Truth Be Told

For the past 13 years I have taught summer school each summer. I always hoped that someday I would not have to… that I would be in a financial situation allowing me to enjoy the summer with my family traveling or otherwise enjoying my time off. That’s not the way it went.

Elk Grove School District did not offer summer school this year because of budget cuts. Teachers’ salaries have been cut and furlough days are mandated. We have lost all of our pre-service days and we will have an additional number of days that we are being forced to take instruction away from students.

Apparently the President believes throwing more money at it will solve the problem. Another bail-out plan to “save jobs” will send money to school districts to hire back laid off teachers. It’s yet to be seen if this is a long-term fix or a band-aid, but it should be noted that none of the other bail-out plans have had the desired effect.

I spent my summer trying to sell granite http://capstonebrazilianimports.com and designing web pages http://www.belachifoods.com and I have no intention of spending more than a few hours at school getting ready for the new year. It’s a feeble effort, but, truth be told, I know that the expectation is that teachers will do what they do to help students because we care and we will do it without being paid. We will teach the same with less prep time and less instructional time. I hate being taken advantage of.

With the primary fast approaching, I have finally decided who to support. I have listened to the ads and to the candidate’s rhetoric and I have come to the conclusion that the best choice for California is Meg Whitman. Poizners ads are far from truthful and he has chosen several out of context sound bites in an effort to portray Whitman as something other than she is. Our economy is a mess and Whitman knows how to run a successful company (eBay seems to be doing OK). I have also chosen to support her “team,” those with whom she would like to work. So here it is:

Governor: Meg Whitman

Lt. Governor: Abel Maldonado

Atty. General: John Eastman

Insurance Comm.: Mike Villines

Controller: Tony Strickland

Sec. of State: Damon Dunn

US Senator: Carly Fiorina

US Rep: Dan Lungren (dist 3)

Assembly: Jack Sieglock (dist 10)

County Central Committee: Tony Andrade (dist 5)

Board of Equalization: George Runner (dist 2)

I’d also like to put in a plug for Jim Cooper as sheriff. I know Jim, but I know his daughter well from coaching Sheldon softball. Here is what I know about good kids… they come from good parents and Jim’s daughter is a good kid. I can’t give a higher recommendation than that.

Truth be told, I think we should elect only candidates who are not currently in office and that is how I am voting, with very few exceptions. Fire em all! Let’s start over.

is to protect its citizens from foreign invasion. As most of you are probably aware, Arizona is the first state to pass a state law requiring the enforcement of federal immigration law. While those on the left cry “unconstitutional” many more centrist Republicans are jumping on the bandwagon in an effort to gain some (or at least avoid losing any) votes in the November elections.

Here are some facts. People who come into the country illegally are criminals. They break the law by coming here illegally. People who break one law are many times more likely to break other laws. DUIs, hit and run car accidents, thefts, and violent crimes are committed at significantly higher rates by those who have broken the law by coming into our country illegally. People who are here illegally are willing to work off the books for lower wages than citizens or legal residents. This takes jobs and benefits away from people in our work force.

People on the left claim this is about race and racial profiling. Even in Arizona, where 60% of the people are in favor of the law, 50% have at least some concern that racial profiling may be a problem in it’s enforcement. If I go visit another country, I am required to carry with me proof that I am there legally. It has never even occurred to me that it has anything to do with race. I have a legal driver’s license that I have to carry with me all the time. If I am questioned by law enforcement and they deem it necessary for me to show my identification, I have to do so. It has nothing to do with my race. It is a simple matter to prove that I am legally in the country and that I am who I claim to be.

California wants to declare war on Arizona. Texas and Utah are about to sign similar laws as the Arizona mandate, so I suppose California will declare war on them as well. Obviously California thinks it is still as popular as it used to be. Liberal spending and anti-American sentiment in California has destroyed the economy here and driven away businesses as well as residents. I suggest an opposing approach. If you have a business in California, move it to Arizona, Texas or Utah. If you are planning a family vacation, go spend your money in those states and avoid the high-priced California vacation spots. If you are thinking of moving, move to a state where they enforce the law and protect you from foreign invasion. If California wants to declare war on America, lets fight back. Liberal law-makers in California think they have all the power, but they only do as long as we let them. The rest of the nation could decimate California’s tourism industry and economy as a whole.

My wife just became a citizen. She came here on a student visa and then got her legal residency and finally her citizenship. Yet many people are rewarded for circumventing that process and cutting to the front of the line for jobs. They have not respect for our nation or its laws. They simply want to steal opportunity from those that are already here.

Don’t be fooled by those who are claiming that passing laws against illegal immigration is unconstitutional. Just because they are loud, doesn’t mean they are right. Truth Be Told, not enforcing federal immigration law and refusing to protect our nation from this, or any, kind of foreign invasion is unconstitutional.

I always knew I wanted to be great at something, but I have not been able to figure out what it is. I dreamt of being a great athlete, but I never worked hard enough in the off-season. I always wanted to be a great musician or singer, but I never practiced enough. I thought I could be a great teacher, but I don’t spend enough time planning and thinking about how my students will hear my lessons. Maybe I could be a great coach, but I don’t devote enough time to it. I had the opportunity to be a great leader of men, but I am too distracted by other things to focus on the task at hand. I even think I could be a great writer, but I just don’t spend enough time writing. Not that I don’t have any talent in these areas, but I try to do too many of them. In fact, I’m fairly good at all of these things, but not great at any of them.

We have all heard the story of the baseball player who spent hours and hours practicing throwing the ball through a tire or bouncing it off the house, or the basketball player who spent all of his or her time shooting in the driveway with the dream of one day being a pro. We hear it from them when they have won a championship and they tell us that it was all they ever dreamt of and now they have achieved it. We hear the musician winning a Grammy and talking about how they first started singing when they were 2 and it’s all they ever wanted to do. I remember thinking, “I had that dream.” Most of us did at one point, but then the dream changes or we get otherwise distracted. Life gets in the way of our dreams, for some of us.

You might be like I am. I just haven’t been able to pick a dream. I have too many, and they get in the way of each other. Here I am, 47 years old, and I just haven’t been able to decide what I want to do when I grow up. Perhaps I am a Renaissance Man, you know, a ”jack of all trades,” but I still have this burning desire to be great… at something. I don’t want it for my own fame or fortune (not that there is anything wrong with that), but I have always wanted to leave a mark on the lives of others. Sometimes I hear from students, from players, from men I serve with at church that I have changed their lives. I have even heard some professional musicians tell me I am a good harmonica player. I get just enough encouragement in all my dreams that I don’t let go of any of them.

No great advice for you today readers, just some commiseration for all of you distracted dreamers out there. You are not alone. Truth be told, I would really like to pick something and be great at it.

It has been a few weeks since I received the news that my good friend, Dave, had passed away. He leaves behind his wife and three small children who are now struggling with the challenge of losing their husband and father.

Dave was, perhaps, the best drummer I had ever seen. He also had a firm grip on the values he wished to instill in his children and he made sure every day that they knew what was important and what was expected of them. I am certain that his wife will continue to teach their children those values and that Dave’s legacy will continue for generations. His daughters and son will know their father, even though he left us so early in their lives.

As I said, Dave was a good friend of mine. Our children went to the same school and our wives talked nearly every day. They only lived a mile or so from my house, and yet, I hadn’t seen or talked to Dave in almost a year. Life was busy and we both had our ’stuff’ going on.

I have become quite fond of saying that “we’ve all got ’stuff!’” But the ’stuff’ can’t be allowed to get in the way. As a teacher and a ministry leader at my church, I always expound to others the importance of relationships and that the ’stuff’ must be put in perspective so that it doesn’t interfere with the relationships. It still does. I get so busy teaching algebra, that I sometimes forget to teach students. I get so busy leading a ministry, that I sometimes forget to connect with the brothers in Christ that I work with.  I sometimes get so involved in being a provider for my family that I am less of the husband and father that I should be. I sometimes get so busy that I forget to be a friend.

I know what Dave would say; “Dude, it’s cool.” But, Truth Be Told, it’s not cool that we let ’stuff’ get in the way of what is really important.

The great mystery of the week: for what did President Obama receive the Nobel prize? According to the Nobel committee, it was for “pre-election rhetoric” rather than anything he has done since being sworn in. Well, that’s a relief!

Let’s examine exactly what the President has accomplished. US economy – worse. National debt – larger. War in Iraq – same. Afghanistan – worse. Olympics coming to Chicago – no. Health care reform – not yet. He has spent an inordinate amount of time apologizing to the world on behalf of the United States and he has appointed czars to help promote socialism.

So, according to the Nobel committee, you can be nominated for talking about things you would like to do and then not doing them. Based on that, every Miss America contestant from the beginning of time should receive a Nobel prize for desiring “world peace.” Hey, I want world peace too, do I get one?

Al Gore described Obama’s award as “well-deserved.” But then, Gore got his award for a mockumentary on climate change. There are at least nine major factual misrepresentaations in An Incionvenient Truth, but that didn’t bother the Nobel committee. So Gore is probably just pleased to have someone who has done even less be the recipient of the award; it somehow justifies his own.

One thing that Obama has done is to award Harvey Milk the medal of honor for his role as a gay rights activist. Which leads me to another empty honor. Governor Schwarzenegger has just signed a bill into law creating Harvey Milk Day on May 22 (a bill he previously vetoed). Both the medal and the holiday are based on Milk’s accomplishments. I thought I should list them…

He was gay

He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

He was killed

…

(cricket sounds here)

…

You might recall that George Moscone was killed the same day as Milk. Moscone did much more for San Francisco than Milk. In fact, although the movie depicts Milk as a vocal activists, he was not. He was not killed because he was gay, so even his “martyrdom” is a fabrication. He was killed because Dan White was mad that he could not get his job back after he retired. So White killed the man who took his job (Milk) and the man in charge (Moscone). The movie depicts the whole thing differently, but movies can earn honors for people that they don’t deserve (reference Al Gore, above).

All three of these honors were given because of who the recipients are (or appear to be), not because of what they have done. In fact, none of them have actually done anything.

Truth be told, giving honors to people for who they are rather than what they have done does not honor them, rather it dishonors the honor and all those who have previously received them.

Last week our district superintendent addressed our site concerning the current budget situation and how it will affect education. He posed an interesting question: “How is it that the 8th largest economy in the world ranks below the territories in education spending?”

Although it doesn’t change the point that was being made, some corrections to the facts should be pointed out. First, California ranks 11th as a world economy and we rank 47th among states in per student educational spending. More importantly, we rank 34th in SAT scores. This begs the question; does spending really have an effect on educational results? Even a quick glance at the two lists would indicate that the answer is no. The highest ranked state in SAT scores (Iowa) ranks near the middle in spending, while the state spending the most (Vermont) ranks 29th in SAT scores. Even in California, we rank higher in scores than many states spending more, but also lower than some spending less per student.

Due to the nature of our economy, it is unreasonable to even compare the cost of anything in California with that in other states directly. Everything in California costs more. It costs more to live in California, so it stands to reason that teacher salaries have to be more here than in other states. Construction costs are higher, as are maintenance and utilities. These are arguments (and there are others) for increased spending in California.

On the other hand, we have higher SAT scores than states spending more than we do per student. Does that mean that our programs are more effective than those states? Does that mean our teachers are better? Every state uses curriculum from only a few text book publishers. We all have the same material. We have the same or similar credentialing criteria. The biggest single factor seems to be the local economy.

Truth be told, the government has longago proven that the cost of something has little to do with its value. The local economy determines the time that parents have to spend with their children and that is the major determining factor of success.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about heroes. I think we all want to be heroes in our own way, I know I do. I suppose there are times when I have been somewhat heroic. I know there are times when I have not been such. I suspect that both are true for all of us.

We become heroes when we put someone else’s happiness, security, safety, health…. above our own. We become heroes when we set aside our own “best interests” in order to serve someone else’s. We truly become heroes when our best interests become those of others. We all have opportunities to be heroes every day. As a minister to men, I have often heard from men about how they want to be heroes, but struggle with falling short.

More than anything, I want to be a hero to my kids and to my wife. Of course, we can’t set out to be heroes. It’s a by-product of the life we lead, which is a result of the choices we make. I’ve been reading the Principle of The Path (Andy Stanley) and I am beginning to see the ‘hero quest’ as part of the path I am on. I know the kind of man I want to be, that will result in me being that hero to my family and to my students and, maybe, to the other people in my life, and I struggle daily to stay on that path. Little distractions appear along the side of my path like shiny objects to a crow and I start veering off course, sometimes without even realizing it. It’s fairly easy to get back on the path if we notice early that we have started to move away from it, but I can also see how we could find ourselves way off course fairly quickly. Not all distractions are necessarily bad, except that they are distractions.

I often tell others that the key to success is to pick a destination and then stay on the path that leads us there. It’s easier said than done. There are the obvious distractions – things we know we should not waste our time with, but sometimes do anyway, but there are also more subtle distractions. We get led away by filling our time with (even good) activities that keep us from accomplishing our real task.

Truth be told, we become heroes in the eyes of those who love us when we find and pursue our purpose. We find balance and peace in family, ministry, work and play. Being a hero just naturally grows out of that.

And this is a departure form my usual writings, but I do know good food and Annie’s in Austin, Texas is way better than just good. First, Austin may be the friendliest city I have ever visited and I am somewhat envious of my friend Craig who is moving there. There was no shortage of people willing to make suggestions as to where to go to eat or to listen to music.

I was in the region for business and decided to check out Austin for the evening. Not really expecting greatness on a Thursday, but figured I could find a good steak and maybe some live music to check out. My business partner and I were browsing restaurant window menus when a gentleman stepped out and invited us into Annie’s. He said he didn’t work there, but his wife was a part owner, and he guaranteed that I would not be disappointed with the steak.

The first thing I noticed is that the restaurant was light without being too bright. It held a friendly atmosphere that was contagious. Many people were sitting at a bar that boasted an impressive list of high end cocktail fixins for those who indulge in such things and the tables were bar height. The patrons were joining into each others’ conversations in a friendly, non-obtrusive way and it immediately felt like I had known the owner, waitresses, bar-tenders and other guests for years. Maybe that’s just Texas and maybe that’s Austin, but I think it had a lot to do with the place. We were given an appetizer of a thin crust pizza which we barely finished before the meal arrived. I had the best New York strip I have ever eaten and I was told the chef slices them himself – which explains the slightly thicker cut. It was seasoned with cracked black pepper and sea salt and just a few mushrooms. The marinade was just enough to enhance the steak without overpowering it. I can only describe it as perfect. The vegetables were lightly seasoned string beans with a few almond slices and they were also very good. We are in Texas, so the steak came with french fried potatoes. My business partner had the halibut, which I sampled. It was just crispy on the outside, but flaky and light inside. The fish was lightly seasoned and cooked perfectly. The seasoning added to, but did not distract from the flavor of the food. Over all, my experience at Annie’s was worth the trip to Austin by itself.

The night was not over, however. We started looking for some live music and were directed to 6th Street where we soon heard some hot blues coming out of a club called Friends. We went inside and sat down to listen to Brother Magnum, an Austin local with origins in Oakland. Magz can really sing and play guitar. He has a soulful style of blues that brings back some classics like Otis Redding and a voice that recalls a little Hootie mixed with Albert King. I happened to have a couple of blues harps with me and Magz invited me up to sit in on a couple of tunes. Check out his website, brothermagnum.com, and order his CD. Definitely worth listening to.

Truth be told, I had a great time in Austin and I am looking for reasons to go back. When I do, I will eat at Annies and look up Brother Magnum to see where he is playing.

I met “Dad” (and I only knew Jerry as “Dad” until yesterday when I attended his funeral) when his oldest granddaughter was on the high school softball team I help coach. Meeting the two sisters and working with them over the course of 6 years on the softball field and, occasionally, a few other places around the high school campus, inspired many conversations with their parents about parenting and teaching kids priorities. I have enjoyed watching these fine young ladies go on to bigger and better things and seeing the hard work and preparation they always put into their successes. I have seen them grow from little girls to young women. I have seen their scholastic and athletic success. I have seen how they prioritize and organize their time. I have seen how they have mentored others. My daughter has taken a special interest in the younger sister and has chosen to follow her as a catcher on her softball team. This has been met with a kindness and an interest rarely exhibited by high school students towards 2nd graders. In my daughter’s case, she has been blessed by, not one, but two such mentors (friend, pitcher, teammate of the other). I continue to be impressed as these young ladies juggle the myriad of activities beset upon young people in the high-pressure worlds of competitive sports and major universities. These sisters chose the same university. I know many who would have purposely chosen differently.

Reflecting on Jerry’s life, of which I know so little, I see some key points that seemed to make all the difference for many. First, he gave his children a firm foundation built on faith in God and trust in family. He used a common language (in this case softball) so he could continue to communicate with them, as they got older. Second, he taught them to prioritize and work hard for success, but that all the success they could achieve is not as important as faith and family and the values and morals that go with them. Third, he expanded his influence, reaching out beyond his family to provide the same for countless others. Finally, he continued to be a strong presence in the lives of all those he had influenced and, by so doing, he taught them to continue what he had started. And they do.

Truth be told, I didn’t know Jerry very well, but I know who and what he was, because I have know many of those he loves. Jerry may have “put it in the book” but the game goes on and his legacy continues.