I was browsing some old rap videos from the late 1980s and early 1990s yesterday seeking an Ice Cube track called, "Today Was A Good Day." I thought I would post it to my Facebook profile to share with some fellow 30 somethings that would appreciate the jam. But as I listened this 30 something father of two little girls became appalled by the suggestive lyrics and scenes. I am a grown man who enjoys good music and I am not saying this artist's freedom of speech should be denied, but I just can't attach myself to those lyrics.
The objective of this post though is not to discuss my tastes in old school rap music, but to share with my readers that I have had some pretty good days this week.
It can be wrapped up in this one scene from my life today:
Before I left for my softball game I received a big hug from my oldest while my youngest was blowing kisses to me from across the room.
Think about all the explicit good stuff in that sentence alone.
1) Hugs from my oldest
2) Cute kisses being blown to me from my littlest one (if you saw how she does this you would agree that it is unbearably adorable).
3) Going to hang out with some friends of mine
4) Playing a game
All of this before I even continue with the fact that my beautiful wife was sitting next to me. This all happened in a house we can afford in a decent neighborhood. USA had already won a thrilling soccer match to put us in the round of 16. The weather was beautiful. I didn't have to work. I have a new position at a school I chose to move to next school year. We had a thoroughly enjoyable lunch with some good friends' who we hadn't seen in awhile at their house earlier in the day.
I could really go on.
The day before was a good day without anything major happening. When mundane days are good days, as I wrote yesterday, you are really sitting pretty.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Good Bye Linden (pt 2)
I planned on writing another post dedicated to the people I worked with at Linden. In the end, it was the people that made the job what it was. I will get to this post, but today I wanted to put up a poem one colleague and I wrote and presented to our companions before we departed one last time today.
We both entered Linden the same year and we are both leaving the same year. We have shared similar feelings regarding this departure and our time at the school. So we felt it would be very cool to express these feelings and share our thoughts in a humorous, yet touching manner.
If I do say so myself, we pulled this off with flying colors. Although I struggled to make it through with a straight face, Jennifer remained stoic and we kept our captive audience laughing, crying and most of all, hitting home our point that they meant a great deal to us. We alternated stanzas and added a little flair here and there. At the end of the day, it worked as we hoped it would.
Understand we are not poets. So there are some rough parts due to the need to get certain points across and not enough time to smooth it out perfectly. And I removed particular names for privacy.
Here it is:
Twas our last day at Linden when all through the school
The staff was still packing and cleaning their rooms.
The boxes were filled and the cabinets were clear,
In hopes that our summer break soon would be here.
The children were done now, all playing at home,
While the teachers dreamed of vacations alone.
And Couch with her bag and Huey in his hat
Were saying good bye to this one and that.
When we both started at Linden in 1999
We thought that this teaching stuff would be just fine
Huey remembered days back in the annex
He lost count of the times he almost panicked
But quickly he learned how this new school would work
No longer was he freaked out by blood on his shirt.
Holes in the floor and chunks of ceiling falling,
Mr. Smith in the basement doing his drawings.
While back at the main building things were as nutty
With paper rooms flooding and (student), our buddy.
Wait a minute, Kathy, did I hear him right?
He needed to boo-boo but who’s gonna wipe.
The cops crashed the meth lab across the street,
A lockdown, no way! We had front row seats.
Mr. (parent) was greeted each day by Ms. Payne
Not sure what he had but he was insane!
Then finally one day we all said goodbye,
When the old building fell as the dust rose up high.
A new chapter at Linden was about to begin,
Now we had Hudson, would we all fit in?
Let’s count all the programs that we have had,
SFA, CMCD, Move It Math, Project Grad.
And then came LACES, and now we are STEM,
What comes after that? We’ll leave it to them.
Let’s not forget all the fun that we’ve had.
Line dancing, basketball, the retreats weren’t too bad.
There were Allen’s concerts that lasted two hours,
We didn’t care cuz the kids had music power!
Field days, PEAK free parties, and trips to the zoo,
Baseball games, COSI, and the parks, to name a few.
Now let’s not forget about the big adult fight
On the playground, after school. It was quite a sight!
Let’s pay respect to the ones we have lost,
House fires and shootings were a difficult cost,
It has been sad to watch staff members go,
We cried many tears because we missed them so.
But we always got lucky as new ones arrived,
Because all of their hard work made Linden strive,
We all know the work that we do is not easy,
But with all of your talents it seems more breezy
When Couch did the job share it drove everyone crazy,
Was she at work or just home being lazy.
Maybe she was counting the pennies galore,
or planning out ways to collect even more.
You got lucky to have Alli as part of the feature,
I heard that she makes a great lunch duty teacher.
To all of my teammates and committee members,
Thanks for the memories I’ll always remember.
When Huey’s team met in the hall it was far from a bore,
He and Yetts lived by the motto, "Less is more,"
We got more done with our backs against the wall,
Than the gossip our girls passed back and forth in the halls,
AYP, Proficiency, OAT or OAA,
Whatever the letters we were always game.
Gillam, Early, Baddeley, Jones, Harris and Harris, Marston, Huey, Smith and Yetts,
It didn't matter who was with us, we always felt 4th grade was the best!
As we walked to our cars, with no bullet holes,
We gave a last wave to the friends that we know.
To the Linden Family that’s always been true,
Thank you to all, and to all we love you!
Yeah, we knocked it out of the ballpark.
We both entered Linden the same year and we are both leaving the same year. We have shared similar feelings regarding this departure and our time at the school. So we felt it would be very cool to express these feelings and share our thoughts in a humorous, yet touching manner.
If I do say so myself, we pulled this off with flying colors. Although I struggled to make it through with a straight face, Jennifer remained stoic and we kept our captive audience laughing, crying and most of all, hitting home our point that they meant a great deal to us. We alternated stanzas and added a little flair here and there. At the end of the day, it worked as we hoped it would.
Understand we are not poets. So there are some rough parts due to the need to get certain points across and not enough time to smooth it out perfectly. And I removed particular names for privacy.
Here it is:
Twas our last day at Linden when all through the school
The staff was still packing and cleaning their rooms.
The boxes were filled and the cabinets were clear,
In hopes that our summer break soon would be here.
The children were done now, all playing at home,
While the teachers dreamed of vacations alone.
And Couch with her bag and Huey in his hat
Were saying good bye to this one and that.
When we both started at Linden in 1999
We thought that this teaching stuff would be just fine
Huey remembered days back in the annex
He lost count of the times he almost panicked
But quickly he learned how this new school would work
No longer was he freaked out by blood on his shirt.
Holes in the floor and chunks of ceiling falling,
Mr. Smith in the basement doing his drawings.
While back at the main building things were as nutty
With paper rooms flooding and (student), our buddy.
Wait a minute, Kathy, did I hear him right?
He needed to boo-boo but who’s gonna wipe.
The cops crashed the meth lab across the street,
A lockdown, no way! We had front row seats.
Mr. (parent) was greeted each day by Ms. Payne
Not sure what he had but he was insane!
Then finally one day we all said goodbye,
When the old building fell as the dust rose up high.
A new chapter at Linden was about to begin,
Now we had Hudson, would we all fit in?
Let’s count all the programs that we have had,
SFA, CMCD, Move It Math, Project Grad.
And then came LACES, and now we are STEM,
What comes after that? We’ll leave it to them.
Let’s not forget all the fun that we’ve had.
Line dancing, basketball, the retreats weren’t too bad.
There were Allen’s concerts that lasted two hours,
We didn’t care cuz the kids had music power!
Field days, PEAK free parties, and trips to the zoo,
Baseball games, COSI, and the parks, to name a few.
Now let’s not forget about the big adult fight
On the playground, after school. It was quite a sight!
Let’s pay respect to the ones we have lost,
House fires and shootings were a difficult cost,
It has been sad to watch staff members go,
We cried many tears because we missed them so.
But we always got lucky as new ones arrived,
Because all of their hard work made Linden strive,
We all know the work that we do is not easy,
But with all of your talents it seems more breezy
When Couch did the job share it drove everyone crazy,
Was she at work or just home being lazy.
Maybe she was counting the pennies galore,
or planning out ways to collect even more.
You got lucky to have Alli as part of the feature,
I heard that she makes a great lunch duty teacher.
To all of my teammates and committee members,
Thanks for the memories I’ll always remember.
When Huey’s team met in the hall it was far from a bore,
He and Yetts lived by the motto, "Less is more,"
We got more done with our backs against the wall,
Than the gossip our girls passed back and forth in the halls,
AYP, Proficiency, OAT or OAA,
Whatever the letters we were always game.
Gillam, Early, Baddeley, Jones, Harris and Harris, Marston, Huey, Smith and Yetts,
It didn't matter who was with us, we always felt 4th grade was the best!
As we walked to our cars, with no bullet holes,
We gave a last wave to the friends that we know.
To the Linden Family that’s always been true,
Thank you to all, and to all we love you!
Yeah, we knocked it out of the ballpark.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Student Visits
I have an old student who has been making it a tradition to come back and pay a visit at the end of each school year. I can tell he enjoys bragging about his exploits on the football field. You would think this would bring him by during football season but it is always the last week of school that I see him stroll in my classroom to the wide eyed awe of each class each year.
This year he brought with him a couple of his jerseys to show off. He handed me his home jersey and I held it up admiringly noting his last name on the back. Then we traded and I did the same with his away jersey.
We talked a little about his junior season. I asked what position he plays. Any. So I prodded a bit for specifics and he narrowed it down to quarterback and safety. Then I asked about the kind of offense they run and what he felt was his strengths and so on.
He can do it all, pass and run.
I have a feeling there was some embellishment taking place but I enjoyed it and allowed him to continue with little or no skepticism from me.
This continued as he talked about his future prospects. He says he has been hearing from the University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Ohio University and even Michigan State University.
Naturally I followed this by inquiring about my alma mater, Ohio State. Or O state as the kids say these days. Apparently, he is attending a camp at O State this summer and confidently expects some interest following said camp.
He is a great kid. I thoroughly enjoy his visits. He is still the same laid back guy he was in 4th grade seven years ago. He is physically larger than most of his peers just like his days in my class, but he never tried to intimidate. He just keep to himself and handled his business.
We talked football back then and we talk football now. Obviously. I also pry enough to make sure his grades are cool. I want to hear he still is working hard and managing well. Math was his thing. It sounds like it still is.
I trust he isn't just saying this to get me off his case and get the conversation back to his football accomplishments. I trust he is getting by like he did back then. It always took work but he never bowed out to it.
I would love to hear his name someday as I watch a game. The odds are against it. But at least I would know if he is anything like he was in 4th grade, he is one of the cool players I can be proud to cheer for.
Unless he goes to the "other" Michigan.
This year he brought with him a couple of his jerseys to show off. He handed me his home jersey and I held it up admiringly noting his last name on the back. Then we traded and I did the same with his away jersey.
We talked a little about his junior season. I asked what position he plays. Any. So I prodded a bit for specifics and he narrowed it down to quarterback and safety. Then I asked about the kind of offense they run and what he felt was his strengths and so on.
He can do it all, pass and run.
I have a feeling there was some embellishment taking place but I enjoyed it and allowed him to continue with little or no skepticism from me.
This continued as he talked about his future prospects. He says he has been hearing from the University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Ohio University and even Michigan State University.
Naturally I followed this by inquiring about my alma mater, Ohio State. Or O state as the kids say these days. Apparently, he is attending a camp at O State this summer and confidently expects some interest following said camp.
He is a great kid. I thoroughly enjoy his visits. He is still the same laid back guy he was in 4th grade seven years ago. He is physically larger than most of his peers just like his days in my class, but he never tried to intimidate. He just keep to himself and handled his business.
We talked football back then and we talk football now. Obviously. I also pry enough to make sure his grades are cool. I want to hear he still is working hard and managing well. Math was his thing. It sounds like it still is.
I trust he isn't just saying this to get me off his case and get the conversation back to his football accomplishments. I trust he is getting by like he did back then. It always took work but he never bowed out to it.
I would love to hear his name someday as I watch a game. The odds are against it. But at least I would know if he is anything like he was in 4th grade, he is one of the cool players I can be proud to cheer for.
Unless he goes to the "other" Michigan.
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