Its another January evening sitting on the frozen Iowa tundra, and I do mean frozen. Up until a few short days ago, temperatures here fought just to make it above the zero mark. Sometimes its fun to enjoy a bitter nip in the air, and then there are those little reminders that your body sends you that cold weather hurts! The knees have taken a real beating this winter, as has Mary's back. Not to fret - racing season is almost here, and thats my signal that spring will be here shortly. As my wife says - we interrupt this marriage to bring you the racing season.
Christmas has since past on, and its been a difficult couple of weeks getting decorations put back in their places, getting back into the swing of a 5 day work week, and preparing for that most dreaded of events - tax season. We all go thru those stresses differently. I tend to think that as long as you have saved your stuff, and kept at least some manageable records, there is no reason to sweat bullets over nothing. When we purchased our home in 2008, we were still on the red side, and owing Uncle Sam is never fun. Inheriting bills and funeral costs really took a toll on our finances, and it took forever to get all those things worked out, but now we actually look forward to filing because that nice little refund check is something we have missed out on the last few years. While we arent really raking in money at least we know we aren't going to have the wolves howling at our doorstep.
The last few weeks I have been taking a few minutes every morning to look up. The sky has been crisp and cold, and the morning colors have been exceptionally beautiful this time of year. The hard part is my camera is still resting comfortably on my desk in the man cave, but the assault on the senses has been welcome. As the temperatures drop, the atmospheric conditions become better for making such observations. Colors I do not ordinarily see have been ablossom in our morning sky. Greens, aquas, blues and reds have filled our sky with plumes of color. Constellations are just barely visible at twilight, however, Orion has always been a favorite constellation, and the great star Betelguese has been keeping its vigil perched on Orion's shoulder peering down as I make my way to work every morning. You do not always need a telescope to see the real beauty of the heavens. Just look up!
Music continues to be a source of joy and this last month I have found several artists that seem to have caught my fancy. One that I am particularly intrigued by is Dame Evelyn Glennie, a brilliant percussionist and artist from Great Britain. As it turns out she is deaf, yet has worked with some of the great orchestras of today and commissioned by such artists as Sting, Bobby McFerrin, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She published a video which I took particular note of how she feels music instead of hearing it. For her having the disability of being deaf has only been a small inconvenience, but as she recalled, after auditioning for a part in one orchestra, they were forced to change policies on auditions from those with disabilities because, as she recalled, "they simply weren't prepared for music that was meant to be felt by a deaf". For those interested check her out at http://www.evelyn.co.uk/ .
As I watched the local morning news I noted with a particular interest a story about a high school student who was given an assignment to write about someone or something which may inspire them. This student, who attends Independence High School here in Iowa, developed a video memorializing the late Coach Ed Thomas, a football coach and teacher who was ruthlessly gunned down last summer in the community of Parkersburg, Iowa. I wrote about the loss of Coach Thomas noting that his tuteledge as coach reminded me of my own struggles in high school and how another teacher, Joyce May, helped me to succeed not only in her class but in life. This blog is but a small testament to her and the motivation she has given me in my life. Parents, especially teaching parents such as mine, also have helped inspire and direct my talents. I can only be thankful for the tools that my parents gave me in my life. The video that this student produced drew from a song by Rascall Flatts entitled "Stand" which was very successful. Inspiration can occur in many forms, but this student drew inspiration from the life of Coach Thomas and how he taught his players and students to stand up, lead by example, follow your beliefs, and be strong in everything you do. Joyce May gave me that same inspiration as well, and I sincerely hope that the effort this student made can be published for all to see. It will stand as a tribute to life of a teacher who made a difference in the lives of his students and his community.
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
Cause its all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand, Then you stand
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