Being where you don't belong....

Sometimes I get this urge to go somewhere that I can't get into.... Sometimes its alomost more than an urge..... i will go by these fenced off places and nearly stop.... and nearly get out... and nearly jump the fence and look around and well... I don't know what else.

Well this time I did it. I took a class in photography a while ago, and the professor spoke about getting into places just by wearing a big camera on your chest. ..... so..... I thought that I would give it a try.

Target: The Spencer Fair

Time: around 7:00 am

I was not very nervous, but, I really thought that it wouldn't work. I walked up to the front gate (Chain link with razor wire on top for effect) wearing a Nikon D40 X with a vr zoom lens. It was large but in my mind not official looking. I put the sun filter on it just for intimidation. There was a man riding by in a golf cart. He politely stopped and started telling me that he was waiting for the inmates that were coming to clean up. The whole time he was unlocking the gate. I was polite back, and never mentioned why I was there. He wished me good picture taking and I walked into the park. Most of the time, I was alone. I did pass one lady that offered me a coffee and was unexpectantly nice for that hour in the morning.

I walked a bit and decided to go into the barn area. I didn't realize that the people displaying their livestock actually slept right there with them. They didn't seem very happy to see me with my camera so I just quickly walked through. I did manage to snap a couple pictures though.

Why I am a teacher.....

Kat and Kels

Facebook...sketchy...me???

So, yesterday, I had a former student tell her sister that a 30 year old guy having a facebook is sketchy.... I can't stop thinking about this for a couple of reasons:

First, is it? I don't feel like it is. It is a window into the lives of those who choose to become friends with me. In that way I guess its a bit voyeuristic. However, I don't request friends, my students inevitably request me as a friend. Also, I use facebook primarily to keep in touch with former students and also with friends of mine. I don't think thats sketchy... I haven't felt sketchy in any way.....until she said that.. Its probably just "Guy Teacher Radar." GTR is standard issue for any guy teacher. I am so Over-the-top sensitive to anything that might be miconstrued it is crazy.... I have never done anything even remotely sketchy. So, yeah.... that is probably it.

Second, why would she think that.... what does she use facebook for....This one I think I am going to have to think about more to really under stand. My initial reaction is that they maybe hook-up using this as a tool.... or .... idk.....Maybe she feels that it is "sketchy" for any older guy to want to stay in touch with younger people.

There is a strange thing happening right now with my eighth graders. They are telling me that the highschoolers have told them that they can't use facebook because its only for older students. This....is completly with out reason. But it does lead me to a couple conclusions. I think that this generation has taken to owning this kind of communication and therefore, my participation is an intrusion on something that they do. Kind of like older people liking the beatles in their hayday. It was the sign of a generation. Is public communication a standard by which the current generation will be defined. If that is true, how will that label that generation The Beatles were a peace loving rebellion that pulled at their generation through freedom of thought. Maybe this generation has found its voice.... even though its pressed through the anonynimity of the sheer mass of voices, still it is their voice nonetheless. And I am not supposed to be there.

Its just where I want to be.

French toast

Mornings in our house are fairly routine. During school, I try to wake up at 5:15. This is for a couple reasons. For some reason I feel like it is an accomplishment. Something rural and agrerion. I also, ave devotions when the rest of the house is in bed, and I try to clean up a little before Jenny gets up. Also, it gives me some time to myself. Jenny is nearly always up when I am up. She is a night person. I turn on some soft music. I read out of John Piper's devotional a Godward Life. I was given this by someone that I respect more, probably than anyone else. Dwight Chapel's pastor Emanuel Haqq. Then, I intend to work out a bit.....intend.... Then, I decide if I want to bike to work, if its warm enough, I will leave at 6:30. If its too cold I will leave a little before seven. Its a nice routine... I thik that TV is the only thing standing in the way of this routine.... that and just the craziness of having kids and no time to myself.... Sometimes at night I just want to be able to breathe a bit before I go to work..

Weekends, I would like to get up at the same time. Someday that will happen .... for now, I wake up when Nora does, or sometimes Jenny does, and make breakfast for the kids.... and rush into the day.
Henry doesn't like french toast.
db

A change in plans....

So this blog will now convert over to a nice personallized blog about... you know, a bloggy blog. I will throw some pictures up and make things vaguely relavent... but it can be about anything at all.....

Yesterday was easter. And I am a part of the worship team at my Church: Heritage Bible Chapel. Most of the people in the picture are part of their own group, Jordan's Crossing . They reside at our church and take up the worship there half of the time. I really like playing with them, it is a pretty great thing... except that sometimes I am asked to play percussion... not the kit (which I love) but percussion... and this wouldn't be so bad really if it weren't for the tamberine. I am just not a tamerine kind of guy... I don't dance, I don't smile and shake.... I don't have any school spirit... but I do it because (and this is honest) it keeps me humble.. I really want to see my role on the worship team as a service that I give to God. I don't want to have a concert mentallity that highlights me as a musician. There is a huge difference there in motive and I want the right motives. So.... yeah... the dreaded tamborine. I shook it for two songs. After church I went to my sister-in-laws, and had one of the better Easter meals I have ever had...Lamb cooked for literally eight hours. It was REALLY good. It was a relatively nice Easter. I was a bit unnerved about taking Henry and Nora to Polly (my sister-in-law)'s house because of the flaking lead paint all over the outside. Henry was lead poisened pretty severely when he was tiny and I don't even want him near the stuff. Which bring me to concern number two:

Polly is pregnant and we are trying to navigate a way of telling her that the lead paint might hurt her baby even right now. But my wife's family is um...shall we say... headstrong and telling any of them (including my wife) what they should do is likely to throw me into the lands of the ignored, hated, and despsied. So, I must navigate.

We haad to really consider how we were going to treat Easter in our family this year. I don't really like the over comercialized version that is culturally cool right now. I don't actually mind that version of Christmas, but Easter seems to me like it should be more of a time of consideration of God. So, we had one tiny easter basket with malt-ball eggs and Peeps and Henry and Nora got to munch on that. I told Henry that Easter is a time when Jesus came back from being dead... he became alive again. And that was about it. He is only four and I think that the whole crucifiction thing would throw him right over the edge. (and he would go willingly).

And that was Easter... I liked it, really. I feel a bit more sane now...

db