I miss Dave!
I have never met Dave; only my sister Noelle has had that privilege. Yet, I feel that there is a great friendship between Dave and I. All through blogging. I love blogging! And he is missing.
I went to check his blog, cause I love to read about his books and really enjoy how much knowledge he has. He went private, and didn't tell me or even send an invitation. What does that mean?
Dave, don't you want to know that I am getting married? Don't you want to come and visit in Guatemala? And don't you want to convince me of other very unhealthy food selections? I miss the banter....
But, I guess I will never know what happened to Dave. I wish him all the luck and hope that he is okay, wherever he is.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
curly fries, anyone?
Today I am taking a poll.
I'm the red head in the picture. (the far left)
It is a weird poll.
But don't blame me.
Blame it on the blasted high school students!
I curled my hair today....
does it look like arby's curly fries?
anyone?
This is your chance to comment on my blog.
I dare you!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What is racism?
Today I am tired of hearing that everyone that lives in the United States, that is latino descent is 'Mexican'. I decided that today was the day that my white students understood my definition of racism.
A system of advantage based on race. (David Wellman, Portraits of White Racism)
We get so caught up in our everyday lives, that we don't realize that we have so much given to us, just because we happen to be born in the United States, of Caucasian descent. We have been given so much and are given so much on a daily basis. We don't have to worry about being considered dumb just because we don't speak English. We aren't considered a migrant worker, just becuase we are from Mexico or Guatemala. We are not told that we should go to the alternative high school, just because we are black, and we'll fit in better. They don't tell us are less likely to go to college because of our skin color.
We (I clump myself into this category because I am White) are told that we can do whatever we want. We are told that we can become whatever we want. We are told that we deserve to go to college. We are told that we can live wherever we want. We aren't asked if we are Italian or Russian, because of our skin color. We aren't considered dumb because our ancestors are Irish or Welsh. We can go anywhere without someone wondering if we are going to harm them in any way. People don't really lock their doors when they see us walking down the street. We can go out of the country and be respected by most because we are from the U.S.
But the reality is, there is still racism and we won't ever really be rid of it until we take a stand on equal rights. At what point do we teach our children that all people who speak Spanish aren't Mexican? At what point do we stop people from telling racist jokes? When do we allow our children to read childrens stories with the illustrations of Black children or Latin children?
I feel so strongly about this, and most of the time, I can't really say all that I would like to say. I can't seem to communicate in a way that describes what is in my heart. The reality is, Whites are the dominant culture in our society. When do we stop seeing color and start seeing heart?
"We live in a time when there is no clear path to where we are trying to go. Yet many of us have a vision of where we would like to be, a vision of schools where all students have the opportunity and the encouragement to achieve at a high standard. It is a vision of multiethnic communities characterized by equitable and just group relations rather than the present deeply ingrained power hierarchies that systematically advantage some and systematically disadvantage others. It is a vision of education that not only should foster intellectual development by providing students the tools of critical thinking, speaking, writing, and quantitative reasoning, but also should provide all students the skills and experiences necessary for effective participation in a diverse society."
A system of advantage based on race. (David Wellman, Portraits of White Racism)
We get so caught up in our everyday lives, that we don't realize that we have so much given to us, just because we happen to be born in the United States, of Caucasian descent. We have been given so much and are given so much on a daily basis. We don't have to worry about being considered dumb just because we don't speak English. We aren't considered a migrant worker, just becuase we are from Mexico or Guatemala. We are not told that we should go to the alternative high school, just because we are black, and we'll fit in better. They don't tell us are less likely to go to college because of our skin color.
We (I clump myself into this category because I am White) are told that we can do whatever we want. We are told that we can become whatever we want. We are told that we deserve to go to college. We are told that we can live wherever we want. We aren't asked if we are Italian or Russian, because of our skin color. We aren't considered dumb because our ancestors are Irish or Welsh. We can go anywhere without someone wondering if we are going to harm them in any way. People don't really lock their doors when they see us walking down the street. We can go out of the country and be respected by most because we are from the U.S.
But the reality is, there is still racism and we won't ever really be rid of it until we take a stand on equal rights. At what point do we teach our children that all people who speak Spanish aren't Mexican? At what point do we stop people from telling racist jokes? When do we allow our children to read childrens stories with the illustrations of Black children or Latin children?
I feel so strongly about this, and most of the time, I can't really say all that I would like to say. I can't seem to communicate in a way that describes what is in my heart. The reality is, Whites are the dominant culture in our society. When do we stop seeing color and start seeing heart?
"We live in a time when there is no clear path to where we are trying to go. Yet many of us have a vision of where we would like to be, a vision of schools where all students have the opportunity and the encouragement to achieve at a high standard. It is a vision of multiethnic communities characterized by equitable and just group relations rather than the present deeply ingrained power hierarchies that systematically advantage some and systematically disadvantage others. It is a vision of education that not only should foster intellectual development by providing students the tools of critical thinking, speaking, writing, and quantitative reasoning, but also should provide all students the skills and experiences necessary for effective participation in a diverse society."
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Light of Christ
Today has been a really good day, and it just started. I feel so at peace about my life and where I am headed. I don't really know what happened in my brain, but I am grateful for the change. I think it came about because of my recent studies in the scriptures.
I have been working on really studying the scriptures lately instead of just reading them nightly. It was one of my new years resolutions, to choose a topic each month, study that topic and create a scripture chain that I could then use to form a talk. That way, at the end of the year, I would have 12 talks that I could give at any time. This idea came from my dad, who is amazing! My January topic was the Light of Christ.
Last night, I was finishing up my talk, getting ready to mark the chain of scriptures. It had been a really hard weekend; full of emotions and hurt and lonliness. As I was reading about the Light of Christ and what it actually is, I came to the realization that this light is an actual light that was given to
us by our Savior. He gave us part of his light, which is how we are able to have life. And every thing on the earth was given a portion of His light. And it is because of that light, that He knows and understands us so thoroughly. He is in, around, and through all things. He is in us. And it brought me so much peace to know that He knows me that well. He is more aware of my every need than I am.
I have to be reminded of this often. Sometimes I let the weight of the world get me down and I forget that my Savior understands me and all that I am feeling and thinking. And today, I am more at peace and feel more light than I have for months. I don't have any answers. I still don't know what my future brings, but I do know that my Savior loves me and for today, and hopefully every day after, that is enough.
I have been working on really studying the scriptures lately instead of just reading them nightly. It was one of my new years resolutions, to choose a topic each month, study that topic and create a scripture chain that I could then use to form a talk. That way, at the end of the year, I would have 12 talks that I could give at any time. This idea came from my dad, who is amazing! My January topic was the Light of Christ.
Last night, I was finishing up my talk, getting ready to mark the chain of scriptures. It had been a really hard weekend; full of emotions and hurt and lonliness. As I was reading about the Light of Christ and what it actually is, I came to the realization that this light is an actual light that was given to
us by our Savior. He gave us part of his light, which is how we are able to have life. And every thing on the earth was given a portion of His light. And it is because of that light, that He knows and understands us so thoroughly. He is in, around, and through all things. He is in us. And it brought me so much peace to know that He knows me that well. He is more aware of my every need than I am.I have to be reminded of this often. Sometimes I let the weight of the world get me down and I forget that my Savior understands me and all that I am feeling and thinking. And today, I am more at peace and feel more light than I have for months. I don't have any answers. I still don't know what my future brings, but I do know that my Savior loves me and for today, and hopefully every day after, that is enough.
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