STATE TEST

My third graders are taking the CST for the next two weeks.

That's California State Test for anyone that is not up to par with education these days. Now with my limited experience at
the third grade level tells me that this will be a very tough
challenge for them. As I look back at the year, I notice the strides that my students have made. Both educationally and maturity wise. 

Patience

A sweet lesson on patience. 

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Bliss

The reason that I am so in love with this band is that they remind me so much of my favorite band U2. This concert had so many intricacies, that it made it unbelievable. First of all, by far the wristbands. Each person received a light up wristband that was controlled by the band and their producers. It would start blinking during songs and made the concert so interactive. Every song had something that made me love being at this concert. Confetti butterflies during songs, enormous neon laced balloon balls being thrown around to get everyone involved. I just had a lot of fun listening to great music. Sometimes stuff like this comes around to get you intrigued about the next day in your life. I'm in a pretty happy mood today. I think I may go paint.



                                     

I Love..........

I Love Sunny Days. I Love painting oils mixed in with mediums. I Love my Friends. I Love Pandora. I Love forgiveness. I Love being creative. In my life and in my actions. I Love Mumford, The Xx, Kid Cudi and Sigur Ros. I know, I know such variety. I Love books that answer the call in which you are searching for. I Love concerts where you can sing at the top of your lungs. I Love students that work so hard that their work mimics a genius. I Love really nice wine. I also love triple creme Brie to go along with that wine. I Love my IPhone and all that it entails. I Love being humble. I Love Mt. Diablo and the opportunities it reveals to my heart. I Love Panera Salads. I Love breaks. I Love my style of art. I Love Justice, Coldplay, and Angus and Julia Stone. I Love an empty chair and a notebook. I Love the chance at impressing others by what I do every day. I Love Jesus. I Love SEP cards found everywhere. I Love Philadelphia. I Love weekly catchups with my mom at Starbucks. I Love wood fire Pizza. I Love when people tell me that my blog is a mish mash. I am in Love with the Loves of my life. Until next time. 

prose

Guard the heart with inevitable caution

Stopping the urge of unique love brings tears

The search for the equal in me cries out

Joy surrounds my core when my smile can't fade

Things lost are like a revolving facade

Only to power a soul for mature growth

Caution drives out the chance of letdown

Grace, Communication and Honesty are my answer to

Weed out any fear of the thought of inevitable caution.

An inability to love.

I believe there is a difference between a Love Story, and a Story, about Love. Love stories are, romantic. They are about, love itself and it's relationship with people. A story about love, may not even be romantic. Not even a story of people, loving people. It may be a search for love. An inability to love. Could be an obsession, or substitution for it. An unwillingness to it. Even a strange addiction. A love story, is a, timeless classic. A story that will be told, taught, learned, and repeated through history. A story about love, will stop time. And changed everything you know about it. There will be nothing of it's kind. The biggest difference is.. not everyone will have a love story. But everyone will have a story about love. - God is Love

Proving the worth of Love

Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Do you believe that when the right person looks at you just the right way, at just right the moment, from far across the room, is it possible to lose your breath? Is it possible to want to live more for someone else, than for yourself? Is forever love possible? Does it know no bounds? When you lose someone you love to distance. When you say goodbye to your father for the very last time. When you fall in love so deeply you can barely hear the noise around you. When you touch the hand of the one who holds your heart. When you kiss the one you know you’re going to love, but don’t love yet.

When you do these things, does your heart drop?

Forever is only a concern if you reach it. No one chases love for forever, if we did, we’d all be disappointed. The actual feeling of love doesn’t hit us once and stay with us forever, it comes and goes. Just as anger comes and goes, happiness comes and goes, sadness comes and goes, love comes and goes. Which is why I would encourage you, hold onto the ones you love. Hold them as dear as you did the day you fell in love with them. Blow them kisses over the phone. Send them flowers just enough to send the message, not too much that they forget the thought. Touch their hearts with old stories, first dates remembered and key ones attached on the wall for a daily reminder. Write them letters. Kiss them.It needs to be nurtured and honored, because only time can prove the worth of love.