As you all know, I'm a teacher. In my profession we come across all sorts of people just as in any other occupation. But, the education of a precious child is is of vital importance not only to the child and his parents, but also to the society as a whole. Most parents will go to great lengths to ensure their children are getting the best education possible. And, in cases where the parents fail to do their duty to their children, the states have set up laws and regulations to ensure children are in school.
One thing never ceases to amaze me about the latter kind of parents. These are the ones who buy their children $180 tennis shoes and $300 purses. They adorn them with gold jewelry and fancy clothes. Anything the child wants is given to him. However, they won't buy them basic school supplies. They expect the school to provide those things, or for them to get it from other students. Some except some charity organization to give them supplies. Once in a while, the parent expects the teacher to purchase these supplies for their child.
When you question a student about why they are not prepared for class, their reply may astonish you. Imagine my shock the first time I heard the explanation come out of the mouths of these high school students. The reply was "Mom said we don't have money "for that". The meaning being they have money for the aforementioned items, but they will not spend money on school supplies. They expect others to purchase those items for their teenager who is capable of getting a job himsself.
I worry about an attitude such as this. It seems to be that this line of thinking is a sort of entitlement rationalizing of behavior. If everyone feels entitled, how can a society survive and function?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
New York City -vs- Los Angeles
I have traveled all but five of the contiguous states, Canada and Mexico. Many hours were spent in Los Angeles, some in Washington D. C. I saw all the sights and for the most part, did what the locals do too. Mexico felt old world while Los Angeles felt hurried. Canada felt like Minnesota or Michigan. New York City though, there is no comparison. Standing in the street and looking up, or looking down from one of the tall buildings, the feeling is the same . . . we're not in Kansas anymore. Ok, I live in Texas, but you get the idea. If I had to choose between the two cities for my next vacation, New York City would win every time.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Nobody Answers When I Called Your Name, and Other Songs of Interest
One of my all time favorite Country artists is Vince Gill. No one can sing a sad song with more feeling and heart. If you need to have a good cry and a little help with that wouldn't hurt, Vince will help you. It seems as if he wrote his songs for me. Like he looked at my life and my heart and sang them so that I could sing them too. Its like he knew I had tears to cry and shouldn't cry alone.
"Go Rest High On That Mountain" came out many years after I lost my babies. It took me many years to get over their loss. Who am I kidding? You never really get over it. It always hurts. You just learn to live with it. This song is burned into my heart and soul. It reminds me that even though I don't have them, they are with the Father and someday I will be too.
When I Called Your Name speaks to how many times I have felt alone and abandoned. Even though I am over 50 years old, I can still remember living in our 1850's large farm house as a child and how it felt to feel all alone and afraid. There were people around, but I knew if I called out for someone no one would answer. I thought when I grew up and moved away and got married I would never have to feel that pain again.
"I Never Knew Lonely" is always good for a cry. This song has been part of my life for a long time. It seems as if it is here to help me when I need to think and cry and think some more. Its what I listen to when lifting weights and running won't take the edge off the searing pain.
This seems like a depressing post, doesn't it? Well, maybe it is. But, doesn't everyone suffer some pain from time to time? Doesn't everyone find themselves in a situation where mourning the loss of a family member or a romance? As a society we spend so much time on telling people to be happy, we forget what mourning and grieving are for.
In varying degrees, everyone mourns the changes in their lives, even if the changes are happy ones because no matter what, familiar things are being left behind. Some people cling to old ways of doing things because they fear the unknown. They resist change or sometimes embrace it at first and then flee from it.
When the change is thrust upon them, they must do the things required to gain that control of their lives again. Even if in the end they are happier and stronger for it, they still mourn the loss of the past. I know I have felt that way. I often think about what could have been or what should have been.
Grieving for would of and should of beens is mourning the loss of a dream. When a persons dreams die, its often difficult to get new ones. Dreams are personal goals, a picture of something you want to accomplish in your life. When those dreams require another person to complete it, you are certainly in the heartache check out line. But, that's another song, buy another artist.
And, yeah, right now things hurt pretty bad. I did the thing I swore I would never do and it came back to bite me in the butt. So, I go to my job, exercise till my body can't take no more, and when that still doesn't quiet the screaming pain, I turn on a little Vince Gill and sing and cry till my heart says enough. I still hope things will work out and like my dreams, but if they don't, I know what not to do and in the end, that's how I think its supposed to be for me.
Here are some youtube.com links to the songs mentioned:
I Never Knew Lonely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKA4y4UIfMU
"Go Rest High On That Mountain" came out many years after I lost my babies. It took me many years to get over their loss. Who am I kidding? You never really get over it. It always hurts. You just learn to live with it. This song is burned into my heart and soul. It reminds me that even though I don't have them, they are with the Father and someday I will be too.
When I Called Your Name speaks to how many times I have felt alone and abandoned. Even though I am over 50 years old, I can still remember living in our 1850's large farm house as a child and how it felt to feel all alone and afraid. There were people around, but I knew if I called out for someone no one would answer. I thought when I grew up and moved away and got married I would never have to feel that pain again.
"I Never Knew Lonely" is always good for a cry. This song has been part of my life for a long time. It seems as if it is here to help me when I need to think and cry and think some more. Its what I listen to when lifting weights and running won't take the edge off the searing pain.
This seems like a depressing post, doesn't it? Well, maybe it is. But, doesn't everyone suffer some pain from time to time? Doesn't everyone find themselves in a situation where mourning the loss of a family member or a romance? As a society we spend so much time on telling people to be happy, we forget what mourning and grieving are for.
In varying degrees, everyone mourns the changes in their lives, even if the changes are happy ones because no matter what, familiar things are being left behind. Some people cling to old ways of doing things because they fear the unknown. They resist change or sometimes embrace it at first and then flee from it.
When the change is thrust upon them, they must do the things required to gain that control of their lives again. Even if in the end they are happier and stronger for it, they still mourn the loss of the past. I know I have felt that way. I often think about what could have been or what should have been.
Grieving for would of and should of beens is mourning the loss of a dream. When a persons dreams die, its often difficult to get new ones. Dreams are personal goals, a picture of something you want to accomplish in your life. When those dreams require another person to complete it, you are certainly in the heartache check out line. But, that's another song, buy another artist.
And, yeah, right now things hurt pretty bad. I did the thing I swore I would never do and it came back to bite me in the butt. So, I go to my job, exercise till my body can't take no more, and when that still doesn't quiet the screaming pain, I turn on a little Vince Gill and sing and cry till my heart says enough. I still hope things will work out and like my dreams, but if they don't, I know what not to do and in the end, that's how I think its supposed to be for me.
Here are some youtube.com links to the songs mentioned:
Go Rest High On That Mountain
When I Called Your Name
I Never Knew Lonely
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKA4y4UIfMU
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