Greetings folks! I'm bringing you a surprise post today. I wrote something for a friend who's hosting an awards show for a school district and I liked it so much that I thought I'd share. Actually it was a piece of something I wrote and delievered a few years ago. She has part of a hard copy of the original piece and wanted me to alter it to fit her needs. I couldn't find my copy so I took the part that she had and ran with it. Thankfully she still likes it. This is different from every other post because it wasn't written for the blog. Hope you enjoy it. Stay Up and Be Blessed!
As the end of the school year draws near I’d like to take the time to reflect on the past. Reflecting on the past gives us insight into the future. If you don’t know where you’ve been how can you properly prepare for where you’re going. Those who don’t study and know their history are bound to repeat it.
As the school year concludes so does the 2011 Florida Legislative session and with its closure has come some grim news. This past legislative session saw the end of teacher tenure, teacher pay being tied to student progress, a reduction in per pupil spending, massive cuts in education spending, and easier access for charter schools into the domain of public education.
Governor Rick Scott proclaims to have sought the measures he and the legislature have undertaken this legislative session to vastly improve education in Florida, make us more competitive and provide more opportunities for our students. However to most educators it appears as though he’s placed K-12 education on the back burner for private interests, put privately run charter schools ahead of the line, and made a once stable profession as unstable as the economy.
Morale amongst educators is at an all-time low as we see the writing on the walls that no person and no school is safe. Worst yet caught in the middle of the political battle are the children. Who speaks for them in Tallahassee? Who represents their interests before the Governor and the legislature? Where is their voice? Shouldn’t they be heard the loudest? They’re silenced; muted; unheard and ignored.
It’s game 7 of the playoffs, we’re down 1 and have just been fouled and are at the free throw line to shoot 2. There’s no time left, we’re in the third overtime, our team is fatigued, so a 4th overtime isn’t an option. We need to end this now. Worst yet, the player taking the shots at the line has a bad shoulder injury. We are that team that’s down and out and our opponent’s starting 5 consists of the Budget, Teacher Tenure, Teacher pay for Student Progress, Pension Cuts and Charter Schools. The prospects look dire and the championship seems fleeting.
Yet there is hope. “Without struggle there can be no progress.” Dr. King once stated, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." My fellow educators, this is such a time. Instead of looking at this as the time to give up and retreat, we should look at this an opportunity to stand tall, hit the winning shots and show what we’re truly made of. Michael Jordan’s legacy was made in the 4th quarter. Dwayne Wade’s greatness is best seen when things are at their worst. In order to win the game we must P.U.S.H.
Despite the grim outlook in our profession we have to hold our heads up and P.U.S.H. For the student who comes up to you and tells you that they’re pregnant and you’re the first person that they’ve told, you have to P.U.S.H. To the student who tells you that they only meals they eat during the week is the breakfast and lunch they get at school, you have to P.U.S.H. To the student who tells you thanks and that without you they don’t know how they would have graduated, you have to P.U.S.H. To the student who needs your wisdom, discipline and direction as well as the instruction that you give them, you have to P.U.S.H.
Ladies and gentleman P.U.S.H. stands for Pray Until Something Happens. Until the legislature and the governor realize the error in their ways we have to P.U.S.H. Until the public realizes they can’t continue to cut millions of dollars from the education budget every year and expect us to compete in a global economy, we have to P.U.S.H. Until the day that we retire or the Good Lord calls us home, we have to P.U.S.H.
I know it’s tough. I know the pay isn’t that great. I know that times are hard and the rent is due but we must P.U.S.H. No matter what our socioeconomic status may be, no matter your race, ethnicity or gender one of the things we all have one thing in common. One thing we all have in common is that in this great country we all get a teacher. We all get a superintendent, a principal, a paraprofessional, a security guard, a guidance counselor and office staff. As such, our profession as educators has the opportunity and the potential to affect more people than the President of the United States and the Governor. What will you do with your opportunity? My hope and my prayer is that you’ll continue to P.U.S.H.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The Show Goes On
All right, already the show goes on
All night till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on.
“The Show Goes On”- Lupe Fiasco
Greetings family! I come to you dazed and consumed attempting to process the craziness that is my life. When I got up this morning to write this post I had a clear vision of what I would write about as I came up with the idea while on vacation. Since I’ve been up, had a protein shake, checked my overnight email, and came up with a loose agenda for today, that plan has changed and now my mind is racing. I desperately need it to slow down so I can process and digest what’s going on to make it make sense to me and whoever decides to read this.
I often speak on overcoming obstacles and challenges in life and how they are a necessary evil for growth. Look at the world around you in the form of plants, animals and people and that maxim “without struggle there can be no growth” is proven every day. However, despite the need for adversity to develop character it’s still an unwanted occurrence. Kind of like your mom licking her finger before she wipes an eye booger off your face or you having to take the God awful SAT or ACT; necessary evils.
The ability to power through a momentum shift is something very few of us are born with but something every one of us can acquire over time. It’s acquired through patience, humility and focus. I had someone the other day question my blog posts. In their humble opinion they felt as though I shared my life with the world (or at least those in the world who have the link) because I needed to be validated, to show off and that there was no reason to share every dark and dirty secret in my life. I was a little floored by this statement because this person, as well as anyone who knows me very well, knows that I am a very private person. If I shared every dark and dirty secret there would be a lot more people angry with me and perhaps a federal investigation into my unhealthy relationship with TSA. This blog is the result of the insistence of a couple of dear friends and my realization that I’m a much better person when I write as opposed to keeping everything bottled up inside like I normally do. A year later, they were right. I’m in a MUCH better place for having started writing this blog and I’m encouraged to write more and more often because of the comments and well wishes from some of you who read it.
Furthermore, I don’t need to be validated by anyone who isn’t in my circle. I could care less about what people have to say about me, my clothes, my shoes, my life. I’ve always moved to the beat of my own drum and often times that drum pattern is one I didn’t learn in music class but one I made up myself. While in many ways my life, career choices and style of dress suggest that I’m a conformist. Ask my closest friends and family members and they’ll definitely tell you I’m more like Kanye than I am Colin Powell. Not saying that I don’t adhere to rules or will get on stage proclaiming President Bush doesn’t like black people. I’m just saying that when it comes down to it, I’m going to do what I think is right, whether you agree or not, and regardless of your feelings.
I share because it’s therapy. I share because it helps others. I share because I want to and I share because in many respects I think I have to. I’ve learned that many people who don’t know me have a grave misconception about who I am and how I operate. I’ve been accused of being pretentious, arrogant, cocky, stand-offish, rude and outright mean. While some of the labels do fit at times (I won’t divulge which) for the most part that isn’t me. I do deal with people with a 10 foot pole unless I have to and until I understand their intentions. I am very confident in my ability to do what I want but everyone should be. I’m not mean. Hell if you ask me I think most people think I’m the friendliest person in the world. Ask the cook at the omelete station in the Caymans, or the random guy who at the resort who felt a need to talk to me every time he saw me, or how I can never leave my office at work without someone wanting to strike up an extremely long conversation (hence the reason why I never leave unless I have to use the bathroom or ABSOLUTELY have to). I do know that some people take my initial quietness as a sign that I’m uninterested in what they have to say and don’t care to carry on a conversation with them. In reality I’m digesting every word you have to say and reading between every line to see who you are and what do you want. It’s a talent. Believe it or not, people don’t always tell you so you have to figure it out for yourself.
Regardless of what you think about me and what others may think about you, “The show goes on.” People will say and think what they want often times with little or no information to support it. President Obama has been in office for almost 3 years now and there are still questions about his place of birth and religion. There are people who swear before all things good and holy that Elvis and Tupac are still alive. But no one can explain why Lindsay Lohan is famous, why Brittney Spears is still putting out albums, or when I can expect another CD from Outkast (as a group) and when will the NFL and the players end their feud, hold hands, sing Kumbaya and reach an agreement as to how to divide $9 billion.
The moral of the story folks is that with or without your help people are going to concoct their own stories. It’s something we as humans do to fill in the holes in our minds to help us sleep easy at night. Many of us are very uneasy about not knowing and therefore infer, guess, or make up the parts we don’t know so that it makes sense to us. It’s something that’s been down since the beginning of time. Who knows why so and so down the street got shot “must have been selling drugs.” Why is Charlie Sheen so crazy? “It MUST be drugs.” And like that we’ve answered two mysteries in life without so much as asking the individuals involved.
Regardless of what people say or don’t say about you, be you. If you’re a superstar don’t let someone’s inability to handle the brightness of your light stunt your growth, hinder your progress, or prevent you from taking the stage. It’s their problem let them figure out a way to deal with it. At the end of the day, once the crowd has settled in, the band is on stage and the lights come on, “the show must go on.” And it will with or without you.
Keep working, keep grinding, keep sweating, keep pushing, and keep driving to make it. The road to success isn’t freshly paved and doesn’t have neat lines or signs to guide you. It’s filled with potholes, ditches, hazards, trolls and puddles that threaten to flood your engine. What you have to do is maneuver the best way you can, keep your eyes on the road and know that success is within reach and that no matter what, “the show must go on.” Stay Up and Be Blessed!
All night till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on.
“The Show Goes On”- Lupe Fiasco
Greetings family! I come to you dazed and consumed attempting to process the craziness that is my life. When I got up this morning to write this post I had a clear vision of what I would write about as I came up with the idea while on vacation. Since I’ve been up, had a protein shake, checked my overnight email, and came up with a loose agenda for today, that plan has changed and now my mind is racing. I desperately need it to slow down so I can process and digest what’s going on to make it make sense to me and whoever decides to read this.
I often speak on overcoming obstacles and challenges in life and how they are a necessary evil for growth. Look at the world around you in the form of plants, animals and people and that maxim “without struggle there can be no growth” is proven every day. However, despite the need for adversity to develop character it’s still an unwanted occurrence. Kind of like your mom licking her finger before she wipes an eye booger off your face or you having to take the God awful SAT or ACT; necessary evils.
The ability to power through a momentum shift is something very few of us are born with but something every one of us can acquire over time. It’s acquired through patience, humility and focus. I had someone the other day question my blog posts. In their humble opinion they felt as though I shared my life with the world (or at least those in the world who have the link) because I needed to be validated, to show off and that there was no reason to share every dark and dirty secret in my life. I was a little floored by this statement because this person, as well as anyone who knows me very well, knows that I am a very private person. If I shared every dark and dirty secret there would be a lot more people angry with me and perhaps a federal investigation into my unhealthy relationship with TSA. This blog is the result of the insistence of a couple of dear friends and my realization that I’m a much better person when I write as opposed to keeping everything bottled up inside like I normally do. A year later, they were right. I’m in a MUCH better place for having started writing this blog and I’m encouraged to write more and more often because of the comments and well wishes from some of you who read it.
Furthermore, I don’t need to be validated by anyone who isn’t in my circle. I could care less about what people have to say about me, my clothes, my shoes, my life. I’ve always moved to the beat of my own drum and often times that drum pattern is one I didn’t learn in music class but one I made up myself. While in many ways my life, career choices and style of dress suggest that I’m a conformist. Ask my closest friends and family members and they’ll definitely tell you I’m more like Kanye than I am Colin Powell. Not saying that I don’t adhere to rules or will get on stage proclaiming President Bush doesn’t like black people. I’m just saying that when it comes down to it, I’m going to do what I think is right, whether you agree or not, and regardless of your feelings.
I share because it’s therapy. I share because it helps others. I share because I want to and I share because in many respects I think I have to. I’ve learned that many people who don’t know me have a grave misconception about who I am and how I operate. I’ve been accused of being pretentious, arrogant, cocky, stand-offish, rude and outright mean. While some of the labels do fit at times (I won’t divulge which) for the most part that isn’t me. I do deal with people with a 10 foot pole unless I have to and until I understand their intentions. I am very confident in my ability to do what I want but everyone should be. I’m not mean. Hell if you ask me I think most people think I’m the friendliest person in the world. Ask the cook at the omelete station in the Caymans, or the random guy who at the resort who felt a need to talk to me every time he saw me, or how I can never leave my office at work without someone wanting to strike up an extremely long conversation (hence the reason why I never leave unless I have to use the bathroom or ABSOLUTELY have to). I do know that some people take my initial quietness as a sign that I’m uninterested in what they have to say and don’t care to carry on a conversation with them. In reality I’m digesting every word you have to say and reading between every line to see who you are and what do you want. It’s a talent. Believe it or not, people don’t always tell you so you have to figure it out for yourself.
Regardless of what you think about me and what others may think about you, “The show goes on.” People will say and think what they want often times with little or no information to support it. President Obama has been in office for almost 3 years now and there are still questions about his place of birth and religion. There are people who swear before all things good and holy that Elvis and Tupac are still alive. But no one can explain why Lindsay Lohan is famous, why Brittney Spears is still putting out albums, or when I can expect another CD from Outkast (as a group) and when will the NFL and the players end their feud, hold hands, sing Kumbaya and reach an agreement as to how to divide $9 billion.
The moral of the story folks is that with or without your help people are going to concoct their own stories. It’s something we as humans do to fill in the holes in our minds to help us sleep easy at night. Many of us are very uneasy about not knowing and therefore infer, guess, or make up the parts we don’t know so that it makes sense to us. It’s something that’s been down since the beginning of time. Who knows why so and so down the street got shot “must have been selling drugs.” Why is Charlie Sheen so crazy? “It MUST be drugs.” And like that we’ve answered two mysteries in life without so much as asking the individuals involved.
Regardless of what people say or don’t say about you, be you. If you’re a superstar don’t let someone’s inability to handle the brightness of your light stunt your growth, hinder your progress, or prevent you from taking the stage. It’s their problem let them figure out a way to deal with it. At the end of the day, once the crowd has settled in, the band is on stage and the lights come on, “the show must go on.” And it will with or without you.
Keep working, keep grinding, keep sweating, keep pushing, and keep driving to make it. The road to success isn’t freshly paved and doesn’t have neat lines or signs to guide you. It’s filled with potholes, ditches, hazards, trolls and puddles that threaten to flood your engine. What you have to do is maneuver the best way you can, keep your eyes on the road and know that success is within reach and that no matter what, “the show must go on.” Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tattoo Tears of Joy
I know it’s been a while since my last post but things have been crazy busy around here. Between work, life and vacation, things have been topsy turvy. No worries, I’m back and will be stateside for the foreseeable future and somewhat stationary (at least until Memorial Day weekend). In the mean time and in between time, I’m going to deliver.
Yesterday was my birthday and the reason why I was unable to post this yesterday was because my girlfriend and I celebrated in the Cayman Islands and she wouldn’t let me use my phone or internet while there. I’m sort of a workaholic and last few days was actually the first time I can think of where I haven’t used my phone on vacation. But I’m not mad at her. The trip was a much need departure from the daily grind. We came, we saw, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. For one thing, there’s nothing in the “good book” that guarantees life to a certain age and as such every year, every month, every day should be cherished, preserved and celebrated.
So yesterday I turned 27 and it got me to thinking. It got me thinking about things past, present and future. When I turned 25 many of my friends experienced this dreaded “Quarter Century Life Crisis.” I had never heard of such a thing until then but eventually after friend after friend began to approach me, I became well acquainted with the notion that such a thing even existed. The “crisis” involved my friends asking questions about where they were, where they were going, where they wanted to go and whether or not they were on the right path to get there; all very plausible questions. I began to wonder when my birthday rolled around if I would suffer through the same process. Luckily I was spared. So May 3, 2009 came and went and there was no deep desire to have all of life’s questions answered, there was no feeling of regret, there were no worries that I wouldn’t accomplish the million and one things I had set out to accomplish. And why should there have been? I was engaged, preparing to graduate from law school the following weekend in front of 20 family and friends, preparing to take a great job in Chicago and bar prep was still almost a month away.
Since that day 2 years ago life happened and the questions arose. There have been many questions that I have posed to myself regarding my purpose and presence in life and whether what I was doing was right or wrong and what I could do better and improve upon.
In the 2 years since my 25th birthday, I’ve had a failed engagement, got what to me was my dream job at the moment, resigned from it, got another job, dealt with the passing of my grandmother, and met the woman of my dreams. And that’s just the Cliff Notes version. Missing is all the stuff I did in between when I lost myself, found myself and what I did to keep my sanity while this was going on.
As I look back over my life and reflect on what happened, what should have happened and what could have happened I see just how blessed I am. I have life, a good job, great family and friends, a loving girlfriend, which is more than most. Grant it all of the above aren’t always perfect, but then again, nothing and no one this side of heaven is.
What have I learned?
I’ve learned everything happens for a reason. We don’t always understand why at the time, but in time we will. We just have to be patient and willing to learn the lesson each chapter in our life is meant to teach us.
I’ve learned to take nothing and no one for granted. Every experience is one that will make us into who we’ll be tomorrow and that life is filled with continuous struggle, strife and obstacles. Without adversity there can be no growth. I’ve lost friends and gained friends and girlfriends too. And no matter how good or bad their exits may have been I’m thankful for their presence in my life for however long or short it may have been. I’m thankful to say that everyone that I’ve met has had some positive contribution to my life in some way, shape or form.
I’ve also learned that while it’s easy to eat, drink and do what we want with little regard for its impact on our lives tomorrow, that it’s challenging and necessary to monitor what we put in our bodies and what we put our bodies through. Many of us adhere to the phrase “Live Fast and Die Young” and to “Live Like There’s No Tomorrow.” However, in the off chance that there is a tomorrow how good will yours be if you don’t take care of yourself today? My grandmother didn’t die of old age in her sleep. She died of congestive heart failure, with diabetes, high blood pressure and a heart working at less than 15% of its capacity after years of suffering. While she was a virtuous woman who I loved dearly she wasn’t perfect and there were some things I learned from her in the things she did wrong. Have fun, enjoy life and take care of yourself today so that tomorrow is worth living.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who take time out of your busy schedules to read my blog. They’re just my thoughts and I’m happy that you’re there to share them with. I’d also like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, calls, texts, e-mails and LOVE. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks goes out to my family and friends for your love, support and tolerance of me. Even when you don’t think I care, trust that I do. Thank you to the best girlfriend in the world who could have been anywhere in the world on 5/3/11 but on my birthday she was with me. Until next time, Stay Up and Stay Blessed!
Yesterday was my birthday and the reason why I was unable to post this yesterday was because my girlfriend and I celebrated in the Cayman Islands and she wouldn’t let me use my phone or internet while there. I’m sort of a workaholic and last few days was actually the first time I can think of where I haven’t used my phone on vacation. But I’m not mad at her. The trip was a much need departure from the daily grind. We came, we saw, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. For one thing, there’s nothing in the “good book” that guarantees life to a certain age and as such every year, every month, every day should be cherished, preserved and celebrated.
So yesterday I turned 27 and it got me to thinking. It got me thinking about things past, present and future. When I turned 25 many of my friends experienced this dreaded “Quarter Century Life Crisis.” I had never heard of such a thing until then but eventually after friend after friend began to approach me, I became well acquainted with the notion that such a thing even existed. The “crisis” involved my friends asking questions about where they were, where they were going, where they wanted to go and whether or not they were on the right path to get there; all very plausible questions. I began to wonder when my birthday rolled around if I would suffer through the same process. Luckily I was spared. So May 3, 2009 came and went and there was no deep desire to have all of life’s questions answered, there was no feeling of regret, there were no worries that I wouldn’t accomplish the million and one things I had set out to accomplish. And why should there have been? I was engaged, preparing to graduate from law school the following weekend in front of 20 family and friends, preparing to take a great job in Chicago and bar prep was still almost a month away.
Since that day 2 years ago life happened and the questions arose. There have been many questions that I have posed to myself regarding my purpose and presence in life and whether what I was doing was right or wrong and what I could do better and improve upon.
In the 2 years since my 25th birthday, I’ve had a failed engagement, got what to me was my dream job at the moment, resigned from it, got another job, dealt with the passing of my grandmother, and met the woman of my dreams. And that’s just the Cliff Notes version. Missing is all the stuff I did in between when I lost myself, found myself and what I did to keep my sanity while this was going on.
As I look back over my life and reflect on what happened, what should have happened and what could have happened I see just how blessed I am. I have life, a good job, great family and friends, a loving girlfriend, which is more than most. Grant it all of the above aren’t always perfect, but then again, nothing and no one this side of heaven is.
What have I learned?
I’ve learned everything happens for a reason. We don’t always understand why at the time, but in time we will. We just have to be patient and willing to learn the lesson each chapter in our life is meant to teach us.
I’ve learned to take nothing and no one for granted. Every experience is one that will make us into who we’ll be tomorrow and that life is filled with continuous struggle, strife and obstacles. Without adversity there can be no growth. I’ve lost friends and gained friends and girlfriends too. And no matter how good or bad their exits may have been I’m thankful for their presence in my life for however long or short it may have been. I’m thankful to say that everyone that I’ve met has had some positive contribution to my life in some way, shape or form.
I’ve also learned that while it’s easy to eat, drink and do what we want with little regard for its impact on our lives tomorrow, that it’s challenging and necessary to monitor what we put in our bodies and what we put our bodies through. Many of us adhere to the phrase “Live Fast and Die Young” and to “Live Like There’s No Tomorrow.” However, in the off chance that there is a tomorrow how good will yours be if you don’t take care of yourself today? My grandmother didn’t die of old age in her sleep. She died of congestive heart failure, with diabetes, high blood pressure and a heart working at less than 15% of its capacity after years of suffering. While she was a virtuous woman who I loved dearly she wasn’t perfect and there were some things I learned from her in the things she did wrong. Have fun, enjoy life and take care of yourself today so that tomorrow is worth living.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who take time out of your busy schedules to read my blog. They’re just my thoughts and I’m happy that you’re there to share them with. I’d also like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, calls, texts, e-mails and LOVE. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks goes out to my family and friends for your love, support and tolerance of me. Even when you don’t think I care, trust that I do. Thank you to the best girlfriend in the world who could have been anywhere in the world on 5/3/11 but on my birthday she was with me. Until next time, Stay Up and Stay Blessed!
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