency? The other thread involved the issue of making the blog available to the largest number of readers. Just a few years ago people were willing to check in daily with their favorite blogs. Now subscriptions and RSS feed services are in demand. They ensure that readers will have access to the latest posts by their favorite authors at a click of a key.

I participated in the discussion because I have been giving a lot of thought to why I am now writing a daily blog post, how it is affecting my life right now and what the future holds. I am having no difficulty creating a new post every day. I realize that some of my content might not interest anyone but myself but that's fine. I have no commercial interest so the number of readers and their interest in my art or my teaching is not relevant to what I write. This blog is mostly a personal journal - a place to record a sampling of my thoughts and the events in my life. Next year I will know where to look when I want to know what tomatoes I planted and when. In a few years when I want a pick-me-up puppy shot I know there will be a few readily available on the blog. I will look back in a few months and see that cancer was just a blip in my days.

I have already experienced a shift as a result of the blog posts I have written in the last month. When I reviewed them I noted something that was new to me. My posts about art and art quilts reveal a pattern. It is clear that I am interested in large scale work, possibly ephemeral, and that repeating forms fascinate me. I am also not married to the traditional view of art as immutable and to be cherished by the viewer in its original state. I like the thought that something could change through time. I know that a lot of artists use weather to create that change. I am much more interested in the role of human intervention in altering the work.

That realization has led me to develop a concept for a second series. It would consist of large scale pieces composed of a large number of smaller units which could be placed in multiple ways on the larger 'canvas'. I would get to choose the original layout and might also alter it at will. But I would like to see what happens if viewers could also modify it in real time - if they could reach out and make it what they need it to be. 

I don't think it is a coincidence that these ideas have come to me at the same time as my cancer diagnosis. As I think about this project I think about community. I am such a geek that I write a mission statement for myself for every project I undertake and I always incorporate 'creating community' as one of my goals. I never thought of myself as a member of the communities I create or sustain but recently those communities have rallied to support me. Suddenly my viewpoint has changed and I have realized that I am a part of what I have created. 

Over the course of my appointments and surgery this week and next I will be working on small units that can become part of the first 'community' piece. My FAB friends have also contributed some units. When I have a sufficient collection I will lay them out and see what can be constructed from the hands and imagination of many people. I bet it will be wonderful. And it will be even better when others get a chance to arrange it in ways that appeal to them.

I told you so

I had a serious art quilt related post queued up to publish today but I couldn't resist something a little more light-hearted.

What's wrong with this picture? The answer is in the title of the video. Tock belongs to a trainer. I teach other people how to avoid behaviours like this or manage them when they occur. 

What did I do when Tock discovered the doorstop and started to bark at it? I laughed and grabbed my iPad and hoped he would continue long enough for me to capture it in a video. Did I interrupt the behaviour? Nope. Did I reinforce him when he broke off? Nope. This blog post is therefore an official 'I told you so' reminder for myself the next time I complain about Tock barking or playing with something he shouldn't.

Change is good

Yesterday was my last indoor cycling class until September. For the last two weeks I have been doing student requests but I always knew that I would finish up with a profile of my choice.  I chose to use my profile “What’s Stopping You?". I developed it for use in January to address common obstacles to change, with the idea that it might be helpful for those who had made New Year resolutions. I altered the cueing slightly to reflect how we might respond to change which is forced on us, rather than chosen. 

The end of the warm-up is marked by Rick Danko's song 'Change is Good' and I quote from it again at the end (over the Victory March from Verdi's Aida). The song has become one of my favorites since I stumbled on it in the iTunes store. I am moved by it under ordinary circumstances. Yesterday was anything but ordinary. The room was full and the love and support for me was palpable. It was an emotional experience for all of us.

Here are the lyrics:

Change is then, change is now

Change is what, change is how

Change is this and change is that

Change is where change is at

Change is good

Change is yes, change is no

Change is everywhere you go

Change is right, change is wrong

Change is here, change is gone

Change is good

You can change your life

Find a new way to go

You can change your world

You don't even know

Life's a long road

Lighten up your load

Change is good

You can run but you can't hide

From the things you feel inside

You can laugh or you can cry

Kiss all your tears goodbye

All you got to do

Is try and try you should

Change is good

Change is high, change is low

Changes come and changes go

Change is this and change is that

Change is where change is at

Change is good

You can pine your life away

Let others pass you by

You can climb a mountain high

Like an eagle in the sky

All you got to do

Is try and try you should

Change is good

Change is never done

Something better has begun

A change is gonna come

Change is good

This link is to a static video where you can hear the song performed.