Pam and I are very excited for April 23, 2011 when we will finally be united as man and wife. We are getting married civilly instead of in the temple since she is very new to the church and so her family can attend. I see it as a step toward being sealed with her for time and all eternity.
I long to see Nauvoo again and the Mississippi River. I am excited to see family and friends, it has been a long time since I have really seen anyone since I live so far away from everybody. This truly is a happy time for me and I just can't wait to be there with everyone, especially Pam.
Pam and I are also extremely and exceedingly excited to get out of the country for a week and go to Cancun! After a hard day at work one of us will say something about Cancun and how we're almost there.
There is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Xander and Curtis
Our little men
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tonsil Wars Episode V The Tonsils Strike Back and VI Return of the Money
Pam and I had a bit of a scare this week. Apparently because of all the days she's missed thanks to those evil tonsils her entire paycheck was deducted this pay period. This was a very disheartening blow being so close to the wedding. Many of the days that were being deducted weren't even from this month! This was the news we had as of yesterday and today the swelling tonsils decided that Pam shouldn't be able to breathe well this morning either.
Pam followed some advice and met with the head of payroll who was already aware of her situation and was upset about it. Luckily some person who decided not to be named, but who is a saint, donated several days so that Pam could have a paycheck. Crisis averted, we have truly been blessed.
I am looking forward to Pam having those things out of her throat, the operation is not until June, after which she will be out of it for like a week or so. Pam's Mom is coming down to Pinon that week and I'll be working at the school on things so it works out nicely. I am also looking forward to going to Utah and Ohio this summer, unfortunately my original plans to go to South Carolina just aren't going to happen this year (which makes me that much happier that Evelyn, David, Audrey, Lauren, Ryan, and Aaron are all coming to the wedding!)
Pam followed some advice and met with the head of payroll who was already aware of her situation and was upset about it. Luckily some person who decided not to be named, but who is a saint, donated several days so that Pam could have a paycheck. Crisis averted, we have truly been blessed.
I am looking forward to Pam having those things out of her throat, the operation is not until June, after which she will be out of it for like a week or so. Pam's Mom is coming down to Pinon that week and I'll be working at the school on things so it works out nicely. I am also looking forward to going to Utah and Ohio this summer, unfortunately my original plans to go to South Carolina just aren't going to happen this year (which makes me that much happier that Evelyn, David, Audrey, Lauren, Ryan, and Aaron are all coming to the wedding!)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
March
This month has been interesting in a number of ways.
It started out with a great conference for educators on the Holocaust and how we should be moral and active individuals. It was an amazing experience.
Then I went on a ski trip with the sophomore class. Pam and I took them to I am Number Four which was a cool movie. It was a great way to relax. After the movie the kids decided to take me into the pool against my will. The kids hadn't believed me when I said I wrestled in high school, one girl had even said that I had the physic of a nerd. I went toe to toe with an all state wrestler and stayed dry. I'm just glad I've gained so much weight since high school cause that's the only reason I didn't get thrown in that pool.
The kids had thrown in another teacher and two student teachers while we were at the movies. After the failure to put me in they didn't even try to touch Pam.
The next day the kids went skiing and had a very difficult time with it, Pam and I worked on lessons and watched the stuff while the kids fell down.
Pam and I discussed the housing issue further and decided that it would be better for the dogs and better for her to move into her house after the wedding instead of moving into mine. The dogs now live in Pam's backyard so I'm there every morning to feed them. I also moved three bookcases, a desk, a TV, the X-box and several random possessions over to her house so that we can have a head start on the whole moving thing and not have to do it all at once.
I got my final evaluation for the year at work this month. Not as favorable as I would have liked but I was assured that I have a job next year and they realize that I am still growing as a professional. One of the things I got really high points for was professionalism which I really appreciated.
The snowing continued this month despite the fact that spring began. The first day of spring was celebrated by a winter storm.
Gang related stuff has started to pick up this month around the school with more tagging going on as well as a fight in school and an attempted incident at the elementary school. I got sick and tired of seeing Sur 13 written on the walls especially since its a sign of the Mexican Mafia, and none of the rez kids are Mexican Mafia. So I pointed that fact out.
There was also a shooting at Bashas were a man was killed because of a family feud of some sort.
Yesterday was a spiritual high note. Pam and three others went and did baptisms for the dead for the first time. It was my first time performing the ordinances in English which was fun. Pam was absolutely glowing after being in the temple. Afterward we took a picture outside the Snowflake Temple. I'm thinking of printing it out and having it framed. It was a great day for us, we smiled a lot and talked about eventually getting sealed in the Logan Temple.
Today I found my patriarchical blessing which was also very special to take a look at. We also worked on getting the house a bit cleaner this weekend.
The War of the Tonsils have also played a major part in this month. Pam has finally set a tentative date for her operation to get the suckers out. She has gotten very frustrated with being sick so often. Luckily she has been feeling better lately.
The thing we are the absolute most excited about though is that we have only one more month to go until we are going to be happily married in the great state of Illinois and then its off to Cancun! We can't wait.
So, how do I describe March in one word? I don't know that I can. I just know its been eventful and its not quite over yet. Eventful, sure, I'll run with that.
It started out with a great conference for educators on the Holocaust and how we should be moral and active individuals. It was an amazing experience.
Then I went on a ski trip with the sophomore class. Pam and I took them to I am Number Four which was a cool movie. It was a great way to relax. After the movie the kids decided to take me into the pool against my will. The kids hadn't believed me when I said I wrestled in high school, one girl had even said that I had the physic of a nerd. I went toe to toe with an all state wrestler and stayed dry. I'm just glad I've gained so much weight since high school cause that's the only reason I didn't get thrown in that pool.
The kids had thrown in another teacher and two student teachers while we were at the movies. After the failure to put me in they didn't even try to touch Pam.
The next day the kids went skiing and had a very difficult time with it, Pam and I worked on lessons and watched the stuff while the kids fell down.
Pam and I discussed the housing issue further and decided that it would be better for the dogs and better for her to move into her house after the wedding instead of moving into mine. The dogs now live in Pam's backyard so I'm there every morning to feed them. I also moved three bookcases, a desk, a TV, the X-box and several random possessions over to her house so that we can have a head start on the whole moving thing and not have to do it all at once.
I got my final evaluation for the year at work this month. Not as favorable as I would have liked but I was assured that I have a job next year and they realize that I am still growing as a professional. One of the things I got really high points for was professionalism which I really appreciated.
The snowing continued this month despite the fact that spring began. The first day of spring was celebrated by a winter storm.
Gang related stuff has started to pick up this month around the school with more tagging going on as well as a fight in school and an attempted incident at the elementary school. I got sick and tired of seeing Sur 13 written on the walls especially since its a sign of the Mexican Mafia, and none of the rez kids are Mexican Mafia. So I pointed that fact out.
There was also a shooting at Bashas were a man was killed because of a family feud of some sort.
Yesterday was a spiritual high note. Pam and three others went and did baptisms for the dead for the first time. It was my first time performing the ordinances in English which was fun. Pam was absolutely glowing after being in the temple. Afterward we took a picture outside the Snowflake Temple. I'm thinking of printing it out and having it framed. It was a great day for us, we smiled a lot and talked about eventually getting sealed in the Logan Temple.
Today I found my patriarchical blessing which was also very special to take a look at. We also worked on getting the house a bit cleaner this weekend.
The War of the Tonsils have also played a major part in this month. Pam has finally set a tentative date for her operation to get the suckers out. She has gotten very frustrated with being sick so often. Luckily she has been feeling better lately.
The thing we are the absolute most excited about though is that we have only one more month to go until we are going to be happily married in the great state of Illinois and then its off to Cancun! We can't wait.
So, how do I describe March in one word? I don't know that I can. I just know its been eventful and its not quite over yet. Eventful, sure, I'll run with that.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spanish Test
To keep being able to teach Spanish in the state of Arizona I have to take a Praxis Exam that isn't being offered anymore or I had to take the state of Arizona test that everyone has been telling me is so brutal. I asked administration at the high school if they wanted me to teach Spanish ever or if they needed me to since I was having such a hard time finding a Praxis Test that I needed. They got excited because apparently Jim Lescher and Frank White never told anyone that I could teach Spanish and all of a sudden they were talking about what if they could have a Spanish class for next year. So, we found the Arizona test together and I was told to sign up.
Recently they were telling me that we might not have the necessary supplies to have a Spanish class, even though I know for a fact that Pinon used to have a Spanish class, maybe they got rid of the old materials? Since I had already paid for the test, about 80 dollars, I went and took my test today during the Super Saturday Training. Everyone wanted to know where I was even though we had not only planned when I would take the test together but I had also told several people lately exactly where I would be.
I swear everyone has really short memories about where and when I will do things. They forgot the conference that they paid almost 200 dollars in expenses for me to go to and they forgot a state test for Spanish Teaching that they asked me to take when they were still thinking that there could be a Spanish class next year. I love the people I work with and I bet they could name at least as many times if not more that I have forgotten things.
The test was great for the most part. There were four sections, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Listening and Reading which were the two bigger parts of the test were easy for me and I nailed them. I wrote better than the average Elder on my mission but never had much talent for grammar so I'm not sure how the writing went. They were looking for coherent ideas and organization in the writing as well, so I should score well for those.
Speaking I wasn't a fan of, one question that you are given one minute to think about then two minutes to talk about. I'm pretty sure I stuttered a bit. I felt that they should have given me more than one question. In reading I had to remember history, economy, and agriculture of Hispanic Nations and I had to analysis passages from books, poems, and manuals to find main ideas and supporting ideas. I also had to look at conversations and choose the best phrases and words to fill in the blanks. Yes, I can do all that easily, yes I can read in Spanish. Why then in the speaking portion, in one of the most important areas of communication was I given only one question? Seems a little extreme to see whether or not I can speak well.
All and all I am confident that I passed it. If not, I'm not sure that I want to spend another 80 dollars to get to Flagstaff by 8:00 to take a four hour test, that I finished in three. If I did take it again it would be a matter of pride because I know I aced two of the sections and did okay on the other two. It's the other two that has me worried though, how much weight is on them and how brutal is the scoring process? Guess I'll find out soon enough.
Recently they were telling me that we might not have the necessary supplies to have a Spanish class, even though I know for a fact that Pinon used to have a Spanish class, maybe they got rid of the old materials? Since I had already paid for the test, about 80 dollars, I went and took my test today during the Super Saturday Training. Everyone wanted to know where I was even though we had not only planned when I would take the test together but I had also told several people lately exactly where I would be.
I swear everyone has really short memories about where and when I will do things. They forgot the conference that they paid almost 200 dollars in expenses for me to go to and they forgot a state test for Spanish Teaching that they asked me to take when they were still thinking that there could be a Spanish class next year. I love the people I work with and I bet they could name at least as many times if not more that I have forgotten things.
The test was great for the most part. There were four sections, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Listening and Reading which were the two bigger parts of the test were easy for me and I nailed them. I wrote better than the average Elder on my mission but never had much talent for grammar so I'm not sure how the writing went. They were looking for coherent ideas and organization in the writing as well, so I should score well for those.
Speaking I wasn't a fan of, one question that you are given one minute to think about then two minutes to talk about. I'm pretty sure I stuttered a bit. I felt that they should have given me more than one question. In reading I had to remember history, economy, and agriculture of Hispanic Nations and I had to analysis passages from books, poems, and manuals to find main ideas and supporting ideas. I also had to look at conversations and choose the best phrases and words to fill in the blanks. Yes, I can do all that easily, yes I can read in Spanish. Why then in the speaking portion, in one of the most important areas of communication was I given only one question? Seems a little extreme to see whether or not I can speak well.
All and all I am confident that I passed it. If not, I'm not sure that I want to spend another 80 dollars to get to Flagstaff by 8:00 to take a four hour test, that I finished in three. If I did take it again it would be a matter of pride because I know I aced two of the sections and did okay on the other two. It's the other two that has me worried though, how much weight is on them and how brutal is the scoring process? Guess I'll find out soon enough.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Forgiveness
The absolute hardest thing in life can be finding this simple word. Pam and her Aunt Nicole are on speaking terms once again and have found the strength to forgive and reconnect. This strain on the family has finally been lifted after four months of silence. I am happy that things have been able to work out the way they did.
Forgiveness is a bringer of happiness and joy, a doorway to a better tomorrow. When we let it in it heals our hearts and mends our souls. It truly is a beautiful part of the gospel.
Forgiveness was also a theme in the Holocaust Conference for Educators that I attended down in Scottsdale. Not only do we need to fight injustice and abuses of power but we also need to remember the humanity of those who are in the wrong and find it within ourselves to forgive them. When I went to that conference I had expected tips on teaching the subject, to see gruesome pictures, and to hear horror stories and what I got were lessons in morality and in how to live the gospel.
I had expected to feel sick to my stomach at the low depths to which humanity can sink and what I left with was an uplifted and instructed spirit in seeing how humans can keep their humanity, their dignity, and their self respect in terrible circumstances and find kindness and forgiveness in their hearts.
Perhaps everyone is tired of hearing about that conference but it was a truly wonderful experience and an amazing way to see an event in time, not as some stagnant thing that came and went but as a part of who we are and who we should be, what we should stand for and stand against.
Eisenhower on seeing a concentration camp ordered that every American soldier who was not on the front lines needed to see the camp. "It has been said that most Americans don't know what they're fighting for, now they can at least know what they are fighting against."
Anyway, forgiveness, its a great thing that brings families back together and mends broken hearts.
Forgiveness is a bringer of happiness and joy, a doorway to a better tomorrow. When we let it in it heals our hearts and mends our souls. It truly is a beautiful part of the gospel.
Forgiveness was also a theme in the Holocaust Conference for Educators that I attended down in Scottsdale. Not only do we need to fight injustice and abuses of power but we also need to remember the humanity of those who are in the wrong and find it within ourselves to forgive them. When I went to that conference I had expected tips on teaching the subject, to see gruesome pictures, and to hear horror stories and what I got were lessons in morality and in how to live the gospel.
I had expected to feel sick to my stomach at the low depths to which humanity can sink and what I left with was an uplifted and instructed spirit in seeing how humans can keep their humanity, their dignity, and their self respect in terrible circumstances and find kindness and forgiveness in their hearts.
Perhaps everyone is tired of hearing about that conference but it was a truly wonderful experience and an amazing way to see an event in time, not as some stagnant thing that came and went but as a part of who we are and who we should be, what we should stand for and stand against.
Eisenhower on seeing a concentration camp ordered that every American soldier who was not on the front lines needed to see the camp. "It has been said that most Americans don't know what they're fighting for, now they can at least know what they are fighting against."
Anyway, forgiveness, its a great thing that brings families back together and mends broken hearts.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Women's Resistance in the Holocaust
The third session I attended was not the one I chose. I wanted to hear from the person who had survived the Holocaust along with 100,000 others by fleeing to Shang-hi, China and living in a ghetto with the Chinese people. However, due to popular demand and the fact that the district didn't get me approved to go until later I couldn't go to that one.
The session I went to however was very interesting. It talked about how the gender role of women played a part in resisting the Nazis.
Germans had very strict gender rules so of course a woman would be incapable of carrying intelligence information, maps, and other supplies to various partisan groups or Allied troops who had crashed behind enemy lines. Women were under less suspicion than men and were more free to do certain activities as a result.
Women also had the physical advantage of being smaller than men, women could hide in places where men couldn't fit and were even used as snipers on the Russian Front in the Nazi controlled areas.
We talked about a few specific women, a dancer who avoided the gas chamber by stripping for an SS man thus taking his gun while he was distracted and killing her guards. She didn't make it far before they gunned her down.
The average Jewish woman resisted by simply keeping her family together, the Nazis separated families and put family members in different camps. Women keeping their children, sometimes in secret, was a form of resistance. Women were also the primary teachers of Jewish law and tradition to the young children which was another form of resistance since the Nazis were trying to wipe this out.
One woman who was not Jewish was Mrs. Schindler who repeatedly yelled at SS officers for their inhumane treatment of people and got them to change several of their policies. This woman simply walked up to high officials of the SS and screamed at them and for whatever reasons the SS was afraid of the woman and did what she said. They would just shoot men who tried to tell them such things in a much nicer way.
It was an interesting topic, how physical traits and social gender rules played a part in women being able to resist the Nazi regime.
The session I went to however was very interesting. It talked about how the gender role of women played a part in resisting the Nazis.
Germans had very strict gender rules so of course a woman would be incapable of carrying intelligence information, maps, and other supplies to various partisan groups or Allied troops who had crashed behind enemy lines. Women were under less suspicion than men and were more free to do certain activities as a result.
Women also had the physical advantage of being smaller than men, women could hide in places where men couldn't fit and were even used as snipers on the Russian Front in the Nazi controlled areas.
We talked about a few specific women, a dancer who avoided the gas chamber by stripping for an SS man thus taking his gun while he was distracted and killing her guards. She didn't make it far before they gunned her down.
The average Jewish woman resisted by simply keeping her family together, the Nazis separated families and put family members in different camps. Women keeping their children, sometimes in secret, was a form of resistance. Women were also the primary teachers of Jewish law and tradition to the young children which was another form of resistance since the Nazis were trying to wipe this out.
One woman who was not Jewish was Mrs. Schindler who repeatedly yelled at SS officers for their inhumane treatment of people and got them to change several of their policies. This woman simply walked up to high officials of the SS and screamed at them and for whatever reasons the SS was afraid of the woman and did what she said. They would just shoot men who tried to tell them such things in a much nicer way.
It was an interesting topic, how physical traits and social gender rules played a part in women being able to resist the Nazi regime.
2011 The Year of the Hotel
I have now stayed at the Ramada in Flagstaff, the Hampton Inn in Flagstaff, the Hopi Cultural Center in Hopiland, Travel Lodge and Knights Inn in Mesa, and Days Inn in Scottsdale; all this year, none of which were in January. I am officially sick of traveling.
If anyone's interested Hopi Cultural Center, which is the closest one to Pinon has the best internet reception of them all.
Days Inn was the best resort with a pool, volleyball court, exercise room, and a king bed.
Ramada was very nice and in the center of Flag and Hampton was too.
Travel Lodge was decent and in walking distance from the Temple.
Knights Inn sucked. They don't keep track of Orbitz and they advertise falsely on that website. They worked hard to make it up to me though but the only thing that made that room worth it was my visits to the Mesa Temple.
Right now I am, of course traveling again and looking forward to returning home. I'm a chaperone on the ski trip for the school. The kids have had a great time and I loved being able to take Pam on two real movie dates, even if one of them was more like a babysitting date. Six hotels within 30 days, what will I do next? Go to sleep, or something like that.
The trips were worth it though. I took care of my sick fiancee, I went to a great conference, I got to help the kids go on their ski trip, and I was able to go to the Temple twice in one month and see it every day for four days. Even so, I'm ready to spend some time not going anywhere.
If anyone's interested Hopi Cultural Center, which is the closest one to Pinon has the best internet reception of them all.
Days Inn was the best resort with a pool, volleyball court, exercise room, and a king bed.
Ramada was very nice and in the center of Flag and Hampton was too.
Travel Lodge was decent and in walking distance from the Temple.
Knights Inn sucked. They don't keep track of Orbitz and they advertise falsely on that website. They worked hard to make it up to me though but the only thing that made that room worth it was my visits to the Mesa Temple.
Right now I am, of course traveling again and looking forward to returning home. I'm a chaperone on the ski trip for the school. The kids have had a great time and I loved being able to take Pam on two real movie dates, even if one of them was more like a babysitting date. Six hotels within 30 days, what will I do next? Go to sleep, or something like that.
The trips were worth it though. I took care of my sick fiancee, I went to a great conference, I got to help the kids go on their ski trip, and I was able to go to the Temple twice in one month and see it every day for four days. Even so, I'm ready to spend some time not going anywhere.
Movie Dates
Going to change subjects here. I want to talk more about the conference because it was really wonderful but I just saw some movies with my honey and a couple of changes in subject never hurt anybody.
Pam and I have seen Tangled, Rango, I Am Number 4, and Red Riding Hood in theaters.
Tangled was fun, a story of a young sheltered woman trying to follow her dreams and go out into the world, the show was stolen completely by a horse.
Rango is a very funny movie, not sure that I would bring young kids to it though. Several characters die in the movie and they use profanity. Rango works to build up a reputation for himself in a new town, very entertaining.
I Am Number Four is a fun sci-fi action flick. A young man is being hunted because of his special abilities and he is faced with a choice, stand and fight or continue to run.
Red Riding Hood was fantastic. Gary Oldman was wonderful to watch, as always. The director is well known for teen angst movies, for love stories, and the first Twilight movie. This kicks the crap out of Twilight. It's a better story, pure and simple. It blends horror with romance and definitely was more of a romance than it was a horror.
It also had many themes, how young men find their courage, witch hunting, the use of torture, radicalism, survivor's guilt, standing up to evil, how evil exists in the human heart, true love vs arranged marriage, and that's all that I can think of right now.
It also blends many wolf stories together, it was fun to see how they depicted many of the old fairy tales in one movie.
Out of all the movies I've seen with Pam at the theaters I have to say I like Red Riding Hood the best, all of them are good and worthy of recommendation.
Pam and I have seen Tangled, Rango, I Am Number 4, and Red Riding Hood in theaters.
Tangled was fun, a story of a young sheltered woman trying to follow her dreams and go out into the world, the show was stolen completely by a horse.
Rango is a very funny movie, not sure that I would bring young kids to it though. Several characters die in the movie and they use profanity. Rango works to build up a reputation for himself in a new town, very entertaining.
I Am Number Four is a fun sci-fi action flick. A young man is being hunted because of his special abilities and he is faced with a choice, stand and fight or continue to run.
Red Riding Hood was fantastic. Gary Oldman was wonderful to watch, as always. The director is well known for teen angst movies, for love stories, and the first Twilight movie. This kicks the crap out of Twilight. It's a better story, pure and simple. It blends horror with romance and definitely was more of a romance than it was a horror.
It also had many themes, how young men find their courage, witch hunting, the use of torture, radicalism, survivor's guilt, standing up to evil, how evil exists in the human heart, true love vs arranged marriage, and that's all that I can think of right now.
It also blends many wolf stories together, it was fun to see how they depicted many of the old fairy tales in one movie.
Out of all the movies I've seen with Pam at the theaters I have to say I like Red Riding Hood the best, all of them are good and worthy of recommendation.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Holocaust Conference Part II
The second session I attended was when the keynote speaker addressed us. I thought it was very odd that a District Attorney would be the keynote speaker at an event about the Holocaust. Was she going to talk about the role of lawyers or the law in either presiding over the Holocaust or in the trails of the SS members who carried out the awful orders?
No, she spoke about what people should have done. She talked about her experience going to a Holocaust Museum training for law enforcement and how it changed her life. All injustice must be fought she taught us, no matter how small and no matter what the risk to one's self. The Holocaust didn't begin at the death camps, it started with gradual steps to strip Jews of their citizenship and their rights.
She applied these lessons in her own life. She was called a villain for a supposed back-room deal to keep a senator's son out of trouble. However she had seen the physical evidence and knew about the circumstances and considered giving the boy the full penalty would be unjust. She decided then and there that she didn't care about reelection, she wasn't going to ruin the life of that young man.
Her son compared it to the District Attorney overseeing the Duke Lacrosse scandal. That District Attorney was up for reelection and decided to get national attention, which is why it was in the news. However when evidence surfaced that would prove the innocence of the young men the District Attorney had worked to cover it up in order to save face for the election and ended up losing and getting disbarred. The career had been put over the lives of other humans in importance.
She went on to talk about other instances where her experience had given her the moral courage to stand up for what is right and just. She also talked about how she has worked to get similar training to all the District Attorneys in the state of Arizona and all the Judges of the state of Arizona, and now people from all over the nation are getting similar training sessions catered to them. Judges hear about the roles Judges played many times against their better judgment in supporting the Holocaust, District Attorneys heard about prosecutors, and police hear about the round ups that took place.
An interesting thing about the conference, there were instances that were brought up when people actually got Hitler and the Nazi government to back down because enough of them protested. A repressive regime can only exist when the people allow it to, whether it's housewives (yes, housewives of Jewish men beat Hitler by protesting) judges, attorneys, teachers, or anyone else.
Several thoughts occurred to me as I listened to her speak
1. I wish she was the District Attorney in my county
2. I wish there were more people like her in government
3. I remembered something my atheist friend Dr. Singh had brought up, "If God is so great and loving why did he let the Holocaust happen?" The answer I came up with to that question came into my mind, sometimes it takes dramatic examples to teach His children; to get through to them. That thought though a little comforting made me a little sad.
It was truly a wonderful experience to be there with my fellow educators and receive an education myself.
No, she spoke about what people should have done. She talked about her experience going to a Holocaust Museum training for law enforcement and how it changed her life. All injustice must be fought she taught us, no matter how small and no matter what the risk to one's self. The Holocaust didn't begin at the death camps, it started with gradual steps to strip Jews of their citizenship and their rights.
She applied these lessons in her own life. She was called a villain for a supposed back-room deal to keep a senator's son out of trouble. However she had seen the physical evidence and knew about the circumstances and considered giving the boy the full penalty would be unjust. She decided then and there that she didn't care about reelection, she wasn't going to ruin the life of that young man.
Her son compared it to the District Attorney overseeing the Duke Lacrosse scandal. That District Attorney was up for reelection and decided to get national attention, which is why it was in the news. However when evidence surfaced that would prove the innocence of the young men the District Attorney had worked to cover it up in order to save face for the election and ended up losing and getting disbarred. The career had been put over the lives of other humans in importance.
She went on to talk about other instances where her experience had given her the moral courage to stand up for what is right and just. She also talked about how she has worked to get similar training to all the District Attorneys in the state of Arizona and all the Judges of the state of Arizona, and now people from all over the nation are getting similar training sessions catered to them. Judges hear about the roles Judges played many times against their better judgment in supporting the Holocaust, District Attorneys heard about prosecutors, and police hear about the round ups that took place.
An interesting thing about the conference, there were instances that were brought up when people actually got Hitler and the Nazi government to back down because enough of them protested. A repressive regime can only exist when the people allow it to, whether it's housewives (yes, housewives of Jewish men beat Hitler by protesting) judges, attorneys, teachers, or anyone else.
Several thoughts occurred to me as I listened to her speak
1. I wish she was the District Attorney in my county
2. I wish there were more people like her in government
3. I remembered something my atheist friend Dr. Singh had brought up, "If God is so great and loving why did he let the Holocaust happen?" The answer I came up with to that question came into my mind, sometimes it takes dramatic examples to teach His children; to get through to them. That thought though a little comforting made me a little sad.
It was truly a wonderful experience to be there with my fellow educators and receive an education myself.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Holocaust Conference for Educators
The conference was great. I unfortunately didn't get to hear from any holocaust survivors since those sessions had been booked by the time I was approved to go. (Funny thing about that. They approved me, paid 65 dollars for food for me, 65 dollars to attend the conference and 110 dollars for my hotel room and then they didn't get a sub for my classroom today because no one remembered that I wouldn't be there. Sometimes, people are strange.)
Even though I didn't get to hear from survivors I did get to listen to three professors from NAU, it was almost enough to make me want to go back to college. I miss getting lectures from professors in rooms full of my peers.
The first person I heard from talked about ethics and the holocaust. He pointed out that ethics mean different things to different cultures and even to different people within a culture. Basically ethics are doing the right thing verses not doing the right thing. This becomes very complicated when you realize that the vast majority of the Nazis believed that they were doing the right thing because it was their duty and that they were in fact being ethical.
An interesting thing that I didn't know - Nazis didn't like individuals who took too much enjoyment from killing Jews and they worked to eliminate such sociopathic people; they wanted the perpetrators of the Holocaust to be doing it for the "right" reasons, for their country and out of duty.
The type of person with the moral integrity to stand against genocide is actually quite rare. For genocide to succeed the vast majority of the people in the civilization have to be either behind it or stay silent which since it helps the killing go forward is the same as being complicate. The type of person who resists is typically a non-conformist and an outcast in society to begin with.
We talked about how almost everyone will behave ethically when there is no personal risk, but once there is a risk of some kind most people will stop behaving ethically.
The Nazis weren't monsters; they weren't even sociopaths, they were simply told what to do and they chose to follow orders because that is the natural inclination of all human beings, to fit into their societal role and obey the authority figures above them.
Where the man took the conversation surprised me. Ethics are an individual choice, our "Individual Agency," as he put it is what determines our moral standings. I never thought a Holocaust Conference could make me feel uplifted and happy but this one certainly did. It took the Holocaust out of the mold in which I typically think about it, an event that killed 12 million people and put a new light on it
What do we learn about people from this moment in time?
What do we learn about ourselves?
How did different genders react to the Holocaust?
How do we apply the lessons of the Holocaust into our daily lives and live the old slogan, "Never Again"
It was spiritual in a way. I'll talk more about it later, I'm falling asleep.
Even though I didn't get to hear from survivors I did get to listen to three professors from NAU, it was almost enough to make me want to go back to college. I miss getting lectures from professors in rooms full of my peers.
The first person I heard from talked about ethics and the holocaust. He pointed out that ethics mean different things to different cultures and even to different people within a culture. Basically ethics are doing the right thing verses not doing the right thing. This becomes very complicated when you realize that the vast majority of the Nazis believed that they were doing the right thing because it was their duty and that they were in fact being ethical.
An interesting thing that I didn't know - Nazis didn't like individuals who took too much enjoyment from killing Jews and they worked to eliminate such sociopathic people; they wanted the perpetrators of the Holocaust to be doing it for the "right" reasons, for their country and out of duty.
The type of person with the moral integrity to stand against genocide is actually quite rare. For genocide to succeed the vast majority of the people in the civilization have to be either behind it or stay silent which since it helps the killing go forward is the same as being complicate. The type of person who resists is typically a non-conformist and an outcast in society to begin with.
We talked about how almost everyone will behave ethically when there is no personal risk, but once there is a risk of some kind most people will stop behaving ethically.
The Nazis weren't monsters; they weren't even sociopaths, they were simply told what to do and they chose to follow orders because that is the natural inclination of all human beings, to fit into their societal role and obey the authority figures above them.
Where the man took the conversation surprised me. Ethics are an individual choice, our "Individual Agency," as he put it is what determines our moral standings. I never thought a Holocaust Conference could make me feel uplifted and happy but this one certainly did. It took the Holocaust out of the mold in which I typically think about it, an event that killed 12 million people and put a new light on it
What do we learn about people from this moment in time?
What do we learn about ourselves?
How did different genders react to the Holocaust?
How do we apply the lessons of the Holocaust into our daily lives and live the old slogan, "Never Again"
It was spiritual in a way. I'll talk more about it later, I'm falling asleep.
At the Hopi Cultural Center for the Night
On my way back from the Conference tonight a pretty nasty blizzard hit Navajo Nation, which is also under a wind adversary. I decided to stop while I was still alive. Since it is difficult to tell the difference between the paved roads and the grass because of the intensity of the storm; I decided that I didn't even want to attempt driving on the dirt roads. And since every road coming into Pinon is a dirt road (technically there is one paved road but you have to go on dirt roads to get to it) there was no way I was getting home tonight.
Pam has told me that things are very boring without me and basically said that her life was boring without me around. All I could think of after that was that I could use a little boredom. School ought to be cancelled tomorrow since no sane person is going to be driving but we had school during a tornado watch so who really knows what's going to happen?
Pam has told me that things are very boring without me and basically said that her life was boring without me around. All I could think of after that was that I could use a little boredom. School ought to be cancelled tomorrow since no sane person is going to be driving but we had school during a tornado watch so who really knows what's going to happen?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Looking Forward to Tomorrow
Well, here I am in Scottsdale, Arizona. I honestly haven't taken any time whatsoever to look around. By the time I got here traffic was terrible and I was sick of driving. I pretty much just crashed in the hotel room and indulged in TV.
The school decided to send me to a seminar on how to teach the Holocaust in the classroom. Tomorrow I'll be hearing from several speakers including Holocaust survivors. I am very excited for this conference. I have been looking forward to this for a couple of months now. Since the cost of attendance was only 65 dollars I volunteered to pay for it myself, but since it was cheap the school district decided to not only pay for the conference but also to put me up in this hotel room for the night, the room costs almost double as the conference! And I have to admit, it is a very nice room.
I've been so concerned for Pam lately because of her mysterious illness that just about killed her on Tuesday; in addition to not being able to keep down any fluids she also had a weak heart beat by the time the ER could see her. Who knew that Tonsillitis could be so nasty? It feels great to know that she is safe and that thanks to a correct diagnosis and correct medication that she will be just fine.
I had practically given up on the idea of going to this conference at all. I thought I'd be spending time taking care of Pam and making sure that she was all right. She told me that no matter what happened that she wanted me to go to the conference, but if she had stayed in the condition she was in Tuesday, she wouldn't have been in any condition to argue.
It feels good to be here, it feels good knowing that things have worked out for the best. The only thing that could make it better would be if Pam was with me instead of being all the way back in Pinon.
I love my Pam, and I'll see her soon.
(Something funny about Tonsillitis that I had to attempt to explain today to Jeff. Tonsils cannot be removed while infected with Tonsillitis, apparently its a very bad idea. So, to remove the problem that is making the person unhealthy, you have to wait till the person is healthy again. The function of the tonsills is to act as a filter for your body. Bad stuff that would make you sick hits them and gets blocked from infecting you. However, if you get sick enough the tonsills stop working properly and get infected themselves, basically you have a bad filter and it needs to be removed. The tonsills can't be removed while they are infected however, so they need to get healthy again before the operation. But why remove now healthy tonsills you might ask? Basically because they're not functioning properly anymore, the person basically has a choice, keep getting Tonsillitis for the rest of his or her life or remove the faulty filters. The thing that sucks though is that your tonsils which were protecting you from getting sick are gone and you don't get new ones. Once they get as bad as Pam's though they aren't working anymore and they're basically making it worse than if you didn't have them. Woo hoo, I'm learning about science.)
The school decided to send me to a seminar on how to teach the Holocaust in the classroom. Tomorrow I'll be hearing from several speakers including Holocaust survivors. I am very excited for this conference. I have been looking forward to this for a couple of months now. Since the cost of attendance was only 65 dollars I volunteered to pay for it myself, but since it was cheap the school district decided to not only pay for the conference but also to put me up in this hotel room for the night, the room costs almost double as the conference! And I have to admit, it is a very nice room.
I've been so concerned for Pam lately because of her mysterious illness that just about killed her on Tuesday; in addition to not being able to keep down any fluids she also had a weak heart beat by the time the ER could see her. Who knew that Tonsillitis could be so nasty? It feels great to know that she is safe and that thanks to a correct diagnosis and correct medication that she will be just fine.
I had practically given up on the idea of going to this conference at all. I thought I'd be spending time taking care of Pam and making sure that she was all right. She told me that no matter what happened that she wanted me to go to the conference, but if she had stayed in the condition she was in Tuesday, she wouldn't have been in any condition to argue.
It feels good to be here, it feels good knowing that things have worked out for the best. The only thing that could make it better would be if Pam was with me instead of being all the way back in Pinon.
I love my Pam, and I'll see her soon.
(Something funny about Tonsillitis that I had to attempt to explain today to Jeff. Tonsils cannot be removed while infected with Tonsillitis, apparently its a very bad idea. So, to remove the problem that is making the person unhealthy, you have to wait till the person is healthy again. The function of the tonsills is to act as a filter for your body. Bad stuff that would make you sick hits them and gets blocked from infecting you. However, if you get sick enough the tonsills stop working properly and get infected themselves, basically you have a bad filter and it needs to be removed. The tonsills can't be removed while they are infected however, so they need to get healthy again before the operation. But why remove now healthy tonsills you might ask? Basically because they're not functioning properly anymore, the person basically has a choice, keep getting Tonsillitis for the rest of his or her life or remove the faulty filters. The thing that sucks though is that your tonsils which were protecting you from getting sick are gone and you don't get new ones. Once they get as bad as Pam's though they aren't working anymore and they're basically making it worse than if you didn't have them. Woo hoo, I'm learning about science.)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Relief
Well, this week has been rough since Pam has been so sick.
Monday she was feeling great but the later it got the more ill she became. Tuesday morning she got up and decided to sleep on the bathroom floor because of how sick she felt. She missed Tuesday. I came home for a short lunch break and she asked me to drive her to the hospital.
I rushed back to work and informed them of the situation then I drove like a maniac to Tuba City. The ER had no idea what was wrong with her. They ran all sorts of tests and only one of them was conclusive, that she had a high white blood cell count, so obviously she had some sort of infection. They also pumped three liters of fluids into her system since she was severely dehydrated from not being able to keep down any fluids. She was feeling better for awhile on the trip home but the lines in the street started to make her sick, then the bumpy dirt road didn't help her much either.
Wednesday I took over an hour off work to nurse Pam. She hadn't gotten up out of bed at all that day and hadn't had any fluids or food whatsoever. I got her out of bed and made her some herbal tea. Jeff and I gave her a blessing that evening.
Pam was unable to turn her head at all without feeling very dizzy and nauseous; she also couldn't touch her neck without feeling a lot of pain.
On Thursday she got an appointment with a specialist in Flagstaff for 2:00, she had planned on going by herself but I wouldn't allow it. If she gets sick when she turns her head and the lines on the street make her whine about how she can't stand to look at the road anymore because the sight of it is going to make her barf, I don't see how it is safe or productive for her to drive herself. Because she was going to drive herself I went into all out panic mode, got the day off, rushed to her house and stuck her in my car.
Unlike the ER the specialist didn't need to run any tests she knew immediately just by looking exactly what Pam had. Tonsillitis and strep throat combination, apparently her tonsills were saturated in puss.
The new doctor cancelled all the old prescriptions since they weren't doing anything anyway and prescribed other drugs and lots of them. It's amazing how having the right medications for the right illness can improve things so dramatically. Pam went from the verge of death to thinking everything was bright and happy with the world literally overnight.
Since Pam was doing so well we went and saw Rango and did some shopping on Friday and Pam even got to eat real food!
Monday she was feeling great but the later it got the more ill she became. Tuesday morning she got up and decided to sleep on the bathroom floor because of how sick she felt. She missed Tuesday. I came home for a short lunch break and she asked me to drive her to the hospital.
I rushed back to work and informed them of the situation then I drove like a maniac to Tuba City. The ER had no idea what was wrong with her. They ran all sorts of tests and only one of them was conclusive, that she had a high white blood cell count, so obviously she had some sort of infection. They also pumped three liters of fluids into her system since she was severely dehydrated from not being able to keep down any fluids. She was feeling better for awhile on the trip home but the lines in the street started to make her sick, then the bumpy dirt road didn't help her much either.
Wednesday I took over an hour off work to nurse Pam. She hadn't gotten up out of bed at all that day and hadn't had any fluids or food whatsoever. I got her out of bed and made her some herbal tea. Jeff and I gave her a blessing that evening.
Pam was unable to turn her head at all without feeling very dizzy and nauseous; she also couldn't touch her neck without feeling a lot of pain.
On Thursday she got an appointment with a specialist in Flagstaff for 2:00, she had planned on going by herself but I wouldn't allow it. If she gets sick when she turns her head and the lines on the street make her whine about how she can't stand to look at the road anymore because the sight of it is going to make her barf, I don't see how it is safe or productive for her to drive herself. Because she was going to drive herself I went into all out panic mode, got the day off, rushed to her house and stuck her in my car.
Unlike the ER the specialist didn't need to run any tests she knew immediately just by looking exactly what Pam had. Tonsillitis and strep throat combination, apparently her tonsills were saturated in puss.
The new doctor cancelled all the old prescriptions since they weren't doing anything anyway and prescribed other drugs and lots of them. It's amazing how having the right medications for the right illness can improve things so dramatically. Pam went from the verge of death to thinking everything was bright and happy with the world literally overnight.
Since Pam was doing so well we went and saw Rango and did some shopping on Friday and Pam even got to eat real food!
Poems for Pam
I've been thinking about poetry lately, mostly because I've been teaching Shakespeare lately and because Pam recently asked me who my favorite poet was. The first poem started out as an example, I didn't get far with it before needing to drive Pam to Flagstaff. I honestly only had about two to four lines composed and then I had to redo them because someone decided to close Microsoft Word and not save anything. I decided to finish it today.
Pamela' Sonnet
Oh that I could sing to you as an angel
That the sweet music of my lips might soothe thee
Melodies could lift your burdens as easily as they fell
And to your heart my voice could turn the key
Rich and deep my song would reach down into your soul
The song would bring harmony to you and me
On the inner demons it would take its toll
Bringing peace and healing wounds so calmly
The notes of love and hope bursting from my spirit
Would envelop your heart in sweet caress
To compose such heavenly tunes I would be a zealot
Offering to you such deserved bliss
But woe, I am just a man
And can only do that which I can
The next one I started composing in my head on the way back from Flagstaff today. I have a hard time coming up with rhymes and such so I prefer free verse. Particularly when I can use it to tell a story.
Destiny's Seamstress
There are few who know of the old woman
Blinded with age and much care
But never ceasing in never ending toil
Her features contain no beauty
It is in her work that she has her glory
Gently she feels the fabric
In the cloth she feels happiness or pain
She senses both the triumphs and defeats
Her hands on the cloth tell her the whole life story
The rips from hard times, the holes that have been worn from labor
The smooth edges from good care, the cleanliness well maintained
Carefully she selects its mate, with great attention she finds its compliment
To the seeing eye it may at first look distasteful to mix such colors
To the understanding of those whose eyes are not dimmed it can seem wrong
Those fabrics do not belong together just yet; it's not quite in style
Fools and those without wisdom question her
She knows what is best, for she has felt the fabric
She knows which souls belong sewed together
Whose hearts are meant to beat as one
For she is Destiny's Seamstress and she has sewed my life to yours.
I decided to write one more. Even though we won't be married by any church bells, nor did I think that I ever would be, the imagery of the bells ringing at a wedding has always been romantic for me. There is nothing timid or unsure about a massive bell or the sound that it makes, it is a sure and a powerful declaration.
Can you Hear Them?
Can you hear them?
Listen to them ringing out to all the world
Can you hear them?
Sounding out the message sweet
Can you hear them?
Echoing their proclamation
Can you hear them?
They are the bells that ring for you and me
They chime
That I love you
They ding
That I belong to you forever
They clang
That the wedding day soon shall arrive
They declare
That I thee wed
Pamela' Sonnet
Oh that I could sing to you as an angel
That the sweet music of my lips might soothe thee
Melodies could lift your burdens as easily as they fell
And to your heart my voice could turn the key
Rich and deep my song would reach down into your soul
The song would bring harmony to you and me
On the inner demons it would take its toll
Bringing peace and healing wounds so calmly
The notes of love and hope bursting from my spirit
Would envelop your heart in sweet caress
To compose such heavenly tunes I would be a zealot
Offering to you such deserved bliss
But woe, I am just a man
And can only do that which I can
The next one I started composing in my head on the way back from Flagstaff today. I have a hard time coming up with rhymes and such so I prefer free verse. Particularly when I can use it to tell a story.
Destiny's Seamstress
There are few who know of the old woman
Blinded with age and much care
But never ceasing in never ending toil
Her features contain no beauty
It is in her work that she has her glory
Gently she feels the fabric
In the cloth she feels happiness or pain
She senses both the triumphs and defeats
Her hands on the cloth tell her the whole life story
The rips from hard times, the holes that have been worn from labor
The smooth edges from good care, the cleanliness well maintained
Carefully she selects its mate, with great attention she finds its compliment
To the seeing eye it may at first look distasteful to mix such colors
To the understanding of those whose eyes are not dimmed it can seem wrong
Those fabrics do not belong together just yet; it's not quite in style
Fools and those without wisdom question her
She knows what is best, for she has felt the fabric
She knows which souls belong sewed together
Whose hearts are meant to beat as one
For she is Destiny's Seamstress and she has sewed my life to yours.
I decided to write one more. Even though we won't be married by any church bells, nor did I think that I ever would be, the imagery of the bells ringing at a wedding has always been romantic for me. There is nothing timid or unsure about a massive bell or the sound that it makes, it is a sure and a powerful declaration.
Can you Hear Them?
Can you hear them?
Listen to them ringing out to all the world
Can you hear them?
Sounding out the message sweet
Can you hear them?
Echoing their proclamation
Can you hear them?
They are the bells that ring for you and me
They chime
That I love you
They ding
That I belong to you forever
They clang
That the wedding day soon shall arrive
They declare
That I thee wed
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