Jumpin' Off the Edge

Time Activity 3:50am Alarm goes off. After questioning my sanity, I crawl out of bed and head to the gym. 4:10am The workout begins. Unfortunately, time runs out before I can do squats and lunges. 5:30am Arrive back at home. Down a protein drink. Wake Patti.  Shower and pack a bag for the day. 6:05am Head out the door with time to spare for so I can stop for water and snacks. 6:20am Start greeting students as they drag themselves in still in a sleep stupor. 6:45am Phone call from bus company saying they are running late and will not be at the school at their scheduled time of 6:45. 7:15am Load the buses and head on our way only 15 minutes behind schedule. 8:00am Listening to music, playing scrabble and texting friends. 8:13am Listening to the boys argue whether ABC stands for Adult Beverage Center or Alcoholic Beverage Center. (They decided on Adult as it wouldn’t be good to e

         “I got shot at over break,” he casually mentioned to me as he stood at his locker.          “I saved him,” his girlfriend piped in. “Miss, have him tell you about it!”          With a catch in my voice I replied, “I am so thankful the bullet didn’t make contact.”          “Can I come talk to you fourth block?” he asked as he headed to his class.          “Of course!” There was no way I was going to say no to him. My planning could wait.          While I read with a girl from the behavior classroom, I thought of him and the casual way he told me about it. As I sat in an IEP meeting, the sound of gunshots echoed in my head. Throughout my third block class, I anticipated our conversation.          Before the bell even rang, he was in my room. He patiently waited through the flurry of activity that ensued as students cleaned up the classroom and the transition to their next class took place. And, then, it was time for him to tell his story.          A week before, a boy was saying

Ten days ago Mother Nature gave a lashing to North Carolina. I wrote about my experience before seeing any of the damage up close and personal. Today, I helped clean-up some of what she left in her wake. It is not in the helping that my writing comes, but from the people I worked alongside – the North Carolina Baptist Men Disaster Relief Team and their volunteers. Men, that have been knocking on doors offering assistance; orchestrating the placement of tarps on roofs, removal of trees, and teams of volunteers. Men who work tirelessly alongside the rest of us. These men kept the chainsaws running, wheelbarrows full, and inspiration coming our way. Even after being at it for ten days and seeing much destruction, smiles remain on their faces. I am sorry to say, I don’t remember their names with the exception of the project foreman, Johnny Toole. Johnny, along with most of the other men, are older and retired. The work we were doing consisted of lifting heavy trees, running a chainsaw

Running on the treadmill this morning, lost in my own little world at the gym, I glanced up at the television and saw the words, Flight of Honor . It was then that it hit me. My son is in the military. He has chosen a career that could end his life. The reality of that fact came crashing down on me as my eyes filled with tears. Ever since I can remember, Sean has talked about joining up. In the beginning, it was all about the Navy. He wanted to be just like his Aunt Jen. On several occasions, we went to Bangor International Airport to welcome soldiers coming back from Desert Storm. In high school he talked to recruiters, but chose college instead. During the three and a half years he was in college, he continued to research both the Army and Air National Guard. He took ASVAB tests, talked to veterans, studied and researched. He was going to find a way to make his dream of being a pilot come true. And so, on a snowy day in January, he took his oath. A new chapter began for him. When h

Pat Parker Robertson We're not liking what we are hearing about today's weather. Be careful. keep us posted, K? Yesterday at 7:21am Was she talking about the rain and thunder storms that we headed our way in the afternoon? I checked the weather and saw the possibility of tornadoes. No big deal. There had been several tornado watches since I have lived here. Nothing ever came of any of them. Sometime after, Tony and I were talking. The reality of not being able to get my classroom materials back hit me hard. I think I even teared up. I did what I do when I need to process something. I wrote. I whined. Mandie Robertson Victor I have faced the reality. Time to start building my classroom resources from the beginning.... Jumpin' Off the Edge: My Books (1993-2010) Due to the weather, Tony had the day off from driving his rickshaw. We decided to spend some time together and go see a movie. We remembered to take our rain coats, but didn’t give the storms a second thought. We