WORDS OF WISDOM:
THE BEST TEACHERS TEACH FROM THE HEART, NOT FROM THE BOOK"
The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why. - Mark Twain
"Progress. Not Perfection."
"When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too."
"Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what."
"When you are offered a chance to do the right thing, take it."
Some days you win, some days you lose and some days it rains.
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS TO ALL WHO HAVE ENTERED MY WEEBLY AND A-6 FOR THE 180 DAY TOUR. I WISH YOU GLAD TIDINGS IN ALL THINGS EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, ATHLETIC, SPIRITUAL AND OTHERWISE. THIS IS MY 36th YEAR IN EDUCATION, AND WHILST THAT IS AT LEAST DOUBLE THE AGE OF MANY OF YOU, DON'T CONSIDER THIS TO BE THE ROOM OF "DOOM AND GLOOM," THE REPOSITORY OF AN OLD, STUFFY, TEXTBOOK READING OGRE LOOKING TO RETIRE, GO ON AUTO-PILOT AND HEAD FOR GREENER PASTURES.
NO INDEED!
CERTAINLY NOT!
NOT A CHANCE!
NADA!
NO WAY!
FUGGEDABOUTIT!
IT IS HOWEVER, A PLACE WHERE YOU WILL HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY...SOMETIMES WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR AND SOMETIMES NOT....BUT WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT HEAR IS YOUR NAME AND FOR THAT I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE...I HAVE TRIED EVERY METHOD THERE IS TO REMEMBER NAMES WHILE COACHING, UMPIRING AND ESPECIALLY TEACHING. REMEMBERING STUDENT NAMES AS WELL AS EVERYTHING CURRICULUM RELATED HAS PROVEN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE OVER MY CAREER AND I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF TO GET IT RIGHT, YET HERE I AM OVER THREE DECADES LATER AND STILL AT A LOSS...IF YOU WANT ME TO REMEMBER YOUR NAME, DO WHATEVER YOU THINK IS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT TASK. IF NOT, YOU WILL USUALLY GET "SIR" OR "MA'AM" OR SOME SORT OF NICKNAME THAT YOU HAVE NO DOUBT EARNED IN SOME WAY.
EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THEIR FAULTS, FLAWS AND IDIOSYNCRASIES...THIS ONE IS MINE. I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO EXPLAIN IT...BUT SINCERELY, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR YOUR NAME, FIGURE A WAY TO HELP ME LEARN IT...I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS
I AM AT THE APEX OF MY OBSESSION FOR ALL THINGS HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, STRANGE, EDGY AND BIZARRE...AND I CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO A LIVELY DEBATE ABOUT ALL TOPICS, MANY CURRICULAR AND SOME NOT SO, THOUGH ALL STILL VERY VALUABLE.
I GRADUATED FROM STAPLES HS IN THE SUMMER OF 1975, DROPPING A PENCIL ON A MAP AND WANDERED OFF TO KEENE STATE COLLEGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WITHOUT EVEN VISITING IT AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON...THEY EVENTUALLY "INVITED" ME TO GO BACK HOME AND I BEGAN WORKING FULL-TIME AT A LOCAL DAIRY QUEEN AND ATTENDING NIGHT CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT (BOTH OF WHICH BUILT IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF CHARACTER).
I EVENTUALLY EARNED A B.A. DEGREE IN JOURNALISM AND A HISTORY MINOR, BUT SINCE THE JOB MARKET WAS BLEAK IN THE LATE 70's, I HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL TO OBTAIN A MASTERS DEGREE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION, THIS TIME AT SOUTHERN CT STATE UNIVERSITY. I WOULD LATER ADD A 6TH YEAR DEGREE IN EDUCATION AS WELL, BUT ALAS, A DOCTORATE DEGREE WAS NOT TO BE HAD, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY TEACHING THE VERY SAME CLASSES THAT I WOULD BE TAKING... SO HERE I STAND TODAY...DEBT FREE FROM COLLEGE LOANS BY THE TIME I WAS 40. THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR YOU...BEST OF LUCK.
ON THE SOCIAL SIDE, I HAVE A WIFE OF 30 YEARS AND TWO GROWN SONS, ROB 28 AND CONNOR 25, BOTH OF WHOM PLAYED VARSITY BASEBALL AT THS AND GRADUATED IN 2009 AND 2012 (THE LAST TIME THE BASEBALL TEAM WON AN FCIAC CHAMPIONSHIP). CONNOR MADE VARSITY APPEARANCES ALL FOUR YEARS AS A CATCHER AND PITCHER, WHILE ROB WAS AN ALL-STATE CATCHER AND ALL-FCIAC PITCHER AT THS AND IS FINALLY RETIRED AFTER PURSUING A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CAREER IN THE INDEPENDENT FRONTIER LEAGUE WITH THE TRAVERSE CITY BEACH BUMS. HIS SENIOR SEASON AT D3 KEYSTONE COLLEGE IN PA CONCLUDED WITH A CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP AND A SLOT IN THE NCAA D3 REGIONALS. BEFORE THAT, HE SPENT THREE YEARS AT D2 PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY, TWICE APPEARING IN THE D2 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES AND 3 TIMES IN THE NCAA REGIONALS, WHILE EARNING ALL ROOKIE NE-10 HONORS IN 2010. TWO YEARS AGO HE WAS THE HEAD PITCHING COACH AT KEYSTONE, THIS PAST YEAR HE WAS THE PITCHING COACH AT POST UNIVERSITY AND NOW IS A FULL TIME BASEBALL ANALYTICAL COACH AND STRENGTH TRAINER IN NORTH CAROLINA. CONNOR IS NOW LIVING AT HOME AFTER 5 YEARS ON THE ROAD IN TEXAS AND COLORADO. HE IS A STRICT VEGAN AND IS CURRENTLY INTO THE GOLDEN RATIO, COSMIC GEOMETRY, READING, D&D, PAINTING D&D MINIATURE FIGURES, BPM MUSIC, ALL THE WHILE WORKING TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A TINY HOME, IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
MY PASSIONS HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OVER THESE SOON TO BE SIXTY-TWO YEARS. INCLUDED ARE HISTORICAL RE-ENACTING, SPENDING A QUARTER CENTURY PORTRAYING A WW2 GI, A WW1 DOUGHBOY AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR's BILLY YANK. I HAVE COLLECTED ANCIENT ROMAN, ANCIENT GREEK, MEDIEVAL, 18TH c. SCOTTISH, AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, VIKING, GREAT WAR AND SECOND WORLD WAR MILITARIA DISPLAYED IN MY MAN CAVE BUT HAVE NARROWED MY COLLECTION TO A FEW SMALL ITEMS, MOSTLY SCOTTISH IN NATURE (I RECENTLY DISCOVERED MY DNA AS SCOT-IRISH)
I MOST ESPECIALLY LOVE THE GAME OF BASEBALL, SKETCHING AND WATER COLOR PAINTING, JOURNALING, AND I'M A HUGE FAN OF EBAY, PINTEREST, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCALE MODEL DIORAMA BUILDING, GARDENING, HISTORICAL MOVIES, WOODWORKING, THE BRITISH ISLES, FOOD AND SPOTIFY. MY FORMER CAR, A 2015 BLACK VW GTI (ACCORDING TO CAR AND DRIVER: (THE CAR THAT "EVERYONE SHOULD BE ISSUED AT BIRTH") IS MY FAVORITE CAR OF ALL TIME. I CURRENTLY DRIVE EITHER A DODGE AVENGER OR A NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCK WITH HUGE TIRES. I HAVE OWNED 4 MINI VANS, 2 MINI COOPERS, 3 SUBARU OUTBACKS, A DODGE RAM 1500 AND VARIOUS HONDAS.
I LOVE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS, NOT PICTURES. I HAVE OWNED NUMEROUS MACS & PCs AND PREFER MY CURRENT IPAD OVER ALL OF THEM...BUT I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THE I-CULT OR ANY CULT FOR THAT MATTER. I RARELY WATCH TV EXCEPT FOR YANKEE GAMES AND A HANDFUL OF DARKER DRAMATIC SERIES (SEE MY LIST OF FAVORITE CHARACTERS IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT SHOWS) I WAS INVOLVED IN BASEBALL FOR 50+ YEARS INCLUDING TIME SPENT AS A PLAYER, CAL RIPKEN COACH, TRAVEL AAU COACH, HIGH SCHOOL COACH, YANKEE FAN, DAD AND AS AN UMPIRE FOR 44 SEASONS. I WAS THE ASSISTANT VARSITY ICE HOCKEY COACH AT THS FOR 10 SEASONS FROM 1985-1995.
MY FAVORITE SHOES ARE DOC MARTENS, UGGS AND TOMS, ALL OF WHICH I BUY ON EBAY. UNLIKE YA'LL, I RARELY WEAR SNEAKERS.
MY CULINARY LIKES ARE MANY, INCLUDING SOUTHERN BBQ, ARIZONA RX STRESS HERBAL ICED TEA, SAUSAGE/SCRAPPLE EGG & CHEESE SANDWICHES WITH LETTUCE AND TOMATO, EGGPLANT PARM, THIN CRUST NEW HAVEN STYLE PIZZA, BLACK COFFEE, CHIK-FIL-A, JERSEY MIKE'S AND BRITISH DIGESTIVES. I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO INDULGE ON DARK CHOCOLATE, GRILLED CHEESE, ALMOST ANYTHING THAT LIVES IN THE OCEAN, FRIED EGGS OVER EASY, CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST, GRIZZLY BEAR FLAPJACKS, NACHOS, STOUFFER'S MAC 'N CHEESE, ANYTHING WITH COLE SLAW OR SAUERKRAUT ON TOP, FRIED CALAMARI PLUS FRANK'S HOT SAUCE.
I TRY TO AVOID ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: ANY WRITING INSTRUMENTS EXCEPT FOUNTAIN PENS, COOKED CAULIFLOWER OR SPINACH, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER, MARGARINE, ALL MOVIES GEARED TOWARD HIGH SCHOOL AGED KIDS, LISTENING TO SOMEONE TELL ME ABOUT THE SIXTIES, DISCO, MOST OF THE 70's, T-SHIRTS WITH SLOGANS MEANT TO "SHOCK", ALL "UNREAL" REALITY TV, VIDEO GAMES OF ANY KIND, BORING AUTOMOBILES, ALL SITCOMS EXCEPT SEINFELD OR MASH, TALENT-BASED TV SHOWS OF ANY SORT AND ALMOST ALL NEWS COMMENTATORS EXCEPT THE LATE WALTER CRONKITE AND PETER JENNINGS.
I CAN'T STAND PEOPLE WHO MAKE A LANE FOR THEMSELVES DURING A TRAFFIC JAM, AND DRIVERS WHO THINK YIELD SIGNS ARE OPTIONAL. I AVOID ANY MARCH MADNESS POOLS, FANTASY LEAGUES, MILLIONAIRE ATHLETES WHO FORGET THEY ARE LIVING A DREAM AND WHAT THEY OWE THE FANS, ALL SUPER BOWLS NOT INVOLVING THE GIANTS, ANY STANLEY CUP HOCKEY NOT INVOLVING THE RANGERS, ANY AND ALL HALF TIME SHOWS, BROADCASTERS WHO DON'T KNOW THE GAME, LOUSY SPORTS OFFICIATING AND ANYTHING INVOLVING THE RESIDENTS OF CITI FIELD OR FENWAY PARK.
I DISLIKE RUDE AND UNCIVIL PEOPLE, THOSE THAT DON'T FOLLOW POSTED RULES, PHONE SALESPEOPLE THAT WAIT THREE SECONDS BEFORE SPEAKING THEN CALL ME BY MY FIRST NAME AND ASK ME HOW MY DAY IS GOING ... I SHUN ANYONE WHO DOESN'T RECYCLE, I HAVE ONLY TAKEN A COUPLE OF "SELFIES" AND HAVE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A "SNAP CHAT". TWITTER HAS PROVEN TO BE, IN MANY WAYS A "MICROPHONE FOR MORONS," AND I AVOID STARBUCK'S LIKE THE PLAGUE BECAUSE I TRIED TO ORDER A LARGE BLACK COFFEE ONCE AND WAS REBUFFED BY THE BARISTA FOR NOT KNOWING HOW TO SPEAK "STARBUCKS-ESE"
MY ALL-TIME LIST OF FAVORITE MOVIE AND TV CHARACTERS ARE MANY AND IF YOU AGREE YOU MIGHT KNOW THE SHOW OR MOVIE THEY ARE/WERE IN...THEY INCLUDE SUCH DIVERSE PERSONALITIES AS CHIEF INSPECTOR JOHN LUTHER, ALICE MORGAN, MARTY BYRD, DON "WARDADDY" COLLIER, TOMMY SHELBY, RAGNAR LOTHBROK, DERAN, JAY, POPE AND CRAIG CODY, JACKSON TELLER, ROBERT McCALL, ANDY DUFRESNE, SGT. HANK VOIGHT, JIMMY McNULTY, DET. ALVIN OLINSKY, ELAM FERGUSON, OMAR LITTLE, BUNK MORELAND, LESTER FREEMON, CEDRIC DANIELS, CULLEN BOHANNON, DR. JOHN THACKERY, DELL SPOONER, DR. ALGERNON EDWARDS, ALONZO HARRIS, AZEEM, BILL "THE BUTCHER" CUTTING, THE SUNDANCE KID, SGT. ELIAS, ROY HOBBS, JAMES BOND (THE DANIEL CRAIG VERSION ONLY), RANNULPH JUNUH, TYRION LANNISTER, BRONN, NORMAN "MACHINE" ELLISON, STEVEN OF IRELAND, ARTHUR SHELBY, ROBERT NEVILLE, BOYD "BIBLE" SWAN, SUGAR BATES, JOB, MAXIMUS DECIMUS MERIDIUS, STRINGER BELL, JOHN SHELBY, HUGO STIGLITZ, ALMOST ALL THE STARKS, SANDOR CLEGANE, GYP ROSETTI, JON SNOW, DETECTIVE MIKE LOWRY, BRIENNE OF TARTH, YGRITTE, TORMUND GIANTSBANE, SAMWELL AND GILLY TARLEY, JESSICA JONES, THE DUTTON FAMILY, HONDO HARRELSON, KURT WELLER, JANE DOE AND BOBBY LEE SWAGGER...
I ALSO LOVE WADE WILSON, BOBBY BEANS, RAYLAN GIVENS, BOYD CROWDER, TEJ PARKER, LUCAS HOOD, CARRIE HOPEWELL, MICHAEL STIGMAN, CYRUS GRISSOM, WALTER WHITE, GRADY "COON-ASS" TRAVIS, CAPT JACK AUBREY, RED REDDING, BAGGER VANCE, DOUGAL MACKENZIE, JESSE PINKMAN, TRINI "GORDO" GARCIA, DR. STEPHEN MARTURIN, DETECTIVE ANTONIO DAWSON, EDWARD GARLICK, MIDSHIPMAN BLAKENEY, HAWKEYE PIERCE, MARCUS BURNETT, RICHARD HARROW, HANS GRUBER, RAY DONOVAN, DONNY DONOWITZ, VIC MACKEY, ONE-TWO, DARYL DIXON, MATTHEW QUIGLEY, CHIBS TELFORD, COACH HERMAN BOONE, CLAIRE RANDALL FRASER, CAPT. JOHN MILLER, CAPT. HECTOR BARBOSSA, MARVIN BOGGS, JULES WINNFIELD, VIVIAN WARD, CHARLES EMERSON WINCHESTER III, COSMO KRAMER, COACH KEN CARTER, GEORGE CASTANZA, V, RICHARD BLANE, CAPT. JACK SPARROW, MURTAUGH FRASER, STELLA BRIDGER, MARTIN RIGGS, DR. KING SHULTZ, SARAH CONNOR, DJANGO FREEMAN, XANDER CAGE, DR. EMMETT BROWN, DOMINIC TORRETO, BEN WADE, CHARLIE CROKER, HANDSOME ROB, KING LEONIDAS, CRASH DAVIS, RAY KINSELLA, BILLY CHAPEL, BOB SAGINOWSKI, CHARLEY WAITE, DR. HENRY JONES JR., JIMMY DUGAN, FORREST GUMP, MICHAEL SULLIVAN SR., HARLEN MCGUIRE, FORREST BONDURANT, SGT. JOHN RAWLINS, ANNIE SAVOY, BOBBY MERCER, MORITSUGO KATSIMOTO, HANDSOME BOB, ROSE SAYER, DR. GREGORY HOUSE, ROBIN LONGSTRIDE, SAWYER FORD, MR. EKO, JACK BAUER, LISBETH SALANDER, CHLOE O'BRIEN, DAMIAN SCOTT, MICHAEL STONEBRIDGE, JIMMY DARMODY, CHALKY WHITE, NELSON VAN ALDEN, ALFIE SOLOMONS, ARTHUR BISHOP, DAVOS SEAWORTH, DARIUS KINCAID, JAMES HEZEKIAH DELANEY, DR. ELDON CHANCE, D PRINGLE, FLOKI THE BOATMAKER AND OF COURSE JAMES ALEXANDER MALCOLM MACKENZIE FRASER. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE TAKEN A TINY BIT FROM EACH ONE OF THEM AND WOVEN IT INTO MY PERSONALITY AS IT STANDS TODAY.
I DRAW MY INSPIRATION FOR LIFE FROM ICONIC FIGURES SUCH AS WINSTON CHURCHILL FOR HIS ORATORY, DEREK JETER FOR ALWAYS PLAYING THE GAME THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED AND FOR ALWAYS SAYING THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT MOMENT...HE IS TRULY MY GENERATION'S LAST REAL IDOL. THE POETRY OF SHEL SILVERSTEIN, THE PROSE OF NORTON JUSTER, AND THE INTEGRITY OF TOM BROKAW, PETER JENNINGS AND WALTER CRONKITE. MY WIFE BARB, MY HERO, WHO SURVIVED BREAST CANCER AND ONLY MISSED ONE DAY OF WORK WHILE UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY. MY OLDEST SON AND HERO ROB WHO SAID HE WOULD PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL AT AGE NINE AND ACHIEVED IT BY WORKING HARDER THAN ANY HUMAN BEING I HAVE EVER MET. MY YOUNGEST SON AND HERO CONNOR FOR SAYING "THE HELL WITH COLLEGE" AND HITTING THE ROAD AT 19 TO ATTEND PRO UMPIRE SCHOOL AND THEN FIND HIS DREAM. MY NEWEST HERO IS ROB'S FIANCE ASHLEE, A JERSEY GIRL WHO ALWAYS CARRIES A CAN OF "ATTITUDE" IN HER BACK POCKET. SHE HAS SURVIVED TWO OPEN HEART SURGERIES WITHOUT SKIPPING A BEAT. LASTLY, STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER MR. DAVID HARRISON, WHOSE PASSION IN 1973 STILL LIVES WITHIN ME EVERY TIME I STEP IN FRONT OF A CLASS. HE TOLD US ONE DAY;
"WHAT THE TEXTBOOKS AND THE NEWS MEDIA AND THREE PRESIDENTS HAVE TOLD YOU IS GOING ON IN VIETNAM IS A LOAD OF BS...SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, AND EVEN THOUGH "THE MAN" IN THE MAIN OFFICE WILL CONSPIRE AGAINST IT AND DOESN'T WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS, I'M GONNA TELL YOU ANYWAY...SO CLOSE THE DOOR AND LET'S GET TO IT."
MOST OF ALL, I REMAIN FOREVER INDEBTED TO THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THIS NATION'S CONFLICTS AND GIVEN THEIR LIVES AND LIMBS SO I CAN DO WHAT I DO. PLEASE GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO THANK A VETERAN, FOR AS GEORGE ORWELL SUPPOSEDLY ONCE SAID; "Men (women and children) sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf against those who would do us harm."
MY GRANDFATHER SERVED IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND MY FATHER WAS IN THE SECOND. I'M TRYING TO FIND PROOF THAT MY DESCENDANTS WERE IN THE CIVIL WAR BUT HAVE YET TO DO SO. MY NEPHEW SERVED AS A MARINE FOR A TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN AND IS NOW IN THE CIA. SOMETIMES I REGRET THAT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DEFEND MY COUNTRY, BUT THEN I MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE THOUSANDS OF YOUNG MINDS, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL TRAGEDY.
A PIECE OF ADVICE FOR THIS YEAR... Are you known for your biting sense of humor? Would your friends call you SARCASTIC? Is irony the highest form of verbal art? If so, then you can also be considered something else besides “sarcastic”: very intelligent.
A study out of Harvard Business School finds that sarcasm is the “highest form of intelligence.” The study’s authors delved into “the cognitive experiences of sarcastic expressers and recipients or their behavioral implications” to test and see if sarcasm is a mode of higher thinking.
In two studies, they found that the sassy among us were causing more conflict, but were also demonstrating “enhanced creativity” after following a mock sarcastic conversation or recalling a sarcastic
exchange.
In a third study, they found that sarcasm enhanced creativity in the form of abstract thinking. You’ve got to work hard for those jokes. And in a fourth study, they discovered “when participants expressed sarcasm toward or received sarcasm from a trusted other, creativity increased but conflict did not.” Which is fascinating because it implies that you might not be mad at the jokes cracked by the most sharp witted person in the office if you already like that person.
What’s even more interesting, is that our ability to detect sarcasm also says something about our IQ. According to The Smithsonian, “Studies have shown that exposure to sarcasm enhances creative problem solving.” They also found that the brain works even better when it receives sarcasm: “Scientists who have monitored the electrical activity of the brains of test subjects exposed to sarcastic statements have found that brains have to work harder to understand sarcasm.”
So, my suggestion is not to flee from the most sarcastic person in your life...which may very well become yours truly. They may be good for your brain and enhancing your creativity...once you figure out what I am saying of course and how to respond to it :)