Destination Known

A New Year, A New Day

2010-12-29T14:04:00.000-06:00

What a year this has been! Professionally, the first half of the year I spent teaching students with severe autism and behavior disorders. The last half I have been teaching inner-city high school students. Both jobs have been very challenging, in different ways. Compassion for the underdogs of life is what drives me to teach in these environments

Family wise, we added two new members to our family. Danyel and Payton became our new daughter-in-;aw and son-in-law; and spouses to Matthew and Melissa. One of the consistent prayers of my life has been for my children to marry Christ- followers. Like these prayers, I know my prayers for Michael's future will also be answered!

Phyllis and I have been married 29 years and we have lived in the same house for 15 years. Marriage is something that has come easier to us than many people, because I am so easy to get along with! Actually, we both handle adversity pretty well and Phyllis is one of the most patient women I have even known!

What is the 2011 going to bring? Like most people in their mid-fifties, health is probably one of the main concerns. Not so much that there are problems, but prevention! Getting down to my ideal weight, becoming toned, and able to ride a century again. Financially, I need to get these student loans more manageable. I am thankful my two oldest children were able to attend the colleges of their choice and look forward to the day that they are totally paid for!

We live in a crazy world, which seems to be getting crazier and more out of control all of the time. Remembering that God is in control and has already solved the world's problems is a comforting thought!

I believe that 2011 is going to be a great year and the 2011 Katy Tigers will once again make to to State! I hope you have a Happy New Year and a great 2011!

The Empathic Educator

2010-05-01T09:38:00.007-05:00

Empathy is one of the most important qualities a special educator needs in order to be effective in the classroom. According to Webster, empathy is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. The past two weeks in my classroom have been an exercise in empathy.

One of my female students has Smith Magenis Syndrome. There are a host of physical features associated with this disorder including:

Characteristic facial appearance; flattened mid-face, down-turned mouth, prominent and often rosy cheeks; prominent jaw in older children and adults; dark eyebrows that meet in midline (synophrys). (Note: these facial characteristics can be subtle.)
Low muscle tone (hypotonia)
Oral-sensory motor dysfunction (poor suck/swallow, decreased tongue strength & movement, open mouth posture, frequent drooling, textural aversions)
Middle ear problems (chronic ear infections) and laryngeal anomalies
Hoarse voice, hypernasal speech
Short fingers and toes
Hyporeflexia
Signs of peripheral neuropathy

Markedly flat feet
Distinct, broad-based gait (walking pattern)
Decreased sensitivity to pain

There are also major developmental & behavioral features associated with SMS:

Developmental delay
Variable levels of mental retardation (mild - moderate)
Generalized complacency/lethargy (infancy)
Mouthing objects or hands that persists beyond early childhood
Speech delay and articulation problems
Sensory integration issues
Teeth grinding
Delayed toileting skills (delayed potty training and/or persistence of nighttime bedwetting (enuresis) for age)
Sleep disturbance (chronic)

Frequent nighttime awakenings
Increased daytime sleepiness/naps
Early morning awake times (5:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.)

Inverted circadian rhythm of melatonin
Stereotypic/repetitive behaviors such as arm hugging/hand squeezing when excited, “lick and flip” behavior (i.e., quick flipping pages of books/magazines with/without licking finger)
Self-injurious behaviors: head banging, hand biting, picking at skin, sores and nails, pulling off finger- and toenails (older ages), inserting foreign object into ears, nose or other body orifices.

Source: www.prisms.org

The physical and developmental characteristics challenge a special educator's sensitivities and abilities to teach without being judgmental, however, the maladaptive behaviors such as: hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention seeking (especially from adults); easy excitability or distractibility; sudden mood shifts; explosive outbursts; prolonged tantrums; and aggressive or destructive behaviors are where the monumental challenges exist.

How would you respond to a student grabbing your shirt collar or hair with both hands, with a mouth and nose full of mucous, trying to bite you? If a teacher does not have empathy and an understanding that the behavior is coming from the disorder and not the person; the teacher may be reactive instead of proactive.

For the past two weeks, this female student has disrupted my entire class with her maladaptive behaviors. One student goes to the other side of the room when she walks by, another student has started "flapping" and exhibiting his frustration, and one of my autistic bipolar students has been laughing while trying to "bonk" her on the head. When she hit one of my students in the back, he started screaming while jumping up and down and then started running down the hall.

When a student becomes aggressive, my first priority is to protect the class. This usually requires putting the aggressive student in a safe hold (CPI), and then asking my assistants to take the other students out of the room. In each episode, this is what I have done. When the female student began acting out, if I could not control by using a safe hold, then I would have my other students escorted out. Some teachers have a different philosophy and will not dismiss their students and "fight" with the student until they are in compliance.

So how does a teacher generate empathy in the situation I have described? What is the teacher's perception of the student? How I perceive my students is the key. The brain is made up of neural pathways. In the typical brain, these pathways are like a highway system with traffic flowing. However, in my students, there are traffic jams, accidents, detours, and roads that abruptly end. The chances for major disasters are enormous. Sometimes traffic builds up and there are so many wrecks, the adrenalin begins to rush and the only outlet is too attack something...whether it is others or the self. The perception I have of my students then is that when they have maladaptive behaviors, it is the disorder and not the person. Perception can be controlled and changed by educating oneself.

In addition to thinking about the chaos occurring in the brain, I also think of the context of the student. These students have families. They may be living as orphans in a residential group home because they were too much for the parents to handle. Regardless of how low-functioning my students are, they still want to be home.

One of the bus drivers that picks up our students often praises the staff for the work we are doing with our students. He will often say that he would not be able to do what we do. My response to him is that we have these students for 7 hours each day. The parents have these students for a lifetime. They are the heroes.

Three Fathers

2010-03-17T11:35:00.005-05:00

An idea for a book came to me the other day while I was in Walmart. I am not sure why it came to my mind when it did, however, it was a eureka moment. For many years I have been thinking about writing a memoir or some other type of book related to my life. I actually have about 100 pages of a book already written that came from blogs. A lot of what I wrote about was about my birth father and letters he had written to my grandmother when he was in the Army during a time in which we lived in Houston before he died. However, I have struggled with writing about my life after this when I became a foster child and then adopted by the Barnett's. Then it came to me. Write about the three fathers I have had and how each one affected me in a different way. The three fathers are Ronald Hutchinson, my birth father; Ed Barnett, my adopted father; and Father God; my eternal father.

One of my favorite quotes is from the philosopher Nietzsche. He said, "When one has not had a good father, he must create one." One of the themes of the book will be how I have tried to create a father which has led me to be the kind of father I am to my own children. The question driving the book might be, "how has each father shaped my life?" The reader could then extrapolate how their father or fathers has shaped their life and as a result may be a factor in how they view God - if they even think of him as a father or not.

It is my feeling now that this idea will germenate and the words will begin to flow. At least that is what I am hoping for.

Getting Older

2010-03-05T21:39:00.002-06:00

Before you know it, you are not young any more! In my head, I am young! However, I am beginning to realize that five centuries have passed and I am getting older. There are now less years left than I have lived. (The average life span is 76 years old). What is the solution to getting older? Living in the present moment!

Anxious to Please

2010-02-06T09:49:00.004-06:00

Recently, I had a personal revelation. My principal asked me to make a change at work which would require me to teach a different class. After giving it some more thought, I realized that I was putting myself in a vulnerable position with some other personnel. I declined the proposal, which I can tell now was a good decision. This started me on a path to thinking about some of the decisions I have made, because I was trying to be nice, that later turned out to be to my disadvantage.

This episode caused me to think about what I could do to change to being caught in a nice guy trap. Making a trip to Barnes and Noble's, I found the book, Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice.

An overview of the book can be found @ http://www.anxioustoplease.com/writings/overview.html

Later........

A Friend Dies

2009-12-15T19:19:00.003-06:00

Larry Beckham was my sales manager when I sold books door to door for the Southwestern Company during my college days at Harding University from 1975 to 1979. Sadly, he passed away on Friday after battling pancreatic cancer for the past year. Larry was a mentor, teacher, friend, and a father figure. He was one of the most charismatic persons I have known.

Larry was known for his keen listening skills. His dark brown eyes would penetrate your soul. He always seemed to have just the right word to encourage you to knock that next door or take that next test or whatever the challenge.

A few years ago I met with Larry after not seeing him for more than 20 years. He had the same spark as he did when I first met him. After our meeting, he read some of my writings on my blog and was complementary as well as encouraging me to write a book.

Larry is probably the one person in my life that I always wanted to go back to and share some sort of super success, as if I needed to be affirmed by him or in some way let him know that I was worthy. When I met his wife at the viewing, she told me how proud Larry was of me for teaching special education and students with autistic spectrum disorders. It was nice to hear. I am sad for Larry's family. He was the kind of father and grandfather that you wanted to hang out with. He will be greatly missed!

The Rest of the Story

2009-11-25T00:26:00.003-06:00

Some things have happened in my life recently that has motivated me to continue my story. This will probably be the most difficult to write about. However, the process is what is important. Of course what I write is subjective and is a reflection on what happened in my life between 4 and 5 decades ago. Many of the episodes I will write about are things that have been going through my mind for years. Tonight I am too tired to begin, however, in a few days I will be begin, "the rest of the story!"

Take Suicide off the Table

2009-11-23T06:04:00.001-06:00

I received word late last night that a friend's son took his life last week. I am not sure anything could be as painful. The following is a poem I wrote several years ago after I found out someone close to me had committed suicide.

Take Suicide Off the Table

David Michael

When life is dark and dreary,

and pain is deep within your soul;

thoughts of death and destruction emerge

and depression takes its toll.

Solutions may be hard to find,

and optimism seems too cavalier;

find a space between your thoughts

before spiraling down in fear.

Take suicide off the table;

it's not an option for your pain.

Open your mind to possibilities

there is so much to gain.

Suicide is not painless,

those who are left behind will say,

Suicide is severely painful,

and it never goes away;

it never goes away.

The Blessings of a Scar

2009-11-01T22:04:00.001-06:00

A scar is the signature of a painful event in the life of the body. It is a reminder that informs us that we are not always in control of our lives. I have many scars. Scars on my hands from bee stings received while playing hide and seek; a scar on the lower right side of my abdomen created by a surgeon’s scalpel to remove an angry appendix; and a scar on my left arm as a result of being “cleated” while playing football.

Of all my scars, I have a favorite, the scar on my left knee. When I was almost three years old, I was running through the house and tripped and fell on my sister's toy sewing machine. It was made out of metal and had a sharp edge on the base. The gash was severe and the blood began to flow. My father took a sheet, began ripping it, and wrapped my knee to stop the bleeding. What I remember most was sitting in his lap with my mummified leg, being comforted by his big hands. I will never forget his hands. Those hands are embellished in my mind as a visual reminder of my father's love.

Tragically, those hands were taken away from me a very short time after this event. My father died in a one-car accident, four days before Christmas, leaving a wife and three small children behind. One of the local newspapers reported that he hit a sign post at a high rate of speed, leaving no skid marks.
As often happens when a parent dies, one tragic event sends a ripple, or more like a tidal wave through the lives of family members. We did not have any support systems in place and my mother was unable to care for us due to her poor physical and emotional health. She began telling neighbors that she had killed my father. Child protective service was notified. My sister, brother, and I were sent to an emergency shelter and my mother was admitted to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation and care. We spent the next eighteen months in and out of an orphange and in foster care.

My mother struggled to retain her parental rights, but became involved with another man. As a result of a brief relationship, she gave birth to my sister. Four children, under the age of six, to care for was too much for my mother. Feeling threatened by child protective services, she decided it was best to give us to her older sister who lived 280 miles away. CPS approved this without doing any background check. It was later revealed that my aunt was arrested for prostitution and had been in psychiatric care.

My aunt was single, addicted to alcohol and sex. Again, we were living with someone who could not take care of herself, much less take care of four needy children. The next two years included almost all forms of child abuse imaginable. This chapter in our lives ended when our aunt died of liver failure.

"What do you do with four children who have been abandoned, living in essence by themselves?" was the question the neighbor across the street had. She decided to call a nearby church. The church secretary, who received the call, immediately went to check out the situation. The youngest child, now two, was the only one at home. With her big brown eyes and malnourished tiny body, she charmed the church secretary to the point of no return. Later that evening, the secretary of the Eastridge Church of Christ in Ft. Worth, along with her husband, came and picked us up. We were now a part of a family that included a mom, dad, three older sisters, and a dog named Poochie.

Without the aid of any social workers, therapists, or anyone who had any understanding of what it was like to adopt older abused children, the next twelve years were to say the least -- challenging. However, in-spite of the continuation of the affects of the tidal wave, and without the aid of any adoption professionals, four orphaned children stayed together, became a part of a family, and were all introduced to the One who “by his wounds we are healed.”

Yes, scars remind us of a painful past, but they can also lead our minds to a peaceful present. My “favorite scar” reminds me of what God has brought me through. Also, when I see my hands, it often takes me back to my birth father holding and comforting me. His nurturing is what I have drawn from as a father of three children. It is with this memory that my heart connects with the words of the Apostle Paul who understood the blessings of a difficult life:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." II Corinthians 1:3-4

Economics

2009-03-08T09:48:00.001-05:00

Is it just me, or are there other people who think our politicians have no idea what to do about the economy?

2009-01-25T22:43:00.000-06:00

Check out my other blog: www.orphanlife.wordpress.com .

2009 is going to be a great year!!!!!!

2009-01-01T12:03:00.002-06:00

BELIEVE! If the Katy Tigers can come back from two losses in their first two games to win State, then I can come back and have a great 2009.

New Year

2008-12-31T21:22:00.003-06:00

2008 has been a tough year -- probably for a lot of people. I lost my regular paycheck at the end of August and every thing has been downhill since. Because of Hurricane Ike I decided to get back in the roofing business, however, for whatever reason, I have not been as successful as I have been in the past working storms. Having two herniated discs in my neck has not helped matters much. I am glad to say that physical therapy has been successful.

2009 has got to be a better year or I will probably end up in debtor's prison.

This year I am going to:

pray more
get out of debt
get in shape
become a better husband
be a better dad
enjoy life
get my career back on track

These are probably the same goals I have had for the past 25 years. Happy New Year!

Home Alone for Christmas

2008-12-27T01:59:00.002-06:00

A severe cold caused me to miss the Christmas trip to Dallas, so I stayed home alone. It wasn't too bad. My family got back this afternoon.

Katy Wins Back to Back State Championships

2008-12-24T19:10:00.003-06:00

What an amazing year for the Katy Tigers! After losing the first two games, the coaches rebuilt the Tigers. Some players went from offense to defense and others lost their starting positions to under classmen. The Tigers lost the last game of the season in overtime to Cinco Ranch. This cost them the district championship but still gave them a place in the playoffs. The key to their wins was that they got better every game. After winning 5 games the Tigers played the Wylie Pirates for the State Championship. This was the most exciting game of the season. Katy won 17-3. The defense was outstanding! Coach Gary Joseph and his assistants are amazing coaches.

Katy versus Smithson Valley

2008-12-12T20:59:00.002-06:00

After beginning the season with two losses, the Katy High School football team are once again deep in the playoffs. Tomorrow, Katy plays Smithson Valley for the right to go to the final. This year was another testimony of the great program Katy has built and the incredible coaching. Go Tigers!

Roofing and an MRI

2008-11-20T21:48:00.003-06:00

For the past two months, I have been selling roofs. It has not gone as well as I had hoped. Every storm chasing company in the United States is working this storm. I think I have been coming in too high on my bids. Also, I somehow herniated two cervical discs in the process, and that has really slowed me down. An MRI revealed the injuries. Have you ever had an MRI? Torture! Especially since the operator forced me to lay flat, which killed my neck. Anyway, I went through a steroid regimen and today began physical therapy. I am trying to avoid having surgery.

I would really like to get back to full time teaching in January. Today I applied at three Houston schools. Their website allows you to apply to schools which have openings.

Yesterday I substitute taught a second grade class - a rather chatty group. It was a lot of fun. I really want to get back into teaching full time. My goal is to teach at least until I am 70. I really want to make my life count for something -- know what I mean?

School's Out for the Hurricane!

2008-09-17T10:45:00.003-05:00

School is out all week, which means I am unemployed for the week since I am now a full time substitute teacher. Substitute teaching is a "straight commission" job. I am trying to get back in the classroom full time.

Other than the coastal towns, Hurricane IKE's main destruction has been the electrical grid. The city of Houston and most of the area school districts are shut down because of no electricity.

WE HAVE CABLE!!

2008-09-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

TUESDAY 10:00 am

When we got back our electricity, we had cable for a short time, then it went out until now. We found a small black and white TV and watched the coverage. Electricity is still the big issue for most of the Houston area. People are already getting edgy. If is wasn't for the cool front that came in after IKE, people would already be killing each other.

There are lines up to five miles long waiting for food, ice, and water. I am amazed that people do not get prepared for a hurricane. The sad thing is that they are in their cars and burning gas while they wait. Does this make sense?

The news reporters are already blaming the government for not acting fast enough. One area had to wait three hours for a POD. We live in a such soft society!

I realize I am lucky, however, I can draw upon the experiences of the past. I guess these folks never went camping! However, it is sure nice to have cable back!!

Surving IKE

2008-09-13T12:39:00.002-05:00

12:40 UPDATE

We have electricity!!! Thank you Centerpoint Energy for quick service to our area!

Last night was loud! Our house groaned as Hurricane IKE passed. Due to a category 2 migraine, I took two Tylenol PM and went to sleep. My migraines are definitely weather related. Phyllis stayed up and did not go to sleep. She is really grumpy right now!!

The Katy area survived major damage. There are a lot of trees down, fences down, blown shingles off of older roofs, signs off of stores, and other signs of IKE. Houston did not fair as well. There is a lot of flooding.

I imagine that we will be off of school Monday. It is going to take awhile to assess the damage and get all of the power on in Katy ISD.

IKE is Here!

2008-09-13T02:51:00.003-05:00

Being in a catagory 1-2 hurricane reminds me of a really bad spring thunderstorm where you are not sure what is about to happen. We were without power for about two hours at the beginning of the storm, however, they got it back. There are over 2 million people in the greater Houston area without power.

3:00 am update

Our lights are flickering, so we may lose power again soon.

Hurricance IKE -- YIKES

2008-09-12T06:44:00.005-05:00

Today, we will be getting ready for Hurricane Ike to make landfall. I have the beginnings of a migraine headache, which I have not had in several months. It is do to the pressure in the atmosphere. Right now it is a '"tropical storm."

Every year for the past fifteen years, we anticipated a hurricane in our area, yet in a strange way we were disappointed. It may be because of all the preparations the weather officials ask you to do or just the fight or flight mechanisms in our brain becoming activated.

Casey Curry of ABC 13 just said that all of the Houston area would be getting 75 to 100 mile an hour winds. Well, I better go board up/tape some windows. It is going to be a busy day!

10:00 Update - TAKE A HIKE IKE

Galveston is already flooding and IKE is still 16 hours away. This is going to be a devastating storm! I have been boarding up some of the windows on the north and east side of the house.

6:00 Update - www.stormpulse.com

The eye of IKE is going to go up I-45. He will probably stall in Conroe. It takes forever to get through Conroe!

Finding Peanut Butter

2008-08-16T22:45:00.003-05:00

When my brother and sisters lived with Aunt Betty, it wasn't unusual to miss a few meals. As a result, we were often searching for food. Across the street, Mrs. Moore, would often give us something to eat. However, I can remember searching for food. On one occasion I remember climbing onto the counter top, opening the cabinet door and finding a jar of peanut butter. Taking a spoon from the drawer, I began eating the peanut butter. It was delicious!

The next time I remember eating peanut butter, I was in a much better situation. My brother, sisters and I were taken in by the Barnett family. My new mom, Otta Mae, loved peanut butter! She made toast and applied a mixture of honey and peanut butter on it. It was the most delicious toast I had ever had! My mom would put peanut butter on waffles, pancakes, and toast with bananas on top. She loved peanut butter and so did I.

Finding Peanut Butter

2008-08-03T11:56:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I was listening to Vivaldi on my Bose Wave Radio/CD player and it began hailing during concerto No. 4 in F Minor (winter). I have listened to Opus VIII (The Four Seasons) many times, therefore, because of my brilliant ear for music, I knew this was not kettle drums gone wild. There must be a problem with the CD, I thought.

My daughter, Melissa, taught me that peanut butter could be used for repairing CDs. So, I went to the kitchen cabinet, pulled out the Peter Pan, and with a soft cloth I gathered enough of this amazing substance and applied a gentle coating to the CD so that it would now play without interruption. It worked! Before putting up the WD 40 for compact discs, I took a teaspoon from the kitchen drawer, entered the peanut butter container, extracted some of its contents and entered them into my mouth. I was hungry, and it tasted so good.

stay tuned for the rest of the story......

Making Money off Jesus

2008-07-23T22:29:00.004-05:00

Many years ago I attended the National Christian Booksellers Convention. Anyone who was anyone, as they say, was there ( who was related in some way to Christian publishing). I remember at the time thinking that many of these folks have made a lot of money off Jesus.

Some authors have made millions of dollars off of expounding on and sometimes even expanding the words of Jesus. Even preachers, pastors, pulpiteers, and puppeteers have "made a killing." "Jesus, has been very good to me," they might say.

Whatever happened to "vows of poverty?" That is why ministers were originally allowed to get out of paying social security.

I guess the ministers of our day deserve six figure salaries, expense accounts, housing allowances, and other amenities. By the way, did you know that Creflo Dollar's last name is really Dollar.

If your in the neighborhood, come and look at the pictures my daughter took on her mission trip to Haiti.

Good Job Shark!

2008-07-21T07:33:00.002-05:00

Shark Attack at 53

2008-07-20T06:17:00.003-05:00

This morning I have gotten up to watch the British Open, or more accurately, Greg Norman. Did you know that Greg Norman is 53? I don't remember ever hearing an athlete's age so many times. Of course, I guess that is the main story.

GREG NORMAN

2008-07-19T15:18:00.003-05:00

GO GREG NORMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neutral

2008-07-19T12:22:00.004-05:00

Being neutral is my current objective, as opposed to going in reverse. Moving forward is not an option right now. Neutral is the place I want to be. Have you ever had that as one of your goals?

Our Soldier

2008-07-10T22:22:00.002-05:00

We spent two days on the beach and then made our way to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina to visit with our soldier. We got there as Matthew was singing the National Anthem with a small choral group. The group also sang "I'm Proud to be an American."

The best part for both Phyllis and I was when Matthew saw each of us and gave us a hug. Phyllis even shed a few tears, which is something she has only done a few times in our 26 years of marriage.

I was so proud of Matthew for hanging in there. Basic Training is one of the toughest things a person can go through in modern times. Everything should get better for him from this point forward. His AIT (advanced individual training) will have both combat and chaplaincy training. His first responsibility will be to protect the Chaplain.

After the program this morning, the soldiers got to spend the day with their families on the base. We visited the Chaplains museum and the Ft. Jackson museum. We had the opportunity to speak to one of the chaplains who will be doing the training. He seemed like an outstanding officer.

Tomorrow after graduation, we get to take Matthew out into Columbia. We will probably go to somewhere like Outback so he can get a steak. He may also come to our room at the Holiday Inn and mellow out for awhile.

By the way, last night we ate at Lady and Sons, which is Paula Deen's restaurant. Of course it was excellent!

On the Road to Ft. Jackson, SC

2008-07-08T09:37:00.005-05:00

We are on our way to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for Matthew's graduation from Basic Training. Because we can not see him until Thursday morning, we are making a few stops along the way. Today we are going to the beach in Destin, Florida. Michael wanted to go to a Florida beach. Last night we stayed at the Baymont Inn at Tilsmancorner, Alabama which is outside of Mobile.

Phyllis and Michael are still sleeping (9:30), however, our check out time is at 11:00, so it is about wake up time (we arrived last night at 2:00). Phyllis and Michael have the gift of sleeping. I haven't slept that much since Michael was born, 18 years ago. Something about having three kids I guess.

Yesterday evening we had the opportunity to park on a bridge in Louisiana for almost two hours while a wreck was clearing. I got out of the car and threw crackers in the swamp at turtles and gar. This reminded me of growing up, shooting at turtles in the creek. Finally, the wreck cleared and we were on our way.

Michael and I took a shower this morning and experienced the greatest showerhead we have ever experienced. It had at least ten different adjustments. I am going to try to find one when we get back to Katy for Michael's birthday on the 25th.

Tim Russert

2008-06-13T17:40:00.002-05:00

Tim Russert died today. He is one of the people in life that I would have liked to have lunch with. Fatherhood was extremely important to him. He was a great father and son. My heart goes out to his wife Maureen and his son Luke. It would have been incredible to have a father like Tim.

Orphan Train Riders

2008-06-12T18:22:00.003-05:00

What do think it would be like to be 7 years old and have your parents leave you either by abandonment or death; have someone put you on a train and travel 500 miles to a place you hadn't even heard of; then be chosen by someone else on the steps of the county court house to be your parent like you were a show calf at the county fair? Imagine being separated from your brothers and your sisters. Imagine being a 10 year old boy and being chosen by a farm family to become cheap labor. If you can get this in your mind, you may begin to understand what it was like to be an orphan train rider.

Last Day

2008-05-30T06:32:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of school for Katy ISD. Teachers must go back on Monday. The last day of school is one of those days that is so exciting for kids. I remember the feeling of freedom.

My freedom was short lived since I worked for my dad's cattle trucking business every summer from the time I was about 13. I did get off for summer camps. I was probably one of the few kids that paid for their own summer camp. Most of the money came from cleaning out cattle trailers. When I was 16 I worked on a ranch in Montana. The owner of the ranch's brother had worked for my dad. It was one of the best summer's of my life. If I had my way that summer, I would probably have spent my life as a cowboy in Montana. However, my folks made me come home.

What do you remember about your last day of school and your summers as a kid?

School is Winding Down -- Time to Get in Shape

2008-05-08T18:40:00.002-05:00

This summer I am not going to do what I did last summer and fill it with workshops. I am going to teach summer school and then spend the rest of my time fixing up the house / yard, working out, and going to the beach. This is the summer to get back in shape. The best I have felt was three years ago when I got down to 165 by cycling 15 miles a day for 5 to 6 days a week. That is my goal for the summer.

American Idol Songwriter's Contest

2008-03-18T21:15:00.003-05:00

For the fun of it, I may enter a song in the American Idol songwriter's contest. I wrote a poem about a Rhino walking down the halls where I teach (Rylander Rhinos). Maybe I can put it to music.

Loneliness

2008-03-14T05:42:00.002-05:00

A fascinating website which I found this morning is dedicated to the study of loneliness. Check it out at www.webofloneliness.com . One of the interesting features is a study of loneliness in poetry. This was probably Roy Orbison's favorite website.

Painting the House

2008-02-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

Today I asked Matthew if he would like to earn some money by painting the house (which is only the fascia and soffit). He said he didn't need the money - yea right! When I was young I was never given an option. My dad handed me and my brother steel brushes and told us to start scraping the paint off of our wood frame house. I remember how hot Wand how hard it was to scrape the paint off. My brother was always slower and took more breaks which really ticked me off. We finally got the house scraped and painted.

What was strange about the last time we painted the house was that shortly after, we got siding. At the time I didn't think a whole lot about it.

There is a moral to this story - an action in the future can cover up the work of the past.

Updates

2008-02-02T14:41:00.000-06:00

This weekend Matthew is interviewing for a youth ministry position at the Three Chopt Church of Christ in Richmond, Virginia. If you read this, pray for him that he will do well and make the right decision. It is an exciting thing to be flown somewhere to be interviewed for a new college graduate.

Michael is at a wrestling tournament this weekend, Melissa is still at ACU and Phyllis is in Corpus Christi with her friend Tracey. Bailey (dog) are here by ourselves trying to clean up the house.

I am doing fine. School is going well. Teaching Special Education is very challenging, not because of the students, it is the laws that keep everyone so stressed out. I really enjoy the kids I am teaching this year.

Who do you think will win the Super Bowl? I like Eli Manning, however, I thing the Patriots will probably win. They are a better team and having an undeafeated season is so motivating for them.

That is about it. I have been cleaning house today which is always exciting. How are you doing?

STATE CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-27T16:36:00.000-06:00

(from the Houston Chronicle)

FOR the diehard Katy football fan, the Christmas Wish list was a short one. All they wanted was a Class 5A Division II state championship.
The Tigers delivered with 28-7 win over Pflugerville for Katy's fifth state championship victory at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The victory put a bow on a perfect undefeated 16-0 season in which they were rarely tested and anytime they were, they quickly righted the ship and went on to win by at least two touchdowns.

"It's been an amazing run," said Katy head coach Gary Joseph. "Anytime you win 16 straight games at the 5A level, you've done something special and our kids did something special, so I give a lot of credit to them and to our coaches. They all put in the work and with an administration that is totally behind us, it's really a total team effort that we were able to accomplish this."

Only six of their 16 opponents scored more than one touchdown and they finished the playoffs by giving up just two defensive touchdowns in three games.

They found themselves behind 7-0 throughout most of the first half Saturday night after the Panthers, who close out at 12-4, scored early in the second quarter on a 50-yard run by Zavier Gooden. But on the final play of the half, the Tigers began to turn their luck around.
Senior quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who capped a great week in which he verbally committed to play college football at Hawaii, lofted up a fourth-down 35-yard Hail Mary Pass towards the end zone. It sailed about three yards into the end zone and into a crowd of leaping red Katy and white Pflugerville shirts. It bounced off everybody and back towards the field of play right to where senior receiver Brian Rowe was there waiting for the carom, which he pulled in for a touchdown to make it 7-6 with no time showing on the second quarter clock.

"We do practice that," Joseph said. "We practice that play about once a week and it's one of those deals, you may never need it, but you practice it anyway and we were very fortunate that it worked out for us. But we do practice it and Bo threw it right where he was supposed to and our guys up there tipped it right to (Brian) who was standing right where he was supposed to be standing. There is some luck involved no doubt, but we practice it and the kids executed it perfectly because (everyone) saw that Brian was right where he was supposed to

". And it really looked like an easy catch for him."

Senior kicker Ryan Doerr, filling in for injured Raul Balbuena, made the extra point and suddenly what seemed a for-sure 7-0 Pflugerville lead at halftime was instead a 7-7 tie.

Joseph said that set the tone in the locker room at halftime, where the Tigers settled down but became even more determined than ever.
Senior running back Aundre Dean ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the Tigers' opening drive of the second half and less than three minutes into the third quarter, the onslaught was on.

The Tigers would score touchdowns on their next two possessions, with each drive using four plays, to open the lead to 28-7 late in the third quarter while Pflugerville was suddenly being thwarted, going three-and-out on offense four straight times.

Dean finished with 220 yards on 32 carries and finishes as the all-time leading rusher at Katy High School. Mitchell finishes the year with 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

"They, like so many of our kids, played a great football game," Joseph said. "We were a little sidetracked in the first half and they had the long (touchdown) run on us, but I thought once our kids settled down at halftime, we came out and played in the second half, like I thought we would."

Offensive lineman Eric Ball, nose tackle Elvin Tapong, inside linebacker Blake Adler, outside linebacker Cameron Strickler, strong safety Andrew Herrell, defensive end Micah Marks, inside linebacker Patrick Benson, tight end Markham Strayton, fullback John Taylor, defensive end Sean Alexander, and offensive tackle Cameron Travis are all now famous names in Katy football lore. They are among the many unheralded, unsung, and totally underrated Tiger players, but they're guys that Katy fans will now remember forever.

"There's no question we have to regroup a little because we'll be graduating a lot of players," Joseph said. "But we're going to enjoy this for a while. We're losing a lot of quality kids that happen to be good football players, but I'm very proud of those guys. They deserve all the good things that have happened to them."

This group of seniors were freshmen when Joseph took over four years ago for legendary coach Mike Johnston. Going into this year, Joseph said the goal all that time has been to develop them for this moment.
Now they have the school's fifth state championship and fourth since 1997.

State Championship - Katy vs Pflugerville

2007-12-21T22:17:00.000-06:00

Katy High School plays for the State Championship game tonight at 7:00. If you live in Texas, the game will be on Fox Sports. We face a formidable foe with excellent running backs. If we play our "A" game, we will win by over three touchdowns.

It has been an exciting season. It has been long, but hopefully all of the work will pay off tonight.

Good News!

2007-12-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

Matthew graduated and Katy beat San Antonio Madison 66-21. It is very exciting to see Matthew graduate, especially because his Grandparent Hollabaugh's were there. They have been a very important part of his life since he was born. Because Phyllis is an only child, our children have been treated royally by Sam and Judy. Also his aunt and uncle, Terry (my sister) and Tom were there. Terry, and her children, Daniel, Drew, and Sam have been significant in Matthew's life.

Katy plays in the Texas Bowl, the 5A Texas High School Football Championship, next Saturday at 7:00 pm in the Alamodome. Our opponnent is Pflugerville, however, I don't think it matters who it is, if we play like we have been playing the past two weeks, we will win.

A Special Weekend

2007-12-14T06:35:00.000-06:00

Matthew is graduating from Abilene Christian University today. His field of study is Missions/Youth Ministry. Much of his coursework was challenging, yet he perservered. Many of his classes were life changing, especially the courses he had with Professor Randy Harris.

His summers were very much a part of his education. He spent summers doing mission work in Slovenia, Costa Rica, and youth ministry in Sulphur Springs, TX and Memphis, Tenn.

Phyllis and I are very proud of Matthew for hanging in there. Phyllis (ACU '77) is going to hood him. He also has some very proud grandparents. They helped pay for some of his tuitution!

Hopefully, by the first of the year he will have a youth ministry job so he can help pay of his college loans (our deal is we pay 1/2 our children pay 1/2).

After graduation, we are going to San Antonio to watch our other son, Michael, play football. The Katy Tigers are playing San Antonio Madison in the quarterfinals at the Alamodome. It should be a great game. If we play like we did last weekend, beating Clements 42-0, we will win. We definitely must bring our A game.

It should be a special weekend!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T12:20:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, the best day of the year for our family was Thanksgiving. Every other day, there was always a possibility that someone would have a meltdown. However, there was something about Thanksgiving that seemed to inspire everyone to be cordial, at least until the Cowboys quit playing.

What was it about Thanksgiving and my family? Like the Colt 45 was the "peacemaker" in the old west, food was the peacemaker in the Barnett family. (Of course that does not include the time Edalyn fed Gary "mountain oysters" without him knowing it).

Thanksgiving in our family was like the feast at the end of "Antwone Fisher." We had more dishes than we had dishes. First, there was the turkey and dressing, and then the fourteen vegetables. It was amazing what my mom could do with a can of green beans. Potatoes, both sweet, regular, and irregular. Desserts were out the wazoo. Pumpkin and pecan pies, and of course there was my mom's famous pumpkin cake, which was always good. Everything was so good, except for the pink congealed salad with celery. Whose idea was this? Since my mom made it, I would eat it. However, it was tricky when it would get stuck in my throat. After dinner we would use it to fix radiator leaks.

Many times Phyllis and I went to her family Thanksgiving first, when her grandmother was alive. We would go to Luby's and eat, and then drive an hour to my house to eat a real Thanksgiving dinner. There is something about a dinner that is brought together by your mom rather than a cafeteria.

Thanksgiving seemed to be the most gracious day of the year. I don't remember getting hit in the head because my hair was in my eyes or grounded until New Years for not feeding the dog. My sisters weren't usually told by my dad to fix their hair, after they had fixed their hair. I don't even remember hitting my brother in the stomach on this day for saying something stupid. Maybe it was the triptiphan in the turkey. One time my sister's boyfriend even showed up with long hair. Everything went smooth with him until at the dinner table he announced that while he and Melvin were exploring the creek, he and Melvin found Bobby, our long lost dog, in a trap. Mark said, "I think he tried to chew his leg off." My mom screamed and almost passed out. My brother and I were choking on our pumpkin pie we were laughing so hard. Of course we had our heads bowed so it looked like we were grieving.

After eating, we would usually go out in the yard and play football. When my brother and I were young, my brother- in- law, Melvin would send us up the road about 75 yards for a pass, and then walk into the house.

As I got older, one of my favorite memories was when my mom would walk up beside me and give me a hug or rub my back. Sometimes when things settled down we would play a game of scrabble.

Today, I miss my mom. She is still suffering from the stroke she had last summer. This year we decided to stay in Katy because my son came home with a girlfriend -- first time -- and my other son had football practice this morning. Katy plays Madison this Saturday.

Things started changing when Paula's kids started having kids and they stayed in Amarillo. Gayle and Wally usually made it every year -- at least Wally made it through dinner. After dinner he was usually knocked out on the easy chair, with his head thrown back. Wally seemed to be more affected by the triptiphan than the rest of us.

My family was nothing like the Walton's, except for Thanksgiving day. Maybe it was because it was the one day of the year where everyone relaxed and let old dogs lie -- except for Bobby of course.

What are some of your favorite memories of Thanksgiving?

Million Dollar Trash

2007-11-21T06:40:00.000-06:00

When I was a preacher, I could not let a story like this go by without using it in my next message. Stories like this make for a great introduction to get the audience with you. Can you think of some Bible stories that this could relate too? The woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the story of Joseph are but a few of the biblical stories that you could use this with.

Of course the conclusion is where you apply it to your own life. Read my conclusion at the end of the story.

NEW YORK (AFP) — A painting found in a pile of trash on a New York street sold at Sotheby's auction house late Tuesday for a million dollars, nearly 20 years after it was stolen from a warehouse in Texas.
"Tres personajes" ("Three People"), a 1970 work by Rufino Tamayo, one of Mexico's best known artists, was bagged for 1.049,000 dollars by a north American buyer who fought off a telephone bidder, the auction house said.
It had been saved from the garbage by Elizabeth Gibson, who spotted the work while out walking one morning in 2003. She found the, measuring 98 by 130 centimeters (38 by 50 inches), in perfect condition.
"It was a Saturday morning. I went out for a coffee at 7:00 am. I saw it on the sidewalk among black plastic garbage bags," she told AFP ahead of the sale.
"I passed my way and had my coffee, but a voice inside kept telling me to go back and take the painting. So I stopped reading my book and I went back and took the painting, which had a very bad frame but was in perfect condition."
The work, with bold strokes of red, purple and yellow, was bought for 55,000 dollars in 1977 by a Texas man for his wife's birthday. The couple put it in storage while they moved house and noticed the painting was missing in 1987 when picking up their belongings at the warehouse.
Where the painting went for the next 16 years remains a mystery, but for several months after discovering it, Gibson kept it on the wall in her apartment.
Tipped off by a friend that the painting could be valuable, Gibson started investigating only to find on the Internet that the work had been featured on US television show "The Antiques Roadshow" in a segment on missing paintings.
Gibson approached Sotheby's, which helped return the painting to its original owner, who remains unidentified.

You may feel like your own life is in the garbage -- it is waste -- ready to be picked up and thrown on the garbage heap of life. Many walk by, glancing casually at your life, among empty cans of corn and used Q-Tips.

However, someone finally walks by that doesn't see trash, but a treasure.

...... you know the rest of the story.

Would you believe 45 years?

2007-11-15T22:07:00.000-06:00

On this day, forty-five years ago, my two sisters, brother and I were picked up by the Barnett family. I will never forget the red, 1962 Impala. We were four hungry orphans, and God found us a home.

Orphans in Literature

2007-11-11T16:08:00.000-06:00

Assembling Orphan Tales: From Folklore to Fiction to Fact

Melanie Kimball

IBBY Biennial Congress
Monday, September 6

Introduction

My talk is based on a study that I did of fifty folktales from a wide variety of culture: African, European, Asian, North and South American. I did a structural analysis of these tales to see if I could find any common elements in orphan stories.[1] I’ll give a brief explanation of what I found and do an even briefer explanation of similar structures found in children’s literature. Then I’ll turn it over to Dennis who will discuss how these structural elements relate to the narratives of real orphans.

From folktales to children’s literature, the orphan character is an enduring figure in stories for children. We love orphans. Why is that? For one thing, from a practical standpoint, the first rule of children’s literature is to get rid of the parents in order to focus the action on the child. This is very easy to do with orphan characters since they don’t have any pesky parents to get in the way of the story.

Orphans are clearly different from other people. They do not have parents so they are separate from the family structure that helps define the individual. Orphans embody loneliness—they do not belong. Orphans symbolize the feeling of abandonment that all humans experience at times. BUT orphans in literature also give us hope. They start with a “clean slate.” They can reinvent themselves. If a pitiable orphan can succeed against enormous odds, then so can we. Their success becomes our success.

Orphan Characters in Folktales

Orphans make the perfect folktale hero. Often folktale heroes operate in isolation. The hero is usually an outcast of some sort due to social status, poverty, or a “deformity” (such as “Beauty and the Beast where the Beast is an outcast). The orphan is the quintessential outcast who operates in isolation.

Orphans in folktales can be either male or female, but there are some notable differences between the two. Male orphans in folklore generally overcome obstacles by using their wits, demonstrating cleverness, or by feats of strength. Female orphans generally overcome obstacles through their virtuous behavior. They are “nice girls.” Male characters are often rewarded with material wealth or power while female characters are most often rewarded with marriage. Marriage usually gives them wealth and power, but only through their association with their husband.

Orphan characters are usually the protagonist in their own story, although sometimes they are a secondary character who serves as a foil to the main character (who is usually a bad person.) The pattern of the orphan’s story remains the same whether or not they are the main character, only the point of view differs.

Plot in Folktales Featuring Orphans

Generally, the story involves the following elements, which are very similar to the elements of the generic hero story (See The European Folktale by Max Lüthi and The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell).

I. Mistreatment of the orphan which leads to:
II. A quest or journey—sometimes at the behest of the person who mistreats the orphan, and sometimes on the initiative of the orphan herself.
III. Obstacles faced along the journey.
IV. Helpers and other methods used to overcome obstacles.
V. Final reward—Orphan triumphant!
VI. Punishment for person or persons who mistreated the orphan.

The mistreatment of the orphan is sometimes by a relative or step-relative, although it can also be at the hands of a cruel master or mistress. The orphan’s isolation is further defined by hostility from outside herself. Mistreatment can vary from a simple tongue lashing to physical abuse to complete ostracization or abandonment.

The quests vary, but the performance of difficult tasks, often involving a journey, is pretty standard in folktales. The only real difference for the orphan is that most folktale heroes and heroines must leave home in order to find what they need, whereas orphans seek a place to belong and the right to be there. They are looking for a home.

The obstacles that orphans must overcome are often imposed by the person mistreating the orphan. Jealousy and greed are prime motivators here. This is particularly prevalent with female orphans who are almost always of the “as beautiful as she was good” variety. Other obstacles may stem from supernatural forces or from the orphan herself—sometimes the orphan is overwhelmed by the extremity of her situation.

Orphans surmount obstacles on their own as they do not have a family to help. However, often they get assistance from magical or un-magical helpers—talking animals, enchanted inanimate objects, and intervention from the gods. They also use their wits (usually male orphans), virtuous behavior (usually female orphans), hard work, or bravery.

Orphans usually win out in the end. There are very occasional bad endings in some of the tales I studied, but overall the orphan prevails and receives a reward. The reward can be money, position, marriage, a home, or all of the above.

Punishment for those who mistreated the orphan is almost a given. With the punishment there is sometimes a moral given about mistreating orphans and how anyone who mistreats an orphan will be punished.

Orphan Characters in Children’s Literature

As orphan tales passed from the oral to the written tradition, literary conventions for this type of story developed. By the 19th century, the orphan heroine was an established character in British and American literature, but the genre was found in other countries as well. Classic novels such as Heidi, Pollyanna, The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and Anne of Green Gables are all examples of this type of heroine. Male orphans also had their place in the literature as exemplified by the novels of Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations) and the rags to riches stories of Horatio Alger (Ragged Dick), but female orphans were predominant.

From the folkloric elements previously outlined the standard literary orphan story developed: the outcast main character, the secondary characters who affect the orphan both for good and bad, the task or quest that the orphan must perform, the happy resolution with the orphan finding success through marriage, wealth, and position (implied as a future for underage orphans). But above all, the orphan is rewarded by finding a place for herself in the world surrounded by people who love her.

The punishment for those who mistreat orphans is somewhat different in literary tales than in folktales. Orphans in literature usually wind up with relatives or other grown ups who do not want them. By the end of the story the force of the spunky but sweet nature of these orphans transforms the lives of those around them and they are beloved by the very people who once despised them. Instead of being punished, the orphan detractors transform into orphan supporters.

Conclusion

Orphans still appear as characters in modern children’s fiction. Joan Aiken’s The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Midnight is a Place, Joan Lowrey Nixon’s Orphan Train series, Geraldine McCaughrean’s The Pirate’s Son, and, the current sensation, Harry Potter all follow the classic outlines for orphan fiction while Phillip Pullman’s Count Karlstein and Lemony Snicket’s Unfortunate Series of Events both provide a spoof of the genre.

It has been said that there are no new stories, just retellings of old ones. A comparison of orphan folktales shows that while the stories are not the same, there are common elements. These same elements exist in literary tales about orphans. Because orphans represent the feelings and pain that all humans experience, the character still resonates with audiences of adults and children alike. And until the day when no one feels the pain of isolation, orphan characters will continue to symbolize it for us.

[1] Kimball, Melanie. From Folktales to Fiction: Orphan Characters in Children’s Literature, Library Trends, Vol. 47, No. 3, Winter 1999, pp. 558-578.

Life Goes On

2007-11-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

Accepting life on its own terms is a sign of maturity. Life is like a bull, we are like the rider. More than likely we will not be able to hold for on for 8 seconds. We will get thrown off, however, if you don't get back on - life wins, you lose.

How is your life going? Is it all it was meant to be? Are you living your dreams?

Katy Beats Cinco Ranch on Fox Sports

2007-10-27T18:04:00.000-05:00

Katy played the Cinco Ranch Cougars and beat them 35-9. The best thing about the game was that Michael got to play towards the end of the game. We are ranked #1 in Texas and about #5 in the nation. It is very exciting!

Saturday in Katy

2007-10-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Bailey, Michael and I are batchin it. Phyllis is gone to Abilene to the ACU homecoming. Her and Melissa are now in the same sorority - Sigma Chi, or Siggies. On Saturday morning, there is a special breakfast which honors the new Siggies - Melissa, and welcomes the mature Siggies which is Phyllis. This is also Phyllis' 30 Year Reunion. It is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since Phyllis graduated from ACU, and that I married such an older woman. My 30th year reunion from Harding University is in two years. It took me an extra semester to graduate and Phyllis also graduated when she was 21.

Matthew is hopefully completing his last semester at ACU, and will graduate in December. His future may include being a missionary in Costa Rica or getting his teaching certification and becoming a junior high football coach and history teacher. Hopefully it will also include finding a wonderful Christian woman to be his wife and the mother of my grand kids. After Phyllis has repeatedly turned down the idea of adopting a little boy, I think my best bet is for Matthew to get married.

Today the Katy Tigers are playing the Morton Ranch Mavericks. We had a tough game last week against Hastings, only winning by 11 points. We had a difficult time with their speed. Morton Ranch has not won a game, so it should be an easier victory, which also means Michael getting to play more. He is a backup defensive back of one of the best secondary in Texas. Over the years there have been many Katy players that would have started with other teams, however, when you have 80 players on a team and some incredible starters, you have to be more of a team player in order for the starters to have their best game. Coach Joseph's philosophy is that the experience of winning is greater than ever team member playing an equal amount if you make a run for the State Championship. The philosophy on the sub-varsity level is to win while making sure that everyone gets to play as much as possible. Of course the stakes are much higher for the varsity.

Have a great weekend!

Family

2007-10-05T06:40:00.000-05:00

Matthew, Michael, Melissa

Phyllis, Bailey, David

This is a good picture of my family. I think I was having a bad hair day. In the background you can see a couple of book shelves. I have 9 shelves all full, and I need at least two more. I really need to get rid of some of the books, but it is hard to let go of some of your friends.

Playing Softball

2007-09-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

Last night I played on our school co-ed softball team. My first time at bat I hit a blooper past the infield. Because of the short field, I knew I had to run fast to beat the throw. Safely at first I realized that I pulled a muscle in the process of running as fast as I could. One of my favorite lines from the movie Top Gun, is when the commander told Maverick, "Son, your writing checks your body can't cash."

My mind thought I was in college again, playing intramural softball. My fellow teachers were amazed how fast I could run. Of course, it will probably be the last time I can run any faster than a slow jog this season.

Something else that I figured out, after I missed a ground ball and a pop fly, is that you should not where bifocals when you are playing anything in which an object is coming at your head.

My father-in-law played softball until he was almost 70. He could have kept playing, except I think the team he played on was disbanded. At 83, he can still throw, catch, and bat better than most 40 year old softball players.

Next week I hope I do not injure something else. For the next week I will do some stretching and cycling. Maybe that will be enough prevention. Of course, my leg is probably a long way from healing. Again, this is one of the many times in my life that I have the opportunity to play with pain. My high school football coach Joe Bob Tyler would be proud!

The Answer is Not in Politics

2007-09-23T09:13:00.000-05:00

This morning I was flipping through the channels and came across the preacher, David Jeremiah. He was speaking about the power of prayer and he said, "The answer is not in politics, we should know that by now." I thought of the "Christian right" and all those who thought by having a "born again" president, the majority of the problems in this country would disappear.

Hillary Clinton was on Face the Nation this morning. She is talking about when she becomes President what will happen. There are probably liberals and others with similar philosophies listening that are thinking that she will fix the problems.

The problems are so much bigger than either party can deal with. Sometimes presidents have the ability to focus on certain issues to the point that we forget about other issues -- until those issues present themselves in a big way.

Over the past 14 years, the government should have solved our problems on health care, social security, the plight of the poor, the dramatic disparity between the rich and the poor, education, crime, prison populations, national security, etc., etc., etc.

As we progress further away from the foundations in which this country was built, we are going to have more problems. I am not talking about becoming a "Christian Nation." We were founded with Christianity in mind, however, the founders were not exclusive, but inclusive.

Also, as long as one political party does not want the other party being credited for solving a problem, our problems just get bigger. However, when all is said and done, the answer is not in politics.

There is So Much to Learn

2007-09-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

There is so much to learn about the field of Special Education! Today I was in a meeting about a child who was doing well, except he had a very short-term memory. This gave me another subject to research. What do you do if you have a child with an extreme short-term memory?

___________

There is a middle school in Houston that the building is causing people to be sick. When I first heard that if it was a rich white school instead of a black school that something would have already been done, I thought it was ridiculous. It took five days and a lot of sick people before the students and teachers were evacuated from the building.

I now believe that if it had been a rich white school, something would have been done.

_________________

There are many discriminations in life besides race. Special Education departments are often treated like a "step child." I know it happens where I teach and probably all over the country.

High School Football Hype

2007-09-17T06:01:00.000-05:00

The following is a great article regarding High School Football. First a few comments closer to home.

In the state of Texas, Katy HS was ranked No. 2 last week behind Southlake Carroll. We were ranked No. 5 in the nation. I am hoping that we do not become ranked No. 1 in Texas. A simple reason -- this is your brain, this is your brain on too much too soon exposure -- any questions?

Our baseball team last spring was doing great with a bunch of young scrappy players. In the course of the playoffs we were doing extremely well and it looked like we were on our way to win a state championship. USA Today ranked us No. 1 in the country. Not good. We lost our next two games and we were out -- so much for a state championship. Young minds have a very difficult time with success and exposure. As my HS football coach, Joe Bob Tyler said, "Never read your own press clippings." Sadly, at the time the only paper we got in was the school newspaper.

High School football should not become adulterated with all of the hype. The local television news shows are enough!

One of the great things about Katy is our head coach. He does not get caught up in the hoopla. He will bring our guys down to the grid iron. Over the past 15 years, out toughest opponent during the regular season has been who ever we played for our Homecoming Game. We have lost or barely won to teams who hardly won any other games during the season. Our guys mind was definitely not on football. This should be an interesting week.

Sex Scandals, Stadium Sponsors, and National TV

Just three of the reasons to boycott big-time high-school football.
By Robert Andrew Powell
Posted Friday, Sept. 14, 2007, at 7:35 AM ET

My favorite high-school football team is ranked No. 1. According to ESPN, the Miami Northwestern Bulls are the finest team in the country. USA Today and Sports Illustrated have the gall to rank Northwestern No. 2, behind Southlake (Dallas) Carroll, the defending Texas 5A state champions. The difference is academic, as the teams will meet on Saturday night, in Dallas, in what is being called the Old Spice Clash of Champions. You can watch the game on ESPNU.

Nobody wants to be that childless guy in his 30s who hangs around high-school football fields, but that's pretty much been me. I authored a book about football in Liberty City, Fla., the neighborhood where Northwestern is located. Newspaper stories I wrote inspired a documentary film, Year of the Bull, for which I served as a producer. Prior to last year's state championship game, which the Bulls won, I mingled outside Dolphin Stadium with Chico and Charlie and other Northwestern boosters. These friends love the Bulls. I'm happy when my friends are happy, so I'm happy, in general, when the Bulls win.

Yet I'm not happy to see Northwestern playing on national TV. Mortified is a more accurate term. I'm not worried that national attention might expose Northwestern as one of the worst schools in Florida, which it certainly is, or that viewers will blanch when they hear that all of the team's coaches were fired in the aftermath of a sex scandal. No, I'm worried because nothing could be less constructive for Northwestern—or any high school, for that matter—than to become a "national program." After a decade following prep sports, I can say this with confidence: When a dynasty emerges in high-school sports, there's probably something crooked going on.

The Northwestern-Carroll game will be played, appropriately enough, on the campus of Southern Methodist University. In 1987, the SMU football program got the "death penalty" when boosters were caught giving cash to players. That sort of thing happens all the time at Northwestern. I've seen it right out on the field, players still in uniform being handed wads of cash, rewards for helping boosters win bets that can climb into the thousands of dollars. In my book, I wrote of one booster who rewarded a star Northwestern sophomore with a car.
I had to laugh when Ronnie Tipps, Southlake Carroll's athletic director, expressed shock that an offshore sports book was taking bets on the Northwestern game. "High school football is one of the purest forms of entertainment," said Tipps. "It just irritates me that [gambling] drifts down to the high school level."

Oh, please. Jeweler Bailey Banks & Biddle is the exclusive advertiser at Southlake Carroll's stadium. Tipps might recall that he is allowing ESPN to televise the Northwestern game, Carroll's fourth national broadcast in four years. And perhaps Mr. Tipps can fill us in on what's pure, exactly, about flying a head coach and a couple of assistants to Miami for advance scouting of a high-school opponent.

As the professionalism that stains college sports flows down to the high-school level, corruption comes with it. Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissinger's classic high-school football exposé, came out almost 18 years ago. Want to find a corrupt high-school team? Just turn on the television. When Alabama's Hoover High surfaced on an MTV reality show, I started my clock. Hoover is a public high school, yet its football team somehow wins every game, every year, and started last season ranked No. 1 nationally. It was only a matter of time until a scandal emerged. Sure enough, school employees have been accused of changing grades of players on the football team.

In 2003, I went to Shreveport, La., to write about tiny Evangel Christian, which was about to play on ESPN2 against a powerhouse from California. Despite a paltry high-school enrollment of 300 students, Evangel was and is the definition of a football factory. The school has produced numerous state championships and dozens of Division I athletes, including current USC quarterback John David Booty. I wasn't shocked to hear that the state's prep sports governing body recently suspended one Evangel football player until January and fined the school $5,000 for illegal recruiting.

That sort of cheating is almost never caught in high-school sports, much less punished. Unlike at the college level, prep athletics runs on an honor system. The principals, athletic directors, and coaches who are profiting from the supposed purity of high-school sports are the ones who determine if their sports are indeed pure. And there are certainly profits to be made. Southlake Carroll's most recent head coach parlayed his team's high national rankings into the head coaching gig at North Texas, where he reportedly earns more than $400,000 a year.

Northwestern is ostensibly regulated by the Florida High School Athletic Association. Every state has a similar group. The FHSAA, which on paper resembles the National Collegiate Athletic Association, can penalize most Florida high schools when cheating occurs. Yet the FHSAA rarely investigates anybody. "There is a cadre of enforcement officers out there who are supposed to make sure their organizations follow the rules," FHSAA director Ron Davis once told me. "Those people are known as the principals of our member schools."

There's the rub. Principals can have egos. Some of them like to wear state championship rings. Some principals, living an educator's often unglamorous life, like it when their schools appear on national television. Human beings, given enough incentive, tend to cheat. Airing high-school games on national television provides tremendous incentive.

Last year, right when Northwestern was trying to book a televised game against a major out-of-state opponent, a sex scandal emerged at the school. There was a 14-year-old girl and a school bathroom, more than one adult, and more than one incident. The girl's mother complained to school system police and to Northwestern principal Dwight Bernard. Nothing happened. After four months of stonewalling, she happened to run into a city of Miami police officer at a coffee shop. Northwestern's star running back, Antwain Easterling, was immediately arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious battery.

School system rules mandated Easterling's suspension from the team for 10 days. Unfortunately for the Bulls, the state championship was less than a week away. Fortunately for the Bulls, principal Bernard chose not to suspend his running back. Easterling rushed for 157 yards in the title game. Once Northwestern won the state title, ESPN greenlighted the September game against Southlake Carroll.

That would have been it, normally. In an extremely unusual move—I still can't believe it happened—the state attorney stepped in. Principal Bernard was arrested for "failing to report the allegations of an unlawful sex act" to police. He no longer works at the school. Neither do 20 others who helped in the cover-up.

To recap: The FHSAA never got involved in this scandal. Somehow, for some reason, Northwestern's principal never saw fit to blow the whistle on himself. That's the way it works in high-school sports. Absent the public fireworks of an arrest or a news story, it's a free-for-all.
Can anything be done about this? If high-school teams are going to be on national TV making money for international corporations, and if coaches are going to leverage their national profiles into lucrative college jobs, then there needs to be a huge national bureaucracy policing high-school sports. I'd argue for the creation of this bureaucracy if it didn't strike me as wholly ridiculous. Who would pay for it? ESPN? Burger King, sponsor of Kirk Herbstreit's Ohio vs. USA Challenge? Kirk Herbstreit himself?

Stopping these national games would be a good first step. What exactly do we gain by pitting the top team in Texas against the top team from Florida? The kids don't need the exposure; there's not a scout in America unaware of the talent in Miami, nor at any of these ranked schools.

Settling for a state title should be enough. The adults behind these national programs need to settle for being mere high-school coaches and teachers and principals. And ESPN? They're allowed to broadcast these games, I guess. It's legal. That doesn't mean it's right. High-school football should be as local and small-time as possible. My favorite team has enough problems as it is.

Robert Andrew Powell is the author of We Own This Game.

Jack Daniel's Dream

2007-09-14T06:50:00.000-05:00

Last night I dreamed I was flying. My entire family - mom and dad, my brother and five sisters and all of their children (no grandchildren) and all of my family. were there. My kids were all in high school. We were somewhere in the United Kingdom in a mansion, on the top floor.
There were a couple of areas around the mansion that had these drafts which I could use to fly up to the third floor. I kept flying over and over. One time I flew up to the second floor.

On one of my flights, I saw that my son had a bottle of Jack Daniels and a Coke. I looked around and saw that every one was drinking Jack Daniels and Coke. I left the house and caught a draft and flew into the heavens. It was after this that I woke up.

Check out my friend's blog - http://www.traceyinthailand.blogspot.com/

Updates

2007-09-12T06:51:00.000-05:00

Katy won on Saturday, beating the Woodlands 48-7. This team reminds me of the 2000 team which never lost a game and won the state championship.

Most mornings I check my email and watch the morning news. Every seven minutes they show the weather and traffic. It is amazing how many shootings there were the night before, how many traffic problems and fatal accidents. For about ten years I drove all over Houston each day. It is such a blessing to go four miles to work and stay in one place all day. That is a huge stress reliever.

Special Education involves an enormous amount of paper work. Every job has its downside. It is the upside that makes the downside bearable.

Katy Football

2007-09-07T22:28:00.000-05:00

Katy High School Football has begun. Last week we beat Klein HS 45-0. We began the season ranked by Sports Illustrated as the #2 high school football team in the country. Our expectations are high to make another run at a state championship. The best thing about this year is that my son, Michael, is playing. He is a defensive back.

We have been following Katy football faithfully (season ticket holders) since 1994. We have seen the Tigers win three state championships out of five trips to the big game. Most years we at least make it to the semi-finals.

Tomorrow night we play the Woodlands. They were beat by a few points last week by one of the top five teams in the state. It should be a tough game. Today one of my students asked me what was my favorite football team. Without hesitation I said, Katy High School.

Dreams

2007-08-07T05:57:00.000-05:00

Are you a dreamer? I dream every night. Sometimes I remember them, sometimes I don't. Many of my dreams involve my childhood. Often I am trying to get away from something. Sometimes I do something and have this overwhelming feeling of failure.

Many of my insecurities and feelings that I had in my childhood, which are played out in my dreams. I carry over into today. Maybe my problem is that I see myself as I think others see me, instead of how God sees me?

Are you the only one?

2007-08-06T01:21:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had the feeling like you were the only one experiencing something? Then you find out that many of your friends have experienced the same thing? In some ways it may give you comfort, then you may experience a guilt feeling for not being there for your friend in a time of need.

Special Education

2007-08-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

Special Needs Parents, Teachers, and Students

What are your descriptions of the perfect learning environment? What does it mean for your child or student to learn? How do they learn?

This Morning

2007-08-02T07:31:00.000-05:00

This morning,
I woke up thinking about you,
wondering what I could do
to take away your pain.

This morning,
as I went through my routine,
thinking how long it has been
I should have been a better friend.

This morning,
a beginning of a new day
praying that you will find your way
to a place of serenity.

by David Michael

Reading

2007-07-31T19:05:00.000-05:00

Where would you be in life if you did not know how to read? It is hard for me to imagine not being able to read.

I started reading before going to school. Terry, my older sister, would read to me from her first grade reader. Dick and Jane and their dog Tip were no surprise to me when I started school. What a family! I had no idea that life could be that simple.

When I was in college I sold books each summer door to door. Most of my summers were spent in some state that bordered Tennessee. My second summer I sold in Kentucky. Most of the summer I was north of Lexington close to Cincinnati. Other than going to houses with streams running through the kitchen and very nice outhouses being common, this area was not that much different than where I had grown up. Then the last two weeks I sold in the coal mining area in the eastern part of the state.

There were mainly two kind of folks in this area -- coal miners and those on Appalachian aid. Most of the coal miners had nice houses and could read. Those on aid were usually further off the road, lived in a dump, and could not read. Of course the coal miners were good prospects and had bought a lot of books, and those on aid were not book buyers.

Reading is not a natural process. There are many steps to go through before a person can read. It may seem natural, but it is not. Thank God for parents, teachers, and even sisters who taught you to read.

Back to School

2007-07-02T05:08:00.000-05:00

Today I begin a graduate program in Special Education at Grand Canyon University. The amazing thing is that it will be online. After going through orientation, I feel confident that it is going to be a great program. It is amazing the technology used. The way the classes are set up is very similar to actually being there. As a matter of fact, the prof knows every time you are in class, participating in discussions, and when assignments are submitted. Each class is 8 weeks, so I should be finished in about 2 1/2 years.

Have you thought about going back to school? Explore taking an online course. You may be surprised!

White Robes for the Supreme Court?

2007-06-29T07:08:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched the debates of the Democrat Candidate's for President. Listening with an open mind (to the best of my ability), after the debate I felt like the caveman on the Geico commercial when he is debating the psychologist on a TV news program: "What?"

One of the stranger than fiction moments of the debate was when each candidate commented on the Supreme Court's decision not to allow race to become a determining factor in regards to where a child goes to school. Inferring from some of the remarks concerning the judges of the majority opinion, I thought maybe some of the judges must have worn white robes instead of black. The lack of honest in politics once again show up. "Turning back the clock," seemed to be the expression that garnered the most support from the predominately black audience at Howard University.

There were many promises given, but no solutions from the candidates regarding the problems of the inner city. The "white" elephant in the room was the Latino community. The demographics in this country are changing dramatically, yet it was virtually ignored (unless it was at the end, which I was unable to watch).

It is my opinion that race is no longer the issue, and it hasn't been for quite some time. The issue is class. The disparity is between the haves and the have nots, not black and white. In recent years, no one has held back any race from becoming successful in this country. There are too many examples of successful men and women of all races. Also, many of the suburban schools in this country are examples of natural integration.
There is much more to write about on this subject, however, the garage door man is about to arrive to give me an estimate. What is your opinion?

Water

2007-06-27T22:49:00.000-05:00

There is something spiritual about watching the waters of the Gulf of Mexico crashing the sand dunes of Padre Island. Waves can be mesmerizing. Maybe it is because when water is mentioned in the Bible, something significant happens. Creation, flood, Red Sea, turning water into wine, walking on water, etc., etc., etc.
_______

Water Street in Corpus Christi is probably one of the best seafood restaurants in the universe. Last night I had the freshest and most succulent blackened Mahi Mahi ever.
________

One of the most enjoyable things to do on the beach is to watch children playing in the Gulf or on the sand. Everything is a surprise. A wave, a seashell, a castle of sand, and even an occassional sand crab discovered in their hideaway. Watching children reminds me of my own and taking them to the Gulf when they were young.
________

Today I "accidently" caught the Oprah Winfrey show. Pam Cope, Mike's sister-in-law was on the program. When Neosho was mentioned, it immedeately caught my attention. I never heard of Neosho until I saw it on a t-shirt Mike was wearing when we were students at Harding.
________

My mom is doing better. She is having a difficult time speaking, however, she is perkier and is responding to others as they speak.

_________

Snoopy's Restaurant has some great fried shrimp. They are caught in the morning and fried up for lunch and dinner.

Vacation

2007-06-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks has been educational, inspirational, and very exasperating. I have become an expert in the basket hold. I have learned far more than I have taught. Although I have only worked five hours a day, I have come home more exhausted than a nine hour regular teaching day. When you have students talking to themselves, spitting at each other, telling you they want to hurt the kids and then going after a crying child, this makes for a full day.

My heart goes out to the parents who day after day, regardless of what happens to them, unconditionally love, have an amazing reserve of patience, and inspire those of us who have "normal" children. If you want to get an idea of what these parents go through, read A Different Kind of Perfect: Writings by Parents Raising Children with Special Needs.

Saturday we are going to Padre Island. We are going to stay in a friend's town home. Sun, surf, and relaxation awaits us.

The World of Autism

2007-06-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

This summer I am teaching 10 boys and 1 girl who have been diagnosed as having an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. If you are not familiar with Autism, you may want to become informed. Currently, 1 in 150 children are now diagnosed with ASD. Enter autism in your search engine and all of the best web sites will come up. Autism Speaks may be a good place to start. TIME recently had some very good articles concerning autism.

Having a class of 11 children with moderate to profound autistic characteristics is an incredible opportunity as a special educator. These children come from eight different elementary schools. Of course being their teacher would not be possible if I didn't have two great para-professionals.

Being a parent with a child who has autism or any other learning or physical challenge is one of those experiences that only those who have children with ASD could really understand. When it is discovered that a child has some type of disorder, it is like the death of a child. The child of the parent's dreams has died. What this means is the parent really needs to go through the grieving process -- denial, anger, bargaining, negotiation and acceptance (Kubler-Ross).

This summer school is all children in our district who are connected to special education. Some children are both mentally and physically challenged. Some are very severe. If you are a parent with a special needs child, my heart goes out to you. My hope and prayer is that a day will come when all those with any type of disability can be healed or at least greatly helped. I do believe there is going to be a day when your child will have a new being, the place where there will be no more tears.

Paris in June

2007-06-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

Why has there been such focus on the trials and tribulations of Paris Hilton? Is it because of her incredible talent as a singer and an actress? Or possibly because of her business savvy? Maybe it was her film, "Paris Does Some Dude," that became an Internet classic.

The enormous attention by the media on Paris says more about our culture than it does about her. There are probably one or two more important things in the world going on right now.

"Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?"

500th Post

2007-06-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

This is my 500th post. In other words, 500 times something such as words or pictures appeared on this blog. My profile has been viewed 5, 671 times. I guess some folks have been interested in knowing more about me so they could decide whether or not to go on reading. Because I never figured out how to put a counter on, I have no idea how many hits I have had. My guess is about 25,000.

Blogging is an amazing opportunity for those of us who like to see our writing on some type of medium. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Of course it is also cathartic. The feedback from caring souls has always been very comforting and encouraging.

My journey has not ended and will not end. Right now I am on a spiritual journey to be spiritually authentic. What this looks like to me may be different to you. I am going to continue to write more about this journey in the next weeks and as long has this blog exists.

Thank you for being a reader. Some of you are my blog friends, others have decided to remain anonymous, which is fine. However, please share something from time to time that I can learn from. The silent types seem to come up with some of the best thoughts.

Blessings!

Road to Recovery

2007-06-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Every morning when upon waking up, I am on the road to recovery. No, I am not addicted to anything. However, I am recovering from my past, a catalogue of idiotic mistakes , and being human. For the rest of my life, I will travel the recovery road.

_______________

Teaching is wonderful. This summer most of my days will be spent at teacher training meetings and teaching summer school for five weeks. We are going to Padre Island this weekend and as often as we can.

________________

I am so proud of my kids. Matthew and Melissa are youth ministry interns this summer and Michael is involved in several Bible Study groups and working out. He is also going to start working for CiCi's -- his favorite place to eat.

__________________

Phyllis and I received a $100 gift certificate from one of our students to the Taste of Texas, which is one of the top independent steak houses in the country.

__________________

Mom is doing the same. Hopefully her speech will be restored soon.

__________________

Today and Monday I will be in Life Skills training. Although I do not teach Life Skills, I think the training will be valuable since some of my students are on the border line of Life Skills/Resource.

A Visit With Mom

2007-05-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

As I walked into my mom's room at the rehab center, Sanford, her husband, asked her, "Do you know who this is?" "This is my son," she said. That was the only sentence she said during my two day visit.

Officially, according to the doctor, she did not have a stroke. However, she can't pick up her right arm, and she is suffering from aphasia. Our brain is like a mirror. If your right side is having problems, it is the left side of your brain which has been affected. Weirnke's area is on the left side which is where our speech and language form. Processing is very difficult for her. Sometimes she has a difficult time decoding information and great difficulty articulating what she wants to say. It is going to take time.

My mom is going to get close to where she was before her "stroke." She is a strong willed woman, and I really believe she wants to get well. With the skills of a speech and physical therapist, and very hard work, she will recover. This is what I am believing.

A Turn for the Worse

2007-05-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

Have you ever experienced something that put your mind into a bind? You may have had a difficult time feeling your feelings. That is where I am today. My mom took a turn for the worse. This weekend I am going to visit her at the rehab center where she is a patient. She may not recognize me, which I know is going to be very strange.

It is difficult for me to see my mom as weak. She has always been a strong person with a keen wit. A few weeks ago I talked to her on the phone and she told she was going to buy a new car. She did a few weeks before her problems started. I always expected her to live at least ten more years.

Loss triggers hidden memories of loss which have not been worked through. I have so many past events in my life that make it difficult for me to process my mom's illness.

A Learning Community

2007-05-11T06:44:00.000-05:00

What are you studying? There is so much information in the universe, and so little time to learn. Have you recently done any studies on the brain, the solar system, or quantum physics? I have done any studies on quantum physics. I just think it sounds cool.

Currently, I am taking an online course on The Brain and Learning Strategies. Online courses have improved so much over the last few years. One of my third grade co-teach classes has been studying the solar system. I guess you heard the news about Pluto?

Learning is an exciting adventure. If you are reading this, you are probably someone who likes to learn new things. You probably have googled something you want to learn more about. In many ways, the blogging community is a learning community.

What information highway are you on?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2007-05-07T07:22:00.000-05:00

My mom is doing much better this morning. She is awake and on her way to recovery. This is one birthday that she will probably be more thankful of than any previous one.

Praise God! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Better News

2007-05-06T08:25:00.000-05:00

Update

The Catscan was clear, so there have been no more bleeds. Mom is under sedation so that they can keep her blood pressure controlled When they wake her up, everything should be back to normal or as normal as it can be. Thank you for your prayers. Hopefully, she will not be in danger again.

Update:

The panic was that my mom's blood pressure plummeted due to the medication they were giving her to lower her blood pressure last night. Now they are giving her a Catscan to determine if there are any additional bleeders. I should know something in about an hour from now.

Original Message:

My mom is not doing well. Last night as she was out having a good time with my sisters, she became very ill. She was taken to a nearby hospital where it was discovered that she has a brain bleed. As a precaution, she was transferred to another hospital. Last night she was doing fine. This morning the news is not good. Her husband called my sister and was very upset. My sister is on her way to the hospital now, so I should hear what is going on in a few minutes. My mom lives in the northwest area of Ft. Worth.

Please pray for my mom. Her name is Otta Mae. Monday is her birthday and she will be 84. Her husband's name is Sanford.

I PASSED!

2007-05-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I took the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12 test. This is the test that all teachers must pass to get their permanent certificate. Taking it on the computer instead of the paper test allowed me to get immediate feedback. 66 of 80 were correct, which means that it was over 80% correct, which is passing. It is a scaled score, so I will not know what my actual results are until I get them in the mail. The main thing is that I passed!

This is a very difficult test because two of four of the multiple choice answers are correct. The difficulty is in choosing the one that is the best choice out of the two. With this kind of test, the test taker must know strategies as well as content.

Instead of taking the EC - 4 test, I took the EC - 12 which means that I can teach pre-school through high school.

This week I also found out that I have been accepted to teach summer school. Before you think I will be working all summer, let me share the schedule. The summer school for Special Ed is two weeks off, two weeks on, two weeks off, two weeks on, two weeks off, one week on, then two weeks before school starts at the end of August. The hours are from 8-1 and Fridays are off.

Special Ed summer school is quite an experience because every neurologically diverse situation is under one roof! It is a great way to experience much in a short period of time.

This has been a great week!

Matthew, Melissa, and Michael

2007-04-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

My life has been so blessed to have three wonderful children. Each one of my children are doing their best to be what God wants them to be. Matthew and Melissa are both working as youth interns this summer. Matthew is going to Memphis to work with the Sycamore View Church and Melissa is working with the Spring Woodlands Church north of Houston. Michael is going to be home this summer, mostly training for football. He is also going to take his first plane trip and go to a youth mission conference at Saddle Back Church in California.

My summer is going to be full of workshops and seminars. I will also be taking some online courses in Special Education. We are also going to Padre Island a few times, since our good friends have a condo that they have so graciously offered to us.

This summer it is going to be nice to have the time to prepare for the upcoming school year, beef up my credentials, and soak up some sun!

Complaint of the Day

2007-04-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I received an email from my principal that several teachers were complaining that I was going into teacher's classroom without their permission. This was very puzzling since I could not recall anytime I had not been in someone's classroom either as a part of my job or without someone's permission to observe as a part of my training.

The principal narrowed it down to two occassions. One of them involved doing my job as a Special Education teacher and the other was walking out to recess along side a classroom and helping a teacher with one of her students while I was on my break.

At first, I was very irritated at being accused of basically doing my job. Then, after awhile , it once again dawned on me that I really do not have control, so enjoy each day and be grateful. Everyone is my friend. I have no enemies, just those who really don't know me. If they would get to know me they would see that I am a lovable guy.

Therefore, I am thankful today that I have a wonderful job, colleagues, administration, and the best of all -- students. Each day I can do my best and believe that everything is going to be just fine.

Today, I am going to a job fair to work in our booth to recruit teachers for our school. It should be a lot of fun! Today is a great day!

YOUR FIRED!

2007-04-25T20:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had someone try to get you fired? Today, I gave a para (aid) a small book I had printed from an educational web site to read to one of my students. As the para was going to the first grade classroom, she ran into the woman who is trying to get me fired so that she can have my job instead of the one she is doing. I incorrectly stapled the book, so the para could not figure out how to go from one page to the next, so she asked this particular teacher. My nemesis immediately grabbed the little book and took it down to the assistant principal to tattle on me for incorrect stapling. How I found out about it was that the instructional coordinator called me into her room to show me how to staple it. I was flabbergasted that she ended up with the little book. I knew immediately that someone had made a big deal about this, so she told me what happened.

I hope my teaching abilities are not judged by how well I staple. Out of the hundreds of papers I have stapled this year, I think it was my first stapling mistake. Hopefully, this episode blew up in my nemesis' face. It is a very busy time of year, so I am not sure how well the assistant principal received the complaint from her. The campaign against me is getting on my nerves. I have gone out of my way to be friendly to her, but to no avail. The only time she was friendly to me was when she asked me to switch with her next year. I didn't really want to, but trying to be a team player, I asked the principal. She was against the switch, which I was thankful for.

Have you ever had someone try to destroy your career? This is the second time in my life that it has happened to me. The first time I was in ministry. This time it is not near as traumatic. But it is still very annoying.

Next year should be a much better year. It is amazing how little respect first year teachers get. I have never experienced anything like this before, so it has been difficult to relate to.

Have you ever had an experience like this before?

Stupid Mistake

2007-04-22T18:18:00.000-05:00

Last week I did something really stupid. I was in charge of one of our Para-professional's birthday celebration. This involves getting a cake and other refreshments, a gift, and card. I bought Curious George plates, cups, and napkins. My birthday person liked nuts, so I bought her three containers of different kinds of almonds. I was looking for a card with squirrels and nuts when I found this cute card with a squirrel on the front holding two big walnuts, one in the right hand and one which was elevated in the left. What was on the inside got me in trouble. The card said, "Scooter the Squirrel would give his left nut to make sure you have a happy birthday."

The card struck me as funny, so I thought the para would think it was funny because the squirrel was cute, innocent looking, and not take the meaning any further than the squirrel's Happy Birthday. Was I ever wrong! I knew the card might be perceived as crude since an animal was offering to sacrifice a body part, but I never thought she would take it at as sexual. At the time she laughed. As she was leaving gave me a hug and thanked me. The next morning I received a notice that I had a complaint for sexual harassment. I felt terrible that I had offended the para. As I told her, it grieved me that I had offended her and that is was a very idiotic thing to do to give her that card. I still can't believe that I didn't think that the card could be taken to an extreme. One of my problems was also that my perception of this person was not accurate.

I am going to have a meeting with the entire Special Ed team and apologize with the principal as the moderator. I am the only man on the team,which has been a challenge in itself. Something I have discovered is that most elementary teachers do not have a sense of humor. They do not exchange witty comments or laugh about how crazy life can get. One of the teachers told me that my humor would be appropriate for junior high or high school teachers, but not elementary. I had to go through the harassment power point presentation again and sign papers that I had went through it. The complaint was placed in my file.

Hopefully, I will overcome this mistake and finish strong this year. Being a man in elementary school is a challenge. Women interact very differently when they are together than men. I still love my job and enjoy working with young neurologically diverse students.

Have you ever made a mistake that was really stupid?

Where was Jesus?

2007-04-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

Where was Jesus on the Virginia Tech campus yesterday? Did he show up? Why didn't he present himself to Cho Seung-Hui and let him know that he was loved and should not feel lonely and isolated? "He was quiet," said one student, "he didn't want to be bothered."

An English teacher reached out to Cho. She gave him one on one teaching. Because of his enigmatic writing, she encouraged him to get counseling. Maybe she was Jesus to Cho.

Who are the isolated among us? Is it the neighbor who does not want to be bothered? Is it the student who is quiet and compliant, yet inside has a mind full of rage.

I feel so sorry for the parents and family of these students, and the friends and fellow students.

There are so many stories embracing each life lost. The resident assistant who everyone loved, the beautiful dancer who spent last summer in Beirut, and the professor who gave his life to his students. Maybe Jesus died yesterday, again.

Living in the Land of Doubt

2007-04-08T16:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever lived in the land of doubt? Years ago, I was an intern to Lynn Anderson at Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas. During this time, his book If I Believe, Why Do I Have All These Doubts? was released. It is one of those books that I have tried to keep on my shelf, but I keep giving my copy away to chronic doubters. In the book, Lynn wrote about his own faith struggles. That is one thing I love about Lynn, he is not afraid to share his challenges. When I first read the book, I was amazed how honest he was. At the time, I had never really gone through a doubt storm. My how times have changed.

For the past few years, I have really struggled with my faith. It has been difficult each Sunday to get ready and go to church. It may be that my struggle has had more to do with my struggle with church than with my beliefs. However, my continued struggle with church has affected my faith.

You may have never been in this territory before, so you may want to skip my blogs for awhile. Of course I haven't written that much lately, so I may have lost my readers. But, for the next few weeks I am going to write about my reasons for struggling with my faith. My goal is to be as honest as I possibly can. If you go with me for the ride, I hope you will share your thoughts and maybe even your own struggles with your faith. Make a comment anonymously, if you wish.

Dinesh D'Souza

2007-04-05T07:02:00.000-05:00

Dinesh D'Souza is one of favorite political writers. I think he was right on with the following comments. We (all Americans) continue to pay a price for Republicans trying to undermine the Clinton administration. It seems the Democrats would have learned from the Republican mistakes. Yet, politics in America is not about doing the right thing, it is about gaining power.

Pelosi Romances a Dictator

by Dinesh D'Souza

Is it entirely surprising that Nancy Pelosi is in Syria and just met with the country's ruler Bashar Assad and several of his henchmen? Consider Assad's credentials:

a) He is a vicious dictator
b) He is vehemently anti-American
c) He backs terrorist groups both of the Sunni and Shia variety, like the insurgents in Iraq, Hamas, and Hezbollah

No wonder Pelosi thinks Assad can be helpful in solving the Iraq problem. At first glance this seems ridiculous. What exactly can we expect from this man? Sure enough, conservative commentary has focused on exposing Pelosi's naivete.

But this criticism of Pelosi is itself naive. It assumes that Pelosi and the conservatives have the same goals, which clearly they do not. Yes, both want to solve the Iraq problem, but "solving" the problem for Pelosi and her fellow Democrats means embarassing President Bush by defeating his Iraq policy. This is the objective.

To this end Assad is indeed an ally of the liberal Democrats. By bringing to the table a secular dictator devoted to undermining the elected Iraqi government and helping our enemies, Pelosi and her fellow-travelers ensure that America's position in Iraq is further weakened. Then they can set about blaming Bush for getting us into Iraq in the first place.

If you assume that Pelosi is trying to bolster America's position in the Middle East, her actions become virtually incomprehensible. On the other hand, if you assume that she's trying to give President Bush a political black eye, and thus clear the way for a Democratic contender to take the big prize in 2008, her actions make perfect sense.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2007-04-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

This morning I was walking in the park and thought about the line in the song, "I'm easy, easy like Sunday morning." Interestingly, this song was sung by the group, "Faith No More." Paradoxically, the song is about a guy who is leaving his girlfriend. However, I think the writer captured the essence of Sunday morning in America.

Regardless of where I have been in the United States, on Sunday morning there seems to be "that peaceful easy feeling," especially before 11:00. One question that has been bouncing around my head is, "Why does it seem that most churches do not have the ebb and flow of a Sunday morning?" What would "an easy like Sunday morning" service be like?

The first thought that comes to mind is peace. A church service should be peaceful, a reverential peace. This may be too much to ask of our charged culture. Much of our church culture is antithetical to peace. It is almost like unless we get really loud, God will not hear us.

Something else about a Sunday morning is that it seems to be the time that most people give up control, at least for awhile. For example, there seems to be a different atmosphere with the Sunday morning crowd at a restaurant. The breakfast crowd is more relaxed than the lunch crowd. The breakfast crowd is drinking coffee, reading their newspapers; the lunch crowd is trying to get through lunch as quickly as possible without having an incident with one of their kids.

Have you ever heard someone say that their church was their ranch or the mountains or beach? I can understand why someone would feel that way. Where do you experience more peace and less control?

Church should be where we connect with the "peace that passes all understanding," and give up our control to God. What has been your church experience? Is it "easy like Sunday morning?"

Blah! Blah! Blah!

2007-03-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

I think I know where Rosanne is coming from (yesterday's post). I am also tired of religion. Church is such a bummer for me right now. I tried to connect back to my roots, and the church I went to did not want me. It was sad because fifteen years prior I helped them create their purpose and value statements. Under the name of the church it still says, "A Place for Belonging." It is sad that they really do not mean it. It is a place for belonging for the people they want to belong. If they do not want you, they hardly will make eye contact.
I have tried different kinds of places, and I don't seem to fit in or feel comfortable. I am also anti unauthenticity. Gimmicks and agendas really turn me off right now.
I have thought about going to AA. We have one a few blocks from our house.
I am living in one of those doubt times in my life. Maybe it is the medication I am on.

I am also tired of politics. It doesn't matter if it is right, left, or center. Politics reminds me to much of church leaders trying to gain power that they shouldn't have. Everything is about politics instead of about the direction the country really needs to go in.

What do you think?

Life Fugitives

2007-03-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

art by www.BrandiWilson.com

Life Fugitives

by

Rosanne Cash

The priest is prayin' for your soul
And the doctor for your heart
Someone tell me how to live
Now that we must live apart

Once we had a mother
But that's all over now
So wish her well and let her go
Just as soon as you know how

It's a strange new world we live in
Where the church leads you to hell
And the lawyers get the money
For the lives they divide and sell

And the only truth believed in
Is the one upon the screen
So we live our lives like fugitives
And we were born to live like queens

Once we all were daughters
Now we'll never hear thy name
I never think I could have learned
I just turned into the game

Don't send me no more letters
With your ignorance and rage
I don't want your tired religion
Not a soul you need to save

What do you think?

Melissa

2007-03-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Melissa and Cousin Abel

Melissa is working at Impact Church, an inner city ministry in Houston, this week during her Spring Break. While thousands of other university students are hitting the beaches and the bars, Melissa and her friends are loving on inner city kids. There are thousands of young adults who use their Spring Break to serve and share the love that they have been given with others less fortunate.

Bob Woodruff

2007-03-01T06:18:00.000-06:00

Bob Woodruff of ABC News is one of my new heroes. He was severly wounded when he was covering the war in Iraq. Watching the special on his life the other night was inspiring. He has made a remarkable comeback.

Good News!

2007-02-19T17:50:00.000-06:00

Today I finally got back all my test results. I am fine except for Cholesterol and Triglycerides. The bottom line is I must start eating right and lose weight or I will need to start taking medication. So other than a hiatal hernia and gastritis, I am the picture of health!

Medical News

2007-02-12T19:48:00.000-06:00

In case you are keeping score on my medical condtion, all of my tests were benign. That is the good news. I had some additional blood tests done because Dr. Tameriza is concerned about my elevated liver enzymes. I should know the results by Thursday. If the tests come back which raises more concerns, I will have a sonogram. The end result is probably going to be the same -- which is lose weight and quit eating all of the foods that I enjoy so much.

Monday Evening

2007-02-09T23:46:00.000-06:00

My appointment to find out "what condition my condition is in," is going to be Monday afternoon. I'm not worried.

____________________

I am watching one of my favorite movies, Jerimiah Johnson. It is really a sad movie. Robert Redford is one good looking dude.

Biopsy

2007-02-04T08:29:00.000-06:00

By the way, I had eleven biopsies done on my stomach and esophagus on Friday. I was asleep, so I did not have the opportunity to negotiate the doctor down to six.

Biopsy - that is one of those words that creates a wall of silence around a conversation. The follow up question to "biopsy" is, "When will you get the results back?"

"This coming Friday," I said.

"That is along time to wait," blogger said.

_______________

I started reading a thought provoking book yesterday: A Different Kind of Perfect - Writings by Parents on Raising a Child with Special Needs. The book is edited by two parents and a psychologist. Most of the essays in the book are by parents of children with special needs. If you want to gain an appreciation for these parents challenges, read this book. The writing is exceptional for this type of book - especially by the editors. I will share more from this book in the next few days.

______________

I am finding that most general educators are not educated on the needs of students with challenges. Paras are often not informed as well. When I hear these students being referred to as being lazy or undisciplined, a red flag goes up.

_____________

One of my students has ADHD "off the map." He is in an inclusion class most of the day. His body is a playground. It is amazing what he can do with the different parts of his body. Sometimes he will use his shirt for a tent. Keeping him on task is very difficult in a regular classroom. If you have ever thought that ADD/ADHD is not a serious neurological problem, think again.

_____________

Sunday morning has been a struggle for me. Last week I attended an Episcopal Church. I am not sure where I will go today. My stomach feels like a race car has been driving around in it, so I may have church at home.

Can you say Endoscope

2007-02-01T19:04:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow should be an exciting day in the life of David Barnett. I am going to have an endoscope. This is a procedure where the doctor puts a "camera" down your throat to see what is going on in your abdomen. I am not sure what is wrong yet, but I have been having weird pains in my upper abdomen for a couple of months. Hopefully, I will live through the procedure and give a report.

Blogging Direction

2007-01-27T17:55:00.000-06:00

Blogging has been a great way to share information, ideas, and feelings. I found it to be a good vehicle to share part of my life story. However, now it seems that I am losing motivation to blog. I think part of it has to do with wanting to go a consistent direction, yet not knowing which direction to go.

Mystery

2007-01-23T06:46:00.000-06:00

Life is a mystery.

Birthday

2007-01-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

Today is the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, Winnie the Pooh, Ali, and me. This is quite a cast of characters to celebrate with. It was also a day off due to icy road conditions. We usually have one of those days about every ten years. It is nice to get some cold weather. It almost feels like winter.

Brain Battles

2007-01-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Dreams are often the subconscious doing battle with the conscious. Last night, I did battle once again. It seems that my subconscious will not allow my conscious to change history. My subconscious wants the truth to be revealed. My conscious is trying to get my subconscious to not be so brutally honest.

Have you experienced this battle of the brain?

An Encounter (A Dream)

2007-01-10T07:02:00.000-06:00

I was so close.

I knew there was something going on as I entered through the swirling glass doors. Women were mingling, hiding behind their drinks. They all knew me, yet I did not know anyone. Supposedly, they were there because of my new book. Each woman I met seemed more mysterious, more aloof.

One of the women said she was my new publisher. Her New York clothes and attitude revealed our relationship. We sat down at an immaculate glass table. Tall crystal glasses of water, with a thin slice of lemon floating on the top, were placed gently on our virgin white table cloth. As I looked across the table, the expression on her face revealed that this encounter was about to take another twist.

An older woman slowly began approaching our table from across the large dining area.

"You know who she is, don't you?" I said. "Does she know who I am?"

"Yes. She has always known," she said, looking at me as if something incredible was about to happen.

"I want to meet her."

The petite women sat down, impeccably dressed, Anne Klein glasses. Instinctively, I knew who she was. A flood of emotions, questions, and bewilderment entered my mind.

Then, I awoke.

Dogs

2007-01-09T06:37:00.000-06:00

What is your favorite kind of dog? Check out this list:

Affenpinscher Afghan Hound Airedale Terrier Akita Alaskan Malamute American Bulldog American Eskimo American Pit Bull American Staffordshire American Water Spaniel Anatolian Shepherd Australian Dogtle Dog Australian Shepherd Australian Terrier Basset Hound Bearded Collie Bloodhound Boxer Bulldog Chihuahua Chinese Shar Pei Chow Chow Collie Dalmatian Doberman Pinscher English Cocker Spaniel Flat Coated Retriever German Shepherd Golden Retriever Great Dane Greyhound Havanese Irish Wolfhound Labradoodle Mixed Breed Pekingese Pomeranian Poodl Rottweiler Saint Bernard Treeing Walker Coonhound Vizsla Weimaraner Yorkshire Terrier

Your dog may not be listed. Our famiy dog is an English Setter. Duke is in a retirement home (in our back yard). He was never used as a bird dog. Without much knowledge and research, I bought him for a pet. This was not a smart move. English Setters are too high strung to be a pet. Phyllis will choose our next dog, when Duke goes to his reward.

My favorite dog is the underdog. Boise State in college football was such a team. The odds were not in their favor. It was a beautiful site to see the Broncos run all over the Sooners.

Everyone considered David the underdog against Goliath. Everyone that is except David. You know the story. The underdog came out ahead.

In many ways, I would consider myself an underdog. At times in my life, it seemed the only thing I had going for me was my looks (Terry, quit laughing).

to be continued.........