NO CUSHIONS!

How time flies....it was just yesterday when I was sitting in a class in my JHS (circa 1994) and the highlight of my day was going to the gym for cheerleader practice, hanging out with my crew laughing, being in young love and thinking I knew it all. I would HATE to have to leave my friends and I just wanted to be within our little cipher all day and night if I could.

Something about when you are age 11-14,(JHS era) nothing else matters but your best friend and if you have a boyfriend him too. What is so funny is we forget the feeling we had during this age. We felt like the smallest things were the end of the world. We looked at everything literally, and we wanted to please our friends and do whatever we could to prove ourselves.

We did not care if Micheal was not the cutest guy in the school but if he could play basketball and he was tall then that was enough. We were not as judgemental. We had our little click and we stuck to them. We loved them. We became a brand with our clicks and it was nothing we would not do for our fellow click mate if something jumped off, even if an hour before you was gossiping about her to the next person. This did not matter because there was a forgivable innocence about being on the brink of teenage life and you knew life would go on.

I am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Childhood Education as I have mentioned before, and a couple days out the week I go into some school's in my area and student teach. Today I had a class of 5th graders. They were soooo awesome!!!

Now I know many of you are saying, "the kids of today are nothing like we used to be", and you are 100% right! They are NOTHING like we used to be, because they are exposed to way more then what we used to dream of.

They have every electronic device under the sun, their attention span is a minute in a half tops, and they are living in a world that is 10x's more advanced than what is was. Even though all of these factors make them different they still share the same young innocent spirit we all had. That spirit of intrigue, passion and energy to accept new things and embrace sincerity when its given.

When I was there with the 5th graders today they just lit up and they wanted to know more about who I was, and why I was there. Some of the girls came, stroked my hair, rubbed my hands, begged to come with me and if I would come back. They were excited because they saw something NEW and I brought something new to them.

I brought energy, enthusiasm, I gave them much needed EXTRA attention and made them feel soo important that they could not resist but smile, raise their hands in excitement, be respectful and eager to learn more.

This felt sooo good and you could feel it! These are the same children that we hear about every single day. "These kids today are disrespectful, horrible, unruly..." the list goes on, and in reality they do posseses these traits, BUT they just need to feel human, they need some of us to just look into their eyes and say "You are so pretty", " You are soo smart"! even IF they are not acting at their best. They are so NOT USED to hearing and feeling like they are worth something that when they do hear it, that even becomes a mental adjustment.

Many of you may not be interested in teaching or working with kids but I promise that the state of the young people today, it is in ALL OF OUR best interest to get involved on some level. These kids WILL be the ones to uphold our society in about 20-30 years, and if none of us care enough to jump in and show some interest in them now then we might as well lay down and accept the fate of our failure as a collective.

There is so much to be done. I decided I wanted to teach because it is just who I am anyway everyday. I am constantly trying to school, motivate and get people through situations and problems on any level that is presented to me.

My daughter is part of the future and I must be involved and present to it now. Many of you may not have children yet but one day you will and you will feel responsible.

I ask that all of you try to volunteer in your local communities, Church's, and schools (PTA). Even if you are on the train or out in public and you see two young people acting in ways that are less than who they really are (because no child is really as disgusting as they appear) pull them aside and say something!

SPEAK UP and shame on you if you are"Scared". This is why these young people are running rampid now, because in the damn school system they now tell administrators "do not touch or break up any fight if it breaks out...you risk being sued"..WHAT! So as a responsible adult you are expected to watch children break each other's faces? NO! You would not do that if it was your own child and you should not watch someone else's child be harmed either.

Step up and speak out and reclaim order within our humanness. As I always say this is not a race thing. We are humans first and must reach a level of consciousness that promotes positive humanness amongst each other.

I know this blog went on long today but it is so important for us to not let FEAR keep us stifled and weak. Fear was your worst enemy yesterday, it will be your worst enemy today and tomorrow!

Do not give in, break through it! MAKE IT HAPPEN! Whatever it is you want to do -- DO IT!

I don't care if you wake up and decide you want to start an online business collecting boogers...DO IT! DO whatever moves you...and let money be the last reason you do ANYTHING! If that was the case we would not have 85% of the famous successful people of today. They all started what they have without a fortune to fall back on.

I will finally end with this; many people justify going to school saying " I just wanna have something to fall back on if things never work out..a plan B" NEVER go to school or do anything if this is your only premise.

If you have a dream and you know there is a cushion behind you, it will be easy for you to fall BACKWARDS then going through the struggle and strife, BUT if you know there is no cushion behind your backside if you fall then I know and you know you will hold on for dear life until you see your way through WHATEVER it is you want...Live life with no CUSHIONS!

Love you all!!!

XOXOXO