LOCALNOTIONS

MUSINGS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS WHICH MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THOSE CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING. NOT THAT THE WORLD WILL BECOME A BETTER PLACE, BUT, IT COULD BE! AT LEAST THE IDEAS EXIST FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION! ENJOY, T.O.M.

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Location: FLORIDA, United States

1) TOO MANY INTERESTS; TOO MUCH EDUCATION; AND NOT ENOUGH ABILITIES OR TIME. HOWEVER, ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT IS POSSIBLE UNTIL ONE VENTURES INTO THE ARENA. 2)THIS BLOG MIGHT BE CONSIDERED AN EXAMINATION OF THE "OLD SAW" AS TO WHETHER "THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD". 3)THE FEATURE THAT SEPARATES THIS BLOG FROM "THE OTHERS" ARE THE "OPTIONS PRESENTED" FOR IMPROVING THE LOT OF MANKIND. UNTIL "OTHERS" HAVE "BETTER IDEAS", I REMAIN COMMITTED TO THESE. VAMOS A VER! 4) DON'T PARSE! YOU'LL "MISS" THE "POINT(S)".

7/12/2009

A SECOND LETTER TO MY SON

DEAR SCOTT,

THIS ARTICLE (MSNBC.COM; "OUTLAWS IN THE UNITED STATES, STRANGERS AT HOME", JULY 12, 2009) IS THE "HUMAN SIDE" OF ILLEGALS IN THIS COUNTRY. IT WAS ONLY BY "GOOD LUCK" THAT WE WERE BORN HERE. I OFTEN THINK THAT, IF YOU OR I WERE BORN IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, WE WOULD PROBABLY "NOT ADJUST WELL" TO POVERTY; CORRUPTION; A LACK OF FOOD/WATER/MEDICINE; ETC. WHEN, IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THESE THINGS EXISTED. I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY LATINOS I HAVE SEEN "ROOFING" IN 100 DEGREE WEATHER AND I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THAT AMERICANS WOULDN'T DO IT "OR" IF THEY DID, THE WAGES WOULD BE A LOT HIGHER AND THE COST OF A HOUSE "ASTRONOMICAL".

THERE IS "ALWAYS" MORE THAN ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT ANY SITUATION. WHAT HURTS, IS THAT THERE IS OFTEN NO "RIGHT WAY" OF LOOKING AT IT. AS YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN "PERCEPTUAL PSYCHOLOGY". TO ME, THIS IS THE ONLY REAL WAY TO UNDERSTAND (AND POSSIBLY CHANGE) THE BEHAVIOR OF OTHERS. THAT IS WHAT IS SO "FRUSTRATING" FOR ME, ABOUT "K.C.". I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND "HOW HE LOOKS (PERCEIVES) AT THE REAL WORLD" AND, WITHOUT "COMMUNICATION" IT WILL NEVER BE POSSIBLE TO HELP HIM.

THE ONLY WAY (THAT I CAN SEE) FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IS FOR YOU TO USE EVERY "EXCUSE" POSSIBLE TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM, E.G. TAKE HIM TO THE SPEED PARK; TAKE HIM TO THE RENTAL HOUSES; TAKE HIM TO A BALL GAME; WORK WITH HIM ON THE YARD (OR HOUSE); ETC.. DON'T JUST SENT HIM TO DO SOMETHING ON HIS OWN OR DO IT WITHOUT HIM. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING "MORE IMPORTANT" THAT YOU CAN DO FOR HIM, BUT, I ALSO KNOW THAT HE "ISN'T INTERESTED", SO IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH.

AS YOU ONCE REMARKED WHEN I ASKED YOU TO HELP THE KIDS NEXT DOOR TO LEARN TO READ; "YOU CAN'T TEACH SOMETHING IF THE OTHER PERSON DOESN'T WANT TO LEARN". OF COURSE, THAT IS TRUE AND MY "MAIN JOB", IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, WAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET EACH STUDENT INTERESTED IN "PHYSICAL ACTIVITY" AND "FITNESS". AFTER THAT, THE "TEACHING" WAS EASY. THAT IS WHY I "LIKED" COACHING". TO ME THE "WINNING" WAS NOT THE "EGO TRIP" IT IS FOR MANY, IF NOT ALL, COACHES. ATHLETICS IS/WAS THE "IDEAL TEACHING SITUATION", E.G. STUDENTS WITH INTEREST AND ABILITY AND VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED TIME AND EQUIPMENT TO USE IN TEACHING THEM. IT IS EASY TO SEE WHY "ATHLETICS" IS/WAS THE BEST TAUGHT SUBJECT IN SCHOOL. I STILL CONSIDER ATHLETICS AS "CO-CURRICULAR", NOT "EXTRA CURRICULAR" AND, UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, THERE COULDN'T BE ANY OTHER OUTCOME. STILL, I WAS OFTEN SAD THAT ALL STUDENTS COULDN'T/WOULDN'T "FIND SOME SPORT" IN WHICH TO PARTICIPATE IN AND I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT "J.J.". I THINK HER SCHOOL (THE STUDENTS) WOULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM A "GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM" AND WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO "COACH" IT, BUT, I "CAN'T HELP", IF I'M NOT WANTED.

MANY YEARS AGO, I STARTED GIRLS BASKETBALL AND SWIMMING PROGRAMS WHERE I WAS TEACHING ONLY TO FIND THAT THERE WERE "NO OTHER SCHOOLS" IN THE AREA WITH TEAMS. I ALSO STARTED A "SPECIAL EDUCATION P.E. PROGRAM" 10 YEARS BEFORE IT EXISTED IN LAW. I STARTED GOLF AND SWIMMING AND TENNIS TEAMS WHERE NONE EXISTED. I "TRIED" TO START "INTRAMURALS", BUT, IT NEVER GOT OFF THE GROUND. BUSING WAS MOSTLY TO "BLAME" AS THE STUDENTS HAD NO WAY TO GET HOME IF THEY STAYED AFTER SCHOOL.

AS I THINK I TOLD YOU, I ALSO GOT A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER'S LICENSE AND TOOK MY CLASSES TO BOWLING AND SKATING (THANKS TO THE KINDNESS OF THE OWNERS) AND THAT WAS WHEN THE "BUS DRIVERS" (NOT EXACTLY A UNION AT THE TIME) GOT "UPSET" BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO "PAY THEM TO SIT" WHILE I WAS TEACHING. NATURALLY, THE ADMINISTRATION "CAVED IN". OF COURSE, IF I HAD TO PAY THEM, THE KIDS COULD NOT HAVE AFFORDED TO PARTICIPATE. I GUESS "CHARGING" FOR P.E. ACTIVITIES WAS ALSO "NEW", BUT, IT WAS LIKE 25 CENTS A DAY AS I REMEMBER, AND A LOT OF THOSE KIDS HAD NEVER BEEN INSIDE A SKATING RINK OR BOWLING ALLEY, MUCH LESS HAD INSTRUCTION AS TO HOW TO PARTICIPATE.

I ALSO STARTED (AND HAD SOME SUCCESS) A COUNTY WIDE "DEMONSTRATION" OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES AND TAUGHT "MARCHING" (A WILD CONCEPT, WHERE I USED WHAT I HAD LEARNED IN THE MARINE CORPS, NOT COLLEGE, BUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCIPLINE AND EXERCISE) IN P.E. CLASSES, THE OTHER SCHOOLS USED IT ON THE DEMONSTRATION NIGHT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM. I EXPECT IT WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME "NORMAL STUDENTS" GOT TO PERFORM IN FRONT OF THEIR PARENTS AND FRIENDS. NOW, I WISH I HAD THOUGHT (OR HAD THE ABILITY) TO TAKE VIDEO OF THE DEMONSTRATION. I THINK IT HAPPENED 2 YEARS RUNNING, BUT, LIKE A LOT OF THINGS I "STARTED", WHEN I LEFT, IT "FOLDED". OF COURSE, I DIDN'T GET PAID "ONE NICKEL MORE" FOR ALL THE WORK I DID (OR ANY "APPRECIATION" FOR ALL THE "TROUBLE" I CAUSED ADMINISTRATION BY GETTING PERMISSION AND SUPPORT), BUT, I THOUGHT IT WAS "GREAT".

"IF" I COULD HAVE "ADJUSTED" (ESSENTIALLY TO "THROWING THE BALL OUT") WHICH IS/WAS THE "BASIC P.E. PROGRAM UNDER "COACHES", I COULD HAVE DONE "VERY LITTLE WORK"; RECEIVED THE SAME PAY; NEVER HAD A "PROBLEM" AND, LIKE MOST GOVERNMENT WORKERS, BE "SEMI-RETIRED" FOR 30 YEARS, BEFORE RECEIVING A GOOD PENSION AND SOCIAL SECURITY FOR "DOING ALMOST NOTHING". I REALLY DON'T THINK "ANYONE" CARED IF THEIR KIDS LEARNED ANYTHING IN P.E. (NOT THE PARENTS; NOT THE COACHES; NOT THE ADMINISTRATORS; NOT THE OTHER TEACHERS; AND CERTAINLY "NOT THE STUDENTS". MY STUDENTS COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD HOMEWORK AND EXAMS IN "PHYSICAL EDUCATION". IT WAS BASICALLY CONSIDERED "RECESS" (A BREAK FROM "REAL EDUCATION" IN THE CLASS ROOM).

IT MAY STILL BE THAT WAY FOR ALL I KNOW, BUT, I "TRIED" (IN MICHIGAN), WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT AND HELP FROM THE "TRUE PROFESSIONALS" THERE, TO PROVIDE A "MODEL" FOR A "REAL PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND TO SHOW THE "VALUE" OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, WHICH I DEFENDED (AGAIN, WITH SOME SUCCESS) AS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT IN EDUCATION (IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON ADULT LIVING). OF COURSE, THE "POWERS THAT BE" IN THE DEPARTMENT CALLED ME ON THE CARPET AND I WAS TOLD "NOT" TO DISTRIBUTE THE CURRICULUM CALLED "GENERIC COMPETENCIES" (I THINK) AND THIS WAS "ONE "REASON" I QUIT.

TRY TO "THINK" OF THE LAST TIME YOU (OR ANY "NORMAL ADULT") USED ALGEBRA; CALCULUS; LATIN; CHEMISTRY; ET. AL. IN YOUR DAILY LIFE. THEN THINK OF HOW MANY TIMES YOU PARTICIPATED IN SPORTS AND HOW IMPORTANT (TODAY, CRITICAL) PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS TO YOUR HEALTH. MEDICINE DEALS WITH REMEDIATION. PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEALS WITH PREVENTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE. BOTH HAVE VALUE, BUT, "WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT"?

AS ALWAYS, I SEE "COMMUNICATION" AS THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT IN EDUCATION, SIMPLY BECAUSE, "WITHOUT COMMUNICATION, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TEACH/LEARN ANYTHING.

OBVIOUSLY, "MY PERCEPTIONS" OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION ARE/WERE "DIFFERENT" FROM THE "REST OF THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY", BUT, I STILL "THINK" I WAS RIGHT. WITH LOVE, DAD (A.K.A. TOM)