Hurray for UEA!

I don't know about you, but I so love UEA!

Every fall, since the beginning of time, people connected with schools look forward to a couple of days off thanks to the annual teacher convention sponsored by the Utah Education Association.

As a young educator some thirty years ago, I faithfully attended UEA. When I was involved in leadership for the Utah School Counselor Association in the late 80s and early 90s, I drug Annie, Haley, and Melinda with me to a few hours of UEA each year.

But now, I am oh so much older and wiser. I look forward to a break from the school business. It's time to sleep in and do just what I want to do (with Willie's approval of course).

Every day, something new . . .

On Thursday, I represented Granite District's Student Services Department at the first graduation ceremony of the school year. It was held at Wasatch Youth Center, one of the campuses for the district's Youth in Custody Program. The center is for youth offenders (general offenders and sex offenders). The two young men of the hour were so excited to be graduating from high school and graduating from the center. Dressed in caps and gowns, they sat at the front of the gym that was nicely decorated for the occasion. Students currently in the center were in attendance as well as the graduates' families and a few other guests. There was a nice program and the students had each prepared a power point on their goals and plans for the future. They also had their favorite teacher/advocates take a few minutes on the program. My part in the whole thing was handing out the diplomas.

In the course of the power point presentations, each graduate took a minute to recognize the LDS service volunteers who had helped them through some pretty tough times while at the center. As they talked, I couldn't help but think about how widespread LDS church service is -- it's everywhere! It requires very little attention and organization. The members, everywhere, serve where and when they can in an ongoing effort to influence others for good, to show they care, and to make a difference. Wow! We are so blessed to be a part of it all!

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky I am?

I love Dr. Seuss books! They are always packed with meaning for readers at any level. The titles of Dr. Seuss' books are sometimes even more compelling and extremly thought provoking (at least to me).

My birthday was this week -- my 53rd. It was really just like any other day until around 7:00 p.m., my family started to arrive. First Elliott, Annie, and Ross; then Haley and James; then the grandparents; then Karl and Willie came home from football practice; then came Chris and Jerry, Meranda and Parker, and Jackie. Before long there was a nice little party going on. Nothing really planned, all who came -- came on their own. We had cake and ice cream, watched Elliott giggle and roll around on the floor, and more than anything just enjoyed each others company. It was a very nice evening. At the end of the day, I had the title of one of my favorite Dr. Suess books on my mind. Hmm . . .

Birthdays are much more than a time for celebration -- for me, these past few years, they have presented a time for reflection -- reflection on just how lucky I am . . . , and this birthday was no exception.

Did ever tell you how lucky I am to have such a great family? One husband, two daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, one GRANDSON, parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, a mother-in-law, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and others I probably forgot to mention. I am lucky to have membership in the only true Church, an education, good neighbors and friends (through church and work), high ideals and values, self-worth, good health, family members with good health, a welcoming home (with an open-door policy), food in the freezer and in the pantry ready for the table at any time, an open heart, willingness to serve others in any way, . . .

I am so blessed and sooo very lucky --

So, to paraphrase Dr. Suess
When I was quite young
and quite small for my size,
I met an old man in the Desert of Drize.
And he sang me a song I will never forget.
At least, well, I haven't forgotten it yet.

He sat in a terribly prickly place.
But he sang with a sweet smile on his face:
When you think things are bad,
When you feel sour of blue, when you start to get mad . . .
You should do what I do!

Just tell youself, Duckie,
you are really quite lucky!
Some people are much more . . .
oh, ever so much more . . .
oh, muchly much-much more
unlucky than you!

Thank goodness for all the things I am not!
Thank goodness I am not something someone forgot,
and left all alone in some punkerish place
like a rusty tin coat hanger hanging in space.

That's why I say
Never grumble! Never stew!
No critter around is as lucky as you!

Just Impressions

My life and my work are all about people. I meet with them, talk to them, listen to them observe them -- and take in all of the nuances that go with them. I am always amazed at the way people maintain their fingers and shoes.

A few weeks ago, I met with a pretty high-profile-type gentleman who was nicely dressed in a suit, white shirt, and tie. As we conducted our business, I was in a postion to observe his shoes. They were worn and scuffed. They detracted from his professional status and caused me to make judgements about his attention to detail. I tried to find excuses to impair my judgement -- in a hurry, out of shoe polish, only one pair of shoes, dressed in the dark, etc. Needless to say, all the excuses I could muster up just couldn't overshadow the scruffy shoes.

Just last week, I was in in meeting at a local school. Counselors, office staff, a consultant, the principal, and I were all seated around a nice table in the school's conference room. It was a meeting centered on school data. All participants had their hands on papers upon which were the recent results of a school-wide survey. As each participant pointed to their concern or question on the paper report, their hands and fingers were part of the focal point as the data were discussed. I couldn't keep my eyes off the principal's hands, more specifically his fingernails. They were clean and neat, but the fingernails were so much longer than the average male administrator, or everyone at the table for that matter. My mind went everywhere -- cocaine user, too lazy to groom, likes long nails, ready for a hand photo-shoot, and so on. For whatever it's worth, long fingernails on males, especially those in prominent positions, are just so unprofessional, unappealing, distracting --- you get my drift.

Just my impressions . . .