Careers, Education and Life

Pogo Revisited

2010-12-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

“We have met the enemy and they is us.” Pogo

I always loved that quote from Walt Kelly’s comic strip. His animal characters, the residents of the swamp, reflect all the foibles of human nature—selfishness, stupidity, greediness, and narrow-mindedness, but ironically, they are harmless because most of their faults are directed inward toward themselves.

What an accurate representation of the world that we live in! We complain about taxes, laziness, and too many governmental rules and regulations that result in the short-circuiting of our personal self-actualization. But the simple fact is this: It’s our fault. Many of us have lost our personal moral compass and as a result, certain institutions must step in to act “in loco parentis”.

How does this relate to careers, education and your life?
In the swamp, Pogo Possum is the only character that sees this. Take a look at your own life, can you see it?

In our search for something meaningful, we are our own worst enemy. Instead of choosing the difficult journey, we opt for the easy road. With the malodorous fear of success in our head, we subconsciously self-sabotage our well-being to sink back into our comfort zone, where we are lulled into complacency and sleepwalk through our lives.

It is excruciatingly painful to grow and change. You must navigate unchartered territory never knowing the outcome of that journey, but hoping that it matches that vision planted in your head. You're oblivious to the fact that everything and everyone around you is changing everyday. It’s an imperceptible change that you don’t feel or recognize, but it’s there just the same. You are the only one kicking and screaming to remain in the same place.

Start today and make your inner self your best friend, instead of your worst enemy. Monitor your daily actions and see if you, yourself, are the one barricading yourself from your ultimate potential.

Have a Heaping Helping of Thanksgiving With A Pinch of Guilt

2010-11-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

As most Americans move from the table to the television, I hope all of you have given sincere thanks for your many blessings, but I hope you have a added just a pinch of healthy guilt to your full stomach.

Many, many Americans (and non-Americans) are suffering greatly, not just today, but everyday. It doesn’t matter if it’s the homeless on the streets of Downtown Lubbock or on the savannahs of Sudan, people are suffering, while we are full, warm, entertained and sadly, oblivious.

Thinking that guilt should not apply to them, more Americans and Lubbockites (than I care to admit) will shrug this message off—“Hey, well, I don’t feel very bad for those people, some of them have made bad choices and besides, I have a right to this, I’ve worked hard, saved, and led a good life and besides I give to my church to give to those people”.

“Those people”…that’s the term that makes me cringe.

But for the Grace of God, go I. Think about where you began your life—much of your success can be attributed to being born with advantages—good infant health, two parents (or one really committed strong parent), an education, access to good health care as a child, and continued good health far into your working years.

“Those people” may not have been a "lucky sperm of month club" or a "winning egg in the ovarian lottery" as Warren Buffett so aptly puts it—YOU, either by chance of birth or by geography, by DNA, by religion, by gender, could be one of “those people”. By chance, you could have been born in the poorest slum in Mexico or the outbacks of Tasmania, or the thick forests in Jakarta.

I don't know if many of you realize it, but your grasp on prosperity is tenuous, very tenuous. If you got lucky with your birth circumstance, you may not have fared so well with your “happenstance”. You might have begun life with a lucky beginning, but perhaps worked in an occupation that made you sick, or fought in a war that took your limbs, or your livelihood was downsized and you couldn’t find work and you used alcohol or drugs to take away the pain of your loss. Unlucky, unlucky, unlucky…with a mere toss of the dice, you might be one of “those people”—in a soup kitchen today instead of your stainless steel kitchen.

In my thirty years of work in education, where most of my “customers” were those in dire socioeconomic straits—I can’t think of a single one that WANTED, really wanted to be in the situation they found themselves. They truly didn’t know the path to get out. That’s where YOU come in.

Helping out the disenfranchised doesn’t mean throwing money at the problem, it means building bonds with “those people”. That’s what “those people” need most—the unconditional positive regard of those in other places. They need someone to convince them that they are not “those people”, the losers, the underbelly of the world—some strange American equivalent to an “untouchable” caste.

Guilt is a negative emotion, but some times guilt is an effective motivator in getting people off the couch and out into the world of “those people”.

The Constant Quest for Authenticity

2010-11-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most precarious pitfalls to which a career counselor can succumb is to give advice and not follow it. It's a throwback to those parental voices--"Do as I say, not as I do."

One of the methods I use for life planning in Career TPMS is for clients to create a broad Interstate Highway plan for life, but with Access Road possibilities. Life is a journey and like any well-planned trip, we know Interstate Highways are the fastest, safest, smoothest method of getting to our destination.

On the other hand, any experienced driver knows that Interstate Highway's all look alike with little variation, and after a while, those predictably safe roads can literally put a driver to sleep.

The most interesting journeys require that we take a chance, get off the highway and visit an out-of-the-way place. Sometimes those detours are joyfully serendipitous and sometimes, not, but we can easily get back on the Interstate Highway and continue our trip, until the next detour beckons to us.

Over two years have passed, since I sold my home of 26 years, downsized to a small condominium, and relinquished my maternal role to the misty landscapes of the past. My Interstate Highway plan was to practice career counseling June to December and to write and speak January through May.

Then an Access Road possibility appeared--in the form of running for political office. I got off the Interstate and took the detour--it didn't turn out the way I envisioned, but I don't consider it a loss--not even close. I shared my heart and my ideals with hundreds of people who were strangers at first and now, they are friends.

More importantly, for my clients, I'm an authentic example of the Interstate Highway Plan/Access Road Possibilities. I took Robert Frost's less traveled road and it did, indeed, make all the difference, but now, back on the Interstate, none the worse for wear.

I held my breath, took a risk, leapt off into the black abyss of the unknown and uncertain. I survived and miraculously, thrived.

My present Interstate Highway plan is to get Of Tapestry, Time and Tears published, travel to India in January and stay for at least eight weeks following in the footsteps of the heroine of the novel. I have spring plans for going with a dear friend who has a home in Condessa, a colonias of Mexico City, to talk to a student who is doing a dissertation on human rights violations in Mexico. Then to dive back into career counseling in June through December.

But those are just my Interstate Plans.

Another access road might call to me to get off the Interstate and I will do just that.

Take a risk, be frightened, but don't attach any expectation to the outcome.

I can now say that to my clients with the greatest of confidence and most importantly, authenticity.

You're More Powerful Than You Think

2010-11-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

I ran for political office because I wanted to serve people (I've had a lifelong love affair with people) and I wanted to change things for others.

It wasn't a disingenuous desire, it certainly wasn't a good career move, it wasn't a craving for power or influence because I don't operate that way. It was only because I wanted to help Texas to become a state whose sole purpose was to serve people.

I didn't win the election.

Am I disappointed? Amazingly, no. Through daily morning and evening prayers and faithful meditation, I released my attachment to the outcome of this election many, many months before November. I didn't ask to win or lose--I only asked for what would be in the best interest of people and for me---a blessing for me and for others--and I received it.

Something I've realized through all of this is that I am POWERFUL and most importantly, NOT by being in political office. I must have independence, creativity, and freedom and all of that would be stifled by being a cog in a wheel within a system.

It's that independence, creativity and freedom that provides my power.

Everyone has the power to be an agent of change--it can be within your own home, your neighborhood, your career, your peer group--anywhere.

Pick a cause, any cause--the list is endless. My cause is helping people to plan their lives so that they may live more abundantly--both spiritually and monetarily--helping people of all ages to navigate their way through their life and through time.

Each one of us must take up the righteous sovereign for others in some small way. Each one of us has a mission--a purpose for why we were present on this earth--find yours.

You have much more power than you think--a drop of water is nothing unless there are many drops of water--then it creates an ocean.

Don't think about limitations, think about possibilities--use your power.

How Much Progress Are You Making on Your Dream?

2009-11-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

The older we get, the more time seems to get away from us.

If you remember when you were young, time went sooooo slowly. Summers were forever, getting to Christmas was such an unbearably long time and it seemed as if you would never grow up. We always wanted to be older than we were, sometimes even lying about it--remember sneaking into bars even though you weren't 21?

Now, time and our lives seem to whiz at nanospeed. We look up dreading Mondays and then wonder where the week went when Friday rolls around. We reach our birthday and wonder what we did with that year of our life that just passed and is behind us.

Are you just going to let those years roll by and then live with a litany of regrets? Are you going to be sitting in a rocking chair thinking about all the things you could have done and wonder why you didn't?

Think about this: Who are the people that you've admired in your life? It might be an ordinary person that you know--someone in your neighborhood or an acquaintance at church. It might be someone famous like Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, or Nelson Mandala--those historical giants that have left a great legacy with their work and efforts. Each and every one of those individuals was just like you AT SOME POINT. They were young and had big dreams of something, a passion, that they wanted to accomplish. They each could have allowed jobs, family, health, aging parents, setbacks, or money problems to derail the creation and development of their vision. But, they didn't.

What makes them different from you? They had the determination to accomplish something that was so important and so overriding to all their personal life issues that they persisted and as a result, were successful.

Each one of us is the same as these famous people. We all have the potential to be great. We all have the qualities deep within us to accomplish our most cherished dreams.

All it takes is the GAS of determination to propel us to that treasured destination.

Explaining the Importance of Early Memories in Career Counseling

2009-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love exploring the Early Memory Construct in career counseling.
If we all asked ourselves, hmmmm, "What is my earliest memory?", focus on that memory and analyze it, we would learn a lot about ourselves, how we see ourselves and how we fit into the world.

One of my counseling heroes, Alfred Adler, believed that personalities or visions of how we "fit" into the world are established at a very early age. He also believed that children formed a definite "prototype" of themselves by age five.

This is a valid argument, because brain research indicates that humans normally develop explicit and semantic memory after the second birthday. That would indicate that most individuals would "store" certain significant memories between two and five. Why is your earliest memory significant? It is because that is your first memory of being a person, separate from your parents, separate from your environment, your first experience as an individual being

One would think that the significance of one's earliest memory might be diminished or changed after going through subsequent experiences later in childhood, but it does not. An individual will go through life in a series of attempts to prove or disprove their earliest memory.

An example of this was a 40 year old female client of mine who was desperately desiring to make a career change. Her career in social work was literally killing her. She was a wonderfully warm, caring person, who was selfless--not only in her work life, but with her family, her church and her community. Her early memory was this: One Christmas when she was four, she received an outdoor log cabin playhouse. Family finances were a problem that year because her father had been unemployed, but they were eager to give their four year old daughter the thing she wanted most. Instead of being overjoyed at her parents' generosity, she cried and cried and felt horrible. She felt that did not deserve such happiness at such a difficult time. She felt guilty.

This early memory was carried like baggage for the rest of her life--that she was undeserving and that others always came before self. She even chose a profession that perpetuated this "me last" feeling.

So what is your earliest memory? and what do you think this has to do with your feeling about yourself and your work?

My Wish for Independence Day

2009-07-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Even though we are the greatest country in the world, we can become better. We can be a more compassionate and welcoming nation.

My wish is that we would have less divisions between the rich and the poor: that the rich should be willing to lend a hand to those who have less and that the poor should be willing to have a life that involves more hope.

Every child that is born in America should have equal access to a good life--regardless where they are born, regardless of who their parents are or what they do.

The circumstances to which one is born should not dictate their future.

America ranks 6th in the world as having the greatest disparity between rich and poor. We can't afford to let this continue. If you remember Marie Antoinette's statement about cake, take heed!

People Watching

2009-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

The lake and park across the street from my house provides great opportunities to "people watch". I love to people watch. Could I call it hobby? Perhaps. I enjoy observing what people wear, how they walk, their interactions with their pets, their walking companions, intricacies of body language....suddenly I had the thought that this could be a future subject for blogging. Each park walker has a story and it plays out in their walk everyday. Now if I could just dig in to their story by simple observation.

What a difference a YEAR makes....

2009-06-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, I was looking for a smaller, more efficient house. The huge house I had lived in for 26 years no longer suited my needs or life style.

With my son grown and out on his own, I no longer had "herds" of teenagers spending the night or parties on the patio. 3,000 SF was too big for a 50-something lady and a little dog.

I found a small townhome on a lake and a park in town, moved there, the big house was vacant for a year and a lot happened in the last year that made me grow, changed my way of thinking and all of those activities that assist in a transition.

This a lesson that I can pass on to my career counseling clients: when your working life no longer supports your desired lifestyle you need to make a change--yes, it is scary, yes, it is a hassle, yes, you will be frustrated at first, yes, you will realize that your "change" destination will not be as perfect as you had hoped....but when the dust settles and you can finally take a breath, you will realize you did the right thing.

Living or Surviving?

2008-05-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

with all this talk of economy, gas, food shortages, etc...have to ask myself am i living or just surviving?

could I live with less and still be happy?

am I spending most of my time taking care of my possessions and things?

are my possessions there for me or am I SERVING my possessions.

I start to wonder when I spend most of my waking moments taking care of THINGS....

I remember there was a Cathy (remember her?) cartoon that said: "the 80's woman" and it had all these inanimate THINGS in the background screaming commands at her as if they were ALIVE. "Water me, feed me, clean me, file me, cook me, paint me, help me, fix me, wash me...."

That is exactly how I feel....

I am beginning to weigh quality vs. quantity....

Just one statement...

2008-04-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

"I feel the capacity to care...that is the thing which gives life its deepest significance." Pablo Casals

We don't realize that things we might say in passing have a tremendous significance in someone's life.

In junior high, I was not a good athlete--one of things I could NOT do was climb the rope up to the ceiling of the gym--most students could--I was very embarassed. After I was humiliated by my failure several times, my PE teacher motioned for me to quit trying but she said--"I bet you are a baseball queen though! What a wise teacher....

In school, I remember precious few compliments or any real connections with teachers, especially in high school. Most did not want to make any real connection with students--the" garage door" was closed to that...

After making what I perceived to be a very low score on the SAT, my homeroom teacher said I should not waste my time in college--another teacher, seeing I was upset...surprisingly laughed at the story--"what a stupid woman....she didn't bother to see you made a PERFECT SCORE on the verbal section....what a fool....it was the score in Math that made your score appear to be low...you must be very gifted in writing and speaking..." and so I became gifted in writing and speaking...

The power of words...no one is more affected by the power of words than children and especially teenagers....we should be careful of what we say and how we say it...

The Beginning of the Effect of Retiring Boomers

2008-01-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Retiring Baby Boomers are going to change business, the economy, and entire career cultures.

Here is more proof: CareerBuilder.com is now starting an off-shoot called Personified. This start-up is in response to the following statistic: 41% of employers say they have positions for which they cannot find qualified talent. 27% say that they have retained workers which they don't really want because of the employee shortages in key levels.

Putting Power Back in Our Own Hands

2008-01-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

When I was a "baby counselor", I was not too interested in Glasser's theory, but I grown to appreciate it more and more every day.

When trying to solve a problem, simply ask three questions:

1. What do I want?

2. What action am I am taking to get what I want?

3. Is what I am doing working?

It is easy and it is simple to understand--no going back and rehashing the past, no getting in touch with feeling (or not very much)

We can only control ourselves by knowing what we want and DOING actions that get us to that thing that we want.

Those three questions should be addressed everyday, just as we make our "to do" list.

Class War--anyone???

2008-01-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

The news is rather ominous of late.

Unemployment is up...up....up...credit is tight, the dollar is down. Gas is predicted to rise to $4 a gallon soon.

Even Walmart sales are down, down, down...but ironically sales at Tiffany's, Harry Winston are soaring. What can we take from these observations. That old bug-a-boo about which no one wants to dialogue: income inequality, increasing income disparity....

There is no doubt about it, the middle class is shrinking and those at the top of the income pyramid are increasingly distancing themselves...the USA, who used to herald that all are created equal, is quickly re-creating itself into a country of rigid social hierarchy that resembles India--we are being morphed into the American version of untouchables and Brahmins.

Statistics show that Corporate CEO's in 1999 made 410 times what their employees made. Then add this: 92% of political contributions are made by 1% of the richest Americans. The worker bees are starting to buzzz....

The wise Greek philosopher, Plutarch once remarked, "An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal element of all republics."

If anyone remembers the Russian czars, Nero or Marie Antoinette--it can happen again. Wars based on religious dissonance are not that far removed from wars sparked by the frustration of the have-nots--especially when the "haves" flaunt their wealth so ostentatiously.

I believe that 2007 will be the tipping point, so I am getting my affairs in order.

Post this everyday and read it...

2007-08-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Steps to Happiness

Being with the people you love should be your first priority every day.

Be in love with your work. Search for work that satisfies you and is important to you. You don't have to change the whole world by yourself. If you would were guaranteed minimal monetary support--what would you do with your time?

Help everyone that comes your way.

Find out the things that make you happy and make time to do those things.

Get moving. Your brain produces its own antidepressant if you exercise--cannot get it any other way...

Stay organized, but be flexible. Seize an opportunity if it comes your way.

Try to maintain a balance in every you do. Those who hit the highest highs also reach the lowest lows--that's science...

Think of Life's Little Grrrrrr's as Brain Exercise

2007-08-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

We, as Americans, are a weak lot.

We let little things get to us....

rude store clerks, doors that stick, trash that is piling up...long lines at the grocery store..

If we would just think of these "little things" as a get fit period that will help us through the "big things", then we will be alright...

The Fallacy of One Life--One Career....

2007-07-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

How can we be expected to remain in one career our entire life?

For most of us, the choice of careers is made when we are a young and impressionable (albeit inexperienced) eighteen years old. Most have never lived away from parents, have not attended college, many have never held a job of any kind.

so for that one moment of revelation, that one seized second are we forever committed to that career decision.

I am not the same person that I was at 18 or 25 or 35 or 40 or even 50 (I am 54). Opportunities and experiences happen everyday that make me think: "ooh that would be fun to do that..." most individuals however are locked in financially OR emotionally to that career decision that we made at 18....and particularly so if it is a career that required a great deal of money or time....

As I work with individuals (most of whom are in the 18-20 age bracket) I try to get them to think across the life span--but in a way that in non-committal. I try to get them to anticipate the lifestyle changes that inevitably come with certain ages and experiences (having children, planning for retirement)--this helps to not only arm them with possibilities and options (remember...forewarned is forearmed!!!) but also a sense of control over their own life....

Our City doesn't like old things

2007-06-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Apparently, the City of Lubbock doesn't like old landmarks to stand in the way of progress...

They have recently completed the North Overton project successfully demolishing almost 80 years of Lubbock history--just in time for our Centennial in 2009...

I have been discussing this issue with other forum posters here in town and most agree--funny, it is the young ones who don't agree..one poster actually stated "they should tear down more, we don't care about your old crusty memories"...maybe we ARE the only ones who care...because we knew about those places when we were younger Lubbockites...

Now, it seems that another landmark is going to go...The old Tara landmark presently stands at 4th and Slide and may be demolished to make way for yet another road to extend all the way to Loop 289.

I have very vivid memories of this house because when I was very little, my mother had a friend who lived somewhat near this house and we always went by there...taking the long dirt road east away from the house and back to my house across town...I would sit in the back seat and look out the car's rear window....amid the dust clouds from our car, the house would get smaller and smaller and smaller....there was nothing else around except for the lombardy populars for windbreaks and fields and fields of cotton....

This house definitely has 9 lives just like the most lucky of cats...it has been reincarnated as a house, a restaurant, a club, and now a headquarters for a travel center chain.

It has a historic designation so I am wondering IF they can tear it down.

Perhaps, this will enable it to begin its 9th life..I would hate to nothing to see to remind me of those afternoons car rides with my mother.

If We're Lucky....

2007-04-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

No one more personifies the idea of a mid-life career changer than Patrick Dennis a.k.a. Edward Everett Tanner III. What ? name doesn't ring a bell?

Remember Auntie Mame ? The story was that a young "poor little rich boy" is sent to live with his very eccentric, life-loving aunt--where she really teaches him how he is loved and how to really live. The famous movie from the 50's starred Rosalind Russell

After he could no longer count on his "muse" he became a professional butler.

He always learned how to adapt---I guess he really took to heart "Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death".

In spite of all the "chatter", no one is prepared....

2007-03-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Everyday you read and hear about "Baby boomer news"--a reminder that 77 million individuals, a large percentage of the world's population is aging. I, personally, don't see much change or preparation for this SURGE of aging people and the challenges they will bring to U.S. health care, buying habits, lack of retirement funds, housing, employment, prescriptions, aids to compensate for less mobility, hearing, and vision.....

We read or hear all of this, but I don't think it has "sunk in" yet (pardon the West Texas colloquialism) I think it will affect us more than anyone realizes.

Career-wise--the U.S. will need more skilled and knowledgable workers because the numbers needed are just NOT THERE with Generation X. Another problem is the "brain drain" in several industry sectors--education, government, and business created by BB's retirement. The workers who have "been there" know why "fences" were built, policies were created--and why they should or should not be changed--something that the next generation doesn't realize.

I saw this in public education the last five years I was there. Supervisors and managers said "let's do this..." and it couldn't be done because it was against education laws and codes. Dangerous...when the knowledge base for the industry is missing....

Perhaps as we get closer to the real "wave", we will panic. In 2031, the ratio of non-workers to workers will be 2:1--that will mean more people are not working than working--not due to unemployment but because of retirement or disability....what will we do about this? Will it mean that industry will offer enticing $$ offers to lure BB's out of retirement to "fix"things? or will it mean we could see a complete crash in career sectors?

I am not looking forward to it.....

Careers and Career Areas Change Quickly

2007-03-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

There are many, many, many careers that are so-called "hot" careers that didn't exist even 5 or 10 years ago. Now we have an entire industry sector that didn't exist until a few months ago. It is called "service science", according to the Service Research and Innovation Initiative. The career area is a combination of computer, management, and social science. The aim of having this as a regular unit of career training is to improve the productivity of serving people. According to Steve Lohr of the NYT, these jobs account for 80% of the economy.
When I look at the components in this career area--it looks rather disharmonious---social science study is usually pursued by those who have a social component to their personality--that sounds good so far--because if you are a customer service rep then you have to be a social animal.....but when I examine the other components--computers--more Realistic/Investigative, management--more Enterprising--it doesn't seem to "compute"--haha, sorry for the pun....
But then again, nothing to seems to "compute" in the career market today--who would have thought 20 years ago that the manufacturing sector in the American economy would be TOTALLY gone! who would have thought that the traditional banking jobs would be kaput!!!
We have a lesson to learn from all of this--anything is possible if it involves Technology

Shock Value

2007-03-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants attention. I repeat everyone wants attention. Kids in school --bad attention is better than no attention at all. No one wants to be anonymous.
Just as in the TV show, "where everybody knows your name" Blogs, YouTube and now the in San Francisco.

India, Science & Math, and Higher Ed

2007-03-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone that follows the day-to-day news knows that this is "the year" for India and China. The colleges and universities of the USA know it also and are going to use this for their gain--nothing wrong with that.....
Over the past week, there have been numerous stories about US higher education institutions, attempting to expand their reach into India. A study of demographics shows that 40% of India's population is under 18 and they know that their path to continued economic growth lies in more education. This appetite for higher education means that US institutions can enter into educational partnerships with India--which translates into more students and more tuition money for America's higher ed.
This partnership is a dual relationship: America needs more Science and Math majors--we aren't getting them from the US--there is a lot of emphasis on Science and Math in India's schools--therefore this move to tap into India's education market serves a dual purpose--more money, more Science and Math graduates who can be recruited by American companies to fill positions that cannot be filled by American S&M grads.
Why is it that American students are shunning Math and Science? One reason may be according to a survey done by eschools.com is that education is failing to make the connection between the teaching of technical education and the real world. This goes back to the philosophy that we need to integrate academics with APPLICATION of the subject to "real world" use. Think about your own school days--when did your real learning begin? It began when you had to USE the information that you learned in school.
For years, the attitude by academia has been that applied learning is "dumbed down" curricula. Now, that attitude is going through a transformation.
I have been arguing this point for years and was considered an academic heretic for doing so.
If we just wait....the pendulum swings the other way--that's a scientific law, isn't it????

Why Teenagers Shouldn't Rent a House in a Single Family Neighborhood

2007-03-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

This is the wonderfully aesthetic view from my house on Saturday, March 24--teenage boys on the roof drinking beer, throwing rocks, shaking the vent pipes--and the cars...all the way down the block. I have been subjected to "the party that never ends" for the last few months. My other neighbors (which weren't much better at neighborhood decorum) at least didn't park themselves on the roof....Now, there are at least three or four students that are renting this lovely old mid-century house. I have contacted codes enforcement, the police department and all of the right "channels" to get some sort of relief from the constant barrage of cars and "party people". hmm...one problem....nothing is changing...now I have to be honest and say that every person I have talked to is very, very, very nice....but the process is very slow.....

The problem is not having more than two "unrelateds" living in the house--it is the twenty friends apiece that visit each of the unrelateds that is the problem. I feel as if the house is the "Starbuck's" of the neighborhood--or maybe the "flophouse" for TTU. Today, they have parked on the roof and the dead remains of last night's fun ( all their beer and drink trash) remain on the roof for everyone to see. I can only wonder what the house will resemble in the middle of July--will I be treated to sunbathing on the roof amidst the unmowed yard? I pay approximately $3500 per year to the Lubbock County Appraisal District to live in this neighborhood. Gee, it seems a small price to pay for so much entertainment across the street.

This is where we all want to be....

2007-03-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is the place we all want to be.....although I could add to the word "anyone"....the following words:

any thing
any food
any drink
any person
any money
any job
any drug

Let's face it...all of us are just a collective group of "black-holes" of needs....

Sometimes when one gets off alone in solitude it makes it easier for one to see the effects that these "any's" are having on us.

A classic example of our need to escape is Thoreau---although the woods to which we can retreat is fast disappearing....not only are the remote retreats disappearing but, we are totally and inescapably connected because of technology.

Is it even possible to be able to happily live "in the moment"?

The Fearful Side of Being a Baby Boomer

2007-03-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Read this article if you are 40 or over and be afraid, be very, very afraid....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/26care.html?hp
are you thinking of buying a long-term care policy to help you live in assisted living later on when you can't take care of yourself???
well think again!! just because you have a policy doesn't mean it will pay!
Beware....you can live too long....
this is another excuse to "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" and not worry about how long you live but the amount of life in your years!!!

Taking Green to a New Extreme

2007-03-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to get an RSS feed to get the NYT headlines. Today, there was a very intriguing article called A Year Without Toilet Paper. It was about a young couple who are both writers who are trying an experiment of making no impact on the environment. They use no electricity--basically and they have a very strict regimen about the food they consume. You have to read it...I am all for being environmentally sensitive--but I think it would be miserable to live the no impact lifestyle.
There are things that we all can do to help lower our effect on the world's environment, but this is pretty extreme!
When I think of living extreme, I think of the old movie from the late 60's called Soylent Green. It had Charleton Heston, it was set in the future, too many people, shortages of food, etc everywhere...a kind of Orwellian government started exterminating people when they could no longer serve their specific purpose and they made the remains into food--kind of a scary movie if you think about it!!!
It all comes down to finding a balance in what you consider to be "quality of life".......

No day as beautiful as today

2007-03-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

There is really no comparable time to Spring!
Bradford pears are blooming so prolifically that as they shed their blossoms, it looks as if we have been blessed with a warm weather snow shower.
The crabapple trees in my yards are a beautiful pale pink and the redbuds are a fury of fuschia.
After a stormy West Texas evening last night, all was washed clean and a background of green. The temperature has been perfect today with just enough breeze to be comfortable.
These are the days that give us hope when we are confined to our homes during the horrible dreary cold days of winter.
Thank you, thank you God for today's beauty.

Sparkle Daily......

2007-03-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

As we "rack up" the days in our life, we shouldn't go around with our heads down. One misses things that way!! Every single event that happens to us daily is something that educates us, inspires us, or sets our personal compass for the next action. If we get stuck in traffic, we might consider that it is for our ultimate good. Remember the man on 9-11 who stopped to get bandaids to put on his blisters and ultimately missed being in the World Trade Center collapse? What we think is an inconvenience may be our saving grace.

The old 70's adage: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."? Yep, it really is true! Each day is a new day, tune your radar into God's Universal Spirit--your own personal GPS, and sparkle, really put your best foot forward because every new experience, every new person that you meet, every place you go may be the next great adventure in your life. Live in the moment and sparkle!!

Bad "stuff" gone good

2007-03-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

We need bad stuff to happen to us....

maybe I should re-phrase that and say "challenging stuff".

I am a comfort junkie. I like to be comfortable, no stress, no hassle, no drama, no castastrophes....but sometimes we all need a "swift kick" in the backside to make us do something other than be in our little comfort zone.

Be thankful for your troubles--you could have someone else's troubles, at least you know how to deal with your own troubles...or at least you are used to them.

Be thankful for them because sometimes, instead of being the worst thing that could happen, they are the best thing, or perhaps even your salvation!! Remember that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity or that God gives problems wrapped up as a gift....

A Timely Article

2007-02-13T11:08:00.001-08:00

I thought it strange this morning when I heard on the "wake up" news that two random acts of violence had been committed overnight.
First, a shopping mall in Utah and second, a board meeting in Philadelphia. Two individuals bursting on the scene with guns blazing--the split hair reaction of people's live gone awry. What motivated them to do this? What incident was so traumatic, hurtful, or frustrating that they felt the need to suddenly destroy others' lives?
When I began to read my email, I also received an article through an automated mail service to which I subscribe. There was an article by John Hollon about Professor Robert Sutton's new book entitled The No Asshole Rule which points out just how badly behaved we have become in the workplace environment. This article is worth reading and I cannot wait to read the book or least a synopsis of the book.
There are many toxic workplace survivors that will attest that living with venomous supervisors or even co-workers can drive less stable individuals to the acts that were spotlighted on the morning news.

College Testing Money Makers

2007-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

I usually help one of my high school friends test for SAT and ACT on Saturdays. This particular day there were many 7th graders as a part of the Duke Talent Search. Let me just say this: I have 28 years working with students--14 of those years were spent working with 7th graders--7th graders have no business taking the SAT or ACT in the same classroom as 11th and 12th graders.
Smart they may be....but they just simply don't have the maturity to be in the same classroom for college testing as juniors and seniors. They are fidgety, they don't follow directions, they are needy and want help with the questions (which they cannot receive help because this is a standardized test!) I actually had one student say: "when they say signature-do we have to put our last name?"
As a counselor for 14 years, no one, I repeat, no one ever even looked at these scores that "gifted" seventh graders paid for.
Which leads me to believe this. January and February are very "slow" months for Collegeboard and ACT because most 11th and 12th graders test in June or in the Fall---could it be that these supposed non-profits are trying to "drum up" business during their "slow" months.
At any rate, I think it is a direct disregard of optimum testing conditions to place 7th graders in with 11th and 12th graders--the Junior and Seniors have high "stakes" for their testing because this is their score that will be reported to colleges to which they will apply. 7th graders have no stake in a high score--they are usually there because their parents want them to be.
Shame on you Collegeboard and ACT....shame on you.... shame on you....you are just as mercenary as the rest of the world and we expected more from you than this!!!!

Why Bother?

2007-02-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Iraq Study Group. A group of seasoned commanders. The House. The Senate. Popularity Polls. These groups might as well forget about any change in Iraq policy. Mr. Hard Head has made up his mind--he is after all--"the decider".... why did he go to all the trouble of studying these groups' research---in the end he did exactly what he wanted to do anyway. He has got to be the stupidest man to ever hold public office. What were people thinking when they voted for him??? Remember that movie Being There ? Remember the children's tale "The Emperor's New Clothes"? These are all screaming out at us from our past--and no one is listening!!! Get rid of this imbecile--impeach him already--Clinton was almost impeached because he got a blow job from a fat girl--why can't we get rid of someone who has increased the national debt and indirectly killed 3500 American citizens--all to settle a family score!!! He has broken every tenet of the constitution (which when he took the oath of office two different times--he swore to uphold!!) He makes me want to barf!!!

EN-Lighten Up !!!!!

2007-02-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was feeling pretty "marooned" this morning, as I have been for the last four weekends because of snow, ice, fog, and cold weather....The sun peeped out for just a very precious few minutes as little tiny snow flakes were falling, illuminating each one as they fell to the ground. With the emergence of the beautiful sun, I was illuminated too.
You know, when God looks down on us, he must feel pretty disappointed (kind of like the line by Alice Walker in The Color Purple-- "God gets pissed off when we don't notice the color purple") when we don't realize that he has created an opportunity for enlightenment for us and we turn it down. He gives us winter as rest from planting, growing, and harvesting. In winter, we "turn down the noise" to rest, reinvigorate, and renew ourselves as to our purpose in the journey through life to heaven. We have to "turn down the noise" aka--life's daily trivia--to see the bigger picture and the bigger purpose.
It takes a lot to get us ready to go to a perfect place like heaven--if we didn't have that "prep time" we would not fit in when we got there. Every little detail that we create (or don't create) in our lives is designed for one thing--to mold us, change us--to allow the ultimate evolution of our souls.
This is the day the Lord has made--I will rejoice and be glad in it. So simple, yet so difficult.
Suddenly, I am grateful for another weekend of solitude and look forward to using the new tools I was given in winter to cultivate my new growing things in spring.

Careers, Education and Life

2007-01-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

Careers, Education and Life
How far we have come regarding what can be printed and presented to the public. Yes, it is true that some people have pushed the "envelope" way too far (pornography, filth, etc) but just consider when many of us Baby Boomers watched television. Remember Edward R. Murrow? Back in the 50's, he made a documentary for CBS called "Harvest of Shame". It aired the day after Thanksgiving and really shifted public opinion about migrant farm workers. It was surprising at that time, that CBS allowed Murrow to make such a film--remember this was the McCarthy era....and if you ruffled feathers, you could be blacklisted, put in jail--hard to believe that America was like that only 50 years ago.
In watching the President last night regarding the state of the union, the Democratic rebuttal came immediately after the address and Mr. Webb minced NO words. This would have been unheard of even 40 years ago!! You didn't insult a VIP, much less the President of the United States. So we have really come a long way--both in positive ways and negative ways.
Poor ol Bushie Boy! He is really having a hard time and people are seeing him for he really is--a man who got lucky because of his birthright. He was never suited to be President, I don't know what people were thinking when they elected him in 2000. I can forgive those in 2000, but the ignoramuses in 2004 are entirely another story--the London Times was right--how could 10 million people be SO dumb?? So all of you heavy handed, Neo-Con Repubs out there, we have only you to blame for the situation, graft, greed, financial blood-letting, ignorant mistakes that are going on now!!! Yay for you--I applaud you for your ignorance and stupid flag waving!!

Too Much Information

2007-01-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

Just thirty-five short years ago, it used to be that you could decide to read all the great literature that ever was in about a year. I know this is true because many of the teachers that I had told me that--this was the late sixties, early seventies, everyone who was a part of the "enlightened" group wanted to be an intellectual and know all there was that could possibly be known......
Today, it would be ridiculous to read all the great literature, know all there was to know about one's "pet" passion because the information NEVER ENDS. Because of the Internet, we have so much information that one can never "rest" or "coast" because even if you read and researched everyday, you would never get to the end of information. Technology has truly created a "fuel injected" knowledge base. All of this information has created great possibilities, but also endless problems--the technology that was supposed to be a time saver, has now become like the high maintenance pet--sometimes technology seems to be in charge of us and we are spending endless hours in the "care and feeding" of our little information "Gods".
When did quit becoming the master of our "things" and become a "slave and caretaker" to our things.
Who is taking care of whom?

Charles Dickens had it right.....

2006-12-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

It was the best of times and the worst of times...I don't have to tell you because you know the beginning lines of A Tale of Two Cities don't you?
I have been having a ball finding out that those old cliches from old family members and those literary lines from the classics we used to hate in high school English class ARE REALLY TRUE, they are priceless. We never get great "one philosophy fits all" lines like those from any "new" literature or media today--I mean..."ya talkin' to me?" doesn't have much meaningful "meat"--or "the truth, you can't handle the truth..."--not so much....
anyway getting back to the original premise of this blog entry.... after 52 years of greeting the new year and probably 39 of those begun with a list of resolutions, regrets, and seductive self-growth programs....I am thinking that maybe resolutions are not necessary to begin on the first day of the New Year. Maybe we need to make resolutions each month--that way it doesn't take so long to see if we kept the resolution. hey want to quit smokin--you could for a month. instead of biting off more than we chew for a full 365 calendar days, maybe we should say "I will resolve JUST FOR THIS DAY to take more risks, or not to eat as much, not to buy yet another pair of earrings, or not to smoke a menthol cigarette or not to shoot the finger and scream like a banshee at errant drivers on cell phones. Just for today.....because as you know from the vintage smiley face poster of the psychedelic 70's--"today is the first day of the rest of your life"--
hey, you talkin' to me?

Super Idea for Traveling and Writing Retirees

2006-11-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

I saw a very innovative bit of information in the paper today about about Internet connections for travellers. The manufacturer is KVH Industries in Rhode Island. It turns the vehicle into a "roving hot spot" for using your laptop. It costs about $2000 and about 60-80 dollars a month but it would enable a person to travel in an RV and still continue to do business.
This invention/service could completely alter the way we live and work--retiree wise. Workers wouldn't have to put off traveling around the country just because they needed to keep their employment. This would be especially great for writers--since they are independent contractors any way! This opens up a whole new avenue.

Geez Loo-ize!!!

2006-11-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Lazy Sunday mornings.....the best times of the whole week. I have been by myself now for a few months and I must say I love it!
Solitude is essential for writers. That is why writing is such a lonely job. It would be great to do "brain mapping" on writers vs. non-writers to see how differently each group's brains were wired. Brain research and learning is one of my new interests. I get too many interests these days. There is so much I want to do, YET, I seem to get nothing done, because I am too busy dreaming about all the things I COULD do!!
Semi-retirement is so great! No stress, yet I still have a connection to the world. I love no stress.....my brain just seems to "lock down" when I have stress. It is like putting a clothespin on an artery--maybe that is an apt description for it. but I need money...need money.
Positano Italy....now there is a place I would like to go and spend time. Little villages stuck precariously in the side of a mountain overlooking the blue waters of the sea! Wow.....I don't know that I would like to live there always (since I pondering a new nomadic existence...) what to do with the house though is always a problem. This huge old Taj Majal keeps me from doing a lot of things, but I hate to give it up. Maybe I could trade places with someone for a while?

Go Where Fortune Takes You......

2006-06-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am learning, I am learning....to go with the flow. Opportunities come and go....they are always out there.
The last post was 36 days ago. Andy has graduated and is doing rehearsals for the Music Man. He will be moving into the dorm in about 2 months. I am really excited for him and he has already made friends at the college because of theatre.
I am not writing for Suite101 because they never paid me. and all these ridiculous hoops we had to jump through....promises....promises.....after the fact, I checked on the Internet and found that there are plenty of writers out there who were shafted the same way. I don't think it was a bad experience because I was forced to write articles and think of ideas that would fit the topic and not just something that is an incoherent babbling as on this blog!!! so chalk a postive for experience.
I will be working on Tuesdays and Thursday at Christ the King--only 36 students and I will be able to do wonderful things there because of the smallness.
I have also had a revelation--that I can move in the next year, sell my house. perhaps buy a small place in another state (like NM) and work for awhile as counselor and have a second retirement income. I have looked into houses in Ruidoso and it looks promising plus I know a million people there--it is so damm hot here that I can hardly stand it--I am really sick of these hot, hot summers.....I am on my way there tomorrow for some r&r and to work on my WF presentation--I have some really good stuff to present there.....so I am excited.
until later............

6 weeks???????

2006-05-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

This picture looks like how I really feel today....just pooped out!
Andy has two and one half weeks until he graduates from high school! What a milestone!! (or a millstone-hahah) yep sometimes high school is a millstone....little rules and regulations that are meant to keep order that cause chaos for some kids!! Truly.......

I am still an un-royaltized writer with Suite because of low traffic to my site, but that is OK....I still lke to write.

Right now I am working on the Christ the King high school handbook---one of my favorite things to do!! I would do handbooks and how to's for free....I just love them!!

TTFN!!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2006-03-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

well that is what I have heard anyway.....it has been over a month since I have posted.
I have been very busy because my business has picked up in all areas...great fun, interesting and challenging clients, everyday is an adventure, and fun things along the way!!
I am now a staff writer (part-time) for Suite101...it is very fun!! The $$ is so ...."starving artist" but it is good exercise and perhaps it will lead somewhere and perhaps not....que' sera....as Doris Day would say! It is just a part of my workday....that I LOVE!!

The address is: http://highschool.suite101.com

Please go to that site, bookmark it, as there will be new material every few days.

I also must work furiously on the presentations I have in the next few weeks. I love presentations....that is the dramatic/entertainer coming out in me.... I dearly love working this way....it was the way I was meant to work all along, but I could not have ever worked this way when I was younger because I didn't have the experience, the contacts, the knowledge, or the maturity!! Philosophically speaking, all things happen in their own time. I am very metaphysical in that area.... I also believe that we have to look for proof of that everyday to gain the wisdom we are supposed to obtain!!

Advantages of a 5 Year Plan

2006-02-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

If there is something that I learned from being in public education, it is about the need to plan.

Not only to plan, but revise the plan, consult the plan, re-vamp the plan--a road map for future actions and goals.

Back in the 80's, each campus had to develop a yearly plan concerning the things that each of us wanted to accomplish professionally that year and I remember from being on the Strategic Planning Committee for the district that it was crucial that you have at least a five-year plan for a school district.

I don't know that they do those types of things anymore. At least I don't know about them. (I could go on and on about the late 80's to middle 90's and about how I think education was more creative and more committed than now...)

Anyway, that really stuck with me. I do 5 year plans and I go back and I revise (because sometimes, just like going on a trip, you may decide to take another route, or go another place altogether....) anyway, in doing this 5 year plan, I am thinking of making some drastic changes within the next 5 years.

I am thinking of downsizing to a smaller, newer living quarters. I love my house, but what does one woman do with over 3400 sq ft of house that is 55 years old....and since my income "post-retirement" has shrunk, it would be fiscally responsible to do so.... and of course, Andy probably won't return home, except temporarily, after June of this year.....

I am faced with choices....choices.....and a new found freedom that I haven't had in at least 30 years.....

The only way I can make those choices is to plan, plan, plan.....
Scary, but exciting....

Twists and Turns

2006-02-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

So many little things to do in my "unfocused" life...

I have an interesting link this morning:
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/book-review.jhtml?t=technology&id=5205

This is really a book review about the new book, Naked Conversations.
This book talks about how "blogging" has crept its way into businesses and how blogging is very useful in professional areas.

So true!!!!

what a great way to "display your wares" professionally. and it puts the human face and personality with a technological twist. I couldn't agree more!!!

I wanted to link my blog with my career testing/planning business so that potential clients and people who share my interests and curiosities could learn about careers, education and life (which by the way is ALL connected!!) without having to wade through the little website I have.

Through my blog, individuals get to know me.

I have found a way to develop rapport online!! (of course, it is always better to gain rapport in person--don't discount the value of body language...

There was an article in the paper today about the value of www.myspace.com

Professionals especially in the arts are using this as a way of publicizing themselves and their "gifts"....very smart!! but one caveat here--when readers are anonymous they may do things that they normally wouldn't do--hacking, lude behavior....

so beware if you choose to use this technological medium..

Springing into action.....

2006-02-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

I want everyone to know that I am, right at this very minute, sitting on my new "secret patio" off my bedroom, enjoying a very beautiful day. The weather is perfect, connected to the web, writing, and I am listening to "My Funny Valentine" by Miles Davis......too perfect. Now this is the way to write!!!
I was doing my daily Molly walk and happened to notice how quiet it was today and more than anything noticed the smell....no particular smell, just the smell of dirt, water, dead grass--but there was something familiar about it....gee I haven't noticed outside smells in a long time...I am thinking now....maybe like 20 years or more...had been too busy and too preoccupied to think about that. It seems like to one has to be "without care" to notice things like that. "Without care"....seems almost childlike, no responsibility, nothing to preoccupy your senses and thoughts. After you reach about 25, there is no such thing as "without care". When you are 6, you have no care, when you are 13-20--you don't care--and I guess when you creep into the 50-ish time, you start to be "without care"....

I want to read this new book called the "The Myth of the Bell Curve"--it has a number of essays by a lot of really neat people....Howard Gardner (remember him the 8 intelligences guy???) and one of my favorite people--Henry Louis Gates, Jr.--professor of black history at Harvard. I found out that you can do a Google Search on books and actually read entire books online....that is soooo awesome....what a way to do research. could do that all the time.....and now that I have found that I do the patio, internet, jazz-listenin' thing, I may do that more often.

speaking of Henry Louis Gates--PBS has a show called "African American Lives" Wednesdays @ 8. Scientists can now do DNA testing to find out your "ultimate" roots and examine migration patterns of the mitochondrial DNA to trace your ancestors. it is just the most interesting thing to me....

I wish that someone would just pay me to learn about things and write about them....talk about the ultimate career!!!

hope tomorrow is as nice as it is today!!!

"Doing Undercover Work"

2006-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Just couldn't resist sharing this picture with everyone today....this picture portrays exactly the way I feel: I know what I am but, I am sure that people may view me as an imposter.....

For any student that believes that being a part-time writer is a glamorous job....it isn't...there is nothing glamorous about being alone 99% of the time--although I , myself really like being alone most of the time because my thoughts allow me to make my own reality --when I don't have the phone and the door bell ringing and I can let thoughts ramble into the "whys", "whats" and "whereforearts" and back again. It is not very glamorous, however, to be in your flannel pajamas at 1:45 in the afternoon, trying to articulate thoughts and feelings in writing and within a context that the outside world might want to read. It is not very glamorous to check your bank account everyday to see if you can eek out another cent or so...it is not very glamorous to have to answer your friends' questions: "gee, what do you do all day...." so there you go, I feel as if I am doing undercover work each day. I know what I am, but I don't appear to be that to the outside world.

One of the things I am really monitoring lately is the PACE program. This program is the product of a national "think tank" with renowned educators, industrialists, higher education academics, politicians and scientists whose aim is to attract more young people to Math and Science and therefore, be able to maintain the USA's competitive edge in those areas. I watched Charlie Rose (PBS) last week and one of premises of the program is to get outstanding teachers into these areas in the public schools who are not only experts in their field but who are MOTIVATORS!!! I almost stood on my chair and applauded when I heard this!!! Someone gets it, someone gets it!!! maybe this is a move in the right direction. but wait.....we need this in all areas of education, in every area of education!!!

American public education needs a "Sputnik" type initiative in education in every area. We will lose our competitive edge if we don't create an interest in education GENERALLY....maybe we need to recruit MBA's to go into education. Maybe we need to recruit the best salesmen and saleswomen from every commissioned salesforce in every FORTUNE 500 company and recruit them to teach at least ONE class in the public schools. Perhaps this could be an idea for a new charter school...totally run by the community's business professionals--small teaching stipends for professional's to give back to the community. This was an idea that "flew" a long time ago. In really poor areas that needed a teacher--they didn't pay them money, they gave them a place to live and an occasional cow or chicken. Hmm...an old idea reborn??

that's why I am working undercover....

Geneaology, Life, and History

2006-02-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

I have missed posting the last few days because I suddenly decided to work on some family history---a very impulsive decision, since I have other issues that need attention.

That is the nice thing about being self-employed, if your mind chooses to take another direction, it can do that, because no one is looking over your shoulder.

Of course, there is down side to that, also, because when one is self-employed, not producing, means no income--well at least not for that moment because you never know what sort of "muse" pops up that may be a writing opportunity for later. Being self-employed means being POOR..which on the other hand can be a wealth of opportunities for writing---lololol....welcome to Carol's little philosophical mind.

Back to the subject at hand....reflecting on family history helps us to understand how we arrived at this point in time....not that we cannot change our many destinations if we choose to do so...but the realization that all the DNA that is in our bodies is a result of all of our ancestors over the years....and that their experiences, the choices that they made or HAD to make had a hand in us...where they chose to live, move, etc. It is so fascinating. I just wish I could have a trip back in time to experience some of their life. It would make a great screen play!!!!

People are what life is about...pure and simple.....if you think about historical events....and look at the biographies of famous individuals who had a role in shaping history....history wouldn't be what it is today. All of us bring our physical genetic histories and our experience histories to the table and it does affect what happens in our day to day.....a leader, policy maker--affects the future even more. It is a very complex concept.....but fascinating.

and writers....well, they can be immortal....and their pain, pleasure and everything else inside can spew forth onto a page--whether it is fiction or non-fiction....and change the way we think or feel.
what a fascinating puzzle is the human psyche....

Shifting Sands in the Dunes of Thought

2006-02-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know I said previously that I was going to talk about creativity, but I had one of those morning "epiphanies" that I have quite often (I don't know why I have these constantly "racing" philosophical thoughts about things.....) and it suddenly occurred to me that ALL of us are on this rolling journey to "find our voice"!! whether we realize it or not.....

Normally the term "find your voice" is limited to writing or to singing. In these areas, it means that you have found YOUR UNIQUE niche in writing or singing--it flows, it is easy, you own it, it is original. In our experiences, we have met those who attempt to imitate or model someone else's style--whether in singing, writing, lifestyle, physical appearance, or thought--it doesn't mean that we can't be influenced by others--it is just that we don't clone ourselves in that model.

Every profession has a term for "finding your voice"--marketing--your niche--art--finding your style, business--finding your specialty. To borrow a phrase from literature--a rose by any other name.....etc. But make no mistake, all of these expressions have the same meaning. "Finding your voice" is life, isn't easy. Discovering your "life voice" is a series of two steps forward, four steps back, trial and error, try-on/take off...much the same way that we look for clothes, test drive a car, or browse in a book store.

We have to realize that "finding our voice" is ultimately discovered by reflecting on our experiences. In order to reflect on our experiences, we have to HAVE SOME EXPERIENCES in the first place. You have to live as much as possible, try new experiences everyday, try to learn something new everyday, don't worry about the details, don't stress over every word, don't worry about doing it perfectly....

Then when we come to that "perfect voice"--it will flow, it will be easy, it will feel good, it will feel like you have returned home.

If you are interested in the concept of "flow"--read the book FLOW--the psychology of optimal experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. (that's a mouthful...)This is not some New Age philosophy--the author is a psychologist that has studied (for almost 30 years) optimal experiences. He contends that flow is a state of concentration so focused that it amounts to absolute absorption in a activity. People who experience "flow" feel strong, alert, in effortless control, unselfconscious, and at the peak of their abilities. It is a great reading experience and I know that if you read the book, you will realize that you, yourself, have experienced "flow"--it is a real brain function--that really happens and for many different reasons!!

Those of us who work with young people, especially need to remember this concept of "finding voice" --for it is only by trying on different personalities, roles, and behavior that adolescents and teens will find their true identities. It is only by this role play of "trial and error" that can discover the true path of their future.

State of the Union and Science and Math

2006-02-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

I was very interested to hear the President speak of Science, Math, and Education last night.

Having students pursue more Math and Science areas is very important to our country---at the present time, we are soliciting thousands of individuals from other countries come to the USA to fill vacancies in career areas of Science and Math---because we don't have the talent to fill these vacancies in Engineering, Statistics, and Biomedical research.

Yes, I was very interested and my ears perked up like a little terrier untillll....That is...until I heard the next words....we will hire teachers who are the best and brightest, etc, etc....

that's great....but much of the problem that we have is not the teacher, but the way that we TEACH Science and Math....

I am not the only one thinking about this....click on this link and you will see that it has even been written about in the LA Times today!
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-dropout30jan30,0,3211437.story?page=1

When I was working in public education, the high school exit exam had the most failures.....consistently in Science and Math.

Now first of all, I think that like everything in education---the teacher should be a SALESPERSON for their subject...every single day should be an attempt to justify to the student WHY it is important to learn this, how they will be using this, what careers will require the skill. The teacher of each and every subject should be a CHEERLEADER for their discipline. If they are teaching that subject --they should be WILD for that subject. I have seen many teachers in the Math and Science area that are about as exciting as a dried bone of a wildebeast!! I know from my own experience that sitting in Science classes in junior high...we entertained ourselves by throwing chalk pieces into the beakers at the front of class. But now as an adult, I am very interested in biochemistry and how toxins, food, and medicine affect our moods and behaviors--wow what if someone had told me about these things when I sitting in science class....maybe it would have created a different career path for me even then.....

My point is this.....in all classes....Science, Math, etc---create an interest for the student---show why the discipline is important to them. RELEVANCE....we have to establish a relevance of each and every subject.

which brings me to another point....after we have established RELEVANCE...it is necessary to USE what has been learned---students have to APPLY what they have learned....that is essential. Basically what we do in classrooms is have students learn theory--let's get them out of the school building.....they should be out in the world at least ONCE A WEEK, using what they have learned.....some people call this APPLIED LEARNING...and for some ridiculous reason, this has come to have a "dumbed-down" connotation.....that is ridiculous....how many times have you learned something and then later when you had to use it out in the world you had an "AH-HA" moment and said "yeah, that's what they meant, when they said......." then that cognitive concept is solidified for you....and it never goes away!!!

Let's begin in the third grade--work with the Dollar store down the street from the school, let's give the students "play money" and a shopping list and have them buy what they need for the week. Let's have Chemistry students in high school go to the USDA office and work with a researcher for the day and see the Chemistry principles that they have learned, let English students visit with copyrighters to see what really clear writing needs to be. Let's build a model roller coaster in Physics.... Let's apply the concepts we learn in Psychology to study the behavior of infamous individuals in history and how their behavior may have influenced history!!!

I get excited MYSELF just thinking about all the possibilities of how we could be having so much fun in classrooms and at the same time teaching, really teaching young people how wonderfully COOL life is, and how neat it is to learn things and expand our own worlds!!!

just remember these quotes from some very quotable individuals:

"Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment." -- Stephen Covey

"Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I'll remember. Involve me, and I'll learn." -- Marla Jones

tomorrow, I want to talk about creativity and what the President says about our preserving and cultivating creative talent. and one reason why we are having problems cultivating creativity with Echo Boomers

Until tomorrow......

More Than One Way To Be Smart

2006-01-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Do you know why public education was originally created ? Most believe it was created to promote literacy, so that all could be educated and in turn, better their existence in the long run.

Did you know that's false?

After child labor laws were created at the turn of the century and children could no longer work in the factories, there was rampant vagrancy, criminal behavior and other mischief because the "kiddies" of the masses were left unsupervised all day and cities had to "get them off the streets" to keep all that mischief "in check". At the same time, everyone viewed the Henry Ford concept of the assembly line as the most efficient way to get things done. Both of those created the public education system that exists today!

But wait, that was almost a hundred years ago......and the system pretty much operates the same way with minor changes.

Yes, we need to have a literate workforce and citizens that can efficiently operate in an advanced technological world, but one area in which WE are failing is the recognition that not every student is smart in the same way--there are students that are not very good Math scholars---but they have a tremendous ear for music, or they are good at reading people, or maybe they are Math geniuses--but they can't even compose a sentence that makes sense.

Ever heard of The Theory of Natural Intelligences?
This concept was developed by a professor of education at Harvard many years ago. It's central theory is that IQ is not the total package of intelligence and EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING has an area in which they excel. Look at some of the most famous theorists, inventors, philosophers, artists, philanthropists, and biologists in time......Albert Einstein was thought to be mentally retarded in his early school years---but he found another environment in which he succeeded and thrived!!

I think individual intelligences is a concept that needs to be recognized and utilized in public education AND as a self-reflective process in everyone's life---this one simple question: WHAT IS MY GIFT?
If individuals discover the answer to this question, they will have less chance of living in poverty and work unhappiness would be at a minimum.

If we are to help children and teenagers find their "gift", we must begin early in providing educational experiences that will reinforce that journey to the discovery of their natural gift...and certainly our pre-prescribed test benchmarks are not accomplishing that task!!!

Sunday Morning Going Down

2006-01-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday mornings are a great time for introspection and musing about what lies ahead of us for the week and month and year and years and years......

We all have people we admire and who serve as an inspiration to us as to what we can become and what we could accomplish.

This morning I was doing my usual "paper-readin', coffee-drinkin', news-watchin' " ritual and an interview with Jimmy Carter was featured. One of the points in the interview was that he has accomplished much more as an EX-president than what he accomplished as President. I have always admired Jimmy Carter TREMENDOUSLY because I always saw him as a politician UNLIKE other politicians--one with an extreme social consciousness and a person of tremendous compassion. I also didn't know that he has written many books, is a painter, and also an accomplished woodworker. Many of his paintings sell for $250,000 or more--and every bit of the money goes to the Carter center, which oversees a lot of philanthropic activities all over the world. He is just an amazing person!! He inspires me so much--he is 81 years old and travels all over the world--recently overseeing the Palestinian elections (what a mess that is right now.....) and some people at 81 relegate themselves to a rocking chair. I would so much LOVE to do some of things he does. Right after the program, Face the Nation interviewed President Bush--what an antithesis, although I really feeling rather sorry for P.B. as of late....he is a man who came to be elected and he was totally unprepared for the job and he has trusted the REAL villains in his administration (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove) and he has to fend the criticisms. but really....could he please learn how to pronounce the word "nuclear"???
Other people who have used their great wealth for social good--Bill Gates, Oprah, Bono, etc. then think of all other people of great wealth---and what do they do?
To have money and do good things--now that is what would make being wealthy fun and satisfying.....I if I could be so lucky!!!!

Friday Food for Thought: A Slippery Slope

2006-01-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

Ironic that yesterday I was writing about "how much do we really need??" and this article (read below) appears in the paper this morning.

A state or society that has a definite desparity between the "haves" and "have nots" is walking on a "slippery slope". Anyone who studied World History in high school or college should remember that some of the most significant and dangerous events have been triggered by a suffering "underclass" seeking a way out of its misery. Think about the overthrow of the Russian Czar at the turn of the century, the German people's sufferings after WWI was a fertile ground for the philosophies of Adolf Hitler and the list could go on and on!

I think that those "in charge" (and I am not really sure just who is really in charge anymore...) need to think about this....this could be a growing problem and a factor in national security.

Citizens need career and life planning more than ever....which economic group would YOU like to belong to??

here is the article below:

Study says Texas leads U.S. in income gap between rich and middle-class
AUSTIN (AP) - The income gap between rich and middle- class families is wider in Texas than in any other state, and the gap between rich and poor families is the second-widest in the nation, a study released Thursday found.
In the early 2000s, the average income of the richest 20 percent of Texas families was $118,971, almost three times the average income of the middle 20 percent of families, which was $41,015, according to the study conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute.
The richest 20 percent of Texas families made just over eight times as much as the poorest 20 percent of families, whose average income was $14,724, the study found. Nationally, the average income of the richest families was $122,152, 2.6 times higher than the average income of families in the middle and 7.3 times higher than the average income of the poorest families.
The study, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, also found that in Texas and nationwide, the incomes of the richest families climbed substantially over the past two decades, while less wealthy families saw only modest income gains.
Elizabeth McNichol, a senior fellow with the center, said the uneven growth violates a fundamental principle of our economic system - that workers will be rewarded for helping our economy grow.
"When income growth is concentrated at the top of the income scale, the people at the bottom have a much harder time lifting themselves out of poverty and giving their children a decent start in life," she said.
The study blames a number of factors for the growth in income inequality, including long periods of high unemployment, globalization, the loss of manufacturing jobs and the expansion of low-wage service jobs.
It suggests states could narrow the gap by raising the minimum wage, offering low-wage workers support services such as transportation or child care, and increasing their reliance on income taxes rather than sales taxes, which the authors say take a larger percentage of income from low- and middle-income families than from the wealthy.
"To a large degree we're all in this together," said Don Baylor, a policy analyst with the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates increased spending on social services. "We're either going to rise or fall as a state together."
The study's findings and proposals didn't sit well with Michael Quinn Sullivan, vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an Austin think tank that advocates limited government and free markets.
He said income inequality studies are arbitrary analyses that don't take into consideration the "high turnover of wealth in the United States."
"Look at someone like a Bill Gates, look at Steve Jobs, look at Michael Dell," Sullivan said. "They did not come from money and they're now very, very, very, very wealthy individuals."
But James K. Galbraith, who teaches economics and government at the University of Texas at Austin, said businesses would rather have a well-trained work force than a favorable tax climate.
And educating the work force allows people to get better jobs that pay more money.
"If the gap between rich and poor gets too big, people will quit trying to move up the socio-economic ladder," said Galbraith.

Greed or "PC"

2006-01-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Whenever I have an occasion to drive from end of the city to the next (which is not TOO often) I see the disparity in people's neighborhoods--their houses, the merchants that they are able to access, their cars, the condition of the block in which they live and it causes me to feel a little sad and somewhat guilty. I see the children that play in those neighborhoods and wonder if they will be relegated to the same life as their parents.
The recent death of the elderly couple due to hypothermia, really made me think AND again feel guilty. They were so proud and didn't want anyone to help them and they had lived without ANY utilities since May--no water, no electricity, no gas--no lights, no A/C, no showers, no way to cook. and it would have cost the utility companies very little to have extended them some credit. when their utilities were shut-off, a technician had to go out and knock on the door to inform them of the cut-off--when they came to the door didn't he see that they were elderly and one of them was on oxygen--guess not!!

I mean, how much do we all really need? I guess I shouldn't feel too guilty because I drive a 12 year old car--cars are not really that important to me--they are just a means to an end--I keep it clean and it is dependable and best of all--I don't have a car payment (I detest paying car payments!!) I live in a house that is 52 years old--but it is big and roomy and it is nothing extravagant, really. but then I read news items that talk about how much money some of the CEO's of big corporations make and I am just wondering---what could you really do with all that money???...I mean surely they don't spend it all.... and the houses that I see people living in right here in Lubbock....I mean let's get real, here--many of them are just a purely vulgar display of wealth. Is it really necessary for some to live THAT large?? how much room do you really need for the three or four of you?
It's just my personal opinion....but if you live in a Taj Mahal type dwelling, you shouldn't be allowed to have another house until you have a build a basic house for someone else who doesn't have one.
Now, some would say: "well, that's not fair, I work really hard for my money"--well I don't think you work as hard and under such bad conditions as some of those who don't have as much as you....ever worked on an assembly line and only get two bathroom breaks per day or done construction, or shoveled gravel on I-27 in 100+ degree heat? and the pay of these jobs don't at all compensate for the less-than-ideal conditions.
Now some would say to this: "hey I had to sacrifice a lot to get the education that I got and do all the work necessary to get where I am today." well sure, that's understandable to think that way--but I am wondering how many lucky "breaks" you had because of your family or because you had a mentor or a parent or a coworker that helped you?
I am not trying to make those of you that are successful feel guilty, but just think about that question when you book your tickets to St. Croix or think about buying a new Lexus, or when you think you need a new Louis Vuitton purse.
How much do you really need??

Grab Life by the Tail

2006-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

A very busy day today....lots of college admission "thangs" to do for my son and lots of official paper working "thangs" for the business. I joined the Chamber today and applied for membership with the BBB. These organizations have some very, very nice, nice people working for them!! I enjoyed my visits with them very much!! and I am looking forward to activities within each organization. Not only will they help my business, hopefully, but they will give me some great fellowship as well.....
I have realized something from the last week or so....we can never afford to sit back and COAST....we have to keep growing and doing things that we have never done before, meeting people we haven't met before.
As humans, we cannot afford to get TOO comfortable in a "comfort zone" because we get lazy, unambitious. I teach this in my seminars all the time, so why I didn't "internalize" my own message....I don't know.....we are just like house plants....if we outgrow the pot we are in....somebody better put in another bigger, better pot or sooner or later...we will become "potbound" and DIE!!! It is never too late, never too soon, never too hopeless to become something new, someone new, and learn a new trick!
So, KEEP MOVING....don't let "brain paralysis" set in, get out and face the world, do something new. Things don't happen by magic or luck--they happen by taking risks and working hard.
There's something new to learn everyday!!!

Drink from the fountain of career news!!

2006-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Oh, it is Tuesday!!! and almost the end of January....
I am trying to make some decisions about whether to continue on with what I have been doing for the last year (almost!!) or whether to get back into the 8-5 "thang". I am about to have a child in college and it is very expensive. I don't think he will be able to work because he is so involved in his music and acting and then he will need to study, of course (small little detail there....)
today I added my blog link on my website: www.careertpms.com.
I hope some people will be reading. I do try to think thoughtfully about these things.
My heart is heavy for those individuals who will be losing their employment with Ford Motor Corporation. I read on www.workforcemanagement.com that each of them will be given at least $15,000 for continuing education to be retrained in another career. The only stipulation was that they must be involved in that FULL TIME--which will be difficult if they are single parents or the only source of income.
I wish I could send each of them an email and tell them the following things:
1. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity"
This could be their chance to really, really do something that they
have always wanted to do and now they have money to go into that.
2. "Sometimes God gives us a gift that is wrapped up in a problem."
God is really, really busy and when he does something it has to impact
more than just US alone. It is my belief that all these "little things"
that happen to us are not random events but they strategically
placed so that 1) we live up to our potential and therefore, glorify
God and his creations and 2)we learn something about ourselves and
therefore become more like God and 3) we impact someone else be-
cause of it.

Just a little metaphysical philosophy from Counselor Carol this morning!!!

I need to work on "THE BOOK" this morning.

Pray for a money blessing for me so that I can continue to do what I love to do.

Happy Tuesday!!!

Just Another Manic Monday

2006-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Now actually, this is NOT true for me anymore. I can't tell all of you how wonderful this is for me....Mondays, I mean.

I have come to appreciate my career testing business SO MUCH!!!

Each time, I am blessed to have another client, I get so PUMPED...it is so much fun to talk with them, to test them. The part of the process that I love so much is taking all the pieces of each client (i.e. the testing, the talking, the self-awareness forms I have them complete) and I love trying to put all these pieces together and compose options for them and then the icing on the cake is to have them do some really efficient career decision making actions and it becomes THEIR plan...

I love that de-mystifying the person process. So, so, so much fun!!

I have found that I do a better job and I enjoy it more if I don't have more than three clients simultaneously. I just love my clients--I am still in contact with all of them--I email them and check on them and they email me and ask questions and let me know how things are doing!! too wonderful....

I try to work each morning for two hours on my writing projects. To do this, I try to move my laptop to my bedroom to watch the sun rise. It kind of separates the process of my career business from my writing business. The atmosphere helps to separate the two different thinking processes--and they do require very different thinking processes!

enjoy your Monday!

There's still hope for Boomers!!!

2006-01-15T08:18:00.000-08:00

There are more and more articles written about Baby Boomers and rightfully so....check out this article in newsweek by Dr. Gene Cohen who is in charge of the Center on Aging at George Washington University. Ever wonder why individuals take up painting and sculpting, writing, music, etc after retirement. This article tells a lot about the changing brain in middle age. this was very enlightening to me about why I am compelled to write things for free, paint my back yard fence with mural art, etc.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10753221/site/newsweek/?GT1=7538

Another great article about boomers and careers can be read at www.workforce.com
The article is titled: "Could Your Best New Hire Be a Recareering Boomer?"
the concept of recareering is very interesting. If retiring teachers only knew how valuable they are to businesses--they have the work ethic, the multi-tasking--all of the things that commerce is seeking. Recareering should be a routine process in the next 10 years with all the retiring teachers that are predicted to leave teaching. Of course, this will be a bad thing for education because of the "brain drain" concept of systems. The worst I believe is for retiring counselors--simply because they know the ISD systems backward and forward because they have to APPLY this information DAILY.....no other position has to have as much knowledge about rules and regs (local, state, national, secondary and post-secondary) when the most knowledgeable retire BEWARE of the snafu's that will be made when advising students--because the NEWBIES do not know this information NOR do they really see a need to know this information. It is a scary time for all!!!

Interested in At Risk Students?

2006-01-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

I hope that if watch PBS, that you watched the David Sutherland film--Country Boys on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. If you have ever taught in an alternative school or worked with children in poverty--you will resonate very strongly with this film. You can read about the film at the link below

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/

Houston, we have a problem.....

2006-01-12T13:17:00.001-08:00

Go to this link to read: Houston is about to become the largest school district in the US to link teacher pay to test scores.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3580770.html

this is very disturbing.....
any comments??
also, click on this link about Jaime Escalante (remember Stand and Deliver?) and what he is doing now. He doesn't even live in the US anymore; he teaches in Bolivia.....(where did Lou Diamond Phillips go??) A most interesting interview....he voices most everything that I am thinking....

2006-01-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Department of LaborBureau of Labor Statistics
recently published their latest predictions for job growth

Here are the findings, I think you will find them interesting.

Industries with the largest job growth
The 10 detailed industries with the largest wage and salary employment growth, 2004-14
(I have listed them by percentage)
Industry
Employment services
45.5
Local government educational services
10.1
Local government, excluding education and hospitals
13.9
Offices of physicians
37.0
Full-service restaurants
16.6
General medical and surgical hospitals, private
16.0
Limited-service eating places
15.9
Home health care services
69.5
Colleges, universities, and professional schools, private
34.3
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
60.5

I think these are very interesting statistics. The industry with the third fastest growth is one that involves Employment Services--now keep in mind these are not only companies that have physical addresses, but they are also online....for instance-Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com etc. These statistics bear out my concern about the new sub-culture in America--job-hatred, which according the Chicago-Times is a very growing problem in the U.S.
It is no surprise to me that Home Health Services is the fastest growing because Americans are living longer and want to stay at home rather than be in a hospital--number one, because of the cost. This is a very big business and I think that we will see it grow even faster than they predict....think about how big it will be in 20 years. The first Baby Boomers turn 60 this year and in 20 years when the "First Boomers" are 80--they will really need more employees--this will in turn lead to an even bigger need for RN's, LVN's, and Aides (more then the need we even have now!!)
I would like to have more information on the second highest growing area: Scientific and technical consulting. I am thinking that these businesses are probably biotech in nature. This industry is also going to be booming and most individuals don't even know what the term "biotech" entails. This means we need get more students involved in Chemistry and the Life Sciences--which is precisely where we are lagging behind now. It is my feeling that if students were to take the Science classes but somehow be connected with businesses in their community that actually use the concepts being taught in Chemistry and Biosciences, we would see more students intersted in the Sciences. Theory is lost on students--if they could see WHY the theory is important, out in the community, outside the school environment, it would get more attraction.
I keep telling my counseling clients and speaking audiences that 65% of the fastest growing careers are in the Medical area--and not just being a doctor or nurse!!! New medical discoveries are made everyday and for each discovery, several new jobs go along with it.
Of course, I need to add a postscript to this little discussion--individuals shouldn't use labor market information as the sole factor in career choice. There can be a "boatload" of opportunities in an industry sector, but if that is not your "thang" and you don't get "fired up" about it.....then it is not for you!! but is nice to know about obstacles and opportunities in your career attraction.

What's in the news?

2006-01-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to hundreds of mailing lists about education and careers and as I read them I am fascinated that NONE of them mention anything about the kids!
Just this evening, EdWeek had a forum on "Is it Right to Make a Superientendent the scapegoat?" I just laughed as I wrote: "I don't care!"...what I do care about is the fact that when I read articles about education, I see lots of "jargon"--assessment, data management, benchmark, end of course exams, TAAS, TAKS, CPAT, TPAT (all those letters can change depending on the state in which you live!) I read about principals "boo-hoo"-ing about how difficult it is to take care of their budgets--but I didn't hear anything about kids, about how they are, about what they need, about how they feel. I would compare it to Ford Motor company paying more attention to a carbuerator than to the customer that buys the car.
I used to subscribe to the government daily news letter about the Department of Education---well, gee, I thought that was what it was...I had to check and make sure I had subscribed to the right publication because I had the impression that it was Ms. Spelling's personal marketing site.
Personal marketing.....now that is another subject for another day because that is something that has been on mind a lot. Ahhh the evolution of the image of public education.

2006-01-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

2006-01-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

Counselor Carol hard at work

Is Anybody Reading?

2006-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

If you read my profile you know that I am still (even after 28 years) obsessed with United States public education system. I have been retired for almost a year now and I still am subscribed to many educational newsletters and forums. I maintain my reading of educational news. With my career testing, writing and speaking business, I am in daily contact with the population (students and parents) that is supposed to be served by public education and I hear mostly negative feedback. I thought maybe I was thinking negatively and was catching the "crispy critter syndrome"--burnout--but I happily say that it is not just me.....I am still hoping that someone will GET IT! When I say get it, I mean get back to the basics of education....and no....I don't mean the 3R's!!!
I guess I have to ask three questions:
1. Why do we have public education?
2. What should we hope to accomplish by having public education?
3. If students are a by-product of the public education system--what should the product look like when it is finished?
I am a pretty global thinker and I like to get down to the nuts and bolts of things--if I am going to work for someone, I want to know what their expectations are--if I do a good job...in your opinion, Mr. Boss, what will that job look like, feel like, smell like, and sound like.
I think that is only part of the problem today--if a student is successful--what does it look like, feel like, smell like, etc. Every school district employee has a different take on what success looks like--depending on what role they play in the district or the building, or the room....for principals it is one thing, for teachers another thing, for counselors another thing, for the nurse an entirely different view....we are not all on the same page. Everyone's "stuff" is more important than everybody else's stuff!!
Let's all get on the national same page FIRST--then pattern schools after those expectations.