You Will Leave a Mark

Today is Martin Luther King day...a day to honor a man who did much with the little time he had here.

I often wonder what he would think of the changes in our country since his death.

Have we changed that much?

Have we changed enough?

I'm not sure..

I still think there is a lot of bigotry out there. And not just about race...it extends to religion, sexual preference (uh-oh..it's the gay thing again!) and sex.

I still don't think we are all tolerant enough. We aren't open enough. We don't live without prejudice.

My blog...my opinion...

I will never understand how someone can feel superior to someone else based on skin color.

Now hair color I totally get...because I have always known I am prettier than my brunette friends because I am blonde!

Joking...JOKING...

but as ridiculous as my statement about being blonde is, there are others who feel the same way about skin color.

That is a shame.

And there are those who believe gays shouldn't have certain rights (like marriage or a legal union) or should be allowed to adopt or do certain jobs (Don't ask don't tell, anyone?)

And then there are things still denied to women...

I can go on and on but it diminishes the point I want to make here...because you get what I am saying...

have we changed enough?

Did Dr. King change us enough?

I hope so...but I'm afraid not...

sigh

Dr. King did remarkable things...he changed the world...maybe not to get it perfect, but he did affect change.

So today as I contemplated all of that (while watching Oprah discuss Dr. King) I started thinking about how we can affect change in our own little worlds.

I try to every day...I try with the kids I am around and I try to with this blog. Sometimes this blog is far more about me than helping anyone but when I am around the kids at the school, it is all about them.

I got 3 little confirmations about that this weekend...that I have done some sort of good:

1) as one sweet child waited for her parent to pick her up from the choir auditions I handed her my phone to relieve her boredom. The kids couldn't have their phones so she left hers at home. She took my phone and in the "notes" section she wrote me a note. It is personal, but what she said was the sweetest thing...it was a note of love and it made me cry to read what she said...I guess she loves me...I guess I have left a mark on her...and I love her...

2) I got a call from a friend who's son made the region choir...she told me that after GOTT called to give him the good news the first thing her son asked was "Does Mrs. D know?"...OMG, I luv luv luv him for that...I kept after him the whole night before the auditions to not yell at the wrestling meet and Saturday morning he was worried he had lost his voice...but obviously he didn't! I love it that he wanted me to know...

3) This is the best one...not so much I have done good with helping kids, but this one...well this one is one I will hold dear forever. So my friend J picks up her son and his friend after the dance party on Saturday. The boys get in the car and are discussing the party. My friend asks the boys about the girls...who looked pretty, etc. The boys name off some names and then my friend's son (who I have known since he was 3) says...oh, I love this..."but the prettiest girl there was Mrs. D.!"...I cried...I cried in the middle of bootcamp when she told me...I'm crying now...for a 12 year old boy to declare me the belle of the ball is just the bomb...

So now my resolve is even stronger to get my teaching certification...I love teaching middle school kids and if one or two of them listens to me, well, that is all I need...

I don't "teach" them now, per se, but I do chaperone a lot and work with the 8th graders (kid #1 and Kid #2 are 8th graders) so I guess I do have some influence with them.

It's subtle, but we all influence children more than we know.

We influence each other a lot too...

Today Dimples started a bootcamp for me and my mommy friends...I'm doing my level best to get all of my friends to join us. It is a fun way to work out and get in shape.

Dimples has left his mark on me...he's changed my body, my fitness, my diet...all for the good...

The kids I teach have left a mark on me...I remember their courage when they audition, their talent when they perform, their arms around me when they hug me, and I remember their tears I dry when they come to me with an issue.

GOTT and TTG have left their mark on me...I've learned so much from them that it would take a weeks worth of blogs to do it...

Precious and Adorable History Teacher has left his mark on me...if not for that trip up the stairs with him when I couldn't catch my breath, I might not have had my "ah-ha!" moment...

My friends have left their mark on me...with their love!

Sometimes the people that leave their marks on you are Very Important People...they are the ones in your real life...those close to you...friends, loved ones...

And sometimes it is someone like Dr. King who causes us to examine our hearts and leaves his mark on the world.

Inspiration Song: "You Will Leave a Mark" by A Silent Film

Bye Darlings...make your mark and leave it...

Sing

Today I had the privilege of chaperoning our 7th and 8th grade choir on a field trip to sing at the local nursing home.

Yes, you just read the words "privilege", "chaperoning", and "nursing home" in the same sentence...seems impossible!!!

But not in GOTT's world...and not without the help of Musical Muse.

Because they managed to get about 80 kids loaded up on a bus/buses (more on that later), had them sing beautifully, and then herded them into the local hot dog joint (James Coney Island) for a drama-free lunch...and returned to school in time for some classes.

I was just along for the ride...

It was...magic...

We have a HUGE choir...the 5th and 6th grade choir is as big, if not bigger.

And the music they make...well, that is some magic too.

I got up and got myself fixed up the best I could...in a long lace skirt I haven't fit into for years, 3 inch stiletto boots, and some wicked jewelry...I looked in the mirror and was greeted with a vision of:

STEVIE NICKS

in her best Rhiannon persona...

Oh, well...the 8th grade girls loved it...and that was the point...not to embarrass them.

When I got to the school and we got all the kids accounted for we headed to the buses...or should I say BUS as only one showed up.

GOTT fixed it...I won't tell you how because, well, it might make you nervous if I tell you we had more than 2 kids to a seat, but they have tiny little butts so they fit. I stood. Off to the nursing home we went...

The other bus met us there so you can put away all thoughts of us getting in trouble for seating multiple children per seat for the VERY short ride...remember, I did it standing in stilletto boots.

We got to Treemont (the nursing home) and the kids piled out of the bus, got in line, trooped in and...

made magic...

They sang like little angels...even though some of them are best described as little devils.

I was bursting with pride.

"Carol of the Bells" (a very difficult piece to sing...even for a high school choir) was amazing...

The residents were so happy...some were moved to tears...some sang along with Silent Night...some gave a standing ovation after every song!

And then the kids went and visited with the residents...that was very special to watch. Some of the girls were very excited to see one lady in particular because they had a marvelous time with her last spring...I sat and visited with her again because I so enjoyed seeing her.

Then we piled back onto TWO buses for the ride to James Coney Island.

And that, my friends, was where more magic happened.

I don't know what was more impressive...my self control with the food or the kids' behavior, but I think I will go with the kids...

They were great...

And not one of them ended up with chili all over their dress uniform jackets or ties.

Everyone sat nicely and included others. Tables were full. One boy was sitting by himself and some girls invited him to sit with them so he would not be alone. Those girls are in 7th and the boy was in 8th and is a bit of a loner but he seemed to really enjoy sitting with the girls and being asked to be a part of a table.

I didn't have to get up and tap a shoulder once. GOTT and Musical Muse and I enjoyed our meal.

Dimples warned me to avoid the chili and I did...a grilled chicken sandwich for me with mayo on the side...I used about 1/2 a teaspoon of the mayo. No fries or tater tots but I did have apple slices and a Diet Coke.

I wrote Dimples...I hope he rewards my self control tomorrow with a set of "50's" instead of "100's" but I'm not holding my breath...

Meanwhile I am sitting with GOTT (remember, he looks amazing and not his age at all and is fit and trim) and watched him put away 2 cheese coney dogs, a bowl of chili, and some fries...with a ton of jalepenos...

why I still love someone who can eat like that is beyond me...it is criminal...

After lunch it was back on the buses and back to school. I couldn't wait to brag to the Headmaster about how great the kids were...they were a credit to our school.

When we got back I went to see my friend Coach Cuteness who had received a package with my birthday gift to myself (that he ordered on my behalf)...my new flash and bracket for my camera I bought from him. I'm a disaster with the camera but I am learning...I feel like it is a bad toddler that I am trying to control and Coach Cuteness is doing his level best to train me with the camera...poor baby is infintely patient...

And I seem to have a really good ability to drive Coaches nuts...

Then I found myself in the position of having to be the offical photographer for a school event...thank goodness it was outside because I haven't a prayer of being good with inside shots for quite some time.

After all of that I decided that the day had been enough on the crazy side that I needed to go ahead and go to the gym.

I had previously told Dimples that I was taking today off but I wrote him to let him know that my OCD got the best of me and I needed some sweat time...he supported that but warned me that I do need to listen to my body (as it sings to me...off key, mind you...)and rest when I need it so as not to injure myself.

I guess I was tired because I couldnt' run today like I did yesterday...but I'm going to chalk it up to a lot of running yesterday, a training session (yesterday) and a lot of stress today...because even though the kids didn't stress me, the stress of making sure that they were all present and accounted for did stress me...that and being sad over my friend Patrick made a run on the treadmill and time on the arc trainer something I needed to clear my head.

I put my music on and let it set a beat for me to run to...and it was a good time with my head and my thoughts and my breathing...but really just thinking back to the kids singing Carol of the Bells or my sweet little twin angels singing Amy Grant's version of "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" (an amazing song) were the only music I really needed.

I watched my favorite show (Glee) tonight and really enjoyed the music and show...and as I heard that slick, professionally-produced music sung by professionals and Broadway veterans, I was blown away by their talent...but it didn't put me in any more awe than I was in today with the kids. Because my kids, MY KIDS (I think of them that way) may not sing as perfectly, but they sang with their hearts...and that is a very great thing to do.

God gives us all instruments...for some of us it is our voices (not me, not me...), for some it is our athletic bodies (again, not me), or dancing bodies...or the ability to draw, paint, or sculpt...but we can all sing His praises, if not with our actual voices, but rather with the voices of movement or through art...

you know what I mean?

And today, when I heard the music that the children made with the help of GOTT (the best choir director, period...) and Musical Muse (who is amazing with her ability to keep a kid on pitch/key/time), and I saw the pleasure on the faces of the nursing home residents, I was brought to a place of joy...

Their gift of song was a gift to me and my spirit...and to all that heard it...

And I pray that some day, when I am old and need a walker to get about, that some children will come and sing so I can hear their voices and feel that joy again...and it will remind me of how priveleged I am to be in the presence of such gifts...gifts that the children don't even realize they are giving, but they do...when they sing...

Because can you think of anything more beautful than the sound of children's voices, in perfect harmony and unison, glorifying God?

No, I can't either...

Inspiration Song: a little odd considering that I'm talking about choir music, but today I really needed a little more of My Chemical Romance so it was their song "Sing" that got me to keep going when I wanted to give up. I'm going to be obsessed with their new album for quite a while...

bye Darlings...now go and sing...in whatever key you like!