Thursday, June 14, 2012

Cynicism & Kirk Gibson


Cynicism & Kirk Gibson

  I am always trying to find the inspiration in any story.  For a while, it was even “American Idol”.  I was looking at these kids and wondering how in the world they were doing this.  Some of them have never performed in front of a huge audience.  How did they overcome their fear, their lack of skill, maybe even overcoming criticism to achieve their goal?
  I also find inspiration in sports stories; where the player comes up to bat with 2 outs, and it's the 9th inning.  Does anyone remember Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series? (Totally dating myself!)   Gibson found himself in this same situation in the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics.  Not only was he in this situation but he wasn’t supposed to play because he had injured both legs (a pulled left hamstring and swollen right knee) and was suffering from a stomach virus.  But Tommy Lasorda put him in and he hobbled to the plate.  I always wonder what is going on in the mind of someone that is put in a position like this, in which it seems, the odds are against them.  Did he completely relax and just leave it up to fate?  Or did he use all his knowledge to perform at his peak?  How did he overcome his anxiety and the pressure of the situation? If you remember, Gibson hit a home run then pumped his fist as his teammates stormed the field. The Dodgers won the game, 5–4, and would go on to win the World Series, four games to one.

  I just love these types of stories.  Against the odds, Kirk Gibson found a way to win the game.  Despite his struggle, despite his injuries and illness, he triumphed!

  Maybe, I wanted to start this blog to inspire me!  Because of some hurtful situations in the last couple of years, I think I began to develop a mistrust of people and their intentions.  I began to question others and myself as I saw posts that were just flat out negative, rude and crude.  This may be one of the reasons this blog was started; I want to focus on the positive, and incorporate it into my own life.  I want to share stories that motivate, inspire and show the best in people.  I want to develop a trust in people again; To believe, be hopeful, and trust again.  This is why I remind myself of Kirk Gibson's story.  It helps me to have faith that against all odds, beyond all the skepticism., there is still hope and people can still overcome.
I want to focus on stories in which people are motivated, with the purest of intentions.  Is this possible?  Do you know others that are selfless?  Have you, yourself, faced challenges, negativism, cynicism, but now have overcome your feelings, and now pursue a life of hopefulness?  I would love to hear your story.
DML

Monday, June 11, 2012

'Stand for Something or Fall for Anything'....

    The following post is an email from one of our blog followers.  We would love to hear your feedback and comments.  What do you think?

"The Principal of 'Edna Cohen School' (PS 90) of Brooklyn NY has banned the song, 'Proud to Be an American' from their Kindergarten End of Year Ceremony. The Principal, Greta Hawkins, made the decision after considering that it may be "offensive" to students of other cultures and their families.  Her decision "came as a shock" to teachers and many parents, who had looked forward to the Kinder Grad ceremony, and had invested time and energy to teaching and rehearsing the song with their students.
 
More than anything, I think that this is just sad. What is the message here, to this generation of young students in this Public School?  Most of them ARE American.  Should they not be proud of that? And, for those who are not American, shouldn't it be ok for them to be proud to be IN America?

   I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the USA is the only country who has tried to shake away from its own foundation, to appease the 'rest of the world'.  It's amazing to me.

     It is reported that Greta Hawkins practices a religion that forbids her to engage in patriotic activity.  Her decision was backed by the NYC School Board Administrators.  Some blog sites that wrote on this news have suggested that she is pushing her own agendas.  After reading the 'Mission Statement' of the school I have to wonder if they are right. It states,
"The Edna Cohen School, a partnership of educators, staff, students, parents, and community is committed to teach, motivate, and challenge all students, including Special Education, Limited English Proficiency students and hight achieving students to high standards.  Our commitment is to fulfill our students' high intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, and physical potential.  We strive to help them apply their knowledge and skills to become contributing, responsible, and respectful citizens [of the USA] in a rapidly changing, diverse, and global community."
http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/21/K090/AboutUs/Overview/Our+Mission.htm

   I think that cultural, and religious tolerance, and respect for diversity is an essential element for a peaceful and productive nation.  But when does tolerance become intolerable to its own roots?  And what becomes of a nation of people who are stripped of their right to be proud of where they come from?  This country was built on values and beliefs that Americans have fought to protect and immigrants have fought to be able to enjoy.  Shouldn't the cultural history of this great country be learned and celebrated? Have Americans forgotten where they come from?

   I am writing from the perspective of an outsider looking in.  My family and I have enjoyed building a life here in the US for 12 years now.  Our story of what brought us here is not as dramatic as some other 'immigrant's' stories, but I can tell you our decision to be here in the US was deliberate, and not easy.  We 'fought' for it and are proud to be here.  There will never be a time in my life when I won't stand for the National Anthem, or give respect and thanks for those who protect this great country and what it stands for.  Any American who doesn't understand this should travel abroad and learn why they call this place ..."the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave".                                          JMK "
 

Reference Links:
http://www.myfoxny.com/story/18750681/controversy-over-songs-at-kindergarten-graduation
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/school_silences_patriotic_song_xdunXcLPbE8S2rAEcZoUiP
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2157158/NYC-principal-bans-God-Bless-America-graduation-avoid-upsetting-cultural-sensitivities.html?ITO=1490
http://m.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/06/10/nyc-principal-bans-god-bless-usa-kindergarten-graduation-allows-biebe
                                                                                                    


Friday, June 8, 2012

My friend, Mr. Know it All

I have a friend who literally defines the phrase, "Know it All".  His name is Karl*.  He is extremely intelligent, and I often teased him about being a 'well of useless information'.  He seems to know something about everything. Being an avid sportsman, Karl's interests included survival techniques.  Years before reality television, Karl was the 'go to' guy for answers on how to successfully survive a 'rogue' camel excursion, and tips on what not to eat if you find yourself stranded in the remote and frozen regions of Northern Belarus.  I have often wondered if he is one of the collaborating masterminds behind 'Survivor TV'.  But, being the private guy that he is, he would never say.  If asked, he would just laugh.
Yes, my friend Karl has lived a life full of adventures that would make rock stars, thrill seekers, and Prince Harry green with envy! To learn of his experiences, you have to either be with him at the time, or be the girl calling him on the phone, shortly afterward, for help with her homework.
I happened to fit into the latter category.  You see, I was writing a paper for a Summer course I was taking, and was looking for some 'intellectual feedback'.  I called him, and began our conversation by asking, "How are you?"
To my surprise, 'Mr Know it All', replied, "I'm not sure".
He said that he had the most unusual morning, and proceeded to tell me a story that changed someone's life.  And mine as well.
At the time, Karl was a University Student, who had taken a Summer job working for a computer gaming store.  He had worked 7 days in a row, and this day was suppose to be his day off.  He was looking forward to going climbing with a friend, but his manager had called him and asked him if he could fill in for an employee at a location across town.  My ever reliable friend reluctantly said he would.  He had decided to park 10 miles away from the store, and run to the location.  Making his way there, Karl witnessed a horrible accident. The driver of a brand new Mustang spun out of control, swerved around into an outbound lane, and hit a pole at a high rate of speed, right before his very eyes.
  Karl said he couldn't actually remember running to the vehicle, but it seemed like a second later, he was inside the hissing, steaming wreckage.  He found that a young man, probably a High School Senior, was the driver, and the only occupant of the vehicle.  He was breathing, but unconscious, and badly contorted about from behind his seatbelt. The young mans 's torso was the only part of his body that was in a natural position.  Nothing seemed to be where it was suppose to be.  Quickly and carefully, Karl positioned the driver to support neck, and discovered the most disturbing image of this mass 'luxation'.  The young man's eyeball had escaped from it's socket, and was hanging off his face by the optic nerve!  Karl quickly removed his shirt, wrapped his hands and replaced the young man's eye.  He stayed with him, bracing him until the EMTs arrived.  My 'Know it All' friend was able to put his 'well of useless information to use'. The result was the preservation of a precious sensory organ and perhaps even a young man's life.
  The story was on the news, in the papers the next day.  Upon request, Karl's identity was 'anonymous'.  He wanted no recognition for his heroic act, and was rewarded with the knowledge that he made a choice that greatly benefitted another person's life.
To this day, the young man has no idea of his hero's name, or what he looks like.  But he knows what happened, and hopefully he has, or will find a way to extend kindness and act selflessly for the benefit of someone else.
I did not get the 'intellectual feedback' I was looking for when I called Karl that day.  But, it no longer seemed so important. I think Karl was still working through the shock of it all, and needed to talk it out.  I felt privileged to be able to help him process his experience.  It has changed my life because it proved to me that there are people in this world who will 'rise to the occasion' simply because they can.  I believe that whether or not we realize it, our interests and experiences prepare us for miraculous things.  We may not all be 'Know it All's, but we all know something that has the potential to change, and benefit someone's life.  
* name was changed to continue to protect anonymity.                                                                                JMK





Monday, June 4, 2012

Have You Found Holland?




Have You Found Holland?

I’m not exactly sure how to start this blog except to say that I know that what “moves” me and what inspires me. It usually involves stories of people that overcome difficult circumstances and then thrive.  People that have lived a little, felt a little, (or a lot), and have learned from this life to achieve their dreams by overcoming obstacles. 
I find that people who have had some struggles in their life and now have overcome them are often driven to achieve amazing things; Things they would have never achieved by a ‘smooth ride’. These people serve others, in a way, because learning from their experiences can make for a very rich life.
That is what our struggles do... they shape us, if we let them. 

There is a wonderful poem, “Welcome to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley.  It was written specifically about raising her child with special needs.  But, to me this poem speaks to anyone, in which, life hasn’t gone as you  planned, but has made the most and best of it.  So substitute your situation in the first 2 lines of the poem. Here it is:



"Welcome to Holland" 
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this: When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland. - Emily Pearl Kingsley

So even though life hasn't gone as planned…how have you made it “your Holland”?
DML