Have the Courage to Follow Your Heart

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -- Steve Jobs

I love this quote from Steve Jobs. It reminds me of the many small battles I have had to fight throughout my life to follow my own dreams and desires and to shut out the world and its naysayers. Upon entering adulthood, my life did not start out very promising due to some physical, and emotional health issues and severe financial and relationship difficulties.

Going to college in my mid-thirties to become a teacher was one of many big and satisfying steps I have taken during my journey toward progress and healing.  Walking into that first college classroom was the culmination of many years spent dreaming and wondering if I could really do it, as well as watching and waiting for the right time.

There are always many obstacles in the way of our wants and dreams.  The primary obstacles include a lack of funds, lack of time, fear of failure ( that is a big one for many) and worry over what other people think of us. If you can get past those last two concerns, then it a matter of planning, maneuvering and scheming ( I use the word scheme in a positive sense) until you are in a position to take the opportunity.

If you are too concerned with stepping out of your comfort zone, shaking up your life a bit or facing failure, then the timing and financial issues are not going to matter anyway, because you will never take that first step. 
To me, Steve Job's point is to not let anyone or anything get in the way of making positive changes that will help you become whatever you want.
When my life ends, I hope I can leave peacefully, with the satisfaction of knowing that I pushed myself to obtain small and large successes along the way and make meaning out of my life.

The Hijaking of Free Speech

Jihad is not savage? Come on now. What has happened to freedom of speech?  Complaints roll in about a  privately paid for ad that was placed on one of San Francisco's Municipal Transportation buses.  You've seen paid advertisements on public transportation lines many times.  Most of them contain some kind of unverifiable opinion about a product or idea to get you to buy in, just like a commercial. The ad was not a government endorsement. But, some people are reacting as though it is a government-sanctioned racist remark. Here is the quotation from the ad:   "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad."   Maybe it is offensive and maybe it is not.....

Since my father came to close to dying at the World Trade Center on 09/11/01, I admit that I  may be a little bit biased against Islamic violence. The term Jihad to me seems to be often used as a message of violence and hate against all who disagree with Islam.  People are complaining about this ad because they feel it is hate speech.  I think it is an opinion and a call of support for a group of people who are marginalized in their part of the world and surrounded by enemies.  I am sure it would be no problem in the arena of public opinion  if it was an anti-Israel ad. This is what burns me up the most. Why are some groups allowed to spew hate and violence and others are supposed to sit down, shut up and take it?

But, I am digressing.  The purpose for this blog today is to point out that it is getting harder and harder to voice an opinion or idea that may be unpopular or different from others without being falsely accused of hatred, bigotry and phobia. This insanity has to stop. It is okay to say you are offended by someone else's words and to disagree with them.  HOWEVER, It is not all right to stifle the rights of others to say what they will.   Say what you want, about anything, including this blog. I will not try to take away your right to say it. But, I will fight for my civil liberties ( peacefully of course)  if  you try to take away my right to say what I will.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8769862


(This entry may seem a little off topic from education and family issues, but the  whole point of having a blog is exercising that precious free speech and free press right that is slowly slipping away from us).

Crystal Coast North Carolina

This month I had the opportunity to spend a week's vacation near the Crystal Coast/Bogue Banks section of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, thanks to the generosity of a friend with a timeshare. Being a special education teacher, I really needed this break and so did my husband and daughter. We have our summers off together, but the last several summers have been really rough with family illnesses and losses.

We stayed in a resort area outside of the historic town of New Bern run by Vacation Resorts International ( they also rent units out to vacationers in addition to running the time shares). The resort was about 40 miles from the barrier island locations of Atlantic Beach,  Pine Knoll Shores and Emerald Isle. The many amenities offered by the resort included indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool, sauna, game room, fitness center, tennis courts, miniature golf and a marina with restaurant and a tiny store.

With all the choices within walking distance ( we rode bikes to the rec center most of the time) as well as a beautiful condo with a private deck and over-sized jacuzzi, it was hard convincing my husband to leave the resort grounds and go exploring with me.
We did get to visit Atlantic Beach twice. On the advice of a kind vacationer staying at the resort, we avoided the developed areas of the beach and spent a day at Fort Macon state Park located at the north end of the island with beautiful, panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, Beaufort Inlet and Bogue Sound.  The park has a serene, undeveloped beach area with a small concessions stand and bath house. 
On our second visit to Atlantic Beach, we returned to the state park again to check out the civil war era fort. The stop included an exploration of the modern visitor's center and museum and a self-guided tour of the fort itself.

We also visited the aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. I have been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore which is huge and rather expensive.  The Pine Knoll shores aquarium is much smaller, but was worth the eight dollar per person entrance fee. For a small aquarium, they boast impressive collections of sharks, penguins, sea turtles, and otters, among other exotic exhibits.

Although we did not get to see much of historic New Bern, we did go into town for the best Fourth of July fireworks show that I have seen in years. We topped off the last day of our visit by spending almost the entire day at the indoor pool ( it was over 100 degrees outside) and the game room.  My  17 year old daughter Olivia was so enthralled with the resort and the area that she nearly cried when it was time to pack up.  We hope to return again when time and finances allow.

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/main.php

Kindness Quotes

Kindness Quotes

A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning | Edutopia

A Parent's Guide to 21st-Century Learning | Edutopia