While 2014 has been a transformational year for me, I end the year, questioningly shaking my head about a number of issues. Not all of these issues are unique to 2014; some have been around for ages.
Why do so many people turn into raving idiots while sitting safely at their keyboards
If I were to make a New Year's Resolution, it would be to never, ever read the comments on a news article again. I don't understand why news articles even need comments. Idiotic comments are not found only attached to news articles. I have read some moronic things attached to posts of organizations I "like" on Facebook.
I used to like a food page, but I couldn't handle everyone who complained that the posted article didn't address GMO food or was a meat recipe. I am concerned about GMOs and I'm a vegetarian, but I cannot stand fundamentalists in either camp. Stop being self-righteous pricks!
Then, I read some horrible, vile comments this year. If anyone thought for a second that racism is dead, think again. The worst had to be when some "human" called Tamir Rice an "unsupervised ghetto rat." Who thinks like that?
Why do so many lack empathy?
From what I can find, about one-third of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Some wealthier people do it to max out investments. But, I suspect that middle class families who do this, do so at great risk. One job loss or major medical issue, and they would be wiped out pretty quickly. I'm sure they know that. With so many people living in poverty (15 percent) or on the brink, why do we as a society accept so many policies that punish the poor for being poor? Drug testing for welfare recipients, anti-minimum wage hike sentiments, cuts to food stamps? This is how we treat the poor in our country.
How did we become so apathetic?
Sixty percent of eligible voters stayed home on Election Day this year. I get that the system is broken. If my car wasn't working properly, it wouldn't get fixed by sitting in the driveway. I'd have to tinker with it, or go to someone who could help me fix it. The system isn't going to fix itself folks; it needs handy men and women who are willing to do a little work to make take it back from the oligarchs.
Does everything have to be scented?
I own a Swifter. I know it's not the best environmental cleaning tool out there, but I own one anyway. I have found it impossible to buy sheets, name brand or generic brand, that are not scented. That scented stuff gives me a headache. Today at the store, I saw dish towels that have dish detergent and scent in them. Too many hidden chemicals.
Will there be a Detroit Difford/Tilbrook show this year?
Did we do something wrong? What can I do to fix it? Just once, I want to see you guys sing and afterward, I go home to my own bed. The last local show was 2008. I'll cook, make cake, whatever - just sing in Detroit this year.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
2014 in Song Titles
It would be easy to dismiss 2014 as the worst year of my life, but I won't. As the year winds down, I can honestly say that I am glad the events of 2014 happened "now" rather than later. I'm not sure that I would have been strong enough to survive if I endured any more years of serious illness. Here are the five biggest lessons I learned this year - inspired by song titles.
Labelled With Love
A line from my favorite Squeeze lines states "The past has been bottled and labelled with love." I could be angry with crappy events from the past. I could be furious at the destruction of public education. I could be pissed off at people who disappeared when I got sick or bailed when I left HPS. As a matter of fact, I was mad for quite some time, up to just a few weeks ago. I don't want to be mad, anymore than I want to be depressed, so I let it go. I thought back to wise words my very first therapist told me, "you can only control your actions, not what other people do." I'm determined to stick those events, those people, and those old reactions of mine in bottles and indeed label them with love. Without all of those bottles, I would have had no idea how to save myself.
Career Opportunities
Changing careers was scary, but it is the best thing to happen to me. I miss the kids. I miss being in front of a classroom. I miss Student Council (like crazy)! It was time for me to change.
Left of Center
I am not ashamed of my political orientation. I had, for many years, ignored the political junkie that resided inside of me. I unleashed her by agreeing to work on the ALF-CIO election campaign this fall. It was a thrill and I learned quite a bit about strategy and the inner workings of a campaign. Our side lost, but this girl is going to stay politically active.
On the Road Again
I took only trip this year, but it was a big one - a bucket list trip. The trip to the Grand Canyon was as significant to my development as a fully confident adult as my first trip to London. Looking at the grandeur of the canyon overwhelmed me. As I just told a friend yesterday, looking at the Grand Canyon, I realized just how short life was to spend it being miserable. There is too much beauty to have my eyes clouded over by depression.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
There were many times during 2014 when I considered extinguishing my own light. Something stopped my from doing that, presumably my son. Now, I feel the sunshine and the light all on my own.
Thanks for hanging out with me this year. I worked on getting my mind in some semblance of order. More work to be done in 2015, with some additional body work. Why does everything I have read about depression highlight sudden weight loss as a possible symptom? I bloody well packed on the pounds. Oh well.
Labelled With Love
A line from my favorite Squeeze lines states "The past has been bottled and labelled with love." I could be angry with crappy events from the past. I could be furious at the destruction of public education. I could be pissed off at people who disappeared when I got sick or bailed when I left HPS. As a matter of fact, I was mad for quite some time, up to just a few weeks ago. I don't want to be mad, anymore than I want to be depressed, so I let it go. I thought back to wise words my very first therapist told me, "you can only control your actions, not what other people do." I'm determined to stick those events, those people, and those old reactions of mine in bottles and indeed label them with love. Without all of those bottles, I would have had no idea how to save myself.
Career Opportunities
Changing careers was scary, but it is the best thing to happen to me. I miss the kids. I miss being in front of a classroom. I miss Student Council (like crazy)! It was time for me to change.
Left of Center
I am not ashamed of my political orientation. I had, for many years, ignored the political junkie that resided inside of me. I unleashed her by agreeing to work on the ALF-CIO election campaign this fall. It was a thrill and I learned quite a bit about strategy and the inner workings of a campaign. Our side lost, but this girl is going to stay politically active.
On the Road Again
I took only trip this year, but it was a big one - a bucket list trip. The trip to the Grand Canyon was as significant to my development as a fully confident adult as my first trip to London. Looking at the grandeur of the canyon overwhelmed me. As I just told a friend yesterday, looking at the Grand Canyon, I realized just how short life was to spend it being miserable. There is too much beauty to have my eyes clouded over by depression.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
There were many times during 2014 when I considered extinguishing my own light. Something stopped my from doing that, presumably my son. Now, I feel the sunshine and the light all on my own.
Thanks for hanging out with me this year. I worked on getting my mind in some semblance of order. More work to be done in 2015, with some additional body work. Why does everything I have read about depression highlight sudden weight loss as a possible symptom? I bloody well packed on the pounds. Oh well.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
A Random Act of Kindness
I have been very open about my struggle with depression. I have come out of the darkest days, but I occasionally find a wound that is still relatively fresh.
I spent 17 years at Hamtramck High School. I grew up there. Sometimes I was brilliant, other times, I was an utter disaster. At no time, however, could any one say that I did not give my all to the kids, and often times the staff, at Hamtramck.
I resigned at the end of summer, before the first days of school, so I saw no one and texted a few people good-bye. Since then, I really haven't heard from any of my former co-workers, even the ones I have contacted. It's a little like I disappeared at the hands of Winston at the Ministry of Truth. I've tried not to take the silence personally, but it hasn't been easy. When I first took my leave, I heard from very few people and that just reinforced the notion that I could disappear and no one would care. Luckily, my new job keeps me too busy to ruminate on these thoughts. The medicine also helps quite a bit.
Today, I went to my mailbox and found an assortment of junk, a copy of Rolling Stone, and a card from a former co-worker. This is a person who was always exceedingly kind and was forever complimenting Student Council, which was great because all of my administrators had their heads too far up their own asses to bother with public accolades. Anyway, the card left me in tears. I won't quote the whole card, but here is where the tears flowed freely:
"You can feel tremendous with your accomplishment, Toni! We can see it in all the kids who have passed through Hamtramck and were fortunate enough to have you as an English teacher or Student Council Rep. You always worked your "tail off" for our kids....I have been honored to work along side you."
He didn't have to write this card. No other adult thanked me or acknowledged my work. This was a beautiful thing. I don't imagine it took him long to do. A Facebook friend is always encouraging people to commit one act of Random Kindness. This act touched me deeply, and I will try and reconcile these warm feelings with the cold sense of loss I feel when I think about others.
I spent 17 years at Hamtramck High School. I grew up there. Sometimes I was brilliant, other times, I was an utter disaster. At no time, however, could any one say that I did not give my all to the kids, and often times the staff, at Hamtramck.
I resigned at the end of summer, before the first days of school, so I saw no one and texted a few people good-bye. Since then, I really haven't heard from any of my former co-workers, even the ones I have contacted. It's a little like I disappeared at the hands of Winston at the Ministry of Truth. I've tried not to take the silence personally, but it hasn't been easy. When I first took my leave, I heard from very few people and that just reinforced the notion that I could disappear and no one would care. Luckily, my new job keeps me too busy to ruminate on these thoughts. The medicine also helps quite a bit.
Today, I went to my mailbox and found an assortment of junk, a copy of Rolling Stone, and a card from a former co-worker. This is a person who was always exceedingly kind and was forever complimenting Student Council, which was great because all of my administrators had their heads too far up their own asses to bother with public accolades. Anyway, the card left me in tears. I won't quote the whole card, but here is where the tears flowed freely:
"You can feel tremendous with your accomplishment, Toni! We can see it in all the kids who have passed through Hamtramck and were fortunate enough to have you as an English teacher or Student Council Rep. You always worked your "tail off" for our kids....I have been honored to work along side you."
He didn't have to write this card. No other adult thanked me or acknowledged my work. This was a beautiful thing. I don't imagine it took him long to do. A Facebook friend is always encouraging people to commit one act of Random Kindness. This act touched me deeply, and I will try and reconcile these warm feelings with the cold sense of loss I feel when I think about others.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Sharing Our Stories
Today, AFT-MI members turned up in Lansing to talk to legislators about a number of issues important to educators in Michigan.
One of the bills that might go to vote during this Lame Duck session is HB 4639. This bill would give the EAA the authority to take over schools throughout the whole state. Currently, 15 schools in Detroit are under EAA authority. I won't even go into what an unmitigated disaster the EAA is. Eclectablog has done an amazing job covering this train wreck, please give that site some more traffic.
As for the bill, support for it has been largely partisan. Many Republicans are eager to expand the EAA's powers to other "failing" schools. Luckily, the AFT has had a huge impact on stopping the district's expansion. All the AFT-MI did was transport teachers from EAA schools to Lansing and let them tell their stories to legislators, this past spring.
One of the legislators who heard those teachers stories was Republican Senator, John Poppageorge. He initially supported the EAA, but changed his mind after listening to teachers tell their stories. One of the teachers told the senator that the EAA was a Potemkin village. Clearly, that analogy made an impression on the senator, as he repeated the phrase to us today to describe his opinion of the EAA.
We have voices, but they are useless if we don't use them. Teachers have been under attack across the nation at an unprecedented level over the last several years. If we engage, even minimally, in the political process and simply tell our stories, even members on the other side will listen.
One of the bills that might go to vote during this Lame Duck session is HB 4639. This bill would give the EAA the authority to take over schools throughout the whole state. Currently, 15 schools in Detroit are under EAA authority. I won't even go into what an unmitigated disaster the EAA is. Eclectablog has done an amazing job covering this train wreck, please give that site some more traffic.
As for the bill, support for it has been largely partisan. Many Republicans are eager to expand the EAA's powers to other "failing" schools. Luckily, the AFT has had a huge impact on stopping the district's expansion. All the AFT-MI did was transport teachers from EAA schools to Lansing and let them tell their stories to legislators, this past spring.
One of the legislators who heard those teachers stories was Republican Senator, John Poppageorge. He initially supported the EAA, but changed his mind after listening to teachers tell their stories. One of the teachers told the senator that the EAA was a Potemkin village. Clearly, that analogy made an impression on the senator, as he repeated the phrase to us today to describe his opinion of the EAA.
We have voices, but they are useless if we don't use them. Teachers have been under attack across the nation at an unprecedented level over the last several years. If we engage, even minimally, in the political process and simply tell our stories, even members on the other side will listen.
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