LAKE CITY REPORTER LIFE SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2011 Making the most of life's many lessons I had a great time teach- ing a psychology class in human growth and development at Florida Gateway College this spring semester. That's the study of the way people experi- ence growth and change at each stage of their lives. We all go through stages like infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle school, the teens, young and middle adult- hood, and late adulthood. Each stage shows changes in body, mind, and spirit Each stage also has developmental milestones, like beginning school, getting a driver's license, or events like marriage and retirement Each stage presents tasks that must be accomplished and problems to solve before moving on to the next stage. When we enter a new stage, we may miss recognizing the problem that life presents, and may not realize the opportunity to learn and grow. We may have never been taught how to solve Robert Denny 8ob.Denny8@gmail.com problems. How did you learn to solve problems? We often learn from watching others, mainly our parents. Or, the discomfort we felt from the problem may have pushed us into trial and error. We may have just learned to put off the problem, or avoid it all together. You may have noticed that in western culture we tend to ' be herded together with people our own age. All through grade school and high school we are placed with people within a year of our age. Our modern families tend to be small. Anthropologists tell us that before civilization, or even today in tribal societ- ies, humans typically grew up in small groups of people of all ages. Tribes have an opportunity to be close to people in all stages of life. Each stage of life comes with its own lessons we can learn from. Tribes and extended fami- lies provide a good chance to see the big picture, and to see life in a different perspective, with a new dimension. It's still possible to take advantage of the opportunities life in our complex society has to offer. We can seek out and get to know people of different ages, and enjoy the relationships and opportunities to learn from them. Who was it that said, "we can learn something from every- one we. meet," or how about "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear?" If we accept these ideas, we can seek out these folks and benefit from their lessons. Last year on the local news channel there was a story about an apartment building in Gainesville that was built for the exclusive use of senior citizens. One of the older folks there was interviewed, and she said, "When we came here, they told us it would just be for retired people. But now there are all ages, with young people with their noise and music. It's not right." The next scene showed some teenagers hanging out in a common area, listening to loud music. I thought what a shame it is, that these folks don't recognize the situation as an opportunity rather than a prob- lem. It's a chance for old and young to reach out to each other with a smile and a kind word, and build a generational bridge instead of a generational gap. Young people can learn from and appreciate seniors, and seniors can benefit so much from having young people around them. I've seen older folks light up when young folks visit them in a rest home, or when they can teach a child something, or hold a baby. It's another way to make life the best it can be. And children and teens can befriend and learn from adults of all ages. What can you do? Maybe your church has activities involving all ages. Join scouts or FFA. Many service clubs welcome youth aux- iliaries. Take up golf or bowling, join teams. Volunteer for commu- nity service. Find a way to make a difference, and rub shoulders with people of all ages. Friends come in all ages. Life may not wait long when it presents us with opportunities. Life abounds with second chanc- es. See problems life presents you as challenges and opportunities. I believe that in the Chinese lan- guage the word for "crisis" is the same as the word for "opportuni- ty." Whatever stage of life you find yourself in, grab up the challenge that life offers, and use it to learn and grow. Make the most of what you have to work with. * Robert Denny is an instruc- tor at Florida Gateway College Contact him at (386) 454-4950. Right at home: Highlights from the furniture fair By KIM COOK For The Associated Press With furnishings that run the gamut from edgy to elegant, ethnic to other- worldly, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair is a favorite of serious design lovers. Highlights at this year's fair, which was held last week in New York: Luminous Lighting Several booths showed sculptural lighting that resembled clouds, puffs of smoke, 6r some evocation of a heavenly bird's nest Vancouver-based Molo created LED-lit, honey- combed, polyethylene pen- dants in various sizes that could be clustered and even dimmed to create a stormy atmosphere. Interesting fibers were spun into cot- ton-candy-like fixtures at Hive. At DCS Corp, washi paper formed a table lamp complete with a "down- pour" made of thin brass rods. At Aqua Creations, there were single and mul- tiple pleated silk disks that created lit mobiles resem- bling an extraterrestrial midnight garden, or a flo- tilla of sea urchins. All were an inspirational take on an ethereal shape that worked perfectly for lighting. Cardboard's Cache The lowly cardboard box has become the darling of eco-mindful designers look- ing for an intriguing new material. At Graypants,, corrugated paper formed bulbous, textural pendent. lampshades. At Molo, stiff unbleached Kraft paper was fanned into sturdy stools and loungers. The honeycomb layers of cardboard really amp up the textural element of these pieces. Most were left in their caramel color, which gave the furnishings a nice "patina." Graypants put Edison bulbs in their fixtures, which made them glow warmly; several other designers used the bulbs as well. Edisons are reproduc- tions of early light bulbs; their carbon or tungsten fila- ments emit a pleasing, low- watt glow. Wood Laminates Plywood was every- where at this year's show. Designers like its versa- tility, so there were lots of interesting plywood chairs, tables and book- shelves. Brooklyn design- er April Hannah's collec- SAFETY: Being careful during holiday Continued From Page 1D third-degree burn. If you've got a new gas grill, make sure all its parts are tight For older grills, check hoses for cracking, brittleness or leaks. LIGHTING: Looking to add a little ambiance to ypur lawn party? Don't con- nect more than three strings of midget lights. Light strings with screw-in bulbs should have no more than 50 bulbs. Not all lighting is created equal. Check for the UL mark or other indications that samples have been tested responsibly. POOL SAFETY: Warm-weather par- ties can mean a dozen or more kids run- ning around as the grown-ups gab. Good pool supervision means scanning the area every 20 seconds when children are in the water, with an adult no more than 10 seconds away. Good pool supervision is NOT telling the 12-year-old to keep an eye on the little ones, no matter how strong a swimmer the older child might be. "Some 12-year-olds are baby sitters and some 12-year-olds need baby sitters," Drengenberg said. A 4-foot fence around a pool with a self-closing, self-latching gate and locks beyond a child's reach are recommended. Don't stack chairs, other furniture or pool equipment near a fence to avoid children climbing. The same goes for leaving toys in the pool that can entice kids back into the pool area after water playtime is over. Cut back tree limbs extending over a pool .fence to discourage climbing. Keep in mind, Drengenberg said, "Pool deaths are called the silent killer. Sometimes kids just slide under the water with hardly a splash and they never come out again." If a child goes missing and there's a pool around, head there first Not there? Head to the neighbor's pool and the other neighbor's pool. "Many drowning 'accidents happen when children have been missing for less than five minutes," he said. Empty small wading pools when not in use. Infants can drown in as little as an inch of water, Drengenberg said. Inflatable toys aren't safety devices. "They can snag an edge of a pool and deflate. They're not substitutes for parental supervision." Cover drains in pools and spas. The suc- tion can be dangerous to children. PIAYSETS: Kids grow. Play structures don't, so take heed of older daredevils looking to climb and swing higher than the structure was built to withstand when you got it years ago. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 percent of all play- ground-related deaths occur on home playground equipment. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all pieces are in good work- ing order, S-hooks connecting chains to swings or ladders are entirely closed and all bolts are not protruding, Drengenberg said. Lay down mulch, sand or a rubberized surface around a play structure. If all of this feels like common sense, it should, Drengenberg said, but this is the time of year when many of us are antsy for summer to begin and might be looking to cut corners. "We're in a hurry. That happens in parts of the country that have been waiting for nice weather much of the year," he said. "All of a sudden you're getting out the grill and the wading pool and it's hurry up before fall." ASSOCIATED PRESS ABOVE: This undated photo courtesy of April Hannah shows a treehouse-inspired kids' table and chairs set by Hannah. Brooklyn designer April Hannah's collection of treehouse-inspired kids' furniture inclOded an eco-friendly, maple- or walnut-veneer play table and chairs. BELOW: This image shows a pendant light made from corrugated paper. The lowly cardboard box has become the darling of eco-mindful designers looking for an intriguing new material. tion of treehouse-inspired kids'. furniture included an eco-friendly, maple- or walnut-veneer play table and chairs. Philadelphia University's Industrial Design students used bam- boo plywood to craft an array of furnishings with architectural flair. Laurie Beckerman's Ionic Bench for Voos Furniture was a curvy swoop of Baltic birch plywood. Wisconsin- based Drift Studio printed subway maps and other graphic motifs on plywood panels that were bolted together into versatile cubes; modular storage was. another trend seen throughout the show. Industrial Chic The chic edginess of industrial style continues to find favor with design- ers. In some hands, such as Chicago studio akmd, it had a mid-century vibe. They carved faux casters out of oak, oversized them, and put them on the legs of a dining table and beau- tifully dovetailed compart- mental storage pieces. GOLF: S&S holds charity tournament Continued From Page 1D Mike Milo, Ernie Reiter, Brian Parent and Pat Womble with a 58. Of the low net scores (handicap included), top honors went to Jason Bass, Steve Bass, George Burnham and Nick Slay in a tiebreaker against John Moore, Phillip Powell, Don Benton and Brian Bolena. Each finished with a 55. James Pucci, Josh Olmstead, Josh Boris and Kevin Labruno were third with a 57. The longest men's drive award was given to Jordan Hale, while Jackson Mobley got closest to the pin honors. Longest wom- en's drive was earned by Simone Luke, with Boris collecting straightest drive accolades and George Burnham winning the lon- gest putt. It figures to be a busy summer at S&S, which will celebrate its 50th anniver- sary Aug. 13 at the county fairgrounds. The public is invited. Page Editor: C.J. Risak, 754-0427