2010

My New Year's resolution for 2010 is to learn the very simple lesson Owl learned in one of my favorite children's books "Owl At Home". If Owl can figure it out I can too, right?


Owl's house had an upstairs and a downstairs.
There were twenty steps on the stairway.
Some of the time Owl was upstairs in his bedroom.
At other times Owl was downstairs in his living room.
When Owl was downstairs he said, "I wonder how my downstairs is getting along? I am always missing one place or the other. There must be a way," said Owl, "to be upstairs and to be downstairs at the same time."
"Perhaps if I run very very fast, I can be in both places at once." Owl ran up the stairs. I am up," he said.
Owl ran down the stairs. "I am down," he said.
Owl ran up and down the stairs faster and faster. "Owl!" he cried. "Are you downstairs?" There was no answer.
"No," said Owl. "I am not downstairs because I am upstairs. I am not running fast enough."
"Owl!" he shouted. "Are you upstairs?" There was no answer. "No," said Owl.
"I am not upstairs because I am downstairs. I must run even faster."
"Faster, faster, faster!" cried Owl. Owl ran upstairs and downstairs all evening.
But he could not be in both places at once.
"When I am up," said Owl, "I am not down. When I am down I am not up. All I am is very tired!" Owl sat down to rest.
He sat on the tenth step because it was a place that was right in the middle.

Taken from Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel 1975