The State of the Union speech last evening reminded me how quickly time goes by. Eight years ago I was not yet in my sixties. I was still working at KIPP Houston High School and my mother was not only alive but appeared to be incredibly healthy. Most of my grandchildren were still toddlers or very young school children. It would have been impossible for me to even imagine the many changes that have taken place in my life and the world at large. As is the usual case with most of us I assumed that things would continue just as they were back then. It never occurred to me that I would lose loved ones and good friends in the coming years. I was not even thinking about retirement nor did I ever consider that one day I would spend hours writing every single day. I barely knew some of the people who are now so important to me. I was completely caught up in my day to day routine and had little time to reflect on where I had been, where I was, or where I hoped to go. In other words I tended to take everything for granted. Continue reading “Morning Will Come”
When I first met Ina I was admittedly in awe of her. She had the reputation of a rockstar, a teacher who somehow transcends all of the complications of a classroom and soars above the rest of us mere mortals. It would take time before I found myself on a team of teachers with her, time when I was finding my way in an educational environment that was far more difficult than any that I had ever before encountered. Luckily I had the opportunity to enjoy a kind of apprenticeship with some of the finest teachers in the school, especially Ina. 
Most of us think of Disneyland when we imagine the fairytales of our youth. It is an imaginary world filled with beautiful princesses who always overcome challenges and find true love with a handsome prince. The villains are scary but easily overcome by goodness and justice. The tales come from a long tradition of folklore and were most notably made popular by the Brothers Grimm. What few of us know is that a French lawyer and sometime author who worked in the court of Louis XIV first wrote about Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood more than two hundred years before the stories that we know today were penned. That man was Charles Perrault and he is featured in today’s Google drawing. This is his three hundred eighty eighth birthday. 
One of my youngest nephews was watching The Wizard of Oz on Saturday. He’s a rather articulate little fellow given that he is not yet three years old. He spoke with great enthusiasm about the movie that seems to be his favorite, at least for the moment. It occurred to me that it takes a bit of daring for a little boy to view a film that features witches and flying monkeys but he seemed unfazed by the sometimes scary storyline. He was mostly focused on the ruby slippers, the yellow brick road and the songs. He was more than willing to show all of us the proper way to behave in the land of Oz, a rather new development in his usually somewhat shy demeanor. His new found bravery around people that he doesn’t see very often represents a major leap forward in his personality. He is learning to trust and to try new things, even when they may be difficult to do. 
