There are gonna be a lot of posts today...

My father, over the course of the last two years, has systematically boxed up the memories in his house, and have given those boxes to me. He's making room for his new life with his new wife. I understand that. On some levels though, it feels as though he is removing every last trace of my mom and me from his house. I'm happy to be reunited with a lot of my memories though. When I became estranged from my parents 25 years ago, I never thought I'd see these things. I'm amazed at the "random" stuff my father saved. A lot of it is my early writing, so I'm going to post things here for posterity and "lose the paper." It's not the physical representation of the item that matters, its the memory, so if I archive things digitally, I'll still have something to hold on to. It's not like I have kids, and it's not like anyone will really care about this stuff after I'm gone. Besides, if I archive it digitally, there will still be something for folks to refer to at my funeral... LOL

I never got a yearbook from my Senior Year in high school, but I did make a Senior Year memory book. The next few posts that follow come from that book. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of my commencement address, but I do have a poem that I composed for the class of '79.

Years ago our lives were formed;
Bringing hope when we were born;
Hope that problems could now be solved,
Hope that conflicts would be resolved.
As we grew we went to school,
And knowledge gained will be our tool;
In our hands it gives us might
As we set out to put things right.
We are the class of seventy-nine
And little of our quest is left behind;
So forward we go, much is ahead;
We are the leaders, the rest will be led.
After tonight our paths will part,
As each sets out to follow his heart.
No matter what roads we choose,
Our challenge remains, never to lose.
This challenge was heard by one and all;
"Do your best" is what it calls.
We are the class of seventy-nine;
Much is ahead, little behind;
Although we do not know what is to be,
Our challenge will be met, that's our destiny.
- 5/30/1979

My first published article in a major newspaper...

In 1978-79 I worked as an Editorial Staff Intern for the Kansas City Star. Yep, that's my senior year in high school. It's probably one of the things of which I'm most proud in life. On February 20, 1979, I was the guest columnist for "On the Other Hand..."

Lincoln Academy is a success story.

On the Other Hand... is written by invitation about a subject chosen by the writer. Melinda White is a senior at Lincoln Academy.

While educators across the country are still complaining that "Johnny can't read," one school system is doing something about it.

As a student at Lincoln Academy, I have been able to gain a firsthand look at the Kansas City, Mo, School District's latest effort to improve the quality of education. Many people are sick and tired of all the fuss made by the so-called "experts" about their children's educations. Now the time has come for a student to step forward and speak her mind.

Although I am not speaking on behalf of all the students of America, or the district, for that matter, I do think that both educators and parents need to listen to one student's opinion. If the truth be known, I am probably an "exception to the rule" because I have worked closely with teachers and administrators in the school, with the public relations staff in the district and with reports in the metropolitan area, in addition to being a full-time student.

Working on all these different levels has given me a broader view of what actually occurs during the daily school operation. Keeping this in mind, I can honestly tell you that Lincoln Academy is working!

The key ingredient in all this is the innovation that went into the design of the "magnet schools." Students who choose to attend Lincoln or West are provided with incentives to learn, either by the teachers at the schools or by the unique courses that are offered.

Teacher - a very important word in the education vocabulary. The teachers at Lincoln Academy say "I care" through their actions, the attitudes and even their words. This makes students feel that their individuality will not be lost somewhere in a bureaucratic jumble and gives them a reason to attempt things they never would have attempted before.

The curriculum at Lincoln is designed to give students a wide variety of choices with which to achieve the basic skills. The full name of the school is "Lincoln Academy for Accelerated Studies."

Lincoln is not designed for the gifted and talented student alone, but for any student who wishes to speed up his or her learning process. There are programs in the school to help students raise their reading level, and many teachers are willing to work one-on-one with students who are having learning difficulties. In addition to the in-school programs, students have the opportunity to work with individuals and businesses in the community to enrich their learning experiences.

Security and student safety have been no problem at Lincoln this year. In fact, there were more discipline problems in the suburban high school I attended last year. There is no reason for parents or students to be apprehensive about going to school at Lincoln.

I would be lying if I said that everything is perfect at my school. There are a few students who are disruptive, some of the staff is incompetent, and not all the classes are innovative, but this is true of any school.

The thing to remember is that Lincoln Academy provides everything one needs to get a good education.

That is, everything except the student. If Johnny can't read, maybe it's his own fault. No amount of teaching or incentives can force a child to learn.

Kansas City has done its part to give students the proper environment for learning. In the future, Johnny must ask himself why he can't read.

Another poem...

You walked into my life one day like a figure from my dreams,
You touched my heart with fairy tales, starlight and bright moonbeams,
You took my hand and then we flew above the fleecy clouds;
There with you on gossamer wing I always felt so proud.
Then another caught your eye and away from me you flew,
And this time you were all alone on a search for someone new.
I always knew that someday I'd be left here on my star
I guess I'll have to accept the fact that it's just the way you are.
In and out of so many lives, brightening others' days
You are the guiding light to lead them from their haze.
Somehow I hope that someday to me you will return;
And once again with my hand in yours, my star's light will brightly burn.
But until the time that wishes hoped for can come true
I can find much happiness just being friends with you.
And when your stay is over you are near, but somehow far,
But it's all right, I understand that it's just the way you are.

A day of quiet introspection...

I've had a pretty laid-back day. Have not done much except sleep, eat and think. I have *finally* come to the conclusion that my body is telling me to slow down, I can't keep up the frenetic pace that I've lived my life at the last few years. I need to rest, recharge and reconnect with friends. Those things are important too, otherwise, there will be no one there with whom to enjoy your success later on.

I need to learn to work smarter, not harder. This is probably going to mean the shifting of some priorities, etc., but that is probably long overdue. I also need to steer clear of the crazy idea I'm going to accelerate my retirement plans to age 50. 55 is still early, still leaves enough "me time" in the end. Financially, that relieves some of the pressure I've put on myself to accumulate wealth, and will allow me to back off on some of the activities that I've been doing.

I've just *got* to get this promotion at work though. The current job situation is killing me with stress and travel. If I don't get this particular position, there is another open currently that I would be interested in, but that would require me to move on-site to the Maryland plan. However, I can't apply for anything while I'm out, so who knows if it will still be available when I get back to work.

I hate being sick, I hate being "inactive" - which is what being ill represents for me. I need to give in, just this once, and let myself be sick, let myself sleep, let myself heal. I also need to take this time to heal my heart of a lot of things that I did not realize still bothered me, and to make sure to tell those around me just how much I love them.

Ciao for now.