Ask anyone who has achieved success or greatness and they will tell you it was preceded with a lot of hard work and dedication. While it may seem appealing to get something for nothing, in reality there is little pleasure to be gained from that.

I bought my first car when I graduated from college. A 1993 Mercury Topaz. It wasn’t a “hot” car but it was nice in the sense it was new, had power windows and locks, and a cassette player! Ohhhh— aaaaaahhhh! Great for listening to the mix tapes we all use to put together back then. Most importantly it got me from point A to point B. A great feature in a car. I was so proud to say I bought my first car. I ran that car into the ground, literally. The phrase push, pull, or tow was created for cars like that. My next car was a wonderful Nissan Altima. I upgraded to leather interior and it had a multi CD changer and a Bose stereo system. Again, great pride came from my new and nicer car. Now at middle age I have reached a point to have what would be called a “luxury” car. Again, great pride I reached a point to really treat myself. And best of all, I earned every car by my own right. It’s a great feeling.

I bought my first house, again, by myself through hard work. When I signed the papers and was handed the keys to MY house it was incredible. It was a work in progress for seven years to get the house just right through renovations and decoration, but that made it even more enjoyable. Sure, “move in ready” may be nice, but when it’s your first home making the improvements over time has its own rewards.

Time passes pretty quickly and the old adage don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today is sound advice. Sitting on the sidelines and passively watching life pass you by not only cheats yourself of your potential, but cheats yourself of the great sense of accomplishment that comes with doing. Hard work and dedication does pay off, in time. The rewards are priceless.

Instead of weighing in on this one, I am just going to put it out there and let the discussion begin. Before I do, I will say I find it fascinating how the media through the ages has often dictated how politicians go about wooing voters. There has been a dramatic shift during my lifetime.

When I was young you would only see politicians on traditional news programs, but when I was in college there was Bill Clinton with his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show and others followed. Appearing on late night TV has become a must it seems. Making a guest appearance on SNL? Sure, why not? And now this, the highly esteemed candidate, Ben Carson, in his soft spoken voice, in a rap for radio ad. Pundits are weighing in if this tactic will work to woo younger voters. Take a listen. Does it work?

Portrait photography has the ability to be one of the strongest storytellers in my humble opinion. Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange, Annie Leibovitz, and Shelby Lee Adams. Each has his/her own hallmark. Adams earned the trust of the people of Appalachia to open their homes to him and his lens. Arbus, known for capturing the atypical subjects of portrait photography, the “ugly”, the “freaks”, the “others”. Lange for the true grit of the depression era. Leibovitz for elegant, studio quality works that still capture something more.

And now we have Brandon Stanton.

You may not know his name, but you are certain to know his work, a project simply called Humans of New York

Five years after Stanton hit the streets of New York with his camera and a personal mission to capture the people of the city which he shared on a blog like this, he has more than 15-million followers on social media and is a New York Times Best seller. I just bought his second book, Stories, today. There are comical tales, inspirational stories and ones of heartbreak and healing. I have followed his blog and I am excited to delve into the book.

The HONY project is a shining example that that old adage is true: everyone has a story to tell. It may be short and sweet, simple and true, but sometimes less is indeed more and a few words can mean so much. It is also an example that one person, with one idea, can start something on a simple blog that resonates with others and develops a life of its own.

The power of the photo coupled with one sentence or a few can be powerful. This is one bedtime read that will be hard to put down.

I encourage you to check Stanton’s work out. He is on Twitter @humansofny,as well as on Facebook & Tumbler.
Or Visit his website http://www.humansofnewyork.com/about

As our seniors prepare to graduate from high school in a couple weeks they are faced with their futures. Moving out of high school and into early adulthood is a big change in the progression of life. For some it means moving on to college, for others it’s an opportunity to jump right into a career, and then there are those who are left still searching for the answer to, what’s next? Regardless of what door one is about to walk through, each presents a wonderful opportunity to evaluate where you have been, where you are headed, and who you want to be on that path.

I just read a really good op-ed from the New York Times written by columnist, David Brooks. The piece titled, The Moral Bucket List, does a really good job summing up what I have seen, or better yet what I haven’t seen, during my last four years teaching. I would be remiss to isolate the observation to my time in the classroom. I think my time in the classroom has simply magnified what is a greater, global issue that is epidemic across all generations. Case in point, the columnist who is an older man. A career writer and observer. I will let the column stand on it’s own and simply say it is worth the few minutes it takes to read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-the-moral-bucket-list.html?WT.mc_id=2015-MAY-WCASeq-OPINION&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=WCARETARG&_r=1

Define good time. If flying in the face of authority, setting fires, stealing and causing civil unrest that may cause injury to others qualifies as a “fun time”, then by all means head to Baltimore. (insert sarcasm).

I was quite alarmed when during class I had a student respond to the CNN programming I had on the ceiling mounted TV in the classroom. With the headline breaking news banner scrolling with the latest information on the riots and visuals of the one thousand police officers lining the streets in riots gear, a student chimes in, “I wish I were there!” When I asked why on earth he would want to be there he responds saying it looks like “fun”. Being the curious person I am, I inquired as to why the images on TV of people throwing bottles, setting fires, and looting looked “fun”. The response, they could get all the shoes they wanted. At this point other students joined the conversation in agreement. I said that’s stealing, It’s unethical and ILLEGAL. I asked what about the business owners? Is that fair to them? The answer: if a business is burning they are going to lose the merchandise anyway, may as well get what you can. To that I say, two wrongs don’t make a right.

One friend told me perhaps it was mere teenage bravado that prompted the response. Maybe, maybe not. I think some of it was, but if if it was bravado it alarms me talking about breaking the law would be considered “cool” among your peers. I made of point of telling them their mothers would not approve of such behavior. To that they said their moms would want them to pick up shoes for them. I doubt that. I wonder if you ask the people in Baltimore and the rest of the nation watching, what this is all about if most people could accurately explain what prompted the protests.

Who is Freddie Gray? Why was he arrested? What happened to him and how while he was in police custody? The answers to that may shine a light on a bigger epidemic. Issues that in my humble opinion will not get solved with violence. I had a student in a different class who said the rioting was just what needed to happen. He said those people want attention and that is exactly what they are getting. I agree to a point. They want attention, but for what? Are they just using Mr. Gray’s death as an excuse to run amuck? And yes, they are getting attention alright, but it’s negative attention. It’s damaging their reputations, it is not prompting positive change, so how is that good even though they are getting the attention they want?

I glanced up at the TV today and saw some statistics. Assuming they are accurate, they shine the light on what everyone should be talking about. The information was about the neighborhood Mr. Gray was from. A neighborhood that has a domestic violence rate that is 50% higher than the national average. A neighborhood with one in four children truant from school and nearly half dropping out. These are the issues that need to be addressed. I respect the work police across our country are doing every day. It’s a tough job and it’s dangerous. But with every profession, there is room for improvement. I am alarmed at what appears to be the frequency of deadly confrontations between officers and civilians in recent years. I don’t have the answers nor do I pretend to. I also do not have all the information I need to make an educated assessment of what is happening.

All I know is it’s a mess out there and it sure doesn’t look like fun.

I am proud as a peacock or a parent, take your pick. Nights like the February 24th Keep it Real awards fill me up with so much joy it makes up for those days when, as a teacher, you are disrespected or in the least shown absolute indifference for the efforts made on behalf of your students.

The Keep It Real Awards recognize student created Public Service Announcements that combat underage drinking, smoking, and abuse of prescription drugs. Six students from my class won awards.

Austin Brooks and Taylor Tomlin: 1st place for Best Direction

Blaine Black and Wes Johnson: 1st place for Best Script

Jessica Bryant: 1st place for Graphic Design

Nicole True: Honorable mention for Graphic Design

I have been so disappointed by this the more I hear. When I first heard his apology and the swirl of headlines that followed I thought it was much ado about nothing. i thought it was a media circus over a one-time incident of misspeaking. I summed it up to “there goes the media again.” But then I looked into it more and realized this was a story with history that was repeated over and over. Oh how I was disappointed.
I have always found Brian Williams to be a pillar of credibility, something that is grossly lacking in the business more and more every day for the reasons you aptly mentioned. From my comfortable seat on the sofa on the other side there appear to be more of what I always called the “look mom! I’m on TV” types entering the profession. And I use that word lightly. What was once a noble and respectable Profession is now a vast land of mediocrity at best, but more often than not it seems to be a land of infotainment. It appears Mr. Williams succumb to that. I hope not intentionally.
Those of us who have been there, done that know there are nameless, faceless people behind the scenes who carry weight and call more of the shots than the person who is the name and the face of the program. I have a dear friend who recently lost a job after being embroiled in such nonsense. It was her name and her face attached to the misinformation so she was the scape goat. One would hope at the level Brian Williams has reached, his experience, and the fact he carries the title of managing editor, he would have not succumb to any such nonsense. It’s his reputation that has crumbled. Even if he does bounce back, the damage is done. I, for one, will never be able to look at his quite the same way. I would like to see him really sit down and explain himself in a heartfelt way and not in the time constraints of a 20-second reader that was stacked “just so” in just the “right spot” for pacing purposes. I crave the truth told with humility, not glossed over while well coiffed, powdered, and in a finely pressed suit.

I recently stumbled across this quote from Zig Ziglar. Even though the well known motivational speaker died in 2012, his inspirational words of wisdom are no doubt timeless.

This quote speaks volumes. The bottom line: never underestimate people skills. A person may have all the talent, brilliance, and potential in the world, but if they lack people skills it will put up a tremendous barrier to success. Knowing how to get along with others and accepting that as smart as you may be there is always something to learn to grow and become better is essential to success.

Responding to someone when they smile, say hello and greet you is a common courtesy. Ignoring random acts of kindness is just plain rude. I can’t imagine anyone would want to be known as “that person” with the bad attitude.

So take note, your attitude not your aptitude, will determine just how high you will soar.