Staycation in Marietta

In the summer of 2008, I got the chance to revisit my second home, New Orleans, for the Essence Festival. THAT was a vacation that I needed a vacation from. In fact, between the increasing responsibilities at work and other travels, I may not have fully recovered by the time the next year’s Essence Festival arrived. By spring of 2009, I was answering my personal phone “Phipps Auto Sales.” My friends and family couldn’t talk to me on the phone without constant work interruptions no matter what time of day it was. A few of my friends thought I was paid far better than I actually was because I was so busy selling cars all the time. I definitely needed another vacation. The only problem was, business had slowed so much that my trip to New Orleans was in jeopardy. I was very low on cash.

I was already granted the time off, and I was determined to take it. I used my high power phone/internet networking skills to work any angle I could to get to New Orleans. Eventually, I just wanted to get away. By the time the Fourth of July weekend rolled around, I had gotten as far as Marietta Georgia. I would find out that was more than far enough away.

I lived and worked in the neighboring cities of Stone Mountain and Lithonia. Marietta might have been where I should have lived when I moved to the Atlanta Metro Area. It was 25 minutes northwest of Stone Mountain, which in the south was far enough to be another state. It would be perfect for my Staycation. It was quiet, clean, and home to one of the two Fatburger restaurants in the Atlanta area. I packed my bags, one small carryon. I told no one at work. Not even my cousin who both lived and worked with me knew I was staying in Georgia. Everyone believed I would be in New Orleans for the Fourth of July. I drove to the Extended Stay America and parked my car for the rest of the weekend. I set up my room and prepared to relax alone for the next three days.

Extended Stay was perfect. I was on a budget. The room was clean and had everything I would need for the weekend, a bed and a kitchenette to store my food and drink. Since the majority of the customers were staying a lot longer than I was, the staff had a more familiar vibe. The Extended Stay was within walking distance of Houstons, Fatburger, Panda Express, Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, Fuddruckers, Sal Grosso and two local bars. For the purposes of this trip, all I needed was the Fatburgers. My mission was to not be spotted anywhere in Georgia. My Georgia friends were unfamiliar with Fatburger. Hell, even the Fatburger employees seemed unfamiliar with Fatburger.

Marrieta is small by big city standards but is a large part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in America and part of the third largest metro area in the southeast. At around 50,000 citizens Marietta is one of Georgia’s most populous cities. It was named one of the top 25 places in the United States to retire in 2011. It’s older than Atlanta and holds onto that distinction well. The city holds on to many of the battlefields from the Civil War.

It was just my luck that a couple of college friends, my true travel/drinking partners, were in town for a wedding. So my weekend began with a bachelor party in the city of Atlanta. The beauty of Marrieta is that it maintains its charm and heritage while remaining a large part of the Atlanta Metro Area. It was only a ten minute drive to Buckhead penthouse where the bachelor party was. I dared to go to the city. The risk would be minimal since nearly everyone was from out of town. Party on!

The bachelor party was as remarkable as any other; rooms were devoid of anything but chairs, mattresses and the kitchen bar. Aside from some men breaking their banks before the better looking dancers arrived, the night went off without a hitch. I took advantage of having a designated driver while I appreciated nighttime views of downtown Atlanta from the balcony of the apartment we were in. That was my lone foray into the city that weekend. I would stay local the rest of the time. As it turned out, I would be very local after losing my car keys.

Fortunately, I had made friends with the young lady at the front desk. Unfortunately, she liked to hang out on my side of town in Stone Mountain. So I was on my own. It didn’t take more than a day to unwind. I had to relearn sleeping in and staying the bed. I’m a fast learner.

The laying low aspect of my Staycation meant no internet, particularly no Facebook. I couldn’t have anyone in Lithonia catching on that I wasn’t in New Orleans. I have had my boss and co workers try to call me on other vacations. The legend of New Orleans was strong enough to hold them at bay for a weekend. Or, I could just not answer the phone and they would understand. So it was true relaxation. I read. I drank. I practiced a long forgotten travel pastime, hotel wandering. That’s when you walk the halls randomly, taking the elevator to each floor ending up at the front desk if you don’t encounter and new friends before that.

As I would learn from my wanderings, Marietta is an extremely quiet town. That belies its proximity to the lively Atlanta. A wild night out in Marietta resembles the scene from the movie Hallpass where the only place the men could come up with to meet women was Applebee’s/Chiles. In my area of Marietta, the option was Fridays. There is an Applebee’s. The rest of Marietta is a smattering of neighborhood bars. I had my own bottle.

My stay came to an end as I had to deal with my lost car key. That meant finally calling someone from the lot. My cover story was that I parked the car there and discovered that I lost my key upon returning from New Orleans. They may have bought it, until now.

My stay in Marietta was primarily about rest. I accomplished that. I channeled my inner “Office Space” and did absolutely nothing for once. And it turned out to be everything I thought it would be. A small misfortune turned into an opportunity to get what I really needed. I owe it all to the wonderful city of Marietta and Extended Stay America

Joan and Sisters

Gina, Brandi and I had just left church. Gina always wants to go on an adventure after church. I’m a little apprehensive, mostly because I don’t have much money. I cheer up a little when they say papusas. I cheer up a little more when Brandi mentions Belizean food.
I've had Caribbean. I haven’t had Belizean. I’m looking forward to it being similar and getting a lot for my money. Why not?
We had to double back on Western, as apparently we had passed it. I hadn't noticed a sign or storefront advertising a Belizean restaurant. I still didn't see it when we parked. I wasn't worried. That was typical of Central American demographic of the neighborhood.
I ignored the ‘A’ posted in the window. After 20 years in the restaurant industry, I know what really matters. What really matters was the restaurant was immaculate. It was so clean, I was little put off. I almost expected bad food.
I wanted Black Dinah. That is a distinctly Belizean meal separate from all the other interchangeable “Island Food.”  Unfortunately, the only item had never had was boil up. That’s a of combination Boiled Eggs, Fish and/or Pig tail, with a number of ground foods such as Cassava, Green Plantains, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, cocoa, and Tomato Sauce. I passed over the Oxtails. A friend of mine ordered those. I opted for the Red Snapper. It had been a while since I had any snapper. I figured I might as well get the whole fish.
The whole fish was what I got. I didn't have to ask to get escovich style. The only thing she asked me was gravy on my rice. Absolutely! It was a standard Caribbean dish. Joan & Sisters did an above average job. The potato salad was good. The fish was delicious. I even ate the head, eyes and all! And, in true Caribbean fashion, I got far more than enough rice and peas (beans). All in all, I got two meals for the price of one.
The décor was typical Caribbean, a few (understatement) announcements/flyers dedicated to Belizean events in Los Angeles, a Belizean flag and map, and a TV set to local broadcast television. I noticed as I was eating that the men (me included) got more attention. That may have been due to the Belizean dedication to patriarchy. It was much appreciated. It got me silverware instead of plastic and much more attention than the rest of my party (all females). Totally not complaining.
I told Gina, I hadn't been this deep in Caribbean culture since 4am at ‘The Bakery’ during Carnival some years ago. Joan & Sisters took me back. That is another story…

What I Learned in Church: The Early Edition

Feeling a little inspired today. Thank God for my good friends and their good energy. The company you keep is very important. God has been answering my prayers and revealing some great friends and making room for them in my life.

So I finally decided what I’m doing for Lent this year. This year, I’m staying in-doors. That’s school, work, home (or someone’s house) til Easter. My apologies in advance to the three people who are going to miss hanging out with me.

So let’s get in this book. Deuteronomy 26 breaks down First Fruits and tithes, going into the reasons why we give God the primary glory for all that we are blessed with. Then we repeat, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” That’s an easy way to remind ourselves that God is ALWAYS there, not just when the sun is shining! In Romans 10, (a VERY important chapter) we break down the basis of salvation. If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. And then, in Luke 4, Jesus fasts for 40 days and 40 nights. The devil tries him up and he holds on to his faith, conquering the devil.

And you've heard all this before. But have you really thought about it?

On Friday, I listened to a radio show titled “Black Churches: Accountability to the Community”. My first thought was, “What’s the community’s accountability to the church?” Can you imagine Peter, Paul, Simon, or any of the founders of Christianity saying the things that Christians today say. They all got asked to follow Jesus and they ended up leading within a few years. Today, we grow up in the church; we stay in the church for years and are not becoming leaders. We give tithes wondering when we are going to get it back. We keep asking what the church can give us, without ever learning how to give.

Look at the book again. We've already been given the blessing. We already have the power. It’s because of God that we have. So we’re not giving our tithes and waiting for a return. We've already been blessed and are giving God what’s his. Giving without concern; giving full of joy is the blessing in itself. There’s no more to it. Remember, God always being there means he was there BEFORE you got the gifts to give. God has already given us to power to be a blessing to ourselves and others. What are we doing with it?

And what do we really believe in? What’s in our hearts? Sure, many, many of us confess with our mouths and call on the name of the Lord. But what we believe in our hearts will be manifested in our lives. That Jesus gave died and rose again means eternal life for us as well. AS WELL! It means that we have the possibility of being just like Jesus. THAT’s what the founders of Christianity attempted and taught. That we could also fast and resist the Devil. Not the way we do now. What do we do in adversity? Do we stand girded with the armor of God? Or do we run?

Saying you believe in Jesus is just a step. Putting true belief in our hearts is a process. Do it! Fast. Pray. Believe, not just when people ask you but especially when you get tried up! Stand!

Tomorrow, you may not get challenged this way so think on it now. Maybe you should stand tomorrow and help your church. God has already done his job. Have you done yours?

What I Learned in Church 2-10-13

Father Joe is always on time. Spiritually, that is! That man will have you forgetting you’re Catholic…five hour long church trying to play the saxophone and preaching two extra sermons… At least there’s only one collection.

Seriously, we’re still in and out in an hour and a half.  At least he makes people want to go. That’s huge in this day and age. People are ready to give up at the slightest bit of controversy or difficulty. Lord knows the Catholic Church has had some difficulties. (Understatement) We have greed running rampant in other churches, Sex, All kinds of Sex and Even More Sex. How do we respond? The same thing we always do. We run. "I don't want to go to church"

Don't let a few bad apples run all the good people out of church!

Don’t let a few bad apples run us out of anywhere. We abandon everything. We come, we consume, we ask, we take, we get full and when we get asked to do some real spiritual work, we pack up all we’ve taken over the years and run away, leaving only the trash behind. We do it in our schools, we do it in our neighborhoods, and we go all the way with church. We might change churches for a short while but eventually we just leave.

I read this book one time (or three/four). It may or may not be 100% true but it does illustrate the possibility of man. The one thing I believe is that we must never give up and (SPOILER ALERT) we (the good people) win! So why you running? Think you’re not good enough?

God will perfect whatever is defective

(Isaiah 6) “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

I’m not going to front; right after that God told Isaiah not to tell anyone they were saved so they would suffer a little more and repent before he let them off the hook. That happens. You can’t avoid it. Sometimes we try to avoid the temporary discomfort so we stay in the mess we’re in instead of moving forward through to the end. Go one through it! Again, a lot of ups and downs in that book but it ends well.

Isaiah 43:1,2 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

You know there’s a lot of fire and brimstone in the bible. Don’t be afraid. If you choose the right side, you won’t get burned. Just make sure you choose right. No fence straddling.

(1 Corinthians 15)And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

It’s simple. We believe in Jesus, not some magic superhero who flies in and stops us from being assholes. We believe in a man being able to transcend the flesh and distractions of the world to attain true peace. We believe that we can practice and practice and attain a similar peace. (And that may be where we falter…) Too much unattainable magic and not enough practical advice.

So here it is:

•         Repeat after me “My miracle is on the way.”
•          Get ready. That means look at your faith.
•          Stop dwelling in the past.
•          If you don’t know how to pray, learn.
•          After you pray, meditate. (Meditation first step is clearing your mind)

Jesus removed his self from the world often to focus. And when he did, he was listening. He wasn’t doing a whole bunch of jaw-jacking and not waiting for an answer. Shut up sometimes! To be clear, shut up for at least five minutes every day (to start).

·       
             Keep casting your nets! Some of my friends are wonderful salesmen/women not because they know anything about what they are selling. They are great at it not even because they don’t take no for an answer. It’s because they keep going, believing that someone will say yes. Just like Colonel Sanders, it might take 1010 attempts and the majority of your life to get your miracle. Why are you giving up on yourself?

      A lot of yall give up at 23 after two ‘No’s. And still try to claim you believe in something.

Luke 6 - Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” … When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,…

How many of yall would listen to someone who wasn’t an expert in “your field”.  I can hear the majority of you now running back to your egos at the mention of similar advice. “I been doing … for … years! What you trying to tell me?” “If you know so much, why don’t you do it?” The least we can do with any advice is to meditate on it. Find a way to make the best of everything given us.

So, one more thing before I go. Fight!

Believe in what you say you believe in. I’m getting tired of all the woe is me, look at how strong the devil is, illuminati, conspiracy this, conspiracy that talk. Too many of us say we believe in eternity and still deathly afraid of every little fool hollering boo at our God. SMH.

Isaiah 41:10 I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.

Don't worry I will ALWAYS be with you (not only when the bullies aren't around). AND ALL (A-L-L, every single one) enemies will be ashamed and disgraced; they will be as nothing and perish. Shoot, you won’t even be able to find them if you look for them! And Lord knows yall like to look for enemies!

Gina noticed that the message is always the same and said that’s OK because that’s what the Bible is. Something happens, you maintain your faith, God shows up. That’s it. And it only works that way. Not – something happens, you run like hell or something happens, you have faith for two days, then you give up and do it your way on the third day… That’s the way you do it. It’s called faith because it works especially when it doesn’t look like it will. That’s it.

1300 words later, the simple truth is, if you say you believe in something, prove it. If it’s worthwhile it WILL work! Watch!

Where the Hell are you going? And why did you go there?

How appropriate that I started this blog three years ago and I'm just now finishing it up.

I do that with my blogs. I wait for inspiration to strike even if it takes three years...

I have to talk about something. Right now, November 9, 2015, I am in a rush! I am SO anxious to get back home that I am risking falling into the most dangerous habit of all. Routine. It's routine that kills hopes. It's routine that kills dreams. It's routine that kills us.

Moving/running fast will not make the earth spin any faster. In fact, it may make the world seem like it's moving slower. I know many people may assume they can force the effect of time flying by when you get busy by faking busy. Unfortunately, busy doesn't work that way. If you are busy with no business, time will drag.

I'm starting to realize this constant state of being in a rush may be common. Is it outside forces or some other anxiety that makes people move so fast with no direction. So fast, indeed, that we have just become larger versions of those children we would see acting out. I've see a lot of grown up Cartmans. And how do you tell an adult aged person they need to grow up? They have children. They pay bills, mostly on time. Or as Maya Angelou said, “Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.” And that's what most people believe growing up is about.

So, we've become a country of men and women barreling towards mid-life crises. Men and women 
are making it to 40 and 50 having done a bunch of stuff without any idea about why they did all that stuff. So much so, there is a $12 billion dollar industry devoted to finding out who the hell we are, where they hell we are going, and, maybe, why we've doing all this stuff. Unfortunately, by 40-50, we've created more ungrown ups, perpetuating the cycle of adults spiraling down the road to mid-life crisis.

When we are 18 to 25, we are excited. Concrete plans or not, we know we know everything and we know how to make all our hopes and dreams come true. So we do it. We try.We fail. We try again. We try some more. We keep shooting for the moon. And then, one day, we have to get a real job. 
For the majority of the week, we are working for someone. We travel to work. We move around for a respectable amount of hours. Then we travel home. Sometimes we're tired. Sometimes we're stressed. Sometimes we bring some work home. We repeat that a few times. Then the weekend is here. We get with our friends and talk about pretending to do stuff. We discuss our great/wack/zany/weird/wacky/creepy bosses/coworkers. We compare notes. Apparently, all office bathrooms look the same. And all of a sudden the weekend is over and we forgot to go to sleep, we were having so much fun with our friends. Now we have to do this work thing again, only tired. And we are officially looking forward to the next weekend.

Before we know it, this is the cycle. We live for the weekend. Eventually, vacations come. More stuff comes. We get more money we buy more stuff. We do more stuff. Coffee/caffeine/tea/meditation is introduced at some point. We start fitting things in on the weekends, the weekends get shorter, the work weeks seem longer but they start to fly by... One day, to you get an instant message from some douche bag you haven't spoken to since High School asking you to come to the 30 year reunion and write a book report about all the stuff you been doing. 

At first, we still have our hopes and dreams. Two or three came true but a thousand more are unfulfilled.Things seem to get easier. You're now officially 'humming along.' You don't even notice you are actually humming. There's a noise about you now. That noise is the sound of being busy. Now we are officially adults. We are like everyone else. We are busy.

Doing what?

Nothing.

We've started doing stuff because that's what adults do. Stuff. Buy stuff. Sell stuff. Cook stuff. Drink stuff. Eat stuff. Give stuff away. Have stuff. Hold stuff. Drive stuff. Play stuff. Love stuff. Hate stuff. See stuff. Hear stuff. Believe stuff. Praise stuff. Talk stuff... We're doing it! Sometimes we like the stuff. Sometimes we don't. But we're doing it. and we seem to be doing more and more stuff faster and faster.

We didn't notice the change. Now we are in a rushing. We are rushing everywhere.

I live in LA with some of the most laid back, 'content' people in the country. Put them behind the wheel of a car, they are speeding! Except from 4 pm to 8 pm, they are idling along cursing (sometimes under their breath...) about not being able to speed.  They forgot all the money they spent on the car and the sounds and the GPS and the TVs and Howard Stern on XM that they can't watch/listen to because they're in a rush, speeding.

I lived in New Orleans, the Big Easy. Until they want a drink. Hollering and screaming. Ordering five at a time, for themselves (maybe that was only me...). Paying/tipping extra to be first. Because they only have all night to get drunk. It's a holiday. (It's always a holiday in New Orleans) But they forgot they went out to unwind and ended up wound up over a drink...

All over the country, we have to park in front and be in the front of the line, get it first, see it first. We want our ticket to say #1. We have to see the movie/Netflix ASAP because some asshole is going to spoil it. We don't read the articles because the headline tells us the story. We don't read the instructions because we can figure it out (yeah right!). We're always running late because 'the hasty man always works twice' and we don't have time to figure out what that means because we're late and if we move fast enough like superman we can reverse time...
We can't.
We're stuck in the routine. It rarely changes. Our hopes and dreams are deferred. It's just the cycle. Over and over. And over and over. And we keep speeding through it because maybe we can squeeze a minute of life and Love and real living into it, one day...

And then we die.

If this is you and your life, stop. Give me five minutes. I know I wrote a lot and made you read.
A lot...
Take five minutes. For yourself. Be silent. Sit still. (THATS going to be SO hard) Try to do nothing.
(Except breath. You ain't suing my ass for your ass being a dumb ass...)

At the end of five minutes of nothing, ask yourself - Where the hell am I going?

Schedule another five minutes for tomorrow (or in two years because I know you're busy. with stuff...) and focus on the answer to that.

Seriously start with five minutes a day. Make sure you're rushing in the right direction. Review your mission.If you haven't, write your mission. Write out a trust. Write out a will.

Figure out where the Hell you are going or you are ONLY going to die and nothing else.

Try something new.
Live!

Crenshaw Update

What a year!

This time last year I was working my network to find out what was going on at Crenshaw. Anyone who knows or has followed me knows how much my alma mater means to me. A lot had changed since Crenshaw came to Georgia ranked #2 in the nation. Even more has changed in this past year. When I finally figured out what GCEP was and attended my first board meeting Crenshaw was up against maybe the biggest challenge of all the challenges this school has been through. That’s huge when you include accreditation crises, a name change, and super low test scores as well as low enrollments. HUGE! After all, Fremont was no more. And now, Crenshaw  (the name, the school, the building, the students) are safe for years to come.

What happened at this meeting was more than verification of all the things I’ve been seeing this year. Egomaniacs have brought my school to the edge of ruin. Thank God for Superintendent Dr. John E. Deasy. Only an egomaniac or a moron would not understand and try to find a problem with him. And we’re talking about teachers so they can’t be morons… I offered my seat to some Beaudry [LAUSD headquarters] women. They didn’t take it. I just kept standing for 90 minutes. And then I walked home. I wanted to shout out quite a few times. And contrary to what I imagined a year ago, it was the faculty I wanted to yell at. They reminded me of my friends who keep dating the wrong person and don’t want anyone to tell them they need to change. It’s not their fault. They must be allowed to continue doing what’s not working. I’m calling bullshit!

Here’s what I saw and heard:

Both times the Superintendent showed up to Crenshaw he was more than on time and thoroughly prepared. Being of your word is paramount. I can tell from the way he speaks that Dr. Deasy lives by that.

He started out with the numbers, which we know are poor. But he added emphasis that I was unaware of. Number one was that our API was the lowest in the district. Then our passage rate for the exit exam was virtually half of the LAUSD average. I was under the impression that the entire LAUSD was in trouble. The truth is that only a few schools are still struggling. And then he mentioned an issue that took center stage in the rest of the meeting and was near and dear to my heart. There are 2417 students in the attendance area of Crenshaw high. We only get 900 of those. We lose 150 to Westchester, 180 to Hamilton, 80 to University… all across the LAUSD where the large majority of that 1500 still go to public schools. We are not losing to private schools. I went to Westchester and I had a sister and two nieces go there. I know firsthand, no matter how diverse the faculty is, some communities just aren’t as concerned with the success of our children as the people in our own community.

So the plan is to “improve outcomes” (that’s better test scores) and bring students back to Crenshaw. [So you mean you don’t want to close Crenshaw or sell our building out to charter schools? You want to actually make the school stronger than ever?] With three new Magnets: Information Technology, Media and Entertainment and a STEMM (That’s right Science Technology Engineering Mathematics AND Medicine! [Medicine is HUGE]) Dr Deasy hopes to bring back students to Crenshaw High. Essentially, bringing these magnets in is the way to get more money in to help the school. And THIS IS THE BIG PART Dr. Deasy said, flat out, we (Crenshaw) are getting more money than any other school in the district because we need and deserve it. I almost came to tears at this point. More money, more students, more attention, POSITIVE attention, more all around Love, just for us.

And Dr. Deasy anticipated what I didn’t, fear and dissent. So, he challenged the staff not to fight overtly or covertly. As soon as he said it though, it became obvious that some staff members are afraid of not fitting in.

The first teacher to speak waved her ego flag proudly. She wrote questions down because she was probably the only person able to handle multiple thoughts at once. Dr Deasy would obviously need interpreters and tutors to be able to answer them. I didn’t even write them down. I expected Dr. Deasy to reread them but instead the teacher distracted him with some more flag waving and negated her own questions. He actually answered them but they were distorted as she spoke over him to offer more of her credentials.

Then next teacher, Christina Lewis had been there for eight years and had exceeded growth targets all eight years. She was afraid of this new plan. She liked last year’s model. She wanted a guarantee that HER children would continue to excel. (In the last eight years Crenshaw has had seven principals. If she could excel through those changes, what was she worried about?) Marguerite LaMotte stepped in to say that sure, there were pockets of excellence all over the school, but the entire school was failing. She passionately expressed her Love for the school and said ALL of the community should want to go to Crenshaw. If the teachers weren’t already riled up to fight the board they may have clapped for her. Dr. Deasy responded by guaranteeing that we will work to achieve for ALL students. He indicted the room by saying that we should not fail with all the talent in this room.

Some other lady stood up and blah blah blah… she agrees with the other lady who was scared of change… Crenshaw means 60s to the students… Can you differentiate between transformation and reconstruction? How is an IEP in Encino different from and IEP at Crenshaw? Blah blah blah…

At this point I was clear. Although Dr. Deasy had made it clear multiple times that no one’s job was in danger, I would have been quite alright if he fired every single one of the teachers and only kept the administration. It had been quite a while since I was around this much douche baggery. The questions…

And they continued…

Question: Why is it necessary to change the entire staff?
Deasy: That decision is not made [yet]. That will be made by the administration of the building… It’s not working.
Q: Are we a part of the problem?
D: All teachers must apply to one of the three magnets.

I’m adding to that. And when YOU do, dumb question asking lady, be prepared to end up at Henry Clay. (Is that a bad school? I don’t know. Send them to a really bad school) Go back to the “It’s not working statement”.

Then Mr. Schafer got a pass for reciting his credentials because they actually were directly related to his question…

Q:  The Gifted magnet has performed very well. What are the criteria for this decision(to replace the gifted magnet)?
D: That history of excellence, throughout the LAUSD, is why. AND Gifted Magnet is underperforming the rest of the LAUSD.

I didn’t know that. Good info. So even the “pockets of excellence” can do better!

Now back to the douches…

Q: Are you looking at the data? Accreditation and merger as they affect the potential of Gifted Magnet as outside influences
D: Both older data and recent data are considered. I don't know how to respond to outside forces. "There are a lot of lessons to be learned at Fremont. We didn't do it as well as we could have."

Q: Afraid it will scare students (leaders) away. What will keep the students we need here to stay here?
D: We need every student here. We need to figure it out. We will see a gifted component across all three magnets.

Q: What is the timetable of success? 13 principals in 17 years
D: Let's work to make that happen.

Q: Why three magnets? Why these three?
D: No even numbers. Three is the most the school could handle, five would be too many. Similar magnets are attracting OUR students who have decided to leave.

Q: (Coach Maxey) It's a misnomer to think that the magnets will attract the students. Magnets need to be more practical to the community. We need skills (auto shop, wood shop...)
D: The 1400 (who go to other schools) are going to college at a higher rate. Don't choose the future for students. The economy is not suited to support "just getting a job" out of high school. We are losing kids to schools (Manual and Dorsey) with higher crime rates [Because Coach Maxey reiterated the crime rate in my neighborhood.]

Q: De-stabilizing effect of reconstitution. What guarantee do we have of a stable admin?
D: There isn't. [After he invited the entire staff to be included in the process of KEEPING the admin] Admin is also reapplying but I hope they all stay.

Q: Will students have to reapply?
D: That’s not a good idea.
Q: Will teachers experience effort to stabilize turnover?
D: If you're doing a good job, yes. If not... Henry Clay…

Then Alex Caputo Pearl came with a little bass in his voice:
Q: Why wasn't moral imperative there in the summer? Where was it in the entire two years you've been here?
[A little indignation]
What about the data?
D: [Don't challenge a Boston Irish man!]
Of course, he didn’t say that. That’s what I was thinking as Dr. Deasy responded with equal or more bass in his voice and a short back and forth ensued.
Q: How can you say this is a done deal? Without having consulted staff, parents, community...
My Answer: There are too many divisive factors. The data is the only reason the school is not closed.
D: We are NOT improving
“I am responsible to the youth in the community [and no one else.]”

A thirteen year douche bag:
Q: How can you make a decision without consulting the students who are here? Is the main focus on the students who aren't here? When will we have a written plan?
D: My staff and you will do that (make the plan). My decision is based on what is going on here AND what is going on elsewhere. Students don't know what they don't know. So, they may not have the best plans for themselves.
[My Answer: Teenagers are stupid. Dr Deasy won’t fall for you using them as pawns.]
My goal for plan is January

Q: What is the guarantee that faculty will stay diverse?
D: We want the faculty to stay diverse. Period.

I’ll add that nearly all faculties are diverse.

Q: Where has this worked before?
D: The very schools where these students are going and Huntington Park

Q: Were the Grade level assemblies a listening meeting?
D: No. They should have been. This meeting was late

Q: Who will interview the staff?

D: HR on site
Q: How will new admin make an informed decision on hiring?
D: They won't that's why we hope admin will choose to stay.

Q: Came up in IEP meetings. Where do moderate to severe kids fit into plan?
D: They won't be phased out. It will be at guidance of faculty but no conversion into magnets. That (conversion into magnets) won't work

Q: Will the magnet attract kids from all over?
D: Yes. Residents get priority. We will provide buses (for kids from farther out).
Q: Will support staff have to apply to a certain magnet.
D: That has not been decided yet.

(Most of that is paraphrased as I was typing on my Blackberry. But it is VERY accurate.)

I just don’t get it. This school year started with most of us concerned about there being a school next year. Now, there most certainly will be and, along with that, a commitment: in words, in resources, in money, in deeds from the LAUSD to make our school much better. Have the teachers been beat down so much by negativity that they can’t see this for the opportunity this is? The principal has said over and over that he wants to stay at Crenshaw as long as he can. The Superintendent just said he wants the principal to stay. Why are we asking if the administration will stay the same? THEN, how hard is it to apply to one of the three magnets? Do you not think you’ll get in? It’s up to the principal who’s already there because he IS staying. Ask him. Or do you think he sees that you have been sabotaging his efforts already with your negativity?

This is an optimal opportunity. We have a young principal who can and will stay for more than a few years. We still have A TON of notoriety and good press working for us. We have the money… Mrs. Florence Avognon, teacher of the year, (Wouldn’t it be great to get her back?) said to vote for more money for schools and it passed. The Superintendent of the LAUSD directly stated that he planned things this way so that Our school could get the most money, more than any other school in the district. And he stripped GCEP of their authority. And who cares about that anyway? They must not have had any money anyway since they admitted to never having performed an audit once in their five years of operation. Who does that?

And Crenshaw wants to bicker. Well, Crenshaw’s teachers this time. I’m tired of it. I’ve been seeing it since I was a student and my father was the community/parent activist. Too many people are worried about bonuses and titles. Too many others are just worried about what they can get, even if they have to steal it. I look forward to “The Snakes” being revealed. The rest of this year will be interesting.

As alumni, the opportunity is MAJOR! So many of us have found niches to fit into and help out. There is much, much room to continue helping. And the pressure is off. So we can get organized. No more four and five Facebook groups. No more! No more refusals of our self appointed leaders to cooperate with one another. Need I remind people older than me that we aren’t in high school anymore? The cliques are over. We are supposed to be on that campus guiding its future, not begging for pats on the back. There is no time for egos. NEVER is there time! I’m just saying it once. Grimble says I get too long winded and most of yall won’t read this far anyway so I’ll be brief. A few people should expect calls from me and then the next 2500 words I write will be about the snakes within the alumni. And we have a few.

We’ve been in Love with Crenshaw since Junior High (everyone wasn’t fortunate enough to go to Audubon). All I want to do is to keep Loving my school. Join me. Let’s Love Crenshaw again. Now is the time. We’re getting ready to win, again, BIG!!! 

What I Learned In Church 11-11-12

Father Joe spoke about faith. By all means, the stories/concepts covered in 1 Kings 17, Hebrews 9, and Mark 12 were surely some tests of faith. You know I like to build on success. 


These are some thoughts I had:
What if the widow was greedy and Elijah actually enlightened her to eat smaller portions? Often times a perspective shift can seem like a miracle. The health movement is growing all over the country. For someone who  believed they HAD to eat a certain way (Carbs, processed food,..) to be shown that something else was actually possible can seem like a miracle. What is that is what happened to the widow who thought her food wouldn't last the week? That doesn't diminish God, we all know how hard it is to get people to change! That just makes the story less fantastic. 

Paul wrote about how Jesus sacrificed his life (ego) to erase sin. We must do the same. 'Christians' get too passive. Everyone loves the interpretation where Jesus died for our sins, we don't have to make sacrifices (killing pigeons, turtle doves and calves) and all our future sins are forgiven as long as we TRY not to sin... But there's more! Paul often writes about this battle with the flesh and the spirit, the things we want to do and the things we need to do. Those fleshly things may very well be what we call Ego. So the work we must do to actually be Christian is to sacrifice our 'life's. Give up the things of ego that make up the image of our lives. Most 'Christians' are still trying to be cool and keep their ego. God does NOT negotiate with terrorists! And the ego is a terrorist. Don't get caught in the middle. Choose a side and stay on it. THAT is Christianity - choosing the ego-less side of Jesus and Staying there!
"It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." We are heavenly things! This is in reference to the animal sacrifices of the past. We used to give up a little bit of another creature's flesh to repent. Now, to repent, we must give up ourselves. We can be siblings of Christ. IF, we choose to CONTINUE to achieve spiritual success. 

The story of the widow's two cents is well known. But knowing is not enough and, oddly enough, that is the true point of the story. It's miraculous and note worthy to choose God after your life has been devoted to sin. When a gang-banger walks down the aisle and stops banging, when the hooker leaves the street corner, THAT is on the level of the widow. Because those past lives were ALL they had and they gave it up for God. Make SURE that's ALL you have! A lot of us come before God with more to give and, AGAIN, try to negotiate. God want's it ALL. And it's not about money, your ego will tell you its about money. But you have time, you have talent, you have energy to give. You have bad habits, bad relationships, poor outlooks, bad feelings ... to give up. Give it ALL. God is not going to accept "I'm just an asshole. I'll be an asshole for God." NOPE!!! Give it up!Walking down the aisle at church or working you way up to leading a bible study is something great, congratulations, but you know there is more, keep going! Quit trying to go back. Stop trying to make your way, God's way. God's way has already won victory over ALL other ways! Be prepared to see things a different way, then do it. And then, DO IT AGAIN!!! Growth means your life will continue to change without end. Keep learning, keep living, keep growing, KEEP SUCCEEDING...