Hawaii - 2005
Sunday, June 8, 2008
20 Year Class Reunion
Twenty years pass us by a lot faster than most of us would like to admit.
I still cannot get over the fact that I am going to be 38 years old....soon! I can still recall playing with Star Wars figures with Sammy G. and throwing wet toilet paper on Richard V.'s garage door. There was also the time that Alex Ch. and I rode our bikes to the Citadel......before it was the Citadel.
Ok, so that was a long time ago and my elementary days are far behind me. Except that every day of my life I report to an elementary school and work with children, so it's like I never really left. Hmmmmm.....but is has been a lifetime.
You know this whole reunion thing has made me wax a bit nostalgic. It doesn't help that I ran into Diana S. from Stevenson Junior High School last week. She moved to North Carolina but does consulting work here in Los Angeles. It was a true act of God that I even ran into her....more so that we recognized each other after 23 years. I also ran into Richard V. at LAX when I was dropping my father off at the airport. That was a true coincidence. I had not seen Richard since Lorena Street School and we were great friends. We have since grown up and moved on.
The amazing thing about those two encounters is that these people were truly an important part of my life in many ways. They are a reconnection to my past; an indelible link to my childhood. When I think back on my life I realize that I am truly blessed. I am truly fortunate. I am truly lucky. Life was never easy, but it was always fun. Nothing was ever handed to me, but it was fun taking what I could and running with it every step. Sure I had teachers who believed in me....I also had teachers who were a$$hole$. Well actually, just one. I am sure that to this day Mr. Mitchell (if he is still alive) remembers that an 8th grader was smarter than he. He took great joy in having me believe that I would fail in life. The only problem was this.....I told him that HE was the failure and that he should not live vicariously through his students. After that he stopped with his snide remarks and I earned that A in his Geometry class. Maybe to spite him....maybe to prove to him that I could do it. Maybe I knew all along that I could not and would not fail.
Then there's Ms. Hanson. Oh Ms. Hanson. Words can never say. So I will leave it at that.
At any rate....the Roosevelt High School Class of 1988 - 20 Year Reunion is underway.
Quiet Freaking Cannon; the name itself implies an oxymoron. Just like the kids from Roosevelt. We were not supposed to succeed, but we did. We did and we continue to do so. We are everywhere and we are doing it all. Outsiders would have everyone believe that we are all gangbangers, drug dealers and welfare recipients. Sure we are some of that. But that is not all we are. You can find gangbangers, drug dealers and welfare recipients all over the country, that goes without say. We are also productive citizens of the community, the city, the United States and the world. We had it tough, but we have endured and we continue to do so.
I look forward to getting together with old friends, old acquaintances and old classmates. We're not really old....we're just getting better.
I still cannot get over the fact that I am going to be 38 years old....soon! I can still recall playing with Star Wars figures with Sammy G. and throwing wet toilet paper on Richard V.'s garage door. There was also the time that Alex Ch. and I rode our bikes to the Citadel......before it was the Citadel.
Ok, so that was a long time ago and my elementary days are far behind me. Except that every day of my life I report to an elementary school and work with children, so it's like I never really left. Hmmmmm.....but is has been a lifetime.
You know this whole reunion thing has made me wax a bit nostalgic. It doesn't help that I ran into Diana S. from Stevenson Junior High School last week. She moved to North Carolina but does consulting work here in Los Angeles. It was a true act of God that I even ran into her....more so that we recognized each other after 23 years. I also ran into Richard V. at LAX when I was dropping my father off at the airport. That was a true coincidence. I had not seen Richard since Lorena Street School and we were great friends. We have since grown up and moved on.
The amazing thing about those two encounters is that these people were truly an important part of my life in many ways. They are a reconnection to my past; an indelible link to my childhood. When I think back on my life I realize that I am truly blessed. I am truly fortunate. I am truly lucky. Life was never easy, but it was always fun. Nothing was ever handed to me, but it was fun taking what I could and running with it every step. Sure I had teachers who believed in me....I also had teachers who were a$$hole$. Well actually, just one. I am sure that to this day Mr. Mitchell (if he is still alive) remembers that an 8th grader was smarter than he. He took great joy in having me believe that I would fail in life. The only problem was this.....I told him that HE was the failure and that he should not live vicariously through his students. After that he stopped with his snide remarks and I earned that A in his Geometry class. Maybe to spite him....maybe to prove to him that I could do it. Maybe I knew all along that I could not and would not fail.
Then there's Ms. Hanson. Oh Ms. Hanson. Words can never say. So I will leave it at that.
At any rate....the Roosevelt High School Class of 1988 - 20 Year Reunion is underway.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Quiet Cannon
Quiet Freaking Cannon; the name itself implies an oxymoron. Just like the kids from Roosevelt. We were not supposed to succeed, but we did. We did and we continue to do so. We are everywhere and we are doing it all. Outsiders would have everyone believe that we are all gangbangers, drug dealers and welfare recipients. Sure we are some of that. But that is not all we are. You can find gangbangers, drug dealers and welfare recipients all over the country, that goes without say. We are also productive citizens of the community, the city, the United States and the world. We had it tough, but we have endured and we continue to do so.
I look forward to getting together with old friends, old acquaintances and old classmates. We're not really old....we're just getting better.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Arizona
At the end of February, beginning of March this year we went to Arizona to see Dez play in her softball tournament. We had a great time and observed some neat sites. It wasn't too much of a sightseeing trip as we spent most of our time watching her play softball. The team did not fare too well, but we were able to hang out with her and her friends and that's always nice.
Here's some Arizona scenery.
Dez playing softball
The fans
Whale Watching
Went whale watching with Vicki, Norma and Chris today. We had a good time even though we all got a bit sick......except for Norma -- oddly enough.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Mexico 2004
This was an awesome trip for the Serrato men. Tata, Chris and I had a great time traveling all over Mexico. We saw the ruins at Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Cobá, Tulum, El Tajin (Veracruz). We met some awesome relatives in Mexico City and ended our trip of four weeks with a visit to Degollado.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Legg Lake
Walked the lake with my new camera today. Lot's of people out there today. Lot's of dogs and poop too. Why don't people take care of cleaning up their dog's business? Do I really need to step in that? NO I don't!!
I really like my new camera......I still have a way to go with my photography skills, but I am just taking these pictures for my own enjoyment.
Putting the Professional back into Professional Development
Long day.....Short story.
Professional development doesn't just happen. Or at least it shouldn't just happen. PD needs to be well thought out, planned out and rolled out. Fail to plan......plan to fail.
Today was a long day, but a good day. I need to feel reinvigorated. I think I might be on my way to reinvigoration (is that a word?....probably only in my head) and that's good. The only problem is that the level of work that I put in will now be multiplied exponentially. That could be good or bad depending on how you look at it, but either way I think it will be good for me!
Professional development doesn't just happen. Or at least it shouldn't just happen. PD needs to be well thought out, planned out and rolled out. Fail to plan......plan to fail.
Today was a long day, but a good day. I need to feel reinvigorated. I think I might be on my way to reinvigoration (is that a word?....probably only in my head) and that's good. The only problem is that the level of work that I put in will now be multiplied exponentially. That could be good or bad depending on how you look at it, but either way I think it will be good for me!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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