This weekend I witnessed a sight that I haven't seen in about 28 years, a state basketball game. In my early years at Ortonville as a young teacher, I followed every game, hung on every shot, cried at every loss, and celebrated every win. Winter 1982, Ortonville went to the state basketball tournaments. We were beaten in our first game by Chisholm ( interesting that I still remember that). While it was devastating, what it did for our community was what every trip to the state tournament does for every community. We put aside our differences, and we became one.
This past weekend I was once again caught up in the proud community swell that is the state basketball tournament. This time we owe Coach Willie and the boy's basketball team from Columbia Heights for that great excitement that is the post season in any high school sport. What we really owe them is a debt of gratitude for uniting the community together behind something so significant as this ballgame. The Target center was a sea of blue and yellow for the three games this past week. Work did not allow me to see the preliminary games, but I know a bus was filled with people from our community, students on spring break got to see the game without missing school, and our fan support base was amazing.
In a sometimes divided community because of our immigration and diversity, all of the that seem insignificant as we cheered our team as they entered the arena to play that game. In my 15 years as a school board member, I have not witnessed such unification of our community even though we have tried, often with limited success, over the last few years. We have had pockets of small gains, but nothing as large as this game. We were not different groups of people, we were Hylanders. We bled blue and yellow. The past few efforts of collaboration will be testaments to the this series of games: when all is said and done, we love our kids, we love our school, we love community. You have heard our Mayor talk about it, you have heard our board chairs and superintendent talk about it, but nothing is as clear as standing together all in one cheering the rouser!
So thank you Willie, you believe in our students and our school. We are grateful and thankful for you and your leadership. Thank you Hylander basketball team and all teams, athletic and academic, you continue to give us reason to be proud of you and of our community. Let's remember the lesson of this weekend. No matter what color or language or place we come from, we are Hylanders and that is enough to believe in. We're going to fight for you our honor, our team so strong and true.
And that's the game!
Keith
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Got your nose......
This last weekend, Louise and I were lucky enough to escape the cold and snow to spend some time in Florida. While I could rant and rave about how beautiful the weather was, or that how cool it was to smell smells outside, or see a bee hovering through hibiscus plants, I noticed other things that I thought were more important to write about. When you were little, did your dad or mom play got your nose with you? You know the trick: an adult goes up to a younger person, pretends to grab his/her nose with two fingers, puts a thumb through the two fingers, and tells the little person "got your nose". The little one reacts for a moment, usually laughs after the adult releases the fingers, and for a short moment thinks this is a cool thing.
Always one to observe behaviors and wonder how it all fits into things, I saw this parent/child game happen many times on my visits to Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom this past weekend. It was usually some parent who didn't anticipate a 45 minute wait to see Winnie the Pooh or ride Dumbo. The child was antsy in the stroller and dad tried to keep the youngster occupied by simple games, rarely successful for more than 20 seconds. Once in a great while, the child would respond in kind to the adult by doing the same with the adult pretending to be shocked at the loss of her/his nose.
Here is what is really cool about the whole thing. The amusement parks in Orlando are microcosms for the world. I can't tell you how many languages I heard in the days we were there. All of us waiting to ride something that would stretch our imaginations or put us on the edge of fear ( OK not the Jaws ride), all of us patiently in line for that great 10 minute escape.
The really remarkable thing on so many levels was that parents of all shapes, ages, genders all had one thing at the fore; they wanted their kids to have a great family memory. For many of us, it started with "got your nose". I can't tell you how many times in those days of visiting I saw "got your nose". I marveled at its universality; it knew no ethnicity. Pacific Islander parents go the nose of their children as did African parents as did Hispanic parents. There were so many noses lost the days at the park that had it been for real we would have generation of kids looking like Voldemort.
So I thought what a marvelous revelation. No matter where you are from, who you are, what you speak or look like, you are part of the silliness that is common to all of us. In the wake of the Japanese Tsunami, the trouble in the Northern Africa, the concerns for issues of the economy in our country, we are all united in a wonderful child's game that made us for a moment giggle and laugh. How cool is that?
Don't look now, got your nose!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Keith
Always one to observe behaviors and wonder how it all fits into things, I saw this parent/child game happen many times on my visits to Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom this past weekend. It was usually some parent who didn't anticipate a 45 minute wait to see Winnie the Pooh or ride Dumbo. The child was antsy in the stroller and dad tried to keep the youngster occupied by simple games, rarely successful for more than 20 seconds. Once in a great while, the child would respond in kind to the adult by doing the same with the adult pretending to be shocked at the loss of her/his nose.
Here is what is really cool about the whole thing. The amusement parks in Orlando are microcosms for the world. I can't tell you how many languages I heard in the days we were there. All of us waiting to ride something that would stretch our imaginations or put us on the edge of fear ( OK not the Jaws ride), all of us patiently in line for that great 10 minute escape.
The really remarkable thing on so many levels was that parents of all shapes, ages, genders all had one thing at the fore; they wanted their kids to have a great family memory. For many of us, it started with "got your nose". I can't tell you how many times in those days of visiting I saw "got your nose". I marveled at its universality; it knew no ethnicity. Pacific Islander parents go the nose of their children as did African parents as did Hispanic parents. There were so many noses lost the days at the park that had it been for real we would have generation of kids looking like Voldemort.
So I thought what a marvelous revelation. No matter where you are from, who you are, what you speak or look like, you are part of the silliness that is common to all of us. In the wake of the Japanese Tsunami, the trouble in the Northern Africa, the concerns for issues of the economy in our country, we are all united in a wonderful child's game that made us for a moment giggle and laugh. How cool is that?
Don't look now, got your nose!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Keith
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
If You Lie With Dogs...
I have had dogs my entire life. If they weren’t living with me, I was close to friends and family that had them, or my own immediate family had dogs as pets. They were all shapes and sizes, old, young, large, and of course, the yippee small ones. It dawned on me the other morning when I get up and my younger dog had nestled himself into a block of lead against my leg that dogs really bring so many of life’s lessons to you. You have to listen of course.
We got Leo after Zach graduated from high school for many reasons. One reason we looked for another was that our older dog Susie had been with Samson most of her life. When he was no longer around, we thought it would be nice for her to have another companion during the long days when no one is there. Another was the concern that Dad would be lonely without the guys around the house. I think that was and still is probably true. I love my sons, and they have enriched my life more than I can possibly write about. I looked and looked in the paper, on line, at the animal shelter websites, and about any other place I could find. I decided I wanted a dog like Susie, our schnauzer-poo, because her temperament is amazing, she sheds little, and is a smart dog. After several attempts, we stumbled upon Leo who was an Iowan farm flood survivor, only 7 weeks old, and very, very small. Zach thought the name Leonidas ( leader of the 300 doomed Spartans) would be fit for a little puppy that had survived so much already.
Enough of the history; here is what I know about what I have learned from my dogs. Samson was our first dog with the boys. A border collie black lab cross, Sam taught me grace in old age. His last few years of life were difficult for him and for us as well as we had to make decisions about the quality of his life. Sam was gentle in the face of pain. He would sleep in the same spot and wake up and wag his tail no matter what. When we made the decision to put Sam asleep, it truly was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Having buried both of my parents, losing my first dog was heart wrenching. The afternoon when we returned home, the day was full of Sam stories. A fitting tribute to a great dog. The lessons: when you leave, make sure people speak well of you and love is patient.
Susie has always been of great temperament. Even as she gets older and more and more the velvet tube (as she is fondly called after grooming), she hears the garage door go up, immediately senses Louise is home, barks at the top of here lungs, and wags the tail so vigorously that anything close could be battered! She adapted quickly to Leo invading her space and comfortably spars with him over the stuffed toys Rick brings home every now and then. No longer able to jump up on our bed, she has her spot in the hall, back to the wall where she guards all three bedrooms in our house. She has this great floppy eared terrier look that instantly can cheer up the gloomiest of days. As she gets older, we all pay attention to the little changes in her knowing that she has blessed our days with her loyalty and unflinching love. The lesson: love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
From the moment we brought Leo home, he has curled up and nestled against any body that is available. Louise contends that he was weaned too soon and needs that reassurance that his siblings in the litter provided. Every morning when I wake up, Leo is nestled close to me, not matter how many times I may have shoved him aside in the middle of the night; he is faithfully there. From the times when he was a puppy, there has been no other dog that can melt a heart like Leo. He knows how to pose for the camera, has a playfully mischievous look, and can make your day a whole lot better with a simple tilt of his head. He stands guard at the window watching the house like a sentry with a shrill bark. He can take Susie from a complacent older dog to a dog with vigor and gusto by simply grabbing the toy she has, tugging it and running away with it. He has added years to many of us. The lesson: love is not arrogant but perserveres.
The unique thing about dogs is they do all this without being taught to do it. They are inherently loyal, energetic, emotionally manipulative, and undyingly loving. In Marley and Me, John Grogan writes, “A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”
WOOF
Keith
We got Leo after Zach graduated from high school for many reasons. One reason we looked for another was that our older dog Susie had been with Samson most of her life. When he was no longer around, we thought it would be nice for her to have another companion during the long days when no one is there. Another was the concern that Dad would be lonely without the guys around the house. I think that was and still is probably true. I love my sons, and they have enriched my life more than I can possibly write about. I looked and looked in the paper, on line, at the animal shelter websites, and about any other place I could find. I decided I wanted a dog like Susie, our schnauzer-poo, because her temperament is amazing, she sheds little, and is a smart dog. After several attempts, we stumbled upon Leo who was an Iowan farm flood survivor, only 7 weeks old, and very, very small. Zach thought the name Leonidas ( leader of the 300 doomed Spartans) would be fit for a little puppy that had survived so much already.
Enough of the history; here is what I know about what I have learned from my dogs. Samson was our first dog with the boys. A border collie black lab cross, Sam taught me grace in old age. His last few years of life were difficult for him and for us as well as we had to make decisions about the quality of his life. Sam was gentle in the face of pain. He would sleep in the same spot and wake up and wag his tail no matter what. When we made the decision to put Sam asleep, it truly was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Having buried both of my parents, losing my first dog was heart wrenching. The afternoon when we returned home, the day was full of Sam stories. A fitting tribute to a great dog. The lessons: when you leave, make sure people speak well of you and love is patient.
Susie has always been of great temperament. Even as she gets older and more and more the velvet tube (as she is fondly called after grooming), she hears the garage door go up, immediately senses Louise is home, barks at the top of here lungs, and wags the tail so vigorously that anything close could be battered! She adapted quickly to Leo invading her space and comfortably spars with him over the stuffed toys Rick brings home every now and then. No longer able to jump up on our bed, she has her spot in the hall, back to the wall where she guards all three bedrooms in our house. She has this great floppy eared terrier look that instantly can cheer up the gloomiest of days. As she gets older, we all pay attention to the little changes in her knowing that she has blessed our days with her loyalty and unflinching love. The lesson: love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
From the moment we brought Leo home, he has curled up and nestled against any body that is available. Louise contends that he was weaned too soon and needs that reassurance that his siblings in the litter provided. Every morning when I wake up, Leo is nestled close to me, not matter how many times I may have shoved him aside in the middle of the night; he is faithfully there. From the times when he was a puppy, there has been no other dog that can melt a heart like Leo. He knows how to pose for the camera, has a playfully mischievous look, and can make your day a whole lot better with a simple tilt of his head. He stands guard at the window watching the house like a sentry with a shrill bark. He can take Susie from a complacent older dog to a dog with vigor and gusto by simply grabbing the toy she has, tugging it and running away with it. He has added years to many of us. The lesson: love is not arrogant but perserveres.
The unique thing about dogs is they do all this without being taught to do it. They are inherently loyal, energetic, emotionally manipulative, and undyingly loving. In Marley and Me, John Grogan writes, “A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”
WOOF
Keith
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