Think the thoughts, feel the feels...write it down

I like music, like a lot, and there are some artists out there that I really dig.  Whether it be their voice (it's usually that), their lyrics, their style in music, or a combination of those three, I just really love anything and everything they do (musically).  So here's a list of some of the fellas who's music I can't get enough of, in no particular order. 1) Bruno Mars.  A roommate got me his album, Unorthodox Juke , and it is legit!  I can't stop listening to it.  He has such a great voice and is a gifted songwriter.  It doesn't hurt that he's pretty handsome.  He, on the same night, guest hosted and performed on SNL and did a superbly.  Such a talented young man. 2) Justin Timberlake.   A few days ago, a friend and I were discussing music and brought up falsetto.  We talked about how few people, men, could really pull off falsetto, but Justin Timberlake was one who absolutely could and does.  His voice and his musi...

Teaching is hard, not because there's so much material to teach or because there's so many children we have to differentiate between.  But being a teacher is much, much harder.  I didn't realize there was a difference until Tuesday on my way home from a really tough day at work.  On my way home, that evening, I was finally able to start processing what had happened at school.  I'm still kinda processing it. I haven't reached a full conclusion, but I have come to realize that there's this heart teachers have.  It's this teacherly heart; this heart enables us to love each student deeply, even if I can't name them all, all while seeing their faults as a human and believing that they can become so much despite the flaws.  This teacherly heart tells us to keep at it even though the federal government oppresses us into a frenzy. This teacherly heart breaks when a student has the cops called on him.  This teacherly heart rises up when others, who aren...

So, about every other day someone announces that they're pregnant or that they've had a baby.  These women are incredible.  I've haphazardly heard and read about pregnancy horror stories like losing teeth and balding.  I don't want to be a mom, I know people who want nothing more than to be a parent, and their kids are great. The women who are so pregnant and still so graceful deserve an award because it doesn't just change the body, it changes the way they live.  So here's why you'd likely hate being around me if I was ever pregnant or why I'd hate being around myself. 1)  Whiny.   I anticipate me whining a lot.  I'm not a complainer, I like to try to fix the object of the whining, but being pregnant isn't something I can 'fix'. 2)  Horse Pills.   When it comes to taking medicine, I'm the worst at taking it.  Even little naproxen sodium pills are a challenge for me.  I have to concentrate really hard and talk myself into it...

Tonight I rung up a customer (white/male/46) at the yogurt shop at which I work.  He had a friendly demeanor and seemed nice enough.  After he was finished with his yogurt, he approached me at my till and started asking me questions.  He asked if I was a student, I told him I was a teacher, he said he just knew I was either a student/teacher/news anchor (that's something I've never gotten before).  After the basic 'about me' questions, he started asking if I'd seen all these different movies/shows: Amistad , The Color Purple , and others.  As soon as he asked me the first one (which I can't remember), I knew the conversation was gonna go south.  He asked me if I'd seen The Color Purple , I told him I had and he said he didn't think they made movies like that anymore.  That they were so concerned with being politically correct and not offending blacks.  I mentioned the movie The Help  and how it's based on a true story.  He said he did s...

For all of my life, up until last year, I sucked at New Year's Resolutions.  I would say "Okay!  I'm gonna do XYZ"  and within a day, maybe a week, the resolution would die and I wouldn't even bother to try to revive it.  I know that's a common thing, for people to make resolutions and then not follow through, but I think I've figured out why people's resolutions don't make it.  Reflection!  I think we don't reflect as much as we should.  Resolutions should be based on reflections of ourselves.  We should look at who we are, what's important to us, and produce a resolution from there.  Reflect on who you were last year, what you stood for, what you did to improve the world, what mattered/mattered little to you... then make an action plan. Well, I'm pretty pleased with my 2012 resolution, "Be more social outside my house."  I really like spending time with my roommates so I had gotten into somewhat of a rut just staying home...