"One Direction?"
The older I get the more I rely on my students to keep me in touch with what's going on in pop music. After hearing rave reviews about One Direction from my 8th graders girls, I caught them performing on Saturday Night Live.
My wife, Diana's first comment was “these guys are cute and they kind of look like your students.” I had to agree (with the looking like my students part, I mean I guess they are cute. . ). There appearance is friendly and harmless with a mix of modern fashion with traditional sensibilities.
My first reaction was: “wow, these guys are having fun.” Everything from the light choreography to the way the moved on stage exuded relaxation and enjoyment. There’s an idea that musicians need to be serious and I understand there is an appeal to the silent type, but I like to see my musicians smiling on stage.. Some of my favorites artists Taylor Swift, genuinely seem to enjoy their job and that you a long way. And their performance got me all the way through “What Makes You Beautiful” without skepticism and cynicism.
I mentioned the choreography which isn’t so much dancing but well timed movements across the stage into different formations. These moves are smooth and work well with the song. I’d rather them perform this way and focus on their singing. Now, the most immediate question when people seem to ask out of boy bands are whether or not they can sing. Well, here’s your answer:
Just voices, not doubled up with backing and guitar and the result is: yes they can sing. “What Makes You Beautiful” doesn’t push any of them into their falsetto like other songs on their album, so we don’t see their full range here. But they do pull it off. They have harmony, they sing in tune. No, they aren’t Freddie Mercury or Aretha, but for a boy band, the vocals are very strong.
The song itself is a great first single. It’s keying into the same Taylor Swift teenage perspective fantasies and realities. The music doesn’t talk down the way young feel and it doesn’t over sexualize teenage situations with ideas that are beyond their age.
“What Makes You Beautiful,” has one the sweetest sentiments I’ve heard in a song in a long time. They are singing about how a girl doesn’t think she’s beautiful and he’s trying to convince her of that fact. What’s really nice is that the things that make her beautiful to our protagonist are not superficial things. He likes the way she flips her hair not the way her butt looks in her jeans. What really makes her beautiful is the fact that she doesn’t see herself as beautiful, which reflects her character and her personality.
No, it’s not the fact that she has a low self-esteem that makes her beautiful, it’s that she’s not someone who flaunts her good looks. She’s a girl who doesn’t spend forever on her make-up. She just doesn’t see herself as a beauty queen. This is a girl you can relate to.
Boy bands are an important tradition in pop music. Yes, everything that One Direction is doing here has been done before. But that’s okay, because this kind of music needs to keep coming back to make us smile and have fun with music. What I respect about One Direction is that they are continuing a tradition. That little hiccup thing during the verse, that’s a musical reference to Buddy Holly, and that’s awesome.
I have no clue how long these boys will be around. Is there a Justin Timberlake in that crowd, maybe, maybe not. What I do know is that this group is a refreshing, fun and harmless.
There will be inevitable backlash from men because they don’t understand why girls like them and adults who take themselves way too seriously.
Get over yourselves and take a moment to have some fun with One Direction and you might just figure out what makes this music so beautiful.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Would You Go With Me by Josh Turner
“Would you like to go out with me?”
This is one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to ask. The funny thing is that I’ve only had to ask this question once when I wasn’t sure of the answer and that was to Diana. I didn’t go out on many first dates because most of them were put together through circumstance or the girl asked me out.
I remember trying to change the wording to make it seem less formal (“you want to hang out sometime?”) but the meaning is the same. Believe it or not, the first time I asked, Diana said no. She was busy dealing with some stuff and her rejection wasn’t a reflection of her feelings on me. I didn’t know that at the time, so I kept trying.
As most people would advise, our first date was meeting at a public place like a restaurant. Slowly the degree of trust worked up to a point where went on adventures into Chicago and day trips up to Wisconsin.
Now besides work we go together to almost everything we do. Whether it’s something that is for both of us like going to the library or accompanying Diana on a trip to Walgreens, we go with each other. We go together. We don’t have to, it’s just nice because having her with me even with the most mundane errands turns it into an adventure.
Josh Turner’s “Would You Go With Me,” is about asking somebody out not just for a date but for life. It’s about sharing the experiences, as unpredictable as they can be and being okay with going wherever with your partner just as long as they are there with you.
Turner continues the grand country tradition of Baritone singing. Probably the most notable country singer to sing in a low voice is Johnny Cash. While most male mainstream male pop singers sing in a high tenor voice like Justin Timberlake, country music is filled with low singing legends.
Straining through high notes creates a great sense of desperation and drama in music, which fits a lot of pop and soul music. While people who sing high with good training don’t need to strain to hit higher notes, many people who can easily sing high notes often make it sound like they are reaching.
The thing about singing low is that you can’t really force it. Low range is limited while the high vocal range can be expanded through training. To get good low tones you have to be relaxed. The sound that great low voices like Turner expresses relaxed and laid back feeling. Turner does a nice job of keeping this feeling as he moves up to his tenor range during the chorus.
Along with a beautiful Mandolin, banjo and guitar backing, “Would You Go With Me,” quickly sets a mood that is relaxed like an endless Sunday afternoon but gently flowing like a stream through a forest.
Turner asks his love is she will go with him through moments of excitement “streets of fire, “ and experiences of uncertainty “would it be okay if I didn’t know the way.” He speaks about optimism “could you not look down forever?” and the freedom they can experience together. In the center of this this song is a simple confession of love with a simple question. While the song never provides an answer the feeling of the song does and you know that he is asking her this question in middle of a journey she is happy to go on with him.
Diana, in my life, is knowing that there will always be someone to go with me if I need it and even when I don’t. It’s security and it’s trust. It’s something that is important, something we all need. There are time when I hesitate to go somewhere with Diana. Here’s the thing, sometimes I regret not going with Diana but I never regret going along with Diana.
Be brave, ask someone to go with you and next time somebody you care about asks you to go with them, put down whatever you are doing and go. You never know what great adventures await you because you are spending time with someone you love.
This is one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to ask. The funny thing is that I’ve only had to ask this question once when I wasn’t sure of the answer and that was to Diana. I didn’t go out on many first dates because most of them were put together through circumstance or the girl asked me out.
I remember trying to change the wording to make it seem less formal (“you want to hang out sometime?”) but the meaning is the same. Believe it or not, the first time I asked, Diana said no. She was busy dealing with some stuff and her rejection wasn’t a reflection of her feelings on me. I didn’t know that at the time, so I kept trying.
As most people would advise, our first date was meeting at a public place like a restaurant. Slowly the degree of trust worked up to a point where went on adventures into Chicago and day trips up to Wisconsin.
Now besides work we go together to almost everything we do. Whether it’s something that is for both of us like going to the library or accompanying Diana on a trip to Walgreens, we go with each other. We go together. We don’t have to, it’s just nice because having her with me even with the most mundane errands turns it into an adventure.
Josh Turner’s “Would You Go With Me,” is about asking somebody out not just for a date but for life. It’s about sharing the experiences, as unpredictable as they can be and being okay with going wherever with your partner just as long as they are there with you.
Turner continues the grand country tradition of Baritone singing. Probably the most notable country singer to sing in a low voice is Johnny Cash. While most male mainstream male pop singers sing in a high tenor voice like Justin Timberlake, country music is filled with low singing legends.
Straining through high notes creates a great sense of desperation and drama in music, which fits a lot of pop and soul music. While people who sing high with good training don’t need to strain to hit higher notes, many people who can easily sing high notes often make it sound like they are reaching.
The thing about singing low is that you can’t really force it. Low range is limited while the high vocal range can be expanded through training. To get good low tones you have to be relaxed. The sound that great low voices like Turner expresses relaxed and laid back feeling. Turner does a nice job of keeping this feeling as he moves up to his tenor range during the chorus.
Along with a beautiful Mandolin, banjo and guitar backing, “Would You Go With Me,” quickly sets a mood that is relaxed like an endless Sunday afternoon but gently flowing like a stream through a forest.
Turner asks his love is she will go with him through moments of excitement “streets of fire, “ and experiences of uncertainty “would it be okay if I didn’t know the way.” He speaks about optimism “could you not look down forever?” and the freedom they can experience together. In the center of this this song is a simple confession of love with a simple question. While the song never provides an answer the feeling of the song does and you know that he is asking her this question in middle of a journey she is happy to go on with him.
Diana, in my life, is knowing that there will always be someone to go with me if I need it and even when I don’t. It’s security and it’s trust. It’s something that is important, something we all need. There are time when I hesitate to go somewhere with Diana. Here’s the thing, sometimes I regret not going with Diana but I never regret going along with Diana.
Be brave, ask someone to go with you and next time somebody you care about asks you to go with them, put down whatever you are doing and go. You never know what great adventures await you because you are spending time with someone you love.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Top 5 Boy Bands Songs
Before I take some time to consider the new boy band One Direction, let's take a look at my personal 5 favorite boy bands songs:
5. "Shape Of My Heart" by The Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys ushered in a new era in Boy Bands in the early 1990s. While they didn't dance as well as some other groups they had charisma and were able to turn standard pop fair into enormous hits. Oh, and they could actually sing which is demonstrated in the performance above. "Shape Of My Heart" is a later hit that is "I Want It That Way" with lyrics that make a little bit more sense and an amazing bridge.
4. "Motownphilly" by Boyz II Men
This was the lead single off of their first album. Before they scored hits with slow songs and expressions of how they would make love to you (check out this post), these boyz could really rock.
3. "Tearing Up My Heart" by 'N Sync
A beautifully crafted song, this song starts out with a solo calling out an awesome hook. We all knew there was something special about the break-down of this song, little did we know that it was Justin Timberlake and the artist he would become.
2. "Just A Little Misunderstanding" by The Jackson 5
This song was an album cut. AN ALBUM cut! This means they recorded this song and didn't think it was very good so they didn't release it as a single. Seriously. Any boy band that has album cuts this strong is truly amazing.
1. "Twist And Shout" by The Beatles
The Beatles were important for many reasons and one of them was because they were the first boy band in pop music. Yes, the Beatles became so much more than a boy band but watching this performance it becomes clear what every boy band tries to capture. Like so many other things in pop music The Beatles did it first and they did it best.
5. "Shape Of My Heart" by The Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys ushered in a new era in Boy Bands in the early 1990s. While they didn't dance as well as some other groups they had charisma and were able to turn standard pop fair into enormous hits. Oh, and they could actually sing which is demonstrated in the performance above. "Shape Of My Heart" is a later hit that is "I Want It That Way" with lyrics that make a little bit more sense and an amazing bridge.
4. "Motownphilly" by Boyz II Men
This was the lead single off of their first album. Before they scored hits with slow songs and expressions of how they would make love to you (check out this post), these boyz could really rock.
3. "Tearing Up My Heart" by 'N Sync
A beautifully crafted song, this song starts out with a solo calling out an awesome hook. We all knew there was something special about the break-down of this song, little did we know that it was Justin Timberlake and the artist he would become.
2. "Just A Little Misunderstanding" by The Jackson 5
This song was an album cut. AN ALBUM cut! This means they recorded this song and didn't think it was very good so they didn't release it as a single. Seriously. Any boy band that has album cuts this strong is truly amazing.
1. "Twist And Shout" by The Beatles
The Beatles were important for many reasons and one of them was because they were the first boy band in pop music. Yes, the Beatles became so much more than a boy band but watching this performance it becomes clear what every boy band tries to capture. Like so many other things in pop music The Beatles did it first and they did it best.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Sign by Ace of Base
What does the “The Sign” mean to you?
To my wife, it’s a song that came out when she was around 9 years old. For a talent show her and a couple of her friends came up with a dance for this song and performed it. My wife’s understanding of this song back then wasn’t very deep. She thought that this song was literally about a sign.
This song was huge. “The Sign” was the #1 one song of 1994 and sold over nine million copies in America alone. Part of it’s appeal was its drum beat but also that this song had layers beyond the idea of a “printed sign.”
For me, the song is about someone seeing a sign in the sense of an action revealing something deeper. Like when you are going out on a date with someone who is constantly texting throughout dinner, that’s a “sign,” that he or she is not that into you and lacks elementary social skills.
What’s the sign in this song? They never say. It’s kind of like Meat Loaf ‘s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). People don’t seem to know what “that” is (even though the song pretty clearly lays out that it is cheating/adultery). “The Sign” doesn’t really help us in a literal sense understand the sing but we get an emotional sense what finally seeing the sign feels like.
You get a sense of this in the way that the chorus of this song opens up harmonically. But the best part that describes this and my favorite part of the song is when the song modulates (suddenly changes keys). This occurs at the end of the instrumental break after the second chorus: “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes and I am happy not living without you. . . ”
There’s a beautiful sense of freedom that happens in that moment. The song changes from that point on from a contemplation of circumstance to a celebration. While I love this moment and this song, I don’t know if the song is strong enough to appeal outside of my memories.
Is this song notable for any other reason than nostalgia? I don’t know. I’m too biased having grown up with this song in my life to know for sure. I can’t help but wonder if pop music that means so little to me actually means a lot to the younger generation and will continue to mean something to them as they grow up. It’s hard to say, but songs like “The Sign,” make me take pause before I criticize the latest pop music trend, because sometimes nostalgia is enough of a reason to make a song meaningful.
To my wife, it’s a song that came out when she was around 9 years old. For a talent show her and a couple of her friends came up with a dance for this song and performed it. My wife’s understanding of this song back then wasn’t very deep. She thought that this song was literally about a sign.
This song was huge. “The Sign” was the #1 one song of 1994 and sold over nine million copies in America alone. Part of it’s appeal was its drum beat but also that this song had layers beyond the idea of a “printed sign.”
For me, the song is about someone seeing a sign in the sense of an action revealing something deeper. Like when you are going out on a date with someone who is constantly texting throughout dinner, that’s a “sign,” that he or she is not that into you and lacks elementary social skills.
What’s the sign in this song? They never say. It’s kind of like Meat Loaf ‘s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). People don’t seem to know what “that” is (even though the song pretty clearly lays out that it is cheating/adultery). “The Sign” doesn’t really help us in a literal sense understand the sing but we get an emotional sense what finally seeing the sign feels like.
You get a sense of this in the way that the chorus of this song opens up harmonically. But the best part that describes this and my favorite part of the song is when the song modulates (suddenly changes keys). This occurs at the end of the instrumental break after the second chorus: “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes and I am happy not living without you. . . ”
There’s a beautiful sense of freedom that happens in that moment. The song changes from that point on from a contemplation of circumstance to a celebration. While I love this moment and this song, I don’t know if the song is strong enough to appeal outside of my memories.
Is this song notable for any other reason than nostalgia? I don’t know. I’m too biased having grown up with this song in my life to know for sure. I can’t help but wonder if pop music that means so little to me actually means a lot to the younger generation and will continue to mean something to them as they grow up. It’s hard to say, but songs like “The Sign,” make me take pause before I criticize the latest pop music trend, because sometimes nostalgia is enough of a reason to make a song meaningful.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Year 2: Week 29 – Children With An Attitude
Students with “attitude” don’t really bother me. I don’t let my kids get away with expressing rude teenage behavior but it’s not one of those things that I really mind dealing with.
“Attitude” is that thing that a lot of people I talk to about teaching wonder about. They don’t understand how we as teachers deal with behavior from students, which can be irritating and annoying. Well, before we get too deep into this, let’s define our terms.
When people talk about attitude in reference to teenagers they are usually referring to behavior like eye-rolling, sarcastic comments and talking back. In some ways we aren’t really so much talking about students’ attitude in actuality but behavior that is irritating and negative.
The reason I don’t think this is “attitude” because a girl who sarcastically roles her eyes doesn’t necessarily view the world in the way that she is expressing. Often, when I discuss behavior related in most people’s eyes as “bad attitude,” they don’t full understand what they are expressing with their comments. Does that mean that they don’t deserve to be reprimanded for their behavior? No, but it does mean there is an important education that needs to happen to truly help this teenager express themselves.
Teenagers are not fully developed human beings. They have a lot of growing up to do not only physically but also emotionally. The problem is that a lot of them look a lot older than they actually are so we treat them more like adults then their actual age, which often only makes matters worse.
I’m not saying that we should talk down to kids, what I’m saying is that we need to approach situations in which “attitude” as a problem not with great anger, but with questions. Why did you role your eyes? What do you think that expresses to people around you? You don’t know, well let me explain to you what adults think. Is that what you want people to think about you?
“Attitude” is that thing that a lot of people I talk to about teaching wonder about. They don’t understand how we as teachers deal with behavior from students, which can be irritating and annoying. Well, before we get too deep into this, let’s define our terms.
When people talk about attitude in reference to teenagers they are usually referring to behavior like eye-rolling, sarcastic comments and talking back. In some ways we aren’t really so much talking about students’ attitude in actuality but behavior that is irritating and negative.
The reason I don’t think this is “attitude” because a girl who sarcastically roles her eyes doesn’t necessarily view the world in the way that she is expressing. Often, when I discuss behavior related in most people’s eyes as “bad attitude,” they don’t full understand what they are expressing with their comments. Does that mean that they don’t deserve to be reprimanded for their behavior? No, but it does mean there is an important education that needs to happen to truly help this teenager express themselves.
Teenagers are not fully developed human beings. They have a lot of growing up to do not only physically but also emotionally. The problem is that a lot of them look a lot older than they actually are so we treat them more like adults then their actual age, which often only makes matters worse.
I’m not saying that we should talk down to kids, what I’m saying is that we need to approach situations in which “attitude” as a problem not with great anger, but with questions. Why did you role your eyes? What do you think that expresses to people around you? You don’t know, well let me explain to you what adults think. Is that what you want people to think about you?
I think in general it’s not a great strategy to go off on a
kid who’s giving you attitude. I know
it’s hard not to, but it’s like fighting fire with fire. Even if that kid backs down after being yelled at and apologizes,
it’s not out of respect, it’s to placate you.
The best way to deal with “attitude” is to prevent it. Teenagers express attitude when they are
insecure, don’t feel safe and don’t feel validated. The more you can do that early on in your
relationship with teenage students to make them feel like they matter, the
less “attitude” you are going to deal with.
I’m not going to pretend that dealing with “attitude” isn’t
a constant part of my teaching. It’s
annoying and it can really take up a lot of time. But just don’t forget that they are kids
trying to figure who they are and they need our help, not our scorn to get to
the best of themselves.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Art Of TV Theme Songs
I realized that all of my favorite television shows have great theme songs (this earlier post discussed the theme from Buffy The Vampire Slayer). What I love about a good thing theme song is that it immediately reminds you why you are watching the show and gets you prepared for a great viewing experience. Here's some of my current favorites:
Up All Night
New Girl
How I Me Your Mother (This is the original, it's worth the wait).
The Sopranos
And my current favorite:
Yeah, I don't even find that show very funny. It usually takes me three of four attempts to finish an episode. But that theme is so catchy!
Up All Night
New Girl
How I Me Your Mother (This is the original, it's worth the wait).
The Sopranos
And my current favorite:
Yeah, I don't even find that show very funny. It usually takes me three of four attempts to finish an episode. But that theme is so catchy!
Monday, April 2, 2012
10 Moments Of The Past 10 Years
Last Friday I turned 30-years old. I talked about this a couple weeks ago in this blog post.
After thinking about this moment, I feel the best way to move forward is to acknowledge the most meaningful moments in the past decade of my life. These ten moments include times of sorrow, joy, confusion and clarity. The ones that are hyperlinked go to blog posts that describe these moments. It’s been an amazing decade:
10. The Alma Mater - In the past decade, I finished my undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and also completed my Master’s there. When I think about my experience, all the things the learned and all the people that I met, one thing stands out as representing what it means to have gone to Northwestern: The Northwestern University Alma Mater. This song captures the spirit of Northwestern University, which served me well for the past decade and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
9. The Return of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - First it was seeing Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Comiskey Park. Then it was the albums, Magic and Working On A Dream. Along with Springsteen’s solo album and his Seeger Sessions work, this body of work represents the most important musical influence of my last decade. Above my desk there this a picture of Bruce walking into a stadium. It’s a reminder of the energy and life that music can bring and what it means to serve an audience.
8. Hope In Politics - The campaign and nomination of President Obama forever changed the way that I viewed politics and my life. I still believe in the system because I believe in the American people. Obama taught me that cynicism has no place in the world that is so full of hope and possibility. A lot has changed since his inauguration but what hasn’t changed is how that moment continues to inspire.
7. Losing My First Job - When I found out my contract wasn’t renewed from my first teaching job, I was devastated. It wasn’t the right place for me but I don’t know if I had the courage to leave on my own. Without this push, I wouldn’t have become a teaching assistant or ended up in the job I have now that I love. This was the beginning of a journey that started with me in pieces rebuilding myself into the man that I am proud to be now.
6. The Purple Reaction: On November 3rd, 2008 after months of consideration I started this blog. It started off as a blog about music but has become so much more. The subjects have become wide and varied but it’s never stopped being a celebration of life. I feel proud and grateful to have been able to share this creation with all of my readers.
5. Buffy Getting Attacked: There are so many moments with Buffy that I cherish but it was the attack and all the emotions that accompanied this event that showed me how much Buffy means to me. Buffy is not just a dog, she’s family and she’s one of my best friends.
4. My first student - "Sarah may not be the reason that I continue to be an educator, but she was the reason I fell in love with teaching."
3. Saying goodbye to my Grandfather - The eulogy I wrote for my grandfather was one of the hardest things I’ve ever written. Surprisingly it wasn’t that hard to give. Seeing my family and feeling the love in the room as I spoke about how much my grandfather meant to all of us was a celebration of life.
2. Amelia - On March 13th, at 10:47pm my niece Amelia was born. Hearing about her birth over the phone simply made the world feel beautiful. I haven’t met her, but I am overcome with emotions thinking about that moment, being her uncle and how proud I am of my brother and sister-in-law.
Amelia you are proof that in this dark world there is hope, that love unites us beyond the differences that divide and that life is wonderful. You are beautiful, you are important and you will change the lives of the people you encounter on this journey called life for the better. I know this for a fact because you have already changed mine.
1. Meeting Diana for the first time - I don’t remember what we said to each other when we first met, I simply remember something different about Diana. After ten years, I can finally articulate what I couldn’t back then. Diana is simply the most amazing person I have ever met in my life. Everything that I’ve gone through in the last ten years only holds meaning because I’ve shared these moments with Diana.
After thinking about this moment, I feel the best way to move forward is to acknowledge the most meaningful moments in the past decade of my life. These ten moments include times of sorrow, joy, confusion and clarity. The ones that are hyperlinked go to blog posts that describe these moments. It’s been an amazing decade:
10. The Alma Mater - In the past decade, I finished my undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and also completed my Master’s there. When I think about my experience, all the things the learned and all the people that I met, one thing stands out as representing what it means to have gone to Northwestern: The Northwestern University Alma Mater. This song captures the spirit of Northwestern University, which served me well for the past decade and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
9. The Return of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - First it was seeing Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Comiskey Park. Then it was the albums, Magic and Working On A Dream. Along with Springsteen’s solo album and his Seeger Sessions work, this body of work represents the most important musical influence of my last decade. Above my desk there this a picture of Bruce walking into a stadium. It’s a reminder of the energy and life that music can bring and what it means to serve an audience.
8. Hope In Politics - The campaign and nomination of President Obama forever changed the way that I viewed politics and my life. I still believe in the system because I believe in the American people. Obama taught me that cynicism has no place in the world that is so full of hope and possibility. A lot has changed since his inauguration but what hasn’t changed is how that moment continues to inspire.
7. Losing My First Job - When I found out my contract wasn’t renewed from my first teaching job, I was devastated. It wasn’t the right place for me but I don’t know if I had the courage to leave on my own. Without this push, I wouldn’t have become a teaching assistant or ended up in the job I have now that I love. This was the beginning of a journey that started with me in pieces rebuilding myself into the man that I am proud to be now.
6. The Purple Reaction: On November 3rd, 2008 after months of consideration I started this blog. It started off as a blog about music but has become so much more. The subjects have become wide and varied but it’s never stopped being a celebration of life. I feel proud and grateful to have been able to share this creation with all of my readers.
5. Buffy Getting Attacked: There are so many moments with Buffy that I cherish but it was the attack and all the emotions that accompanied this event that showed me how much Buffy means to me. Buffy is not just a dog, she’s family and she’s one of my best friends.
4. My first student - "Sarah may not be the reason that I continue to be an educator, but she was the reason I fell in love with teaching."
3. Saying goodbye to my Grandfather - The eulogy I wrote for my grandfather was one of the hardest things I’ve ever written. Surprisingly it wasn’t that hard to give. Seeing my family and feeling the love in the room as I spoke about how much my grandfather meant to all of us was a celebration of life.
2. Amelia - On March 13th, at 10:47pm my niece Amelia was born. Hearing about her birth over the phone simply made the world feel beautiful. I haven’t met her, but I am overcome with emotions thinking about that moment, being her uncle and how proud I am of my brother and sister-in-law.
Amelia you are proof that in this dark world there is hope, that love unites us beyond the differences that divide and that life is wonderful. You are beautiful, you are important and you will change the lives of the people you encounter on this journey called life for the better. I know this for a fact because you have already changed mine.
1. Meeting Diana for the first time - I don’t remember what we said to each other when we first met, I simply remember something different about Diana. After ten years, I can finally articulate what I couldn’t back then. Diana is simply the most amazing person I have ever met in my life. Everything that I’ve gone through in the last ten years only holds meaning because I’ve shared these moments with Diana.
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