Sun and Storm

Today's view from this mesa taken with my Droid, looking southwest where it was snowing on those mesas:

View Near the Mesa

My husband and I high-tailed it out of Flagstaff as a big storm was bearing down on Arizona.  The roads were fine as we traveled north (not the case going South).  As we rounded the long curve towards a spot called the Big Cut, I snapped this picture.  I'm standing near Bittersprings on the Navajo Reservation looking northwest.

 

Christmas on the Mesa

Christmas on the mesa is pretty chill.  We've had lots of gray skies, but no snow.  There are limited shopping opportunities so it's easy to stay out of the bustle.  This year our sons (plus a husky) came and camped out for a week.  It was a wonderful week of late night talks, rest, good food, games, movies and lots of laughs.

We got in: DVRs of Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Colbert Report and Conan -
movies: Inception, Toy Story 3, Ground Hog Day, Scrooged, Elf and the Christmas classic - Rambo.

Christmas on the mesa was a relaxing time and I hope yours was too -

Time to Reflect

Gonna slow the car down, take a look back - then accelerate into the next turn.

http://onewiththechaos.blogspot.com

Sunset View from this Mesa

View from this Mesa as I drove home from work tonight -

Colbert Jumpsuit Makes History

Stephen Colbert has been asked to donate his red, white and blue jumpsuit to the Museum of American History.  Colbert wore the suit at the Rally to Restore Sanity in November . . . yup, I was there, deal with it.

Hallelujah for Flash Mobs

for the love of learning: A's For Good Behavior: A massive exercise in missing the point

for the love of learning: A's For Good Behavior: A massive exercise in missing the point

Teacher Talk #1

5-Note Superstar

I don't get it - why is Taylor Swift so popular?  Skinny, white girl with a 5-note range?  Her voice is average and thin when she ventures above her comfort zone, no dance moves, and simple, forgettable songwriting.  I'm sure she's a nice girl, but a musical superstar? 

I listened to her sing an unremarkable song on Ellen today and I really don't get it.  She's selling zillions of records, performing everywhere and winning awards - what am I missing? 

Education Paradigms

Countries that reserve the right to kill Gays

A new U.N. resolution condemns the arbitrary execution of whole classes of humanity, from street kids to indigenous groups. It was to have included sexual minorities, but a bunch of nations balked at protection for LGBTs. The U.N. General Assembly then approved an amendment that removed them from from the list.


The vote was 79-70. Here's the list of countries that wanted to reserve the right to kill the gay:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Dar-Sala, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

from Maddow blog

Perspective in Schools

Here's a quick observation from my current position which is district wide: 

Some elementary staff exaggerate the seriousness of certain behaviors.  Their perspective is working with students from 5 to 10 years old and I've noticed they think that misbehavior is more serious than what it is.  They love children and when they don't act in a lovable manner, they jump to an extreme view of what that behavior means.  I find myself saying "really?" and thinking "relax!".

On  the other end of the spectrum, high school teachers tend to forget that students that are 14-18 still need nurturing and compassion.  They can be quick to assume that a student is being manipulative or intentionally disrespectful which justifies their terse and condescending tone.

So I guess that makes those who teach students in the middle grades just right!   Haha! well my mother might chuckle at that conclusion, but it is an interesting mix of teaching styles: this can lead to a nice balance or in the hands of a weak leader, staff dissention.  Many think that those who teach middle school kids are just crazy, but it's transition time from the nurturers to the time to get serious about your life bunch which can be an exciting time when handled with care.

My Three C's

I've got three words for tonight: CREATIVITY, COMPASSION and CONSTRUCTIVE.

I've had these words on my mind for a few days now.  I spend a lot of time in meetings about at risk children.  These can easily drop into the pointless chatter of what's wrong with this behavior or that behavior or what's wrong with their parents. 

I'm on a Campaign for the 3 C's.  Can we create a new strategy? 
Keep our compassion for children on the front burner and
be constructive.

We educators must resist the mind-numbing conversations that permeate the teacher's lounge -
we invigorate ourselves when we access our creativity and if that creativity is on behalf of children, then all the better.  Make constructive choices that build something and if we're building on our compassion for children, then all the better.

We can do better than giving into negativity, punishments and manipulating the young minds of today -
have a 3 C day!

Gay Teachers

Kilian Melloy writer for Boston's Online Edge:
Republican Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina in an Oct. 1 address at the Greater Freedom Rally, which took place at First Baptist North Spartanburg, a church in the South Carolina city of Spartanburg.



DeMint told rally participants that he would work to bring more conservatives into government in order to "take our country back"--and deny gays the right to be in certain professions, such as teaching school. The senator also said that unmarried, sexually active women should be barred from the teaching profession, but he did not place any such restrictions on unmarried heterosexual men. DeMint’s comments were reported in an Oct. 2 article at GoUpstate.com
 
Oy - I'll go back to my last post when I urged administrators to cut poor teachers lose.  I can't imagine singling out a person's sexual preference as the reason for termination.  With all the issues we need to resolve why would anyone give this homophobic view any traction? 
 
I know dozens of good and great teachers who are gay.  Their sexual preference doesn't make them a better teacher and it certainly isn't grounds for being run out of the profession.  Please - let's focus on whether they can teacher or not! 

Fire Poor Educators - An Act of Kindness

The obvious winners when we rid our schools of ineffective and/or unmotivated educators are children.  At whatever age you are now, think about spending 200 days in a square box sitting at a small desk doing endless worksheets, listening to rules, watching hours of your life slip away.  Students unlucky enough to get weak teachers not only learn less, they spend more time home "feeling sick" raising the absence rate and sitting outside the Principal's office raising time off task while sitting in detention rooms.  An elementary child spends five to seven hours a day with one teacher; a middle school or high school teacher perhaps only an hour, but they may have a hundred to two hundred students per day.

When administrators do their job and weed out the poor teachers they improve all involved three fold:

1) Replace poor teachers with great, or even good ones and the whole environment improves.  When an administrator shifts the quality of one position an entire department can function at a higher level.  Teachers must participate in department meetings, faculty meetings and curriculum team meetings, so please let it be with colleagues who give a damn.  Does the teacher contribute to the dialogue or merely vent about how lazy students are these days?

2) It really goes without saying that spending a year with a great, or even a good teacher, will be a positive experience for students as opposed to hundreds of hours with a poor or unmotivated teacher.  A long, slow year can turn a child off from their intellectual growth forever while a great teacher may motivate a child for life. 

3) Last and often overlooked is the benefit to the teacher being removed.  When an administrator recognizes the wrong person in the wrong profession, he/she actually does the employee a favor.  (Note: of course this is after attempts to improve a teacher's performance, if in fact they want to improve.)  Once a poor teacher is let go, they are free to find a career that fits their talents; one that allows for them to be excited, motivated and ultimately happy.

So the gifts abound when an administrator takes on the admittedly difficult task of letting a teacher go.  The problem I have with this "hard" task is that we (educators) are all too often willing to subject hundreds of students to a poor teacher, but feel uncomfortable about letting one go.   Remember while you're thinking how you can't fire Janet because she goes to your church or Allen 'cause he's in your fantasy football league, a poor teacher is thinking things like:
>  "I just teach so I can have my summer's off".
> "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I decided to teach"
> "I can't stand that kid"
. . . and one of my personal favorites:
> "He's never going to graduate, I'm wasting my time."

I'm not anti teacher, anti education or anti teacher unions.   I am very pro teacher: I love motivated, competent teachers willing to learn for life and with the heart to care for every student regardless of their background.  I am pro public education.  I want every student to have access to a great education that can lift a life profoundly sometimes in unpredictable ways.  I am pro union - they give teachers a voice in a society that values the biggest and best funded voices.  I am anti unions saving burned out or incompetent teachers.

Above all else, I am pro child.  I aspire to see our children have access to enthusiastic, well prepared educators.  In a perfect world, people who don't really care about children and won't do the work necessary to inspire would choose a different profession.  Since a few will slip through and settle lifelessly into a classroom near you, I hope you have an administrator with courage - one who will not turn away essentially breeding complacency and negativity in a school.

When educators demand excellence of each other; when parents of even our poorest children expect experts in the field of education, when the educational leaders of our schools hire, nurture and keep the best of the best, then all children will have a chance to blossom in the garden without weeds - then we'll have an educational system we can be proud of.

PS - Superintendents, get rid of poor administrators; they poison the pool at an alarming rate! 

A Message on Anti-Gay Behavior

Below is a message from Ellen DeGeneres regarding bullying specifically the bullying of gay students.  I have met with many gay, lesbian and a few transgender students at our high school over the years.  What a long, rocky road that is through middle school and high school.  Many have dropped out and most hide who they are and how they feel.  There are a few who have come out in high school, but that's pretty rare especially in this small town. 

It's maddening to hear adults pile on, make snide remarks and model homophobic behavior.  I'm in favor of gay bashing being grounds for getting fired, but it would be hard to enforce.  The times I have brought this topic up in a meeting it has been dismissed and uncomfortable and sadly I'm usually in meetings with counselors present! 

Here are the remarks from Ellen two days ago:

I am devastated by the death of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi. If you don't know, Tyler was a bright student at Rutgers University whose life was senselessly cut short. He was outed as being gay on the internet and he killed himself.


Something must be done. This month alone, there has been a shocking number of news stories about teens who have been teased and bullied and then committed suicide; like 13-year-old Seth Walsh in Tehachapi, California. Asher Brown, 13, of Cypress, Texas and 15-year-old Billy Lucas in Greensberg, Indiana. This needs to be a wake-up call to everyone: teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country, and the death rate is climbing.


One life lost in this senseless way is tragic. Four lives lost is a crisis. And these are just the stories we hear about. How many other teens have we lost? How many others are suffering in silence? Being a teenager and figuring out who you are is hard enough without someone attacking you.


My heart is breaking for their families, their friends and for a society that continues to let this happen. These kids needed us. We have an obligation to change this. There are messages everywhere that validate this kind of bullying and taunting and we have to make it stop. We can't let intolerance and ignorance take another kid's life.


I want anyone out there who feels different and alone to know that I know how you feel. There is help out there. You can find support in your community. If you need someone to talk to or if you want to get involved, here are some organizations doing great work:


The Trevor Project at 866 4U TREVOR. It's a 24-hour, national help line for gay and questioning teens. You can learn more about The Trevor Project at their website: thetrevorproject.org.


Angels and Doves is a nationwide anti-bullying non profit organization.
Their website is AngelsandDoves.com

The National Center for Bullying Prevention is helping to promote awareness and teach effective ways to respond to bullying. You can learn more about them at their website: Pacer.org/bullying


The Matthew Shepard Foundation runs Matthew's Place, an online community and resource center for LGBTQ youth. The website is matthewsplace.com


GLSEN is also a great organization that is working to eradicate bullying and bias in schools. Their website is: glsen.org


STOMP Out Bullying is focused on reducing bullying and cyberbullying. Find out more on their website: stompoutbullying.org


Things will get easier, people's minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.
Ellen DeGeneres

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B-hVWQnjjM
To all who read this, please join me in confronting adults who condone and perpetuate antigay, anti-children behavior. Let's honor and respect children for who they are and what they may grow to be; meet them where they are and encourage them to be on the outside who they know they are on the inside.

Maybe someday peace in all our hearts ~

The Tranquilizing Drug of Gradualism

I was seven when Martin  Luther King gave his I've Got a Dream speech.  In it he used one of my favorite lines: "This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism."

Of course at the time King was referring to segregation and racial inequality, but these days his phrase could pertain to many issues and I think of it often in my field of education.  Specifically: Why is progress moving so slowly on the Navajo Reservation?  Why are we perpetuating outdated paradigms in public education?  What are we really willing to do to close the achievement gap in regards to test scores, honors courses and graduation rates between whites and ethnic minorities (Native Americans where I live).

The pace of change can feel like watching boulders move.  I'm a former music teacher so the word Adagio would still be considered too fast. We must create change on behalf of children: the western rez is short of all resources including police officers and Social Service positions/money, counseling services just to mention a few.  How can the Child Protection agency be CLOSED!  The answer is they don't have enough money and personnel to be open or even on call every day. 

In school: endless meetings about tardy policies and levels of discipline.  Good God - if we spent half that time on strategies for engaging our students, we might get somewhere!  Bell schedules, little boxy classrooms, lined up down skinny halls, classrooms that look exactly the same as decades ago - six straight rows with five desks per row, REALLY?  Why are we still teaching like it's 1974?  Make that 1954.  (disclaimer: I'm acknowledging there are exceptions.)

Our teachers are "struggling" so far this year because we changed from a 90 minute block schedule (4 a day, rotating A and B days) to a 7-period day, same classes everyday.  What they really mean is that they're having trouble changing and when I say changing, I mean having a shorter prep.  The transition was "so fast" because we didn't talk about it in endless meetings for two years.  The state said our CTE (Career and Technical) classes had to meet everyday or we'd lose our funding aaaaand BINGO, we changed the schedule.  (note to self: money creates change faster than even the magic DATA word.)  Now yes, this was a faster transition than the norm, but it was still decided before the Spring semester was over - an entire summer isn't enough time to reorganize lessons from 90 minutes every other day to 55 minutes 5 days a week?  sigh -

The gradual drug is a tranquilizer.  It numbs us into complacency and allows us to keep walking into the same madness day after day.  Our children need us to make changes.  They deserve protection and a vibrant, meaningful education.  We're the adults: educators, social workers, policeman and politicians - we have to stop drinking the Kool Aid and DO SOMETHING!

The Inspiring Force of Urgent Necessity

Perhaps you will ask me, "Why are there no other drawing in this book as magnificent and impressive as this drawing of the baobabs?" The reply is simple. I have tried. But with the others I have not been successful. When I made the drawing of the baobabs I was carried beyond myself by the inspiring force of urgent necessity.  (The Little Prince)

The Inspiring Force of Urgent Necessity: What do we absolutely have to do?  What inspires us to the point of being a necessity?

Knowing this is a game changer.  How much of our lives is spent on urgent non-necessities?  Draining our energy on this and that; telling ourselves (or believing the priorities of others) that we must get something  done and it must be NOW!  ASAP!  Super important - trust me.  It seem that making priorities out of nonnecessities and spending lots of time on uninspired must-do's drains our life force. 

I want plenty of gas in the tank when I'm ready to pass eight semi's on Hwy 89 - now that's urgency.  Just keeping my antennas up for inspiration. 

What's your "inspiring force of urgent necessity?"

Memories of September 11th

September 11, 2001: That day started with my husband waking me up. I was my usual groggy self, moving slowly and until he told me a plane had hit the World Trade Center.  I jumped to my feet and ran to the television, yelling, "What?!  Jason works there!!"  As I stood motionless staring at the screen, a plane hit the second tower.  It was surreal, scary and I remember thinking, "Do we really have to go to work (school) today?  What's going on?  This is awful!"

As I dressed I couldn't stop thinking two thoughts: "Is Jason ok?" and "I left Seth in a very dangerous place!" (We flew to Boston to move into his college dorm, one week earlier.) 

Here's a side story: After moving Seth in, my mother drove me to the Boston airport and was allowed to go through security with me. The screener slowed on my bag and I laughed about how they were probably looking at the ratchet (a metal musical instrument that makes a loud, well racket.)  They didn't open my bag and I said to my mom that I was sure they didn't know what that was, but they still didn't bother to take it out and take a closer look.  Mom leaned in and pointed out that the job was a minimum wage position like a job at McDonalds.  We were smiling and joking about what a joke the security was.

So jump back to one week later and I'm standing in front of the 7th grade band.  I can't concentrate and I'm close to tears.  I walked outside my room and another teacher strolled by, "Are you ok Sharon?" is all it took to break into a sob.  "No, I'm not ok; can you step into my class?" 

After composing myself, I stood back in front of the young musicians.  When the principal came on the loud speaker and said that everyone would be going home, there was a youthful cheer.  Before they rushed to pack up their instruments and bolt out the door, I asked the students for quiet.  They respectfully calmed down as I asked them to be aware of the seriousness of what was going on.  I urged them to remember that people were losing their lives and that this was not a day for celebration.  They were so sweet as tears ran down my cheeks.  They didn't know why, but bless their hearts, they understood.

I went home to watch the news like everyone else.  I called home, I called Seth.  Friends, Christy and Sandy stopped by to help me pass the time as I waited for news.  We drank tea and talked which was so helpful.
 ____________________ Right in that space would be all the amazing stories and feelings my brother could share (if he would blog too!) 

My cliff note version is that his Morgan Stanley division was moved from a cool tower office just about a month before 9/11.  I remember him complaining about losing the great view and having to move to building 5.  On 9/11 he was in a meeting ironically called Stress Management when the call came to evacuate.  He couldn't go back for his brief case and personal items, including identification.  He went to the street and everyone was ducking under overhangs so they wouldn't be hit by flying objects.  He later shared walking with hundreds of people when the first building fell.  People were screaming and running away.  He was yelled at to run, but he said he could see that he couldn't out run the cloud - he said he thought that was it, that the cloud would consume him, knock him out, probably kill him.  When it covered him, he said he realized that it was all dust, there were no large chunks and he started to run like hell towards the East river so he could be clear of the dust and breathe.

Once clear of the towers, he tells of trying to figure out how to get out of Manhattan and back to NJ.  No one really knew and phones weren't working.  He was standing near a fellow looking back at the second tower.  He and this stranger were discussing how they weren't completely surprised that the first tower fell because everyone that worked in the district thought that it was never reinforced to full strength after it sustained the car bombing years before.  "But the second tower will hold . . . " and then they watched it fall. 

Jason eventually made his way to the ferries that were crowded to the max taking hundreds to NJ.  No one had to pay to get on, just get on!  While on that ferry he was offered a cell phone by another stranger who was able to get a signal.  He had just called his wife in Connecticut and he asked if someone might be waiting to hear from him.  That's when he was able to call home to our parents.  There were buses and trains all waiting to carry people to various towns in NJ, no charges on anything that day . . . probably the only day ever, but at least they didn't add insult to injury.

Nine years ago, my brother lost his wallet, but not his life. When he returned to work it was in a giant warehouse.  He credits whoever at Morgan Stanley made the decision to evacuate everyone right away with saving hundreds of lives.  M.S. didn't wait to get their people out even though the second tower had not been hit yet.  Unfortunately many others were told that it was safe to stay in the building as the fire was contained in tower one.

My brother doesn't work in NYC any longer and my son lives on the West coast.  Of course we'll never forget the images and horrendous feelings of that day, but sometimes instead I try to remember waiting at the base of the towers for Jason to come out and meet Seth and I for a special treat of NYC pizza a few years earlier. Seth and I gazed at the mighty towers and were in awe of how high they were; wondered how many people must work there and just enjoyed the lower Manhattan people watching.  Then Jason came striding out of the shadows of the twin towers apologizing for not having us come inside, but explaining that the security was "crazy, not worth the trouble."  We walked off towards The Village and pizza.  I wouldn't see the towers in person again.  It's still hard to believe even after all the coverage, all the pictures, all the tears and stories that this happened. 

Thin Slicing

Thin-slicing is a term used in psychology and philosophy to describe the ability to find patterns in events based only on "thin slices" or narrow windows of experience.  It is discussed extensively in  Malcolm Gladwell's book called "Blink". 

My last post described a thin sliced memory - the memory was of a real experience, but the memory felt like a thin slice of all the times someone has had my back and what a comforting feeling that is.  I find it easy to discern if someone is just agreeing, quietly disagreeing or planning on backing me up.  I can't thin slice a painting and tell you if it's a fake or not, but I'm finding it pretty simple to know the motives of another person.

My husband has a memory that remembers detail, including dates - my mind won't do that at all.  But what it does do is thin slice memories and those inform me in the present.  Some are difficult memories and others fall in a range from melancholy to exhilarating.

Carmen Malanka - thanks for helping me recognize a bully . . . I can also thin slice someone who is being verbally bullied.  My first memories of a playground are me hanging upside down by my knees.  I learned that experiences are not to be feared if you believe in your physical abilities and judgment, but some people are not so safe.

These early experiences and memories still inform me.  Gladwell calls it "thinking without thinking."  When  recognizing an unconscious or ineffective memory, try to deal with it (there are lots of paths to undoing subconscious memories that do not inform or help us in the present, but that can be another post.)  Currently I have been glad to be recognizing the positive as often as the negative.

i.e. - Enjoying the voice of an intelligent woman.  (Thanks Mom)  This memory helps me thin slice in meetings, workshops, socializing and deciding who to listen to on television.

Have you had a thin slicing experience?  I'd like to hear about it.

If I Could Turn Back Time

Yesterday I found myself humming Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time", posting on and wondering, what is this all about?  I'm trying to stay in the moment these days - thank you Ekhart Tolle, easier said than done!  The memory that echoed back was from a softball game, probably circa 1980- yes, 30 years ago!  I'm playing the Rover position (4th outfielder) in a local league slow pitch game.  We're sponsored by Village Inn which was a pizza joint and no longer exists on the mesa.  I look over my shoulder to see Karen the left fielder.  She smiles and nods an "I've got your back"-nod.  The actual game seems irrelevant; I don't know the score, the field is in poor condition, but it's interesting how memory works.  I just remember the friendships and that nod.

Karen was an amazing athlete.  She was strong, fast and a power hitter.  She could throw you out from left field and had a habit of diving into bases head first. I called her Pete because of her fearless slides on the base paths.  Her father didn't hear about her ballpark nickname until her memorial service, but I think he liked it and he game me her glove. 

The feeling that someone has your back has got to be one of the best; don't you agree?  I think this was the point of my retro trip.  Cher, If I'm going to turn back time, I hope it's to learn something I didn't completely get at the time and not to just to remember some cool party or old boyfriend. 

Mesa Rain

Today I woke to the smell and sound of rain. It was a cool, lovely day here with the temperature dropping almost 20 degrees. I didn't go looking for waterfalls today, but I've included a Youtube video that shares some of the effects you get here when it rains.

School Begins in a MAD WORLD

With the start of another school year close by, I find the lyrics about feeling invisible at school haunting.  Let's see all our students no matter how hard they try to be invisible:

"Went to school and I was nervous -
No one knew me, no one knew me.
Hello teacher, tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me."

This has been around a while, but I've had the melody stuck in my head for three days, so maybe now you will too! The choir and orchestra make for an interesting version:

MAD WORLD - click here

music by - Roland Orzabal (Tears for Fears - 1982)
This version also includes II Novecento & Fine Feur

Speed: Superman, Sons and Time

Today is our oldest son's birthday.  It's a happy, yet melancholy feeling for me.  It was such a special time: a beautiful July in Flagstaff with walks in the cool pines, classical music and hot fudge sundaes (no not pickles.)

Just like our two weeks in Flagstaff flew by before moving our new born son to Page, the 28 years have flown as well.  Can years really feel like weeks?  Our son has gone from our little town to Boston and Phoenix, Flagstaff and Los Angeles; living his dream that began as a young boy.

Like most parents, our love for him goes without saying -
we also admire and sincerely like him;
he's a sweetheart and wise beyond his years.

I've been writing recently about moving across surfaces -
today I felt the break-neck speed of moving across years,
decades.

Love on the go!
Happy Birthday Seth -
you're still Clark Kent and Superman to me.

drawing by Curt Swan

More Moving Across Surfaces

Do you have a favorite Moving Across Surface activity? 
Some experiences that I have enjoyed besides running in the woods:

> SWIMMING - I'm a lake gal, pools feel claustrophobic and I guess I learned to appreciate water with creatures swimming in it more than chemicals.  Our lake had fish, turtles and muskrats and if there were other things, I tried not to notice!  Pools definitely still count as a MAS activity however.

> BOATING - A small to medium sized lake is nice surface for canoes and row boats.   Slicing the oar through the water is a unique feeling like no other; the resistance of the water, which is worth the effort as the boat (I prefer the canoe) parts the surface to gracefully move across the surface.   Paddle, row or glide (I only have a little experience with a sailboat, but they are a nice ride - I like how the air's dimension impacts the ride.)

> BIKING - I've mentioned in past posts how my bike ride on the Cali boardwalk woke me up.   What woke up?  The feel of the bike, controlling the where and how fast, pumping hard, gliding with your feet off the pedals - it's all so fun: control and freedom in tandem.  Yesterday I caught myself riding down a slow street with my hands off the handlebars - now that took me back!  For a few seconds I remembered my inner 12-year old!

Epilogue - I took a night ride tonight.  I prefer to ride in the light, but it's triple digits on the mesa right now, so evening rides for now.  I hit some loose gravel and reminded myself of how it felt to move across slippery surfaces.  Luckily I had my hands on the bike and kept myself upright!

Ride, swim, walk, climb, run, paddle . . .

Moving Across Surfaces: First Experience

My first, and favorite, memory of Moving Across Surfaces is from my childhood in Rainbow Lakes, NJ.  Although we lived right on the main lake, I always enjoyed heading across the street and into the woods.  There were acres and acres of trees and brush with paths that could only be traveled in a single file or by a deer.

Running on the paths at top speed was a MAS experience that I have never duplicated anywhere else.  The ground could be dry and dusty or wet and squishy under my feet.  There were branches to be negotiated like a boxer bobbing this way and that way to avoid being hit, but never more than necessary to avoid taking a punch (or in the woods - a nice scratch to the arm, leg or face.) 

Running at top speed, I could feel the thumping of my feet against the dirt and the crunch of the leaves under my sneakers; to run as swiftly with as little effort and sound as possible - what is that? 

When I reflect on those days, I realize how much joy I got from just running in those woods.  I felt like a deer (although I know they're much better at it.)  No awards, no medals - just running, darting, jumping, panting, sometimes hiding . . .

I walk through the woods now and it's still a great experience, but well - slower.  The crunch of the leaves is still a tonality I love and moving up and down the many paths is something I never seem to tire of.  I know now, that Moving Across the Surfaces of those woods at top speed was a special, freeing feeling - part escape and always in the moment.  It was a gift to have those woods across the street from my house and when I remember to live in and enjoy the moment now, it's a gift I give myself even if I live 3000 miles away.

Do you have a Moving Across Surfaces experience?  I hope you will share -

Moving Across Surfaces II

Here's a video that helps describe my current experience of moving across surfaces:

I Need to Wake Up

Moving Across Surfaces

I want to mention a phenomenon I recently noticed - I call it Moving Across Surfaces.  That's not so poetic, but it's the best description I have so far.
Do you like to walk? ride a bike? row or sail or drive?  Then you enjoy moving across surfaces . . .
and so do I.

When I rode a bike at the beach last week, something reawakened in me.  There's something about moving across a surface to somewhere or no where in particular.  No treadmills for me - where am I going?  I'm not fired up about mere moving, that's called exercise.

Is this making any sense?  Maybe not, but I know it feels good to move and not to do sit-ups in my living room.  (A hint is that when I'm done I haven't seen anything and the carpet feels the same on sit up #1 as on #20.) Wheels rolling over a boardwalk with hundreds of miles of ocean to look at, now that's a moving experience and worth it!

On the view from the mesa, it's seeing so far you don't know how you could ever get there, but you think it might be fun to try. So when I got home from my visit to California, I fixed my tire and started moving across the mesa - feels great.

Dark Sky Percussion has a new Home

Dark Sky Percussion has some exciting new developments going into year FOUR:

> Dark Sky is now 100% in the Phoenix valley, specifically Horizon HS in Paradise Valley

> Adding 4 new staff members and they are all terrific instructors, not to mention human beings!

> DSP is now a 501c3 and is adding a Business Manager

> Dark Sky is negotiating for a killer set of drums.  Madison Scouts cherry wood battery - they look and sound amazing!!

> Look soon for an updated look, logo and news at: http://www.darkskypercussion.org/

Julie Andrews and the Fourth of July

I am back from my Fourth of July vacation to Santa Monica.  My oldest son, Seth lives there and I traveled from the mesa to LA with my other son, Tanner - what a fun time.  He drove the whole way and we just rocked tunes and talked the whole time.  Cliche to say priceless, but it's true.

We made a stop at the Hollywood Walk  of Fame - I was walking along thinking, this is funny that people want to see the name of their favorite star on a piece of the sidewalk;  I don't get it . . . and then I saw Julie Andrew's star and before I could stop myself, I was asking Seth to take my picture.  I know this ages me, but I love Julie Andrews.  Maybe in another life I can have her voice and grace.

The beach was cool and relaxing.  The people watching was great - I especially enjoyed skinny Batman and bizarro puppet lady.  We rented bikes, which I highly recommend.  I was surprised that we could park right near the beach for $7 and rent a bike for 2 hours for $12.  We biked Venice, through Santa Monica to Pacific Palisades and back, strawberry margarita at Danny's in Venice - come on, it was 70 degrees, clear skies - classic Cali.

We watched fireworks from a park in Marina Del Rey.  It was another beautiful spot but I'm going to give the fireworks award to Page over Del Rey.  They shoot them off on the golf course on the side of the mesa and they are fantastic and last 45 minutes.  The Marina Del Rey fireworks were about 20 minutes and it was difficult to view from many spots in the park due to the mature trees.  If you are near the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce or Monument Valley around the 4th, I highly recommend you drive over to Page to see the view from the mesa - it's a great show.

Btw - as you may know, Flagstaff recently had a few very bad fires, so they canceled their fireworks - but honestly, they cancel them most years, so go north from the Grand Canyon and catch a great show in  Page.

Road Trip off the Mesa

Subaru has a new engine -
well a new used engine.
I'll check out that improved gas mileage
as I road trip to L.A.

I really enjoy trips with no specific timetable -
you know,
some people call them vacations!
Then again,
there are those who create itineraries and deadlines and expectations of their vacations.
I am not a fan of those.

I prefer to pick my destination,
preferably with family or friends on the way or on the other end
and to stop when it feels like a good time to stop.
Eat when I'm hungry
and preferably eat cool stuff that I wouldn't normally eat or find on the mesa.

I also prefer the scenic roads to freeways . . .
or for those in NJ, the toll roads.
None of those in AZ.

This trip may have to include the truck-laden I-40,
but I'll have the nice company of a son
and we'll be heading towards his brother in Los Angeles.

Looking forward to some great music,
good food,
and especially fun times with my sons.
That's a vacation worth leaving my view for -

Happy 4th of July!

Being and Doing

I'm being quiet -
Doing less.
This can be a fine line to walk.
In one case - slow, less active, might say boring.
On the other - the moments to be still, reflect and breathe are everywhere.

I love to DO,
but it can be additive, necessary-
tiring to me
and others.

Right now I will stop writing
cause I'm doing and over-thinking BEING.

Your Daughter is Doing an Amazing Job

More on Mothers:

Today a mother came in with her daughter to "check on her grades and credits."  This is usually an uncomfortable meeting.  The mother is gone most of the year working in other states.  Her youngest daughter (a junior) has two children - one born January of her freshman year and the second born a year later.  Her older sister dropped out when she became pregnant with her third child - you get the picture. 

Mother is always disapproving of her daughter.  I've listened to her criticisms many times over the years.  Today I told her that not only is her daughter passing all of her classes, but she completed enough additional credits in the Alt Ed program to be 2 credits from graduating.  She looked confused as I explained that her daughter had almost completed four years of high school in three years.

"Your daughter has worked very hard."  "Your daughter can take college classes next year while her peers are in their senior classes."  It was the first time she sat in my office in stunned silence - no nasty comments, no negative judgments about the daughter she raised.  I printed out the proof of all she had accomplished and handed it to the mother, smiled at her daughter and wished them both a nice day.

I speak to alot of mothers, but not enough parents.

To be continued . . .

Moms on the Mesa

It was a tough day for some mothers from this mesa.  I don't want to be judgmental and would love to figure out how to help young and struggling mothers - All of these situations and conversations happened today.  I did my best to counsel with each mom:

I met with a mother that cannot get her children to school.  Three sons and a daughter, plus mother and boyfriend live in a one room motel turned apartment.  I guess you might guess the challenges this environment creates for the children getting homework done and getting to school each day rested and ready to go.  I am skeptical that this mother can turn this around, but she did take my advice; she found her 9th, 8th and 7th graders (who were not in school today) and took them down to the City Attorney.  I suggested that she have him speak to her children directly so they understand the degree of trouble she has coming her way if she cannot get the children to regularly attend school.  I also asked her to seriously consider other arrangements for the children so they have a better environment.  No doubt this will be a difficult decision and solutions are easy said than done, but something must change for this mother's children - they deserve better.

I spoke on the phone today to a mother who doesn't know where her son is right now.  He is three classes away from graduating.  We've spoken many times in the past; she is a victim of domestic violence and her children are all paying the price.  It's hard not to think, "Why does this young child have to deal with this?"

I spoke to another mother today who wants to know why she received a letter from the City Attorney regarding her daughter's attendance.  Her daughter has missed over 100 periods of school this semester. The older brother dropped out of school last year: gifted, depressed, inconsolable. The 10th grade daughter is raising the infant sister because the mother suffers from post partum depression and has not bonded with her baby . . . to be continued.

I spoke to an older sister of a student who has not been coming to school the last three weeks.  She didn't know where the mother was.

I spoke to a mother who asked if it was true her son was not going to graduate this Saturday.  He has missed his required PE class 28 times out of 45 days.  He's raised himself and his younger siblings, but for some reason that I don't quite understand yet, he sabotaged his own graduation by not completing this one credit.  Maddening, but I know this is not about or for me, it's about a young mother who couldn't seem to parent when her children needed her and a son who has a different view of the world than my son or probably yours.

I started this blog because my old blog was getting to be a downer - dropout prevention has a way of doing that.  But today, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I have to try to do something else - but what? 

Today my view from this mesa was filled with mothers: struggling and absent, confused and ambivalent.  Last Sunday, Halmark cards most likely went to mothers who are already happy.  The rest don't need cards, they need help!

LOS SUNS

Suns take a stand tonight on the embarrassing new AZ law wearing jerseys that say LOS SUNS -

The view from this mesa is that we're not all racists and crazy in AZ . . .

but I can see some from  here!

DROID on Board

I bought a Motorolla DROID this weekend.  Here's another example of technology impressing me to the point of being just a tad giddy.  This phone is crazy!  My first cell phone was a Motorolla Star-tak.  It was functional and sturdy; at the time it was pretty cool to have that mobile capability, but now these phones are everything all rolled into one!

I can check my gmail, facebook, blog, find a map, check an address, the weather . . . right now I'm looking for the app that does the laundry - why not? It does everything else!

My DROID has a bit of a learning curve, but is pretty easy to navigate and you can't really make a mistake as you cruise around.  This phone will make it even harder to resist using it in the car, but the NO PHONE ZONE is still on. 

It's too small to actually replace my laptop, but it's giving it a run for it's money . . .
and now my ring tone is "Hello-Goodbye" by the Beatles.  Simple pleasures abound : )

SNL on 1070

Arizona: Education Optional - Guns and ID a Must

Oh crap, I officially live in the the most conservative state in the country - we might be in a close race with Utah, but yikes, the recent decisions regarding carrying guns and checking immigration status are disturbing.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised since when I came out west in the 70's, my dad said, "so you're going to live in Barry Goldwater country?"  I didn't care much about politics then and I obviously stayed well beyond college, but I never gave up my East coast liberal elite politics and this state is still wacked.

Back to Governor Jan Brewer and our crazy legislators.  Now you can run around our share of the southwest with a firearm clearly showing with no need to prove that you purchased the weapon legally, while walking down the same street with brown skin warrants the police checking that you have proof of citizenship.  Those with an ethnic look, beware!

Sigh - why can't AZ spend more time figuring out how to fund educating our children?  We're at the bottom of the fiscal heap in funding education but waste time with laws about guns and illegal aliens.  Pretty frustrating . . . I mean - yeehah!

Funniest Guy on TV

I may live in a conservative little town, but from this mesa, I can still get Jon Stewart's Daily Show via satellite - thank God.

Making Mesas in West Virginia

Please check out this site which shares a story, a picture and a song about mountain top mining in West Virginia.  I live on a mesa, but this poor guy had the top of the mountain he lives on removed.  I don't think he ever intended to live on a mesa.

http://www.thislandourland.org/mountain_iframe.html

Thanks to my friend Eileen for sharing this story.

Duke vs Butler

The classic big dog vs little dog - so there wasn't a storybook book ending, but it was a good game.  It's always fun to watch how the favorites and the underdogs respond to the pressure.  Are you the scrappy "let's prove everyone wrong" or do you play on the "we're expected to win" team?  I've experienced both and I prefer the come from no where role - although it may be a cop out, since if you win it's amazing and if you don't everyone says you were a long shot anyway.  Hmmm, it's still fun to be the underdog - viva la Butler!

Congrats to both teams; it's a long road to that game and I hope they all enjoyed the ride.

Yes We Can - No We Can't

I got to be on a conference call with President Obama yesterday - thanks Janice. It was a good day, even if many want to make it into a negative. I'm proud of my vote, proud of Representative Kilpatrick and proud of my President.

Spring Break and Health Care

Wow - I've taken a bit of a break, but it's Spring  Break time and it was definitely time for a break.  I figure I just traveled about 2500 miles over the last week and a half. 

It's an interesting time isn't it?  Our plants are budding, but not yet green;  there's snow on the ground in the mountains and 80's in the desert.  Spring is a time of change and now we have change in our country: Health Care - finally.

I was busy running around the west going to drum shows, driving, flying and having a wonderful visit with my mom and then on a 7 hour drive back to AZ I got the text from my "progressive, socialist, leftist" friend letting me know that the votes were in and the votes said YES to health care reform.

I'm really not sure why Republicans want to repeal this new bill: why would we want to deny health insurance to children?  Why would we want our senior citizens to pay more for their prescriptions?  Why keep allowing the insurance companies to deny insurance because they have a pre-existing condition?  I really don't understand the logic: why are Republicans for Social Security and Medicare, but against Health Insurance?  Hopefully this will all make sense as the reform rolls out over the next 6 months to 6 years.

So today was a beautiful Spring day, the first day after Spring Break, and a beautiful day for democracy; the day after the Health Care Reform bill signing - change is all around me.  I think I need a vacation to recover from my Spring Break, but I feel warm and happy knowing that Spring is on it's way and so is health care for millions.

Ever Catch Yourself?

Ever catch yourself watching the commercials even though you recorded the show on your DVR? I noticed the glee I feel when I fly through commercials - hah! take that . . . what? you're trying to manipulate me, sell me something? I don't think so! But then I catch myself watching a commercial when I don't have to; maybe it's out of habit - like now I can write on my blog or make a phone call, but more than a few times, I just sit there watching the stupid ad - "Arrgghh!" If I feel joy by skipping commercials at lightening speed, then I must also feel the despair of wasting prescious minutes watching nothing.
Ever catch yourself listening to gossip wishing you had bugged out five minutes earlier? How does knowing who my co-worker is having an affair with enrich the day? It doesn't? I'm out! I'm now fast forwarding like a commercial on my DVR through these conversations and slowing down on the good stuff.

Ever catch yourself listening to a song you can't stand? It gets played so often that your brain recognizes it and you start to tap your toe - then you remember, "No! I don't want to listen to Taylor Swift sing through her nose." I haven't figured out how to fast forward my radio, but the scan button works just great.

Ever wonder why you watch the local news? Listen to how many stories have no value to your life. They don't inform you of anything you can remotely use. If I buy the paper or go online I can skip the articles that have no informative value. If I watch the news, I have to watch what they want me to know . . .

OR - I could start recording the news with my nifty DVR gizmo and fast forward through the commericals AND the meaningless stories.  Ever catch yourself catching on?

A Better Way

BE ONE WITH THE CHAOS

My son and I have almost daily (bi, tri-daily) phone calls, emails and texts to keep up with the chaos of running a competitive performance group called Dark Sky Percussion.  Today after we discussed a second member quitting because they just "can't figure out how to  . . . blah, blah, blah."  I said to Seth, "They need to learn to be one with the chaos."  I thought as it came out - yup, that's what helps more than anything -

with lots of things.

BE ONE WITH THE CHAOS is my new mantra and I'm pretty sure I made it up.  I swear I didn't read it in my new self help book or hear it on Dr. Phil.  I think it makes it much easier to know what the next move should be; what is most important and what is not.  When I am one with the chaos, I am not in resistance to it.  I'm not surprised when something else comes along that I was not intending.  I don't invite chaos and I don't expect bad things to happen, I just know that life doesn't lay out exactly as I see it in my head, so why expect that?

If I can stay calm, I can deal with most chaos that comes along.  Directing a group of almost thirty 14-22 year olds who are spread across hundreds of miles and when they get together, well let's face it, they're drummers - so it is still chaos!  I really like the members who figure out how to not only cope with chaos but actually thrive and excell in the midst of it - those are my kinda peeps!

I could hear a bit of disdain in my son's voice today as he shared the list of excuses from the recent "quitter."  I gave her a new label: "One Who Cannot Deal With Chaos."  Now I actually feel bad for her: "Ah, poor girl, she can only thrive when everything is going just right."  Yikes - these are the people you wink at as you're saying "Good Luck!" 

Sleep it Off

I just completed 48 hours of feeling crappy.  I can't remember the last time I slept so much in a two day period.  I can remember the last time I felt this sick because I was in Dayton Ohio at the National Championships and (after winning) my sons sat in the emergency room with me for hours.  How about that shameless plug?  Sometimes you just gotta say it, "remember when we won the whole shebang?  Yeah, that was awesome . . . except for the going to the hospital part." 

Well, I'll admit this bout isn't quite as intense, but I'd like to think it's because I was wise enough to stay home instead of making a 10 hour round trip to a rehearsal this weekend.  It was hard to to stay home, but I'm already feeling better, writing on my blog and watching the academy awards. 

The longer view helps with these kinds of decisions. I can still override the obvious, but experience informs relativity and tends to wise up judgment.  I'm glad to be on the mend and ready for the week ahead which includes three performances and a visit from my mom.

Rest

By hilsonlover on Photobucket

Cell Phones While Driving

I'm working on breaking the cell phone habit in the car.  Coming off the mesa, we have miles and miles of straight roads and it's tempting chat with family and friends.  It wasn't that long ago that I didn't have a cell phone at all, actually none of us did,so there were decades of driving without a phone - not so bad.  Then it took another nine years to get decent cell service in this neck of the woods, make that desert.  So I know it won't take much to break the talking habit, just more pulling off the road - very doable.

What does feel completely nuts is texting while driving.  I'm with Oprah on this: Don't Text and Drive

I hope you will consider breaking the texting while driving habit and after taking that step, go for the whole deal and get off the phone while driving!  I'm going to make the commitment.  It's not illegal in Arizona yet, but hopefully it's coming.  It's here in print now, so here I go.
I hope you'll try too.

Maria Shriver on cell phone in California where this is illegal.

The Difference of One Degree

Our Girl's basketball team had a great season.  For I think the 6th year in a row, they were in the final 4, but alas came up short in the final game.  I heard many comments in the past few days that we were "nervous" and "didn't play well," "never got into our game" . . .

It got me thinking about the small differences that make a huge difference.  For an example of this concept check out:
http://www.just212.com/

If every athlete on the court Saturday night was just a bit faster than our team, it was enough to throw our whole game off.  It might look like we were playing poorly, but it's also possible that our opponent was 1 degree better and that was enough for them to have a "hot" game and us to look like we were cold.  In fact, we were and still are one of two teams left playing in the end of February.  In the Olympics that's called a Silver medal and it's something to be proud of the rest of your life. 

I hope when our girls get over the sting of their championship loss, they will appreciate their wonderful season and all of the intangibles that go with being on a team, taking that journey together.  Congrats to all who commit to excellence and kudos to those who figure out how to squeeze one more degree from themselves.

Off the Mesa

My view will change for a few days; I'm heading south to the Phoenix valley for an Indoor Percussion camp.  We will learn and rehearse the last minute of the show - no triple jumps but plenty of speed and volume!

It's a 120 mile drive to Flagstaff and probably more snow in their forcast and then another 120+ miles to Mesa with possible rain - good for the earth, not so hot for instruments.  Planning on collaborating, creating and lots 'o driving.

Happy weekend everyone.

Sport of the Arts: WGI and Figure Skating

As I watch the Woman's Skating finals I keep thinking about how many similarities there are to the WGI activity of Indoor Percussion (which I help direct.)

The free skate is about 4 minutes long; I think the men's programs were 4.40 - just about a minute shorter than an Indoor Percussion program.  In both sports, choices must be made about the theme, what music to play or skate to and what outfit will best fit express these choices. What do you want to convey?  Are you more connected to the music or the theme?  Either way the program must be well paced and allow the performer(s) to highlight both their technical and artistic abilities.

The other obvious comparison is that although there are many rules to be followed, the performances are judged by a panel.  There are many efforts to make the judging process as objective as possible, but it's pretty difficult to not allow your personal preferences to creep in.  I understand that the Olympic judging has been honed down to looking at every move and  transition; each skill defined from a technical view and also artistic scores added as well.  In WGI, they avoid defining what exact skills are necessary in each division, but they are scoring on rubrics that are both descriptive and numerical.

Both are what WGI calls Sport of the Arts.  There is music, demand, athleticism and expression.  The judging will never be as precise as putting a timing device on a race, a camera on the finish, but both sports do their best to reward the top performers and usually get it right. 

We may not always agree with the exact order, but the best are usually at the top with some wonderful talent in the middle of the pack.  And for the performers, it's always a thrill to perform for a live audience, put yourself out there when you're nervous, let it fly for 4+ minutes and let the scores fall where they may.

There are many obvious differences, like we don't have to march on the ice and they don't have to skate with drums, but for tonight, I'm enjoying what we have in common.                                                      

Btw - Girls Won their Semifinal basketball game today! No judges - the most points win and we had two more than Flagstaff.

Snow Being Snow

More snow - yaaaaa . . . ok not really. Tomorrow is another late start for school (which probably doesn't matter much since half the school will be ditching to go to the Girl's Basketball semi-final game in Prescott - that's if they can get there!)

Do you think snow knows when it has over stayed its' welcome? 

Isn't it funny how the first snow of each year elicits oohs and aahs; we smile and stop what we're doing, "Hey look, it's snowing!" we say with glee.  But by now, we've had events canceled, snow days that have to be made up and enough of the white stuff. "Aah crap, it's snowing again," tone of voice pretty obvious.

I won't hold it against snow, it's doing the it's best to be snow and probably doesn't understand our obsession with calendars.  When you think about it, a snow fall in December and another in February are both beautiful, possibly peaceful and probably good for the earth - it's our attitude towards the snow that changes.  Is that really fair to snow that we are so fickle?

Good Luck to our team and good luck to snow - you both need it around this time of the year.

Stay on Your Feet, on Pitch or on the Island?

Sometimes the choices before us are so challenging:

What college should I go to?  Should I take the job?  When should the wedding date be?  Children now or later? 

. . . and now tonight -

Should I watch women try to stay on their skates or sing on pitch?  No wait, I'm also following that wacky Lost saga.  Will they get off the island?  Do they want to? 

Maybe Kate could skate across the island while singing a Carrie Underwood song - then I wouldn't have to change channels and wear out my DVR. 

Have I mentioned my Direct TV DVR?  This has been another recent revelation, yet another material pleasure I won't deny.  I like my DVR, alot.  I love being able to record programs, watch them whenever I want and best of all - race at downhill speeds through any and all commercials - yessss!

Gotta go change the channel again -

                     

Our School Should Hibernate

Today was another late start for the school.  You can see where I live; it's the high desert and it's relatively moderate compared to many colder, higher, snow-bound communities around the nation.  BUT, we are a border town to the Navajo reservation.  Our busses go out 65 miles in two directions and pick up hundreds of students.  Students who live miles down dirt roads.  Right now those dirt roads are frozen ice during the evening and mud bogs during the 45 degree days.  Either way, many can't get down their "driveway" to get to a bus stop and a few bus runs can't get to their stops.

Today three busses got stuck.

So I think we should hibernate.  We are prying children out of their homes, warm and safe, to walk through bogs in the dark to catch a bus that may or may not be able to get to school on time or at all.  Perhaps its time to rethink our calendar.  We run a traditional nine month calendar with almost three months off in the summer.  Seems like it's a much easier ride when there's more sunlight and less moisture.  As a stream of students flow from the bus ramp to the high school everyday, I think: Could I make that ride every day?  Would I make that effort to wait in the cold and dark? 

I'm  going to lobby for a modified school year with a longer winter break, perhaps four day weeks for January and February.  If we take a shorter break in the summer, we kill two birds: 1) better weather conditions for transportation and 2) shorter break from instruction for ELL students (English language learners).  I'm sure there's a busload of reasons to not change the calendar, but I'm hoping that "because we've always had this schedule" isn't one of them! 

When it comes to change, I think of the Martin  Luther King quote "Now is not the time to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism."  For the schools on Manson Mesa, let's look at change that makes sense for the students who live here AND those who travel  hundreds of miles to study here.