Twenty us

Listening to: Tom Jones
Thinking about: not a whole lot
Excited about: SPRINGTIME!!!!!!! MY FAVORITE SEASON is finally upon me!!!



I caught Jamie Cullum doing a televised concert a few weeks ago. At first I thought he was pretty cool, and then I thought he was fairly generic. I'd heard about him this past fall from my friend Hunter but never really listened to him until this show. He has this one great tune, though, that truly captures much of what I think you and I, friends, are feeling at this point in life.


Not all parts may be true for you (like, the eight pints and fights); most will. The Shakespeare definitely does for me. Definitely :)
enjoy!!!

After years of expensive education,
a car full of books and anticipation,
I’m an expert on Shakespeare and that’s a hell of a lot but the world don't need scholars as much as I thought.

Maybe I'll go travelling for a year,
finding myself or start a career.
I could work for the poor though I’m hungry for fame
we all seem so different but we're just the same.

Maybe I'll go to the gym, so I don't get fat,
aren't things more easy with a tight six pack?
Who knows the answers? Who do you trust?
I can't even separate love from lust.

Maybe I’ll move back home and pay off my loans,
working nine to five answering phones.
Don't make me live for my friday nights,
drinking eight pints and getting in fights.

I don't want to get up, just let me lie in,
leave me alone, I'm a twenty something.

Maybe I'll just fall in love that could solve it all,
philosophers say that that’s enough,
there surely must be more. Ooooh

Love ain’t the answer nor is work,
the truth eludes me so much it hurts.
But I’m still having fun and I guess that's the key,
I'm a twenty something and I'll keep being me.

doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah
doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah
doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah
doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah

I’m a twenty something.
Let me lie in, Leave me alone.
I’m a twenty something.

doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah
doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah
doh dah duh dah, do duh dah dah dah

John Legend

He's my new man.
He gives me such hope for today's r&b music.
I love you, John!!!!!!!!

fickle

Listening to: Ella Fitzgerald and raindrops on my parents' back deck and this one bird chirping. Ah, spring.
Thinking about: how nice it is to be off from school. Ah, spring break.
Excited about: visiting a couple of chans this week. Ah, the chan chan kingdom.

Can I just speak on behalf of those who consider themselves out-loud-thinkers?

I am one. No confession necessary; this is just an obvious character trait of mine.

I like to gather facts, opinions, evidence, pros, cons, and the lot of it before I make any sort of decision. Now, I don't mean, "What should I eat for dinner tonight?" or "Where should I spend my weekend?" kinds of choices. Try, "Should I sign a contract with these people for ten more months?" or "How should I invest this money?" or "Where am I going to live after this lease is up?" I believe these are worthwhile questions to spend considerable time pondering, praying over, and thinking about; however, I am an out-loud-thinker, so many people confuse my slow decision-making process and weighing-of-the-options with pure fickleness.

On any day one choice might look better than another, so I, being the enthusiastic person that I am, get really into whichever idea I'm entertaining at the moment. Does that imply that I am marrying myself to this thought? Definintely not. When did it become so wrong to imagine all of the possibilities?

Friends call me fickle.
Others might say I'm non-committal. I might have agreed at one point, until I realized I have no problem committing when it's something I'm excited about and ready to committ to.
My dad just says "It's more like vacillating." Riiiiiight.

I don't think I'll stop being an out-loud thinker, but I might choose my audiences with the same carefulness that I explore each and every possible opportunity that stands ripe fo the seizing.


*to those dear friends and readers who may want to know what the out-loud-thought-of-the-moment is, ask*

march, rant, and rave

Listening to: apartment sounds
Thinking about: it's almost 9 p.m and I'm already this tired, and does anyone even read this anymore?
Ticked about: Elton cancelling the Richmond show. Get well soon, mofo!
Excited about: Thai food, my new favorite.

It's been awhile....

I used to have this away message on messenger that read, "I sold my soul to gcps" (my school district). Up until so very recently, I feared my principal--she's orderly and militant in her adminstrative style and it makes me feel so uptight. There's so much to be done, to get ready, to have turned in by, and yada yada ya, that it can almost rob your joy if you let it. As a teacher, my biggest joy lies in knowing that God could use me to reach a child and make a positive impact in their lives.

Unfortunately, my school district--along with many others--seem to care more about test scores,funding, and statistics than they do about the individuals who pass through their halls each day. The priorites are out of place and the focus is no longer on any child being potentially "left behind;" it's more like a focus on "we don't want to be reprimanded, so let's cover our selfish heinies and go along our embittered way." This unspoken mentality pervades each school, each administrator, and attempts to penetrate the optimism of each teacher. It finds success with some and drains others.

I am one of the others who has felt drained. I can't let corrupt politics and poor policies deter me from where I am called to be...although it is tempting to leave and pursue another passion...

Teachers in today's America have to learn how to say no, to stop cavorting in the lounge, to stop closing the door in fear that gossip may be overheard, and to stop allowing acts like "No Child Left Behind" to scare them out of their jobs. They need to continue on in the best interest of their students, not the best interests of the Board of Supervisors. They need to stop playing marionette to whomever wants to tug at their strings.

For me, this entails finding time for myself and saying no to the requests of colleagues--I've already implemented this mindset for myself and the resulting joy has been amazing. This entails ignoring the demands of any Central Office and instead cater to the larger demand: the growing minds and appetites for learning that my students can have. The need to have strong, good teachers is so acute and dear, yet we wonder why there is such a high overturn rater with educational professionals. It's because of the lack of hope and vision in our educational "leaders" --teachers must absolutely supply their students with careful, concerned, nurturing for both their hearts and their intellect.