Rest In Peace, Michael

I’ve been refreshing my tabs from CNN, MSNBC, and TMZ; and they’ve eventually arrived at the same conclusion: Michael Jackson has died.

Sigh. Unbelievable.

Rest in Peace, Michael.

Really Louisiana Legislature?

Shout out to A-Dub for showing me this YouTube link.

You’d think that there would be other topics to discuss in the Louisiana State Legislature instead of having Hurricane Chris perform. I get it. I know you want to recognize the Shreveport native for his accolades and hard work. But is this really the time? How about taking care of the budget issues, education, and poverty that is plaguing the state? Or taking care of the issues that are still present because of Hurricane Katrina?

Instead, you result to this:

While there are plenty of things that make me laugh in this video, I’m really saddened by this. And it’s not just the Louisiana legislature. Our elected officials are really slacking on their responsibilities as leaders across the board. It’s time that we demand more, and hold them accountable. We deserve better.

Thursday Thoughts

“A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is…. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Evading Responsibility

I’ve been doing a great job of shirking my responsibilities in this period of time since school ended last Wednesday.  I’ve found ways to start new art projects and hobbies (Michael’s has become my new favorite hangout), read books, watched movies, taken naps, and hang out with friends.  However, I’ve only had limited time to pack my apartment.

Sigh.

It’s really that I hate packing.  And it’s not that I haven’t done ANY packing.  I’ve packed my living room, and half of my closet.  That just leaves the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, and the other half of my closet.  And the movers aren’t coming until Saturday.  That means I have plenty of time, right?

You can consider this blog entry as a sufficient way for me to yet again, evade the responsbility of packing.  Today’s goal includes packing the pantry, the bathroom, and the other half of my closet.  That will just leave me with having to do the kitchen, and get those clothes out of my dresser into their respective suitcases.

I am proud to announce that it’s very likely that this will happen.  Partially because I don’t really have anything else planned today to prevent it, and partially because it’s entirely too hot outside to venture out to do anything else.

But, I really do need some help.  If you know some people who are able and willing to help, please send them my way.  I think your recommendations are safer than that of my BFF, who recommended that I go to Home Depot early in the morning and secure some day laborers to help me pack for $50.  I guess that’s what friends are for?

Anyhow, enough of this evading responsibility.  I’m off to try and make some things happen.  Until next time…

So Proud…

I normally wouldn’t do this, but some things are worth recognizing.

Big shout out to Quinton Sawyer on his new position as Head Athletic Trainer at Campbell University.  You can check out the awesome press release on Quinton here.

So…this should help to further dispute the idea that there aren’t any good black males out there.  There are, and you know it.  And while I know it’s tempting, don’t run out and try to holla at Quinton.  I don’t think his girlfriend would like that too much.

Congrats Q!

Mr. President, can you excuse me from…

My president is pretty cool.  I’ve always thought that, but after hearing about this story last week, it’s been confirmed.

While at a town hall meeting, President Obama was asked a question by a man in the audience.  The man also mentioned that he had brought along his daughter, Kennedy, to the town hall meeting and he hoped that her absence would be excused.

Our president, being who he is, proceeds to write a letter for Kennedy, which says, “To Kennedy’s Teacher:  Please excuse Kennedy’s absence.  She’s with me.”

Since I now know that he’s in the excuse letter writing business, I have some things that I need him to excuse me from…and also some things that need to be excused:

1. Faculty Meetings
2. Faculty In-Service Training
3. HR Meetings
4. Anything that requires me to consistently wear a skirt/dress
5. Long lines at the grocery store
6. Any Wal-Mart that doesn’t offer butter cream cupcakes
7. Plies, T-Pain, and on some occasions, Lil Wayne
8. Marvin Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” sandwiched between two secular songs (ie: Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop”, Never Would Have Made It, Shirley Murdock’s “As We Lay”)
9. Rude people
10. THAT coworker (everyone has one…and if you can’t think of one, you’re THAT coworker for everyone else)
11. Florida Traffic/Drivers (Are you really blowing your horn AS SOON AS the light turns green, when you’re car #4 at the light?  You weren’t going to be moving right away ANYWAY)
12. Mosquitoes
13. People who constantly retweet on Twitter
14. The Iphone vs. Blackberry debate
15. Skinny jeans and scarfs for men

Okay…so I think I’ll stop there.  For now.  What would you want President Obama to excuse you from or to just excuse in general?

All My Bags Are Packed…

Well, my bags aren’t QUITE packed, but I’m READY TO GO.  It’s been a while since I’ve written, because the life of a teacher gets to be crazy around the end of the year.  There are tons of end of the year shenanigans: meetings, parties, final exams, review sessions, and for me…preparing to move.

Yup.  I’m going to make another move.

After being in the Sunshine State for just under a year, I’ll be calling it quits…and heading to a land that is much more familiar, but still somewhat unknown: the Old North State.  Yes!  Heading back home to North Carolina!

While I haven’t detailed it much here, it’s been a particularly difficult year for me in Florida.  Between challenges with my school, the students, and their parents; along with never really feeling quite “settled”…I thought it was best to leave before I got too attached.  Along with the desire to be somewhere where at least a few people know my name, have family close, and be even more cautiously optimistic as I partake in what continues to be one of the biggest blessings to my life.

I will still be teaching.  As I began the journey of figuring out what was next, a big question was whether the classroom was truly the place for me.  Was I able to fully exercise and utilize my gifts and talents by working in the classroom setting?  After much thought and prayer, I realized that my calling is to a classroom.  I love the energy and watching their eyes light up as the connections are made.  But what I love most is that classrooms are still full of possibility.  There are full of what’s to come, of what could be.  And I’m thankful that God has given me the desire to be a part of that possibility, as well as the ability to handle that responsibility.

The next stop on my journey will be Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina.  I’ll be working as a teacher at the KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory School.  I’ve been impressed with KIPP Schools since seeing the founders on Oprah a few years back, and I feel extremely blessed to be able to work in that environment.  Of course, a new environment creates new challenges, but I’m very excited about what’s to come.

Of course life wouldn’t be life if there weren’t too many things to take care of in too little time.  However, in the midst of all of the “things”, I’ve been able to enjoy myself.  Memorial Day weekend was awesome- laid back and enjoyable, with some time spent at the beach, and I enjoyed my last Jewish holiday of the school year, Shavout (it’s when the Jews received the Torah from God) by taking a short trip to the Bahamas.  Life is good.

At any rate, I’ll be grinding it out for the next week or so, as I make it to the end of the year.  Then I’ll make a quick trip to North Carolina for a very special graduation, and then it’s back here to pack it up and move it out.  To sum up Florida:  “…all of my good days outweigh my bad days and I won’t complain.”

As for now, back to the grind!  Until next time…