In the Shower I Prayed...

In the shower I prayed
Lord wash the tears away
Wash my sins away
Let the scent of the sweet pea
Cleanse my body
Of the stench of foes and adversaries
All around me
purge the hate and jealousy
They possess and aim at me
May I never reciprocate
In the midst of tainted emotion

In the shower I prayed
water cascading over me
Like the blessings that flow eternally
You allow others to find favor
You allow me to discern
placed me in positions
To inspire and learn
From mistakes by others as well as mine
Redemption rains down
Washing tears away, while in the shower I prayed

Ode to Lucero

I had the pleasure of seeing a young man fresh out of college sign his first teaching contract today.

A high school athlete and Eagle Scout. AP student. He always enjoyed history. He went to Texas Tech just like his siblings. This Red Raider studied abroad and acquired a master's degree along the way.

A social studies teacher and coach. Something that he has always wanted. Son of a military man turned coach, and a mother who teaches, he knew early on that he would join the family business of teaching. 

Recently he was working at a rec center; with a few strokes of the pen he multiplied his salary fourfold. In addition he is going to make an impact; he'll change the world. 

After he left for the day, I thought about how our paths were so different. 

I too loved history. I was labeled "GT" and took honors classes. I thought I knew what I wanted to be: I wanted to be a black Blake Carrington, business mogul. 

Then I wanted to be a public relations major. I thought I could work for companies and do PR for them. 

As a pre-business major, I quickly discovered that math and I couldn't get along. There was no Public Relations major at my college. 

So I decided to major in history and then Social Sciences. I finally graduated with a degree in the latter after 5 years. 

Toward the end, I realized I had been over looking the obvious. I loved knowledge, I loved sharing it. Little kids always flocked to me, even ones I didn't know. It was my destiny to become a teacher. 

After an entrance to adulthood that was marked by death, violence, and hardship. I was still able to cross paths with a young man who shares the same goals that I have. 

His path was clear, mine was pockmarked with adversity to steer me where I needed to go. Somehow, we met in Mont Belvieu, Texas, on a hot July day. It has been almost 16 years since I signed my first teaching contract. Today reminded me why I did. Today reminded me that I am doing the very thing that I prayed for...making a positive impact

I want to tell my former students like @luceroivettte that you just have to be patient when you don't know what you want to do. When it is time for you to know you will know. You will feel it in the depths of your soul and you will be insanely passionate about it.

In the meantime, enjoy your life; go to college or work and experience what life has to offer. It is my prayer that you will find your calling, you will find that thing that allows you to truly thrive.

Starting Love Over (2014-2015 School Year)

I return to work tomorrow. While that song doesn't exactly match my excitement about the start of a new school year, it does convey the way I feel about returning to work. The way I feel about setting goals and getting ready for the students and staff to return.

I'm ready to start to do what I love all over again (the new year). I'm ready to return to the way things were: getting back to being an instructional leader and interacting with my colleagues, coworkers, and students. If we stick to our goals and expectations, we can make it...I think you get the gist.

Enjoy that Miles Jaye!

Hate Can Be A Lady

She tried
Tried real hard
To shiver my timbers
But they didn't; she couldn't shake
My woods
My sense of self
Still intact
Back back
50 ft and all that
Pretenses
False and you can't get me
Hater you can't get me
Mind too strong
Suggestion like a Jedi
*You will lose*
Wasting your time
Peep these words
These rhymes
Recognize
Respect
Me and who I am
Full of simple complexities
Complex simplicities
But no 'plex
Unless you get next
To that side
The wrong side of me
Check yourself
Watch yourself
Sacred ground being broached
Getting beside yourself
You bound to get crushed like a roach
Keep trying
May as well start lying
Because as hard as you my try
As hard as you may try
It don't matter
It don't matter what you've done
I won't
can't ain't shan't alack!
I'm getting Shakespearean
Because I won't succumb

3 Degrees

I got 3 degrees
But I'm not Kevin Bacon
Talking about separation
But an associate becoming a bachelor
Becoming a master
Approach not scientific
But deliberate and specific

I got my associate's after
I chose to change and modify my associates
They got me applied handcuffs instead of applied science

I stopped BSin and got my BS
I got productive; got my mind right
Striving for mastery
So I cut the mess and got my MS

3 degrees
But I'm not Kevin Bacon
Talking about separation
But an associate becoming a bachelor
Becoming a master
Approach not scientific
But deliberate and specific

5 Vacation Reflections

I just returned from a cruise to Cozumel with my family and we had a great time. I love going on cruises; you have no worries! All you have to do is get on the ship, report to your room and enjoy the ride. Everything is all inclusive including food, drinks (water and lemonade), and entertainment. We were gone for 4 days and 5 nights. Our arrival and departure from Cozumel was sandwiched between complete days at sea. I had a lot of time to relax and reflect. As a result of these "reflections" here are 5 among many that I would like to share...Please indulge me:

1. Relaxation

I always forget what it truly means to relax until I actually go on vacation. Once you get out to sea and there is no cell phone service and no internet, then it hits you: I'm not going to be in touch with anyone until I get back! I can't begin to tell you how liberating that was for me; I celebrated by taking naps...lots of naps! I never sleep like I did unless its on vacation. When you lay on the bed and feel the subtle sway of the ocean, you can't help but go to sleep. I needed that. 4 days of chillin' and relaxin'...chillaxin' did me tons of good.

2. Time

I was not at all concerned with the time while I was on vacation. Oddly, that made me realize how valuable it is. We don't know how much time we have to live our lives so we need to value the time that we have. We need to strive to do things that are worthwhile. As a teenager, things never mattered as much because you always "have time" to do whatever you want to do. As an adult, you realize that time is more finite and you value the free time that you have.

It was great lounging by the pool with the wife sharing headphones and listening to music. I had a wonderful time swimming in the pool with my son, racing from end to end or listening to him as we sat in the hot tub. Time matters when you are on the beach watching your son try to catch tropical fish with a shovel (don't ask). Time matters when you and your wife are dying from laughing at the assistant cruise director, a guy who can twerk better than most women (you REALLY had to be there).

3. Water

There is a lot of water in the Gulf of Mexico! There were times when it was so serene and peaceful, other times where you could see little whitecaps and there was a feeling, better yet a reminder that destruction is just one bad weather system away.

4. Food

I love to eat...when there is food everywhere you look, it sure does make for a good time. I ate hamburgers, pizza, and french fries. I tried alligator fritters and crab cakes; pumpkin soup, mango soup, and escargot.  I had lobster tail, fried chicken, and steaks for dinner. I had more chocolate molten cake than should be allowed...I can't wait do it again in the future.

5. Scooby Doo

I want to know why no one told me about these new Scooby Doo adventures! Nevermind the fact that due to limited television channels (like ESPN and HBO to name a couple) we basically watched Boomerang and the Cartoon Network when we were in our cabin Stateroom. Nevermind that! I just want to know when this new version came out! It was pretty good and I would be lying if I didn't enjoy the episodes.

Well these are just a few reflections from my vacation. I had many more but I can't type that long or that much; there would be anything else for me to blog about. Next time...let's see what happens; I'm trying to get into a groove...Striving for perfection "blognificence"

Freeing Myself

7/4/14 I can't think of a better day to liberate myself from the shackles that have limited my ability to express my thoughts to the world. Now is the time for me to share my thoughts and creativity. We are only here for a finite period; I would be filled with regret if I didn't maximize the time I have sharing my thoughts, gifts, and talents with those who wish to partake in what I have to offer via this blog and other social mediums. It is my goal to make this a thing that is fun and entertaining. I don't know where it will go, but I expect the journey to be great. I got plans...:)