Learning Our ABC's (re-post 11.20.10)

Alphabet: any system of characters or signs with which a language is written: the Greek alphabet.

In reviewing my blog, and observing others, I realized the manner that my "ABC's" were being displayed were less than adequate. They lacked a presence and power, and I might add that the written words were too close together to provide an enjoyable read. 

My site lacked that ever needed savior-faire.

It's no wonder, or surprise for that matter, that for many years of my life I pursued style over substance that I would be reverting back to my old habits now that I'm finally doing something substantive and meaningful- I realize that both substantive and meaningful are relative terms. I really was starting to believe that I was turning the corner on this whole maturity thing.

I guess it's true what they say, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks".

Anyway, it was my intent to update my site, font wise, and specifically and significantly improve the reading experience for the reader. My wife suggested I become a better writer if I wanted to make significant change... I suggested she become a better cook- Oh wait a minute, I forgot, you have to cook first before you can become a better cook. 

It's important to note that the aesthetic change was an "It's not what you say but how you say it" moment at mybabyr0c. The font that I was searching for was a font that is specifically used for intensive editorial use, mainly the kind seen in newspapers and magazines.

What I found was font that embodied personality and flexibility making it a real multiple-purpose typeface.  

Her name is Trebuchet.

Is it just me or do I sound like someone who just met their soul mate online? Well, the great thing about this person font is that it is unobtrusive in appearance and has excellent texture and slightly darker color allowing it to behave flawlessly in a continuous text setting. After that explanation maybe the font should be named "Halle Berry"

Hey now! 

As I was saying, this font works in the most demanding of editorial applications.

Trebuchet MS is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Vincent Connare for Microsoft in 1996 for easy screen readability. It is named after the trebuchet, a medieval catapult, that takes its inspiration from the sans serifs of the 1930s which had large and round features, and letters, intended to promote readability on signs.

The name was inspired by a puzzle question that Connare heard at Microsoft headquarters: "Can you make a trebuchet that could launch a person from the main campus to the new consumer campus about a mile away? Mathematically, is it possible and how?" Connare "thought that would be a great name for a font that launches words across the Internet". 

And so with that Trebuchet was born.

The Trebuchet fonts are intended to be the vehicle that fires your messages across the Internet. One of Connare’s intentions when designing Trebuchet was to instill personality into the letter forms, even at small sizes, while retaining clarity and readability. He wanted to create a typeface which was significantly distinguishable from Verdana and MS Sans.

As I'm sure, and positively aware, this was a little more than many of you bargained for in the area of Trebuchet font history and its genesis. In all honesty it wasn't all together what I planned to discuss. Yes, fonts are letters. Profound, I know. Actually, that is an incorrect statement, they are letters, numbers & symbols. 

Not so profound after all. 

What I really wanted to discuss was our ABC's, specifically my son's alphabetic prowess, and how increasing ones vocabulary, spelling and writing are predicated upon mastering this knowledge. It is also vital to any person wanting to become a proficient writer and a worthy read... both areas in which I'm struggling mightily at this very moment.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is letters are important. Profound again, I know- what did you expect from such a high brow site dedicated to academia such as this. 

Profound statements aside, it was yesterday while I was sitting in my son, Ryan's, first parent-teacher conference I was reminded the importance of being able to identify, write and pronounce our letters. The importance of everyone, child, mother and father, being on the same page when it comes to this issue is an understatement. With that being said, "Junior" is doing OK but he could be doing better.

Just a sidebar, Dad will be implementing the "20 minute rule" every night to instruct, observe and review my young boy's progress in all areas pertaining to letters, and there pronunciation, and the alphabet. 

Enough said.

With letters, and numbers... 1 through 20 to be exact, swirling around in my small brain as I was leaving my first of many conferences for little Ryan I was reminded that we as adults must always be learning our ABC's also.

We teach our children that there is a right way and wrong way to behave in every situation but I'm sad to report we often don't take our own advice. Doing things the right way is vital. So with this in mind let's press forward and review, revisit or in some instances introduce some traits we can all benefit from if we chose to implement them into our lives. 

For learning purposes we can refer to these behavior traits as the "ABC's of Conduct" if you will. I realize, like most of you, that each Holiday Season delivers its own challenges, trials and troubles. For most families you can't utter the word Christmas without saying "drama", and I'm not talking about the Nutcracker... now that I think about it maybe I am. Where was I, ah yes, I must say I have been pretty fortunate in this area because of the maturity of "most" members of my extended family... I said most. 

There is always one in every crowd as my Dad likes to say.

So in keeping with the theme of learning our ABC's I thought I would share with all "seven" of my readers (don't laugh you all know who you are) what I believe to be the ABC's for behavior during the Holiday Season.

A is for Attitude.

• Our attitude is the only thing we can control and it's the one thing we can't control in another. Be concerned only with the things you can control and leave the rest to figure itself out... it always has and it always will. Relax. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond (not react) to it. How we view things will more often than not determine how we will behave in most situations. Epictetus mentioned many centuries ago that "men are disturbed, not by things, but by the view they take of them."  In every situation in life our attitude will always determine our outcome. The most powerful tool that we have control of in our life is our attitude; use this tool to your benefit not to your detriment. Proverbs 23:7 puts it this way, "as he thinketh in his heart, so he is."  Focus your thinking and improve your attitude. Enough said.

B is for Behavior.

• We all have one and everyone notices it and it goes by the name of behavior. Some are good and some are not so good. What does your behavior say about you? The key to our behavior, and having the correct one, is to guard what we think about. What a man thinks in his mind and harbors in his heart will eventually be displayed in his or her actions. A guiding principle to remember is that thoughts become words and words become actions. Actions, if repeated, become habits and habits become your character... your character, or there for lack of, becomes your destiny. Words and intentions are important but they will never replace the importance of proper and adequate behavior. Words compliment actions, they don't replace them. Our behavior says everything about us.

C is for Commitment, Communication & Conviction.

•  Being committed to others needs more than our own is the key. If we can be lead by a conviction that favors selflessness over selfishness and we communicate that through deed and word we truly, and instantly, become of value to each person we come in contact with. It's that simple and by the same token it's that difficult but it's truly the best choice we can make

In closing, most of the pieces I write are not intended to admonish the reader or pontificate on how I think things should be. My writings are often assignments with the lesson being to remind myself that there is a right way and wrong way to do things.

I was raised the right way and the very least I should, and could, do is reward my parents with a type of behavior that is appropriate and that would give them a reason to be full of pride and joy. I wish I could say I was always successful in this area during my lifetime. At this point I would take a success rate of 50%.

Michael Jackson sang these words when he was with the Jackson 5, he said and I quote: 

"ABC, it's easy

Easy as123
It's like counting up to 3
Or simple as Do re mi
Sing a simple melody 

That's how easy love can be!"

 The Jackson 5

I hope this Holiday Season we find it as easy to love all of those around us as the Jackson 5's lyrics lament. I also hope we all take a moment to reflect what this time of year is all about and that during this time we become a catalyst, an example and a reminder that behaving rightly and correctly during the Holiday Season is one the greatest gift we can give everybody inside, and outside, our extended family.

Our friends deserve it, our parents deserve it and most importantly our children deserve it.

Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy the new font... the Trebuchet MS font.

sbb  20.11.10

1696

ABC  .  The Jackson 5

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