(Maya Angelou)

“…..Lift up your eyes upon

The day breaking for you.

Give birth again
To the dream.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.

Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.

The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.

Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage…

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes, into
Your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply

With hope

Good morning.”

…but I need to shop for a new pair of frames.

This teacher has a Health Spending Account and knows how to use it [to reinvent a little, when it comes to the image]!

*insert rose coloured glasses analogy here*

I wish, wish, wish I hadn’t drove over the last pair.  BUT, oh well… lesson learned.

(This post could also be titled Yet Another Way to Avoid Working on my Massive University Assignments Looming Over Me.)

If I were being fair to my circle, each and every post would and should be a post of gratitude for their being there.

While I don’t express it often enough, I’m quite aware that my family and friends have an incredible ability to stick with me.

When compared to attributes like loyalty, and patience, and goodness (attributes that come so easily to my family and friends) gratitude for great story-telling and laughter might sound superficial.  Lately though, I’ve had so many opportunities to deeply enjoy the company of those around me.  It’s not something I’ve forgotten, but something that’s really come to my attention lately: so many of the people I’m closest to are really great story-tellers with a really intelligent ability to find laugher and meaning in almost anything.

Thank-you, as always, to a circle that stands by me.  Without ANY need for reminding, I KNOW sometimes I can be difficult.  You don’t just bare to be with me: you let me in on your crazy adventures, provide me with laugher and insight, and make responsibilities seem like much more manageable undertakings.

My continual smile hopefully reminds you that I’m awfully glad to know you!  (You even seem to know that when it’s not there… it soon will be back!).

So, in short, a post of gratitude for friends and family who share my joys and double them, while sharing my sorrows and halve them!  I look forward to a summer filled with meals, stories, and all-of-it together!

(or Mr. Robertson 5.0)

I think I can probably tell you that I’m starting at a new school, my fifth in our district, in the Fall.  The information is making its way to the totally-public-sphere–as it’s now at least information found on the basically-public-sphere with my current position being posted for applicants to have free-range with on the school board’s intranet.

I’m making my way into the secondary school scene at a middle school, one with a traditional calendar, one that is less than half the size of my current school, and one basically, completely unknown.  Although the school is completely unknown the content/topic/information/knowledge isn’t quite.  Part of this realm, I’ve seen for a good long while as I’m the son of a Junior High Language Arts teacher and am now becoming one–only in this instance, with a technology and Renaissance (Social Studies) twist.

Although each side shifts: I’m fairly equal parts confident (that I will do well) and humble (that I will have a ton to learn).  I’m more excited than nervous. …and while now the nostalgia, and sentiment, and joy of my current school are weighing on me, I’m sure that in time the new school will offer–just as this one did–more than I could possibly guess.

This summer one of my first assignments at university will be presenting a seminar on leading change–what I won’t mention is that, although change isn’t something I’d consider myself too adverse to, it is something that certainly causes a ‘gulp’ sensation.

So a good few weeks to absorb the best of where I’m at.  Then: a summer studying (and adjusting).  Then: a whole new first day of school.

…with, no doubt, a brand new back-to-school outfit!

I’ve said it before…….. but I like beginnings!  =)

My melodramatic nature causes me to think, at times, that I’m the only one to have ever gone through things.  ’I'm the first.  I’m the only.  If only more of the world understood?!’

The internet, however, gets the point across that the world, more often than not understands all to well.  I’m not, in fact, as unique as I think.

With an examination of the interwebs, it looks (and sounds) like the vast others are dealing, sometimes similarly and sometimes differently to what I am.  *sigh*

I don’t know if I have advice for others encountering someone significant, not seen in a long time.  All I could offer, maybe, is that time outside is a perfect setting for acknowledging each others’ battles.  Food is a perfect catalyst for cleared up communication interference.  Kindness is humbling.  …  and: Honesty is usually a pretty great place to start.

June is turning out to be a month of change, emotion, new/old, roots/wings.  I find my heart is making its way up and over to my sleeve as I take it all on.

I can only imagine, the openness will help me connect with what I’m feeling and with others who have felt the same (or could at least try).

Hmmm…

I didn’t know.

Seems like June 1 is a time to commit to a commitment à la that resolution time before the 00:00 Odometer Flip January 1st.  The major difference is that the less-known Spring Version-of-things is devoted to a lunar cycle and the January one is devoted to a solar revolution.

I can’t quite triangulate but at least two websites are devoted to a similar idea:

1) My friend, Rachel’s
2) The Chopra’s

I’ve never had a 30 Day resolution/intention-setting.  Well, I did, but it didn’t result as intended.

BUT, it’s not too late.

I’m devoting my early evening to a quiet June intention.

Who are we kidding–I do very few things quietly–I’m sure a leak will occur somewhere in my social network offerings.

Hmmmm……