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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2021)
Wednesday, December 1, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 11 Commentary... Flexibility is key to resilience By Edie Jones Columnist While reading the com- mentary in the October 13 issue of The Nugget entitled <Resilient Sisters must be ambidextrous,= it occurred to me that what was being talked about was flexibility. Mitchell Luftig, the author, was referring to a concept that Michele Gelfand of the University of Maryland referenced as knowing which circum- stances in life require tight- ening restrictions and when it9s OK to loosen them. The article9s premise was in rela- tion to the collective threat of the pandemic. I9d like us to think about it in relation to all aspects of life. In studying the work of H. Stephen Glen, in his <Developing Capable People= program, I learned the importance for individu- als to perceive themselves as being capable, having significance, and believing they have personal influ- ence. To achieve this they needed skills that help them move through life. One of the categories of those skills he called <Systemic Skills.= These consisted of knowing limits, accepting consequences, and being responsible. His work emphasized that in order to be responsible an individual needs to adapt and be flexi- ble, to know how to respond to the situation he or she is in. If you think about it, these are skills we teach our kids. Every parent can relate to instructing their children that it9s OK to behave one way at home while there are different rules when visiting grandparents. Even going to school has times that teach flexibility. Currently, in the classroom you keep your distance, wear your mask, don9t touch other people, sit quietly, and listen to the teacher. During recess, the rules change and there is much more <looseness= in what you can and can9t do. Kids learn very quickly when restrictions are tighter and when a looser way of behaving is OK. We adults follow these same kinds of norms within our workplaces and social connections. Granted, much has changed in what is appropriate and our society is generally much <looser= than years back; how- ever, there are still socially acceptable ways of behaving that change by the situation presented. They may depend on where you live, your sta- tus in society, your age, or whether you are in a church or a gymnasium. Most adults learn these early, and con- sciously or unconsciously adapt to the situation with- out difficulty. One of the other areas of skills taught by Glen is <Judgmental Skills,= the ability to use wisdom and evaluation. I believe these were also being addressed in the article and are skills most of us try to put into practice as often as possible. Again, skills parents diligently try to instill in their young chil- dren, so they have the abil- ity to make good choices when they reach the teen years. The title of the arti- cle referred to <Resilient Sisters= implying that col- lectively our community has the characteristics of being resilient. What, I ask, does this mean? In the book <Raising Resilient Children= by Robert Brooks, Ph.D., and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., we learn there are many qualities that make up resil- iency. Some of these are the ability to solve problems constructively, the develop- ment of coping strategies that promote growth, and the ability to define what you do and don9t have control over, focusing attention on where you can make a difference. All of these are quali- ties we want our kids to grow up with, so as adults they can become self-reliant individuals, capable of han- dling whatever comes their way. These are also qualities I9m sure most of us want in everyone who makes up the community of Sisters. I was recently talking with a colleague who said he felt many have forgot- ten how to interact effec- tively with others. The arti- cle I9ve referred to states that Gelfand is optimistic that America will learn to communicate better about collective threats and be encouraged to deal with them collectively. Let9s hope so. I believe this means there is hope that we will be able to respond to our cur- rent state with a mindset that considers what is best for society and not just what we individually desire. This time that we9re in, <the COVID years,= pres- ents many opportunities to teach our kids. There are so many <teachable moments= taking place. First off, learn- ing to adapt and be flex- ible is paramount to being a responsible adult. In addi- tion, using good judgment in solving problems, coping with the world as it is, fig- uring out what we can influ- ence and where we can make a positive difference, are built into every day we are living through. Everything we do teaches our kids something, good and bad. Let9s strive to be role mod- els of the good things we want to teach. Then our community will truly be resilient. CALL FOR 2022 OPTIONS! health insurance open enrollment starts Nov. 1 Individual & Family Health Plans Jonie Peck — Owner & Agent 503-807-2148 in Sisters sapphiremoonhealthinsurance.com SAPPHIRE MOON HEALTH INSURANCE OPEN FOR BREAKFAST 10 a.m. HAPPY HOUR Monday-Friday 3 to 6 p.m. Entertainment & Events DEC The Suttle Lodge Live Music with Ezza Rose 6 to 8 p.m. Fireside Show series. Doors open at 5. Tickets at TheSuttleLodge.com/Happenings. DEC Outdoor Stage at Sisters Depot Live Music: Doc Ryan Trio 6 to 8:30 p.m. $5 cover charge. Reservations recommended. For info call 541-904-4660 or go online to www.sistersdepot.com. 2 THUR Open 10 a.m. to midnight 175 N. Larch St. 541-549-6114 hardtailsoregon.com Facebook darcymacey 3 FRI DEC 4 SAT DEC 9 Sat. & Sun., Dec. 4 & 5 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Come join us for some good old-fashioned fun! Explore our 80 acres and fi nd a tree! Hot cocoa, chili, smores, sledding! You bring warm clothing, warm hearts, and lots of smiles! Cost: Donations of any amount go to Young Life or other local nonprofi ts. Directions: Head west on Hwy. 20, through Sisters, past Black Butte Ranch. Turn LEFT on McAllister Road and follow the signs for Christmas Tree Hunt. Questions? Shannon 206-356-0972 THUR DEC 10 FRI DEC 11 SAT Skybox at Sisters Depot Live Music: Pete Kartsounes 6 to 8:30 p.m. $5 cover charge. Seating limited, purchase tickets at www.tockify.com/sisterscountry. For info call 541- 904-4660 or go online to www.sistersdepot.com The Suttle Lodge Live Music with Olivia Awbrey 6 to 8 p.m. Fireside Show series. Doors open at 5. Tickets at TheSuttleLodge.com/Happenings. Skybox at Sisters Depot Live Music: Rudolf Korv 6 to 8:30 p.m. $5 cover charge. Seating limited, purchase tickets at www.tockify.com/sisterscountry. For info call 541- 904-4660 or go online to www.sistersdepot.com Outdoor Stage at Sisters Depot Live Music: Eric Leadbetter 6 to 8:30 p.m. $5 cover charge. Reservations recommended. For info call 541-904-4660 or go online to www.sistersdepot.com. Events Calendar listings are free to advertisers. Submit items by 5 p.m. Fridays to Beth@nuggetnews.com. Events are subject to change without notice