Dr. Sidney Prager on "Listening"
“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing—a creative force.
Stop what you are doing and listen for two minutes. Then write the new thoughts you had as a result of this simple activity of just listening.”
I gave the above assignment to the students of the Advanced Writing Class I conduct at Kings Point recently. I want to share with you an imaginative piece of excellent writing by student Dr. Sidney Prager:
By Dr. Sidney Prager
Listen, just listen to the world, even more than that, listen to the universe.
At the shore the water takes command as the waves slowly form and grow and crash against the rocks or sand to let you know who or what is in control here.
The message is clear. I am Nature or I am Poseidon, and this is my domain. All of life has come from me and without me all would perish. I have been here for billions of years, and intend to stay for billions more.
And you, you puny insignificant bit of flesh and blood and bone, you stand by my edge like millions of others have done throughout time. You are but a speck that lasts as long as a blink of your eye. Can you imagine how many others have stood like you looking over my vastness? Humans of all different colors, shapes and sizes and animals too, so many that I can’t even count them all.
Most are gone, some forms of life you will never even know existed. There is no record but I knew them all. And there are millions more within my being, in my very substance. I provide the things they need to live, to grow and to flourish. My power is greater than you can imagine and most of the things I can offer still remain hidden from even the brightest of your kind. But I have time, lots of time and I will slowly unveil what I have.
Me and Sol (that bright yellow ball in the sky) have made this planet what it is. Remember that. Lucky Sol, he is 93 million miles away and safe. But I am here and an easy target for your garbage, chemicals and poisons.
Hear me well you tiny speck, have the proper respect for me. Treat me with kindness and wisdom or you will pay a terrible price.
By the way, it’s such a nice day today, why don’t you come in for a swim?
Florida Department of Transportation Holds Information Meeting
for West Atlantic Avenue (State Road 806) Road Reconfiguration
John Thompson, Project Manager of the Florida Department of Transportation responded to questions (shown in picture with Ms. Ruth Wagner, Camelot resident) from West Delray residents’ at the West Delray Public Library, 7777 W. Atlantic Ave. Monday evening, March 17, 2008 from 5: 15 P.M. to 7:45 P.M.
Atlantic Avenue between slightly east of Jog Road and West to the Northbound Turnpike entrance will be widened to 3 lanes on each side beginning September 2010. At present it is 2 lanes wide on each side. The project is estimated to take two and a half years to complete and cost $32.5 million.
Responding to a question about whether sound walls would be erected on the north side of Atlantic Ave. adjacent to the Camelot community, Thompson replied: “We will have to make a new model analysis of whether the wall is needed, and then we would question the residents affected to determine whether they wanted a wall erected or not.”
Some of the additional improvements planned in the area with the road project are construction of a four foot bicycle lane on both sides of the roadway; construction of new sidewalks, creating a continuous sidewalk on both sides of the roadway. New construction will include ADA compliant curb cut ramps. New storm water management systems will be constructed; lighting improvements; modifications to median openings. Replace existing span wire traffic light signalization with a mast arm configuration at Hagan Ranch Road, Legends Way, Cumberland Drive and Kings Point Atlantic Ave. entrance; and adjustment to the Lake Worth Drainage District L-34 canal.
Also present to answer questions were Maroun Azzi, Project Engineer Palm Beach County Commissioners Engineering & Public Works Department, Roadway Production Division and representatives from Wantman Group, Inc., the road design company: Maverick Marshall, Project Manager and Chastain (Chad) M. Johnson, Project Engineer.
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