Mammy is my 97-year old grandmother that lives in Wildwood, Florida. For the first time in her life, she is experiencing some major health problems and it has me concerned about her quality of life moving forward. I just don’t want her to suffer.
I was blessed with four of the most amazing grandparents in the world and Mammy is the only one I have left. Mammer passed away in 1995. Pappy died in 2004. Pop left us in 2009. All four made an immeasurable impact on me and I think of them each and every day. All four are prominently displayed in my office and I often look at their pictures when I need a smile or a deep breath.
Mammy was just out here to visit over Labor Day Weekend. She went to our YHS football game on Friday, September 1st and I even had the announcer recognize her over the PA system. She enjoyed a burger at the Booster Club's "meal deal." We watched college football on Saturday. We took a walk that Sunday. We sat on the front patio and talked for an hour that Monday. It was so great to see her and I kept hoping it wouldn’t be the “last time.”
Mammy was also out here in June for my oldest daughter’s wedding. She brought her best friend, Miss Jackie, who we love very much as well. Those few days with Mammy are another topnotch memory and I’m so glad she was able to see one of her great-grandchildren get married. I made sure I gave her lots of hugs.
Mammy loves Nebraska sweet corn and we had some that trip! She visited us in West Point, Franklin, and York over the years and always looked forward to some corn. She loves the importance of farming as she grew up in watermelon and cantaloupe country down south.
Mammy taught me a lot. One of the more amazing things was her dependability. She played the organ in the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Florida for over 65 years! She only missed about six Sundays during that entire span, an average of one per DECADE!
She taught me how to look after others. There’s nobody in Sumter County, Florida that has ever been sick or homebound or experiencing some adversity that didn’t get a homemade pie from Mammy, I can promise you that! She has one of the biggest hearts in the universe! Her key lime and lemon meringue are my favorites but they’re all wonderful. In fact, back in the day, Village Inn out by I-75 that runs through Wildwood used to contract with Mammy to have her make some pies for them. That’s pretty dadgum good!
Mammy also taught me about forgiveness. As you might imagine, she’s seen and experienced a lot of ups and downs in 97 years. Mammy is always quick to forgive and willing to “let the past be the past.” She’s shown me that sometimes the bigger person has to swallow their pride and extend an olive branch to move past a situation that is awkward for many.
More than anything else, Mammy has taught me about “family” and “love.” Mammy has always been the glue of our family. She has always been the sweet and loving person that made our family tick. She was so dedicated to Pappy before he passed away in 2004. She was so protective of family time on Sunday afternoon after church. She made every holiday special. She made you feel like the most important person in the world.
Mammy taught me about trust. If she told you she was going to do something, she did it. Period. She’s always been rock solid.
One of my favorite memories about Mammy (and Pappy) was that they came up to Ocala for one of my high school football games one Friday night when we had a torrential downpour before, during, and after the game. It was raining so hard the entire game you could hardly see the ball or your opponent. Well, Mammy and Pappy made the 30-minute drive to Booster Stadium and sat in the car in the parking lot and listened to the game on the radio. They just wanted to be “with” me they said.
Mammy got mugged in Jacksonville in November 1987 going to one of our playoff football games. She still made it to the game. She was/is tough.
As a young boy, I would spend almost every weekend with Mammy and Pappy and they would take me to Wildwood High football games. I would often catch a little red and white football from the WHS cheerleaders and would spend all day Saturday playing football by myself as I would throw passes to myself, dodge invisible tacklers, and have a grand ol’ time for hours after hours. I bet you I ate about 12 oranges a day when I was at Mammy’s. They had some of the best orange and kumquat trees in the world right there in their yard.
When I worked in the watermelon fields over the summer, I would often spend the night at Mammy’s as I was too tired to make the 30-minute drive back to Ocala. One time, my good buddy, DR Repass stayed with me. Mammy made 2-dozen chocolate chip cookies. DR ate 20 of them. This would’ve been about 1989. I last spoke to DR in 2013 and he told me those were still the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever eaten!
I remember lots of Christmas Eves at Mammy’s house. After we ate and everyone was playing with their gifts or visiting with family, Pappy would break out a loaf of bread and a bowl of thick cane syrup. Pappy would then get all of the kids to dip their bread in the cane syrup that was so dark and thick that it often felt like cement. We would all eat a piece or two while Pappy would have 10-12. Mammy would come in and help clean up the sticky mess and just laugh and tease Pappy about his bad habit of bread and cane syrup.
I was very nervous when I left Florida in early August 1990 to leave for college in Atchison, Kansas. I cried several times as I said goodbye to friends, coaches, and family. However, I never cried as hard as I did when I told Mammy goodbye the day before I left. As I pulled out of her driveway, I made it about a half-mile down the road before I had to pull over because I couldn’t see through my tears. That’s what Mammy meant and still means to me.
Mammy was a huge influence on my life. She was one person I could always count on. Aside from the special holidays and events, it was just the “regular” days that I will miss the most. Sitting on her front porch swing, retrieving canned goodies out of mason jars in her basement, or going to her church with her…..every time you were around Mammy, you became better.
When Mammy dies, I will no longer be a grandson and that is a role I will always cherish and deeply miss. I am thankful for the many years and memories that Mammy and I have had together. She is a special, special person that will be greatly missed when her time comes.
Mammy will always be with me in my heart; just like Mammer, Pop, and Pappy are. I kid you not, still to this very day, I often think about what I’m doing and how I’m doing it to ensure that I don’t disappoint my grandparents. I don’t ever want to let them down and though I’m not as good as I want to be, I simply want to make them proud. If you’re the praying kind, please send some positive thoughts for my Mammy.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Participation Ribbons for Everyone
"Are participation awards devaluing the importance of hard work and competition in youth sports?" I was asked this tough question by Julia Lee, one of our awesome seniors at YHS as she's working on an assignment for her Senior English course. I kind of surprised myself with my answer, which was "NO."
I truly don't think that participation awards devalue the importance of hard work and competition.
What devalues youth sports, in my opinion, is when each kid gets an MVP award or is selected to an "all star" game. Participation doesn't devalue youth sports, telling every kid they're "the best" does. Everyone can't be "the best."
To me, participation awards are great. It's a way to show ALL members of a 4th grade baseball team that their efforts are valued. Whether you're the best player on the team, or the worst, you can be on time, be coachable, be a good teammate, work hard, show improvement, and learn how to win and lose with grace. Aren't these traits we need to put to use in the "real world" each and every day?
Not every member of that 4th grade baseball team gets to pitch. They don't all get to hit in the cleanup spot or steal bases. They don't all get to play shortstop. Some will have to sit out a few innings while others will play the whole game. That's real life. We are better at some things than we are at others. We can't all be "the best."
Another reason I am in favor of participation awards is that I see declining participation on the horizon. I see too many parents that don't want their kids to be involved because they don't want to have to wake up on Saturday mornings to get them to soccer games, etc. If a participation ribbon or certificate is going to get a 3rd grader to go out for volleyball, let's do it.
I want EVERY child to be able to be part of a team, to learn the value of hard work, to learn how to overcome adversity. The "real world" is going to kick all of us in the teeth plenty once we get older. Let kids play. Let kids figure out through experiences what they like and don't like. They need to learn to develop confidence and earn trust from others.
Youth sports can be a positive microcosm of real life. You win some. You lose some. Sometimes, you play well. Other times, you kind of stink. Regardless of the outcome, you have to keep working. You have to set goals. You have to learn how to deal with success and overcome adversity.
You have to control what you can control and that is definitely a life lesson. Control your attitude, your effort level, and your commitment to the team. Sometimes, you might be "the best" on your team. Other times, you won't be. Find your role and embrace it to make yourself and the team better.
Just some random thoughts....
I truly don't think that participation awards devalue the importance of hard work and competition.
What devalues youth sports, in my opinion, is when each kid gets an MVP award or is selected to an "all star" game. Participation doesn't devalue youth sports, telling every kid they're "the best" does. Everyone can't be "the best."
To me, participation awards are great. It's a way to show ALL members of a 4th grade baseball team that their efforts are valued. Whether you're the best player on the team, or the worst, you can be on time, be coachable, be a good teammate, work hard, show improvement, and learn how to win and lose with grace. Aren't these traits we need to put to use in the "real world" each and every day?
Not every member of that 4th grade baseball team gets to pitch. They don't all get to hit in the cleanup spot or steal bases. They don't all get to play shortstop. Some will have to sit out a few innings while others will play the whole game. That's real life. We are better at some things than we are at others. We can't all be "the best."
Another reason I am in favor of participation awards is that I see declining participation on the horizon. I see too many parents that don't want their kids to be involved because they don't want to have to wake up on Saturday mornings to get them to soccer games, etc. If a participation ribbon or certificate is going to get a 3rd grader to go out for volleyball, let's do it.
I want EVERY child to be able to be part of a team, to learn the value of hard work, to learn how to overcome adversity. The "real world" is going to kick all of us in the teeth plenty once we get older. Let kids play. Let kids figure out through experiences what they like and don't like. They need to learn to develop confidence and earn trust from others.
Youth sports can be a positive microcosm of real life. You win some. You lose some. Sometimes, you play well. Other times, you kind of stink. Regardless of the outcome, you have to keep working. You have to set goals. You have to learn how to deal with success and overcome adversity.
You have to control what you can control and that is definitely a life lesson. Control your attitude, your effort level, and your commitment to the team. Sometimes, you might be "the best" on your team. Other times, you won't be. Find your role and embrace it to make yourself and the team better.
Just some random thoughts....
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
"The State Doesn't Levy Property Taxes"
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce is an important organization for us all. We need them to provide exceptional leadership as they get involved with economic development, workforce issues, and many other statewide initiatives.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce will hold numerous meetings across the state this fall. They've already been in York. They will be in Aurora on September 18th, Henderson on September 25th, and in many other communities as well before Halloween. When they get asked about Nebraska's high rate of property taxes, they are often quick to say, “The state doesn’t levy property taxes…your high property taxes are due to spending at the local level.”
Well, that's not actually the case. The state does NOT levy property taxes. However, the state's lack of adequate and sustainable funding for public education FORCES local taxing entities to have an extreme over-reliance on local property taxes. It gets old to be blamed for high property taxes due to our spending when we have a 'funding' problem.
Here are some data points for you to read and decide on your own.
1) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
2) YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes. (The state doesn't levy property taxes but where else are we going to get our funding here in York?)
3) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
4) YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
YPS has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09. We’ve had a 0% spending increase since 2014-15. However, some still say it is a "spending problem."
Our TOTAL General Fund Property Taxes has increased 66.6% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 8.3%. However, our TOTAL General Fund Revenue has increased just 9.1% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 1.1%. That's right...property taxes went up over 66% since 2008-09 BUT those extra dollars basically just replaced lost revenue from the state and federal levels as our total revenue only went up an average of 1.1%.
Ok, let's adjust some spending data and see what happens with our property tax data above. Let's say YPS should have cut an extra million dollars out of our budget...we shouldn't be satisfied with an average annual spending increase of just 1.3%...we should be at 0% forever....never update technology for students....never replace old vehicles...never purchase updated curriculum tools....etc. If our 2016-17 spending and tax request was decreased by $1 million, our general fund tax request would still have gone up over 51% since 2008-09....does that solve the issue? Does a 6.4% average annual increase in local property taxes solve the problem? The answer is NO. We have a funding problem, folks.
School spending is not the culprit for high property taxes in Nebraska. School spending is already subject to annual spending and tax levy lids mandated at the state level. A better approach to true property tax relief would be to address how Nebraska funds schools so we can improve upon our rank of 49th in the nation for the percent of K-12 education funded by the state.
According to data obtained from the legislative fiscal office’s report from August 2015, total school district disbursements for Nebraska's public school districts of all funds grew by only an annual average of just 3.5% from 2003-04 through 2013-14. During the same 2003-04 through 2013-14 time span, the number of students educated statewide in Nebraska’s public schools increased 8.16% from 284,181 to 307,398.
York's TOTAL General Fun Spending has increased just 11.0% since 2008-09, for an average annual increase of 1.3%. We've had a0% spending increase since 2014-15. Much of the 11% spending increase since 2008-09 has been due to grant funded programming we've added to address the number of students we have living in poverty. TOTAL State Aid was $3.7 million in 2009 and is now $225,557.
"The state doesn't levy property taxes" but where else will YPS receive the money we need to operate?
I appreciate many of the tough issues our Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce has to address. The State Chamber employs many hard working folks. I wish them well as they try to make our state better. I hope they can try to take a look at some educational funding issues and see that Nebraska's great public schools are a true asset to this state, not an enemy.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce will hold numerous meetings across the state this fall. They've already been in York. They will be in Aurora on September 18th, Henderson on September 25th, and in many other communities as well before Halloween. When they get asked about Nebraska's high rate of property taxes, they are often quick to say, “The state doesn’t levy property taxes…your high property taxes are due to spending at the local level.”
Well, that's not actually the case. The state does NOT levy property taxes. However, the state's lack of adequate and sustainable funding for public education FORCES local taxing entities to have an extreme over-reliance on local property taxes. It gets old to be blamed for high property taxes due to our spending when we have a 'funding' problem.
Here are some data points for you to read and decide on your own.
1) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
2) YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes. (The state doesn't levy property taxes but where else are we going to get our funding here in York?)
3) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
4) YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
YPS has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09. We’ve had a 0% spending increase since 2014-15. However, some still say it is a "spending problem."
Our TOTAL General Fund Property Taxes has increased 66.6% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 8.3%. However, our TOTAL General Fund Revenue has increased just 9.1% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 1.1%. That's right...property taxes went up over 66% since 2008-09 BUT those extra dollars basically just replaced lost revenue from the state and federal levels as our total revenue only went up an average of 1.1%.
Ok, let's adjust some spending data and see what happens with our property tax data above. Let's say YPS should have cut an extra million dollars out of our budget...we shouldn't be satisfied with an average annual spending increase of just 1.3%...we should be at 0% forever....never update technology for students....never replace old vehicles...never purchase updated curriculum tools....etc. If our 2016-17 spending and tax request was decreased by $1 million, our general fund tax request would still have gone up over 51% since 2008-09....does that solve the issue? Does a 6.4% average annual increase in local property taxes solve the problem? The answer is NO. We have a funding problem, folks.
School spending is not the culprit for high property taxes in Nebraska. School spending is already subject to annual spending and tax levy lids mandated at the state level. A better approach to true property tax relief would be to address how Nebraska funds schools so we can improve upon our rank of 49th in the nation for the percent of K-12 education funded by the state.
According to data obtained from the legislative fiscal office’s report from August 2015, total school district disbursements for Nebraska's public school districts of all funds grew by only an annual average of just 3.5% from 2003-04 through 2013-14. During the same 2003-04 through 2013-14 time span, the number of students educated statewide in Nebraska’s public schools increased 8.16% from 284,181 to 307,398.
York's TOTAL General Fun Spending has increased just 11.0% since 2008-09, for an average annual increase of 1.3%. We've had a0% spending increase since 2014-15. Much of the 11% spending increase since 2008-09 has been due to grant funded programming we've added to address the number of students we have living in poverty. TOTAL State Aid was $3.7 million in 2009 and is now $225,557.
"The state doesn't levy property taxes" but where else will YPS receive the money we need to operate?
I appreciate many of the tough issues our Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce has to address. The State Chamber employs many hard working folks. I wish them well as they try to make our state better. I hope they can try to take a look at some educational funding issues and see that Nebraska's great public schools are a true asset to this state, not an enemy.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Homecoming 2017
Believe it or not, we are gearing up for York Duke Homecoming the week of September 11th-17th. We have lots to celebrate and much to look forward to. We are hopeful that many of our alumni will continue to show their support for all that we do. Those of us that are lucky enough to serve York Public Schools today are very appreciative of our proud history and will continue to work hard to ensure a bright future for those York Dukes that come after us.
Here's some info about Homecoming 2017 and the various dress up days we will have at YHS.
MONDAY - Underwater/Beach Day
TUESDAY - Teacher/Student Swap Day where students dress like teachers and teachers dress like students
WEDNESDAY - Jersey Day
THURSDAY - Character/Disney/Marvel Day
FRIDAY - Duke Pride Blue & Gold Day
Our downtown parade/spirit march will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 2:45.
Our pep rally and bonfire will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 8:30 PM at YHS in the east parking lot. This late start time will allow Wednesday evening church activities to take place beforehand.
The Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, September 16th from 8:30-11:00 PM at a cost of $5 per person. No guests over the age of 20 will be allowed. All non-YHS students need to be registered on a "guest form" in the YHS office.
GO DUKES!
Here's some info about Homecoming 2017 and the various dress up days we will have at YHS.
MONDAY - Underwater/Beach Day
TUESDAY - Teacher/Student Swap Day where students dress like teachers and teachers dress like students
WEDNESDAY - Jersey Day
THURSDAY - Character/Disney/Marvel Day
FRIDAY - Duke Pride Blue & Gold Day
Our downtown parade/spirit march will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 2:45.
Our pep rally and bonfire will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 8:30 PM at YHS in the east parking lot. This late start time will allow Wednesday evening church activities to take place beforehand.
The Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, September 16th from 8:30-11:00 PM at a cost of $5 per person. No guests over the age of 20 will be allowed. All non-YHS students need to be registered on a "guest form" in the YHS office.
GO DUKES!
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Wednesday Nights, Social Media, and Academics vs. Activities
Wednesday Evenings
We try extremely hard to be respectful of Wednesday evenings and all of the outstanding offerings our amazing churches make available for the young people of our community. This year’s “Back to School Celebration and Community Pep Rally” was held on a Wednesday so it wouldn’t conflict with school activities we had every other night of the week. With school starting a little bit later this year, our school activities actually began on the second day of school and August 23rd was the only day that we could select without a school conflict. We began to publicize this in late June but didn’t do a good enough job of making sure all of the churches in town knew the date and rationale. That’s my fault and we will get it fixed.
We were told that church offerings on Wednesday night wouldn’t begin until after Labor Day but we now know that wasn’t entirely accurate for all churches in town. We apologize for the schedule conflict. If we want to be able to have school start a little later in the future, like it did this year, we might have to stick with a Wednesday night “Celebration and Pep Rally.” We will be sure to communicate with church leaders this spring so they can plan accordingly. Thanks again to all of the churches in this community that provide so many wonderful opportunities on Wednesday evenings.
Social Media
York Public Schools is fairly active on social media. We have accounts on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. We also utilize podcasts and are always looking for ways to connect with others and share about our school system.
We have many specialized accounts on Facebook and Twitter that focus on just one program or one aspect of our school system. We also have @YorkDukePower on Twitter that will share almost anything and everything about YPS from pictures of school lunches to budget info to scores of ballgames, reminders about upcoming events, videos of our band, motivational quotes, and student achievement data highlights.
We’re not able to share every individual accomplishment of all 1,350 students on our social media outlets. Obviously, we are extremely proud of our students that do well in the classroom and on assessments but we aren’t able to share each individual accomplishment because we would just never be able to keep up. This doesn’t mean we’re more proud of the YHS Band at the Harvest of Harmony Parade or the YHS Volleyball Team at the Conference Tournament than an individual student who has a 4.0 GPA; it just means we try to post about activities that involve groups of students as opposed to individual accomplishments.
Academics and Activities
We feel extremely fortunate that YPS students have opportunities to excel in all areas of our school system. Academics will always be our top priority, although it sometimes gets less attention than “activities.” Academics don’t always make the front page of the paper or get bragged about at the coffee shop but that doesn’t mean they’re not important and not our primary focus every day. We have some outstanding students that do exemplary work in our classrooms. Academically, our student achievement scores are higher than they’ve ever been on statewide assessments.
• Over 87% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state reading assessments.
• Over 85% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state math assessments.
• During the 2016-17 school year, 950 college credits were earned by YHS juniors and seniors enrolled in dual credit courses
• We offer over 14 career academies and have recently added an online Criminal Justice academy
Our “Activities Department” is rolling as well. We have won multiple state championships in Fine Arts and Athletics over the past few years. We have numerous programs that are state ranked and perennial powers that battle for conference, district, and state titles on a yearly basis. We have strong extra-curricular offerings like FFA and FBLA that send kids to national contests annually. We have multiple choirs and band ensembles that produce amazing music. We have some unbelievably talented artists and student-athletes. We have many amazing individual accomplishments within all of our team programs.
It's a great time to be a York Duke.
Thanks for your support.
We try extremely hard to be respectful of Wednesday evenings and all of the outstanding offerings our amazing churches make available for the young people of our community. This year’s “Back to School Celebration and Community Pep Rally” was held on a Wednesday so it wouldn’t conflict with school activities we had every other night of the week. With school starting a little bit later this year, our school activities actually began on the second day of school and August 23rd was the only day that we could select without a school conflict. We began to publicize this in late June but didn’t do a good enough job of making sure all of the churches in town knew the date and rationale. That’s my fault and we will get it fixed.
We were told that church offerings on Wednesday night wouldn’t begin until after Labor Day but we now know that wasn’t entirely accurate for all churches in town. We apologize for the schedule conflict. If we want to be able to have school start a little later in the future, like it did this year, we might have to stick with a Wednesday night “Celebration and Pep Rally.” We will be sure to communicate with church leaders this spring so they can plan accordingly. Thanks again to all of the churches in this community that provide so many wonderful opportunities on Wednesday evenings.
Social Media
York Public Schools is fairly active on social media. We have accounts on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. We also utilize podcasts and are always looking for ways to connect with others and share about our school system.
We have many specialized accounts on Facebook and Twitter that focus on just one program or one aspect of our school system. We also have @YorkDukePower on Twitter that will share almost anything and everything about YPS from pictures of school lunches to budget info to scores of ballgames, reminders about upcoming events, videos of our band, motivational quotes, and student achievement data highlights.
We’re not able to share every individual accomplishment of all 1,350 students on our social media outlets. Obviously, we are extremely proud of our students that do well in the classroom and on assessments but we aren’t able to share each individual accomplishment because we would just never be able to keep up. This doesn’t mean we’re more proud of the YHS Band at the Harvest of Harmony Parade or the YHS Volleyball Team at the Conference Tournament than an individual student who has a 4.0 GPA; it just means we try to post about activities that involve groups of students as opposed to individual accomplishments.
Academics and Activities
We feel extremely fortunate that YPS students have opportunities to excel in all areas of our school system. Academics will always be our top priority, although it sometimes gets less attention than “activities.” Academics don’t always make the front page of the paper or get bragged about at the coffee shop but that doesn’t mean they’re not important and not our primary focus every day. We have some outstanding students that do exemplary work in our classrooms. Academically, our student achievement scores are higher than they’ve ever been on statewide assessments.
• Over 87% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state reading assessments.
• Over 85% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state math assessments.
• During the 2016-17 school year, 950 college credits were earned by YHS juniors and seniors enrolled in dual credit courses
• We offer over 14 career academies and have recently added an online Criminal Justice academy
Our “Activities Department” is rolling as well. We have won multiple state championships in Fine Arts and Athletics over the past few years. We have numerous programs that are state ranked and perennial powers that battle for conference, district, and state titles on a yearly basis. We have strong extra-curricular offerings like FFA and FBLA that send kids to national contests annually. We have multiple choirs and band ensembles that produce amazing music. We have some unbelievably talented artists and student-athletes. We have many amazing individual accomplishments within all of our team programs.
It's a great time to be a York Duke.
Thanks for your support.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Special Olympics Nebraska
YORK, Nebraska is the PROUD home of the Special Olympics Nebraska State Flag Football Tournament on October 21st and 22nd. We are EXTREMELY excited for this opportunity! Special Olympics Nebraska is a tremendous service oriented organization that we're thrilled to support.
I've had the good fortune of helping out with Special Olympic events when I was in high school in Florida and when I worked in Franklin, Nebraska. Every second you spend around Special Olympians is worth it. I love to feed off their enthusiasm, energy, respect, and just pure joy of doing something they love. If you ever want, or need to re-focus and find "perspective," get involved with Special Olympics!
We anticipate 20+ teams and over 400 spectators and you better believe we will be rolling out red carpet for these folks. We'll be looking for around 50 volunteers to work 4-hour shifts. Volunteers will be needed to run the scoreboards, hold the down markers, help with the skills competition, and assist with awards. We will also need lots of "fans in the stands" to cheer these teams on. If you want to get involved, please let me know.
We are so grateful for Special Olympics Nebraska and all they do for folks with special needs. This is going to be a HUGE success for York, Nebraska.
I've had the good fortune of helping out with Special Olympic events when I was in high school in Florida and when I worked in Franklin, Nebraska. Every second you spend around Special Olympians is worth it. I love to feed off their enthusiasm, energy, respect, and just pure joy of doing something they love. If you ever want, or need to re-focus and find "perspective," get involved with Special Olympics!
We anticipate 20+ teams and over 400 spectators and you better believe we will be rolling out red carpet for these folks. We'll be looking for around 50 volunteers to work 4-hour shifts. Volunteers will be needed to run the scoreboards, hold the down markers, help with the skills competition, and assist with awards. We will also need lots of "fans in the stands" to cheer these teams on. If you want to get involved, please let me know.
We are so grateful for Special Olympics Nebraska and all they do for folks with special needs. This is going to be a HUGE success for York, Nebraska.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
45 Years Old and Still Learning
I turned 45 years old on August 14th so I felt it was fitting for this week's blog to share some of the things I've learned in those 45 years. In education, we often talk about "lifelong learners" and that is what I hope I can be. Sometimes, I'm a slow learner. Sometimes, I'm a reluctant learner. I just hope I can keep on learning as I will always be a "work in progress."
* Things are typically never as bad as you think they are....things are typically never as good as you think they are...it's easier to not get too low or too high...the swing of emotions from one extreme to the other can wear you out! Stay the course and don't get too excited or too depressed about a current situation...it can, and will, change often in most instances...
* Listening to actually listen and comprehend another person's point-of-view is way better than listening just so you can respond and debate your point of view
* There are many great people in the world, and certainly in Nebraska. Too often, we focus on selfish and entitled energy vampires that are unable to be happy for others instead of the energetic, positive, and enthusiastic people we should surround ourselves with. Cutting out as much fake from your life as you can allows you to focus on people that really matter.
* Learn to enjoy the small victories along the way because there will always be bigger challenges and adversities on the horizon. If you can't celebrate when given the opportunity, it is going to be hard to maintain your enthusiasm and sanity. Try not to let "losses" in your life hurt more than the "victories" in life feel good....it's hard to do...
* Have high expectations for yourself and be your own harshest critic but also give yourself a break from time to time. None of us are perfect and we need to be able to forgive ourselves once in a while.
* Good things happen to people that work hard.
* Black jellybeans aren't as good as purple jellybeans and pink ones are the tastiest of them all.
* When you're having a bad day, visit a kindergarten classroom as it is sure to put a smile on your face.
* It's the "little fish that steal the bait." By this, I mean it is often the little issues that cause big problems. Provide plenty of "attention to detail." Double-check on things. Beat a dead horse. Make sure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Some people will make fun of you for doing so but they'll also be glad you do when they have to count on you.
* You're going to get criticized for anything/everything you do. Be true to yourself. Be strong in your convictions and do what you think is best.
* Facebook and social media isn't real life...everyone is NOT living a happier and more successful life than you are...
* Control what you can control and don't spend too much energy on things beyond your control
* Always be thankful for what you can do instead of focusing on what you can't do...we need more positive in the world
* We need to get rid of Democrats and Republicans and focus on Americans....
* Spend time with your grandparents whenever you have the opportunity....your older self will be glad you did
* People that make fun of others for how they look, how much they weigh, what color their skin is, or how they talk are despicable....be kind...we all get one shot at life....be supportive of others even if they look different than you or believe differently than you do...
These are just some of the things that I've learned in 45 years. I need to be a better husband and dad in the next 45 years. I need to exhibit more patience, better voice tone, and more understanding of stressful situations and how they impact those around me. Here's to another 45-years!
* Things are typically never as bad as you think they are....things are typically never as good as you think they are...it's easier to not get too low or too high...the swing of emotions from one extreme to the other can wear you out! Stay the course and don't get too excited or too depressed about a current situation...it can, and will, change often in most instances...
* Listening to actually listen and comprehend another person's point-of-view is way better than listening just so you can respond and debate your point of view
* There are many great people in the world, and certainly in Nebraska. Too often, we focus on selfish and entitled energy vampires that are unable to be happy for others instead of the energetic, positive, and enthusiastic people we should surround ourselves with. Cutting out as much fake from your life as you can allows you to focus on people that really matter.
* Learn to enjoy the small victories along the way because there will always be bigger challenges and adversities on the horizon. If you can't celebrate when given the opportunity, it is going to be hard to maintain your enthusiasm and sanity. Try not to let "losses" in your life hurt more than the "victories" in life feel good....it's hard to do...
* Have high expectations for yourself and be your own harshest critic but also give yourself a break from time to time. None of us are perfect and we need to be able to forgive ourselves once in a while.
* Good things happen to people that work hard.
* Black jellybeans aren't as good as purple jellybeans and pink ones are the tastiest of them all.
* When you're having a bad day, visit a kindergarten classroom as it is sure to put a smile on your face.
* It's the "little fish that steal the bait." By this, I mean it is often the little issues that cause big problems. Provide plenty of "attention to detail." Double-check on things. Beat a dead horse. Make sure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Some people will make fun of you for doing so but they'll also be glad you do when they have to count on you.
* You're going to get criticized for anything/everything you do. Be true to yourself. Be strong in your convictions and do what you think is best.
* Facebook and social media isn't real life...everyone is NOT living a happier and more successful life than you are...
* Control what you can control and don't spend too much energy on things beyond your control
* Always be thankful for what you can do instead of focusing on what you can't do...we need more positive in the world
* We need to get rid of Democrats and Republicans and focus on Americans....
* Spend time with your grandparents whenever you have the opportunity....your older self will be glad you did
* People that make fun of others for how they look, how much they weigh, what color their skin is, or how they talk are despicable....be kind...we all get one shot at life....be supportive of others even if they look different than you or believe differently than you do...
These are just some of the things that I've learned in 45 years. I need to be a better husband and dad in the next 45 years. I need to exhibit more patience, better voice tone, and more understanding of stressful situations and how they impact those around me. Here's to another 45-years!
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