Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
photo dump
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| Dogwood flower that never made it up in 2011 or 2012... |
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| Another 2011 beauty that was just chillin' on my computer. |
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| It was 60 degrees out, and raining. I need some summer, not another wet, weird winter. |
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| Last night of the last week of camp. I am going to try to make it a goal to take a picture of something beautiful every day this summer. |
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Hugging them a little bit tighter
Working with kids, sometimes I get the random hug. They want to feel connected and loved and express their apprecation of whatever we are doing. Sometimes its a hug from one of the kids who takes my Lego classes, other times, one of my teens will randomly get excited and hug. I always give them the one arm, side hug that lasts only for a few seconds. Don't want someone thinking that the hug I give back means something a little more.
Yesterday was a little different. I got three hugs, and while I still did the side arm hug, I did squeeze a little more. I gave it a few more seconds, held on a little bit tighter. Because what if. Newtown isn't that much different from any other town in the northeast. Sandy Hook Elementary isnt that much different than my elementary school, or any of the other schools in my area. They were getting ready for holiday break; teachers finishing up lessons, making holiday crafts, teaching songs, decorating the class rooms. These could have easily been my kids. They could have come to my classes or my programs, they could be the younger siblings of my teens. It breaks my heart.
Yesterday was a little different. I got three hugs, and while I still did the side arm hug, I did squeeze a little more. I gave it a few more seconds, held on a little bit tighter. Because what if. Newtown isn't that much different from any other town in the northeast. Sandy Hook Elementary isnt that much different than my elementary school, or any of the other schools in my area. They were getting ready for holiday break; teachers finishing up lessons, making holiday crafts, teaching songs, decorating the class rooms. These could have easily been my kids. They could have come to my classes or my programs, they could be the younger siblings of my teens. It breaks my heart.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
I've never been more hopeful about our future
"And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future.
I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.
I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America."
I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.
I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.
America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America."
- President Barack Obama
November 6, 2012
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