SUNDAY THOUGHTS: BEAUTIFUL DAY

It's not over yet, but the day has been beautiful--warm enough to get away with just a shawl. 

The last few days have been interesting, weather wise. 

Rainy, sunny, windy, warm, cold--as if all four seasons want to make an appearance on the same day.

When I got up, I spent a little time just looking out of the window. 

Thick, fluffy, white clouds were rolling by, and I smiled each time I could see the beautiful blue of the sky through an opening in one of them. 

I noticed what will soon be leaves on the limbs of the tree nearest the window. 

I also noticed that all of the dead leaves don't drop off in the Fall. 

Some just hang on by a thread-- through Winter and into Spring. 

That was a message in it self.

I had a little more energy it seemed, this morning; didn't dawdle nearly as much--still watered plants and Swiffered the floor, though. 

Seems like I showered, did my hair, and got dressed in a lot less time, too.

On the way to church, I experienced the wonder that is Wegman's. 

Getting to the actual store was like the pathway to Oz. 

The parking lot looked like a between services scene at a mega church--minus the parking ministry. 

Once inside, there was more of nature to admire. 

The produce was just so gorgeous! I was gawking at stuff that I don't even eat! "Devotion", beautifully sung by Ledisi, was coming over the speakers. Everyone was smiling; polite. 

It was like Oz. 

We found the corn and eggplant--wanted it to be larger, but settled on the baby variety, and headed to church.

The choir sang at Zion today. They even sang Kirk Franklin's "Smile". 

It's hard to sing it and NOT smile...: )

Devin Turner was excellent today, as he encouraged everyone to "make purity your priority; seek freedom form anything that pollutes." 

He said, "We see something with our eyes, process it with our thoughts, then we produce it with our actions." 

This week's charge is to "Confess sin, get away from temptation, and get around inspiration..."

It was especially great to see Pastor Battle, and know he's recovering well. He talked about the state of someone with a pulmonary embolism, Coumadin, and as he talked--as when ANYONE talks about PE, I thought of Mommy. 

Funny how you can rejoice and feel sadness at the same time. 

Her doctors prescribed Coumadin, and their words left her anxious and fearful, TOO--so fearful that she rarely spent time in the kitchen, wouldn't handle knives; was so afraid to be cut. 

I sat there, happy for him, yet wishing Mommy had been given a more optimistic outlook by her doctors so that she didn't so drastically limit her activities. I'm still thankful, though. Mommy was a preemie, 1lb,1 oz. That she lives 66 years was a miracle, and a testament to the grace of God.

It really is a beautiful day, and Lisa's eggplant dish turned out well. 

I actually watched eggplant sweat, today. 

I suppose there's a first time for everything. 

I'm not looking to become a vegetarian, but I do like that I'm adding different things to my diet in my old age...

Kinda fits in with the whole "no pollution" message...: )

KNOW YOUR SOURCE

Too many people have such a twisted view of success that they are neglecting to celebrate everyday victories. Many are relying on the word of someone they hold in high esteem to drastically change their lives instead of looking to God's mercy and grace and his "no favorites" policy. Many are frustrated, because so-and-so hasn't noticed them, or isn't returning their calls; bitter because so-and-so COULD help, but won't; inactive because they're waiting for a big break, and feeling too good for what's right under their noses.
Others are dejected because someone said "no"; magnifying mediocrity because they gave up trying and believed a lie--"It will never happen"--so they're sticking with something or someone who is only using them--someone or something to which they feel they must remain attached, or surely achieve failure if they leave.
The next time someone threatens you with "never" because you had the wisdom to walk away and trust God, burst out laughing, and do the most ridiculous dance you can--in advance of what God CAN, and WILL do on your behalf. It's so important to glorify him, and regard him as your source. The Earth is the Lord's AND the fullness thereof. That includes EVERYTHING anyone deliberately tries to deny you, or block you from achieving. When you know God, you'll never fear people who brag, boast, and labor under the misapprehension that they own or control ANYTHING. You may NOT succeed if so-and-so has anything to do with it, but who said that what so-and-so has is best for you anyway? Take a peek into so-and-so's life and you might rethink wanting their approval. You might end up praying for THEM instead of coveting what they have and lamenting your own situation. Trust God, and you'll never throw up your hands because one person decided not to recommend, compliment, support, endorse or help you. A person's sphere of influence may seem vast, but God SITS on the circle of the earth. This is HIS world. He is in control. He has the last say. Visit a cemetery if you have any doubts, and see if anyone other than the cemetery owners and their employees are conducting any business.

WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO LEAVE

Don't be deceived. Your choice to remain in an abusive, controlling, manipulative situation is unwise. 

To be misused, demeaned, and treated like a slave, FOR ANY CAUSE OR REASON, is not a sign of love or faithfulness to be celebrated, or admired. 

Choosing to remain in a toxic situation could be a sign of diminished self-worth. 

It can also be a sign of your own greed or misguided ambition.

Don't lie to yourself. You know the deal, and you know it won't change. 

You've gotten so used to being in the situation that it, and all it entails has, in your mind, become normal. 

You can even find reasons to justify it. 

You've may have even gone so far as to blame it on God, knowing full well that he has NEVER been in favor of you worshiping anything or anyone except Him. 

There's nothing spiritual about staying in an oppressive situation--except the lying spirits that have tricked you into thinking there's something noble about it. 

You're not practicing grace, mercy, forgiveness, or long suffering. 

It's quite possible that you're waiting for a PAYOFF from your investment of time, energy, affection, attention, or money-- in spite of the pitiful way you have been treated. 

You have to be aware that the payoff may never come.

Some people have forfeited their freedom, neglected their families, given up their plans, AND their good sense, in favor of the perks and benefits they are HOPING to get by sticking with something or someone skilled in the art and purpose of MAKING promises, but not in the art of KEEPING them.

Never doubt God so much that you look at anyone, or anything as your last, or only hope.

Sometimes when you choose to leave, you have to be willing to accept the criticism, judgment, gossip, and alienation from people who have been waiting for THEIR ship to come in, or their prayer to be answered. 

If they would only open their eyes, realize their hopes are built on error, and stop believing a lie, they would pack up and leave, too.

Choosing to believe a lie can indicate that you aren't willing to make the choice that knowing the truth will SURELY convict and motivate you to make.

Funny how all of the reasons people give, for you to stay in an untenable situation, are almost always material. 

"What about the house, the car, the advance, the free stuff, the connections, the opportunities? 

What will PEOPLE think?" 

With THEIR sights on money, trophies, accolades, promotion, celebrity, titles, or positions, YOU'RE deemed "crazy" for walking away. 

When you choose to leave, some people are sure that they have to begin damage control. You MUST be talking and saying disparaging things, so they have to talk FIRST-- make YOU look like a fool, and drag your name so deeply through the mud, in the hopes that you won't ever recover or surface again. 

When you hear the talk, you won't recognize that the maligned person in the narrative is YOU. 

You know why you walked away, but that will never be the story that's shared. Before people are done with you, don't be surprised to find out that you have a mental illness, are some kind of deviant, a witch, a spawn of Satan, or an alien from another planet.

Sometimes, there's a price to pay for not going along to get along.

When you walk away, those who want to stay in good graces with the powers that be, won't even defend you, or reach out to you--that is until they find themselves being mistreated by the SAME person or entity that mistreated you. 

When people slowly realize that what they heard about you WASN'T true, when they see you, they will always approach you as if you were suddenly released from prison, or raised from the dead. 

You haven't changed. It's just that they have decided to see you in a better, more acceptable light. 

You haven't left the country. Your contact information is still the same as it was when they decided you were too risky a person with which to associate. 

They chose to discard your contact information after they decided it would be best for them if they went along with the gossip. 

When fate lands them on the hot seat, all of a sudden, they seek YOU out as an ally. 

They want to compare notes; tell you how right you were. 

They want YOU to be the poster child for the situation. 

They want you to speak out on THEIR behalf. 

Don't bite. If you've been quiet, stay quiet. Truth has a wonderful way of standing and shining, no matter how long it has been under lock and key.

If you listen with pure motives, something will always tell you when what you hear sounds contrived or fishy. You don't have to immediately act on it, but you'll always wonder whether the opposite is true, and if you've been fed a load of bull that unfairly maligned one person, while covering another.

When you choose to leave, some will watch you from a safe distance, but won't speak. Facebook and other social networking sites are good for that kind of spying, and keeping tabs. 

Some folk are fine with you as long as you are not where they are. Don't expect EVERYONE to come looking, though. Some folk are glad you're gone. You were a thorn in their side, and you may never have known it. 

Sometimes your absence gives people the false impression that their chances are greater to obtain the thing they were so sure YOU were after. 

Looking back, you can see why you were treated so horribly.

Oh yeah, you might hear, "I miss you" a lot when you choose to leave, but see what happens when you actually show up! You will never see more fakery, ducking, and scrambling in all your life. 

Some people can't face you. They've talked too much about you--and it wasn't good. So they send you a message, "Sorry I didn't get to see you". 

Oh, they saw you, alright. They just chose to duck out the other way. Shame and guilt will do that to a person.

Some folk would rather think you're somewhere suffering after what they've done to you, or said about you. When they find out that you're NOT, it makes them evaluate their own position, and the choices they have made. It makes them wonder why they stayed, and whether they should have marched out the door behind you.

Fortunately, some people will be genuinely glad to see you. 

It gives them an opportunity to apologize for not correctly locating their backbone, speaking up, and utilizing their sense of right and wrong when they should have.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TEACHER

I'm always drawn to conversations about teaching. 

A teacher friend has been struggling with whether or not it is worth it to remain in the classroom. 

It makes me sad that students would miss out on an opportunity to have such a conscientious teacher, and I've been trying my best to be encouraging.

Someone recently commented on a social networking site, that teacher's unions don't advocate for children. 

It seems like a blanket statement to me, and I beg to differ. 

If the people who encounter children, each day, are happy, secure, and regarded well, it can only be a plus for the children. I'd venture to say that few professionals need a viable, effective, relentlessly supportive union more than teachers do.

 

It makes me a little bit mad when I hear people, who have successfully made it through school, talk as if they did it all on their own, and their teachers were just incidental, disposable bumps along their educational road.

I suppose it could be said that I don't have a dog in the hunt anymore. My baby has graduated Law school. I left the public school classroom in 2002, did a nine-month stint in a charter school in 2009, and subbed periodically after that. 

I admit, I miss being a teacher. I suppose it's in the blood. 

My grandmother was a teacher. 

My mother was a teacher. 

My two sisters are teachers. 

My niece just passed the Praxis. 

I have little great-nephews in elementary school, and one in high school. 

I have a niece who earned a full scholarship to college, as a result of her academic achievement in high school. 

I have a little nephew who will be starting school soon. 

I live within walking distance of public schools. 

Daily, I encounter the results of something going horribly wrong in schools--and in the minds of too many, it always seems to be the teachers' fault. 

People cite lack of funds, lack of equipment, poor facilities, but parents are conveniently left out of the equation. 

Having taught in DC Public Schools for 16 years, I KNOW the blame for everything that ails school systems, CANNOT fall into the laps of teachers. They just seem to be the easiest available scapegoats. 

No one wants to challenge parents-- or the students themselves-- and put authority and responsibility where it belongs. 

Parents MUST know that THEY are their child's FIRST teacher. 

The condition in which a teacher meets a child, can definitely, continuously improve if the teacher's right to authority in the classroom is honored.

Kids may have issues because:

they don't study, 

stay up too late, 

don't do their homework, 

don't complete assignments, 

don't eat breakfast, 

don't get immunized, 

don't live with their fathers, 

don't like their mothers, 

have too many siblings, 

don't own a computer, 

spend too much time on the computer, 

don't have a uniform, 

live in the hood, 

listen to rap music, 

live in the burbs, 

are given too many material things, 

and all of that's the TEACHER'S fault? 

Kids:

curse, 

fight, 

disrupt class, 

skip class, 

ditch school, 

don't pay attention, 

don't follow school rules, 

smoke, 

drink, 

use drugs, 

have unprotected sex, 

and it's the TEACHER'S fault? 

Kids: 

can't get along with the kids at THIS school, 

so they get a transfer to THAT school, 

can't get along AGAIN, 

and it's the TEACHER'S fault? 

ENOUGH ALREADY.

I said it made me sad, but let me change that. I hate, hate, HATE to hear a GREAT teacher talking about abandoning the profession. 

I especially hate to hear it when the reason is that they can no longer abide the total lack of corrective action taken toward unruly students by either the administration, or the student's own parent or guardian.

(I also hate to hear people bragging about the academic achievement of children from low income families, as if it's an anomaly. Given the opportunity, ANYBODY can learn. Given the message early enough, students will know the importance and purpose of school, and the respect that teachers are due.)

Teachers deserve EVERY dime they EARN, every recognized holiday, snow day, and every benefit they can get. They deserve staff development that is substantive--something they can actually use. They have no time to waste on drivel. 

Some people have NO idea what it is like to deal with other people's children on a daily basis, and I challenge them to volunteer at a public school for one week--no--one DAY.

People are paid millions to dribble and run with inflated balls, but the individuals who regularly encounter children--THE MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE ON EARTH-- 9 months out of a year or more, are expected to work miracles with little or nothing, and put up with foolishness that some people wouldn't accept from a stray dog. 

Teachers are expected to work in fear of losing their jobs, and not having the wherewithal to care for their own families. 

On ANY given day, some little darling can lie on a teacher, and their career is over. 

EVERY day some teacher is called a vicious name, cursed, and hindered by someone who doesn't have the SENSE to realize that the person they're disrespecting HAS earned a high school diploma AND at least one college degree. 

Every day, highly inappropriate behavior is swept under the rug, and considered part of the territory. 

WHEN did it become alright to be so unbelievably BACKWARD and ignorant toward someone who has attained what you are trying to get--and whose evaluation/recommendation you NEED? 

When did parents start ENCOURAGING their children to go to school and behave so foolishly that they learn NOTHING--except how to be a fool?

 

Sometimes I honestly do believe that there is a conspiracy in place with the sole purpose of churning out inept citizens. Year after year, more emphasis is placed on "Stars in Education" and not a single one of them works in a classroom WITH students.

When did "education" become a trendy, fashionable buzzword and not a serious matter? 

People are trotting out children from poor neighborhoods and bragging about what they can do. REALLY? DUH! Putting them in an environment where they either comply with the rules or GET OUT, pretty much guarantees the success of those who stay!

WHEN did we forget how important it is to instill certain messages in our children so that they can be gladly given the best that a teacher has to offer? 

WHEN did we start sending our children to school with directives about what the adults they encounter "better not do"? 

I have NEVER seen more children with lawyers and psychiatrists in all my life! 

I have NEVER heard more pride in the voices of people who have accepted labels for their children that require them to be drugged and darn near catatonic in order to function at school. 

Why won't people just be honest? They dropped the ball when Johnny was acting like a fool at 2 years of age. Instead of correcting him, they laughed and thought his antics were funny. When someone ELSE tried to correct him, they called it interference and copped an attitude. Now NO ONE can do ANYTHING with little Johnny, and if someone DARES give Johnny what's coming to him, they'd better have a quick seance and hope they can contact Johnny Cochran. 

WHEN did a child's disruptive behavior at school translate into a financial windfall for the parents? 

"Do you have a rotten kid that IS so, because you refused, or were too otherwise preoccupied to do YOUR part? You can become rich! Just take him/her to school and wait for them to pluck the already overwhelmed teacher's last nerve!" 

WHAT? Is THIS what we're promoting now? Is the only communication between parent and teacher, the unjust war cry, "Im'a have your JOB"? 

Most teachers don't look at what they do as JUST a job. 

Every teacher is not simply looking for a way to repay student loans and earn a free master's degree. 

 For many it is a CALLING, but does a parent know what MUSIC "Im'a have your job" IS to the ear of a teacher who has begged for help concerning an out-of-control kid, has gotten NONE, but HAS been told, by the people who SHOULD offer able to help, "Our hands are tied"?

It's not the household income, or even the neighborhood that matters most, but the values established in the HOME, the unwavering standards of the school where academics and discipline are concerned, and the cooperation, MUTUAL respect, and expectations of parents and teachers that contribute to student achievement. 

A child armed with the knowledge that school is not a joke to be trifled with, is a force with which to be reckoned today and in the future. 

An overwhelmed parent who has the GOOD sense to allow "the village" to help, is a WISE parent. If you can't handle your kid, don't hinder those who can. Don't let guilt or shame cause you to add to the disruption of the school day. Defending unacceptable behavior is a good way to ensure that it continues. 

Too often I heard, "I KNOW my child is bad..." REALLY? Is that something of which to be PROUD? Is that the way a parent wants their child to REMAIN? BAD? OFF THE CHAIN? DUMB AS A BOX OF ROCKS? Is everyone that child encounters just supposed to suck it up and deal with it? 

No wonder so many children were socially promoted or given passing grades. 

Some parents have a lot of lip, threats, expectations, and demands for everyone except their own children.

Given an opportunity, ALL classrooms can be bursting with positive activity. The problem is OPPORTUNITY. 

A teacher who is threatened, harassed, bogged down with minutia and paperwork that has NOTHING to do with student achievement, is overworked and underpaid, and has to spend time defending themselves against litigious parents and their equally unruly offspring, has very little time to teach! 

If negativity continues unresolved, and seems to be the norm, even the brightest teacher will soon demonstrate a negative shift in their once infectious enthusiasm for the profession.

Why SHOULDN'T a teacher EXPECT to teach in a reasonably orderly environment? 

A classroom is the only professional environment in which anyone can just walk in off the street and burst in unannounced because "My child is in there". 

Why should a teacher have to put up with a brat who labors under the misapprehension that he or she is in charge of ANYTHING else except his/her own learning? 

Why should a teacher be told that a REPEATEDLY disruptive student is on his/her way BACK to their classroom and NOTHING can be done about it? 

Why should a child, after being kicked out of ONE school, be allowed to continue their reign of terror at another? 

Why is it the TEACHER'S problem when the child decides to be a daily pain in the butt?

If one more person yells "It's about the children", but sees no need to discipline children, or have the back of the individuals who spend more time with them than their own parents do, I am going to scream! (I think I just did.)

It's not even about class size. A teacher can have SIXTY-EIGHT students, a hamster, and a goldfish, but if ORDER is maintained--and not negotiable--they ALL can excel. 

Large groups of people assemble everyday to attain information. They get it because they want and choose to be there, have a mind to pay attention, AND distractions, interruptions, and inappropriate behavior are NOT allowed. 

If it can be done at the movie theater, it can be done in schools.

SOMEBODY has to advocate for good teachers! 

You can't say "Children First" and not care about the physical and mental well-being of the people who encounter them each day. 

You can't treat teachers like dirt and expect that students will fare well. 

Too many people TALKING about teachers/education have not spent much time in a classroom--except when they were students. 

Some who ramble on negatively about teachers have either failed at teaching and became administrators (because it's easier to push around grown people), or they don't have children of their own.

Teaching APPEARS to be easy, but it is more than just imparting information. Theory is good, but practice is better. 

Teachers have to care about the WHOLE child, and when you have people like that in place, you shouldn't hound them, disrespect them, instill fear in them, or allow havoc to be wreaked until they decide to hang up their chalk and take their caring selves somewhere else.

Because many systems claim their hands are tied where disciplinary problems are concerned, it's a wonder that a teacher can even get a lesson in. 

Classroom management is one thing. A rude, profane, out of control student who possesses the GO-AHEAD to interfere DAILY with the learning process-- courtesy of their parents and spineless administrators, is all the more reason why teachers need SOMEONE on their side.

Perhaps it's time for people in the Education Conversation to look back and figure out why/how it is that THEY can read, write and comprehend so well. 

Is it because they attended a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar school in a wealthy neighborhood? I

s it because of their amazing genius, tremendous self-motivation and drive? 

Is it because they only had 9 other kids in class, and had a hot meal every morning? 

Is it because they knew their places as students, and understood, from DAY ONE of Kindergarten, that the teacher was in charge--just like a parent away from home--not an enemy to be belittled, disrespected, short changed, overworked, and expected to fear their supervisors and students? 

Is it because they knew THEIR parents didn't PLAY, and were under NO legally binding threat of spending time in jail, or losing custody of them for soundly correcting them-- on the spot?

Have people decided to be friends and buddies, and not parents? 

Have parents decided that children don't need discipline? 

Have we stopped loving children enough to chasten them when they need it? 

Have we turned school into a giant playground where kids hang out because parents can't leave them at home while they work?

 

God bless the athletically excellent among us, and the artistically gifted but do we push our children that way because we feel it is ALL that they are capable of? Do we fail to remember that discipline is expected and demanded in THOSE circles, too?

Let teachers teach, and they will. 

Trust them to teach, and they will. 

We have got to give teachers back the cherished place in "The Village" that they deserve. 

We've got to include teachers in EVERY discussion about education and take seriously what they have to say--whether we want to hear about our little darling's propensities to be Jeckyll and Hyde, or not.

A kid is a different animal away from home. 

Here's a thought: 

Drop in on your child's school every now and then. Just watch. Then make a concentrated effort to be a supporter of your neighborhood teachers--not another unfortunate reason for them to abandon ship in pursuit of another profession.

CHANGE OF PLANS

This evening's plans were canceled. From about 6 months ago, until about 12:42AM, I thought I had somewhere to be today between 6 and 8PM. Had I not gotten up to better arrange my bedding (It's getting a little warm here in DC, and the comforter was a bit much for a woman of a certain age), I wouldn't have known about my newly empty itinerary until this morning.
I hadn't purchased anything to wear--was just going to wear something I already had. I'd done some work in preparation, but artwork is never a pain in the neck, a waste or energy, or money. I'm actually liking the notion that the day is mine.
After a trip to the bathroom and to the kitchen to replenish my glass of water, I didn't get back to sleep until after 3AM. I used the temporary insomnia to tinker with a drawing while listening to the "Opie's Charity" episode of TAGS. (I also noticed that the main street is quite the raceway at night.)

I used to be sad, even frustrated about canceled plans, especially if it was something to which I had been looking forward. Now, I just smile and wonder what it is that I was supposed to be doing that I didn't know about. I wonder what God was keeping me from, or directing me to.
I talked to my baby sister this morning. She shared her experience with visiting a sick friend. At the end of the conversation, I felt even more thankful, and grateful--not just for health and freedom of mobility--but for time. Sometimes we feel like it's wasted and we lament not being able to get it back. Every minute is precious, though. What is done, or not done today, can impact tomorrow--in good, productive ways..: )

FRIDAY'S WAKE-UP CALL

The sound of men...not sure what they were responding...not sure what the leader was saying...but it moved through the air and the muffled sound made it's way through my windows and into my room. A cadence call. Thought about Louis Gossett for some reason...It WAS a cadence call. Startled, I spilled my customary glass of water that is usually gone before I go to sleep. Vase fell. Fortunately it was already on the floor. WHAT TIME IS IT? What IS that. I went to the window.
Recruits were making the curve onto the main street from the hilly street they'd just run down. Next exercise? Run UP my street. They were running around the neighborhood giving everyone a wake-up call whether they wanted it or not. Leaders with flags flying were running a few feet ahead. A red emergency vehicle was creeping a little distance behind them--lights flashing--and temporarily blocking traffic. The sound amplified as they were running up the middle of my street. Dream over. Good morning. Hello sunshine. I'm awake.
Glad that people still want to serve our city. Yesterday, I just wanted them to do it a little quieter. But it's alright. Just part of living in the city. I wonder if they do this in NW, too?...: )

A SINGLE LIGHT

Last night's military exercise was interesting. I'm so glad I didn't panic and thought to check twitter to see what was going on in my own neighborhood. Thanks to Dr. Gridlock, I found out we were not under siege. Helicopters hovering above in the night sky is just what you want to hear when you're winding down, but I suppose it was necessary. At least it wasn't the police looking for yet another suspect.

When it was all over, I found myself still gazing at the sky. There was the Moon, beautiful, shining, and reminding me that a single light really can make a difference.