President Obama spoke at Morehouse's graduation this past weekend.
His speech was so personal and profound that I sent it to all the males I love.
It was pouring raining.
When you look at this picture what are YOU thinking?
Did it affect you in any way?
I'm working on something about "Soft Kids" in response to things I've seen and heard for a minute now especially here on the blog.
I don't know many teenagers who are together you know? Like...if they had to strike out and do some things on their own...they'd be azzed out because it seems their critical thinking skills just aren't all that great it seems. You know...like the stuff that is important to them doesn't help them develop these skills at all and well...they seem throwed the hell off more and more.
I've been around kids who can't even remember where the vehicle was parked that the just got out of 10 minutes ago. Like...they don't even remember what the vehicle looks like even if they've been in said vehicle a gamillion times before. How do you not notice what kinda car you ride in?
And the bullying. Yes...it's a big f'ing deal in lots of instances but kids can't seem to even be able to figure out how to flip the script. I said something to a friend recently about an instance where a girl was deciding that a random day was "IGNORE A CLASSMATE DAY" and she'd just pick someone and all of the kids would ignore that kid all day. My friend immediately said...the kids need to find out something about her life that would embarrass the shit outta her and tell the other kids. I mean sure...it's not an ideal solution but would it have worked? Probably. Did the kids think of this? No. Just no counter action AT.ALL. and let the chick rule the classroom being evil.
I know I get annoyed with E and he's a pretty smart kid. LIke...if I tell him to do something I have to tell him all of the steps to do it. I can't just say, E...take the garbage out. I have to say, E...take the garbage bag out of the can and tie it up, look under the sink and get another garbage bag and put it in making sure you tuck the top around the top of the can, close the lid, take the bag out to the outside garbage can on side of the house and put it in the can and then put the top back on it.
If I don't say it SPECIFICALLY like that...some bullshit is gonna go down that will make me question his sanity.
Having this conversation with my friends uncovered a whole gamut of things they are disappointed in with teenagers of today being soft. One friend feels like her friend isn't a fighter and she blames herself. She says that every problem he's ever had she's been able to throw money at it because she wanted to be a good parent and give her child the tools to succeed. If he was having trouble in class she hired him a private tutor or put him in an after school tutoring program for additional help. She says he's okay with just doing okay when she's competitive as hell and want him to be as well.
One friend shared the differences between her and her brother. How she has IT but her brother doesn't even though they were raised by the same mother.
And it goes on and on.
What, in your opinion, makes some kids SOFT and unable to figure ish out? How can the same kids be raised in the same environment yet one be SOFT and the other not? How can a kid who has a parent who has always excelled and whose parent has always focused on their CHILD excelling...end up being SOFT?
What do you think of the SOFT kids?
Did YOUR grandparents go to college?
Are your kids SMART, are they really good students or both?
Which were/are you?
What study habits do they have which you think are awesome?
What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades. Optimum Learning. Minimum Time.
List 5 reasons you believe college is important...IN YOUR OPINION.
Do / did / will you encourage YOUR child to attend?
So last night, Tiffany In Houston posted this article on FB:
I read the comments not having formed my own opinion yet and then read oneblackman's comment:
"Yes he should keep it. However, there's a poor kid that ball somewhere tat could really use that scholarship or had to take a scholarship from another school simply because UCLA didn't have anymore. Schools are given a certain amount of scholarships each year. If the Combs boy would give his up, that would give them an extra scholarship thus giving his team an advantage."
And that REALLY made me think about what I would do in a similiar situation.
What say you? What do YOU think?
This is the BEST.THING.EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NERDS UNITE!
Tsipora had parent teacher conferences at E's school today. The teachers told her how smart and engaging he is in class. You know...the kinda words parents LOVE to hear about their children.
And then...they took it a step further.
They were REALLY impressed with how E advocates for himself.
And that made all of us grin from ear-to-ear.
Cuz that's the stuff GREATNESS is made of.
And that's the stuff we preach to him ALL.THE.TIME!
E goes to his teachers and asks what else can he do in order to get that A. He asks if he can re-do reports and homework and such if he doesn't get the expected grade. He's been taught to NOT take no for an answer. He is to be respectful, of course, but he needs to go to the teacher and ask questions and attempt to explain any issues which may have caused him to be unfairly graded.
WE DON'T TAKE WHAT IS GIVEN!
WE EARN EVERY.SINGLE.THING!
USE YOUR MOUTHPIECE!
SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF!
DON'T TAKE WHAT IS GIVEN!
WE EARN EVERY.SINGLE.THING!
The teachers stated that no other kids do this and that it is so awesome that he does this.
INSERT BIG CHEESE EATING GRIN HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are so proud of that kid man! He's doing what he's supposed to do. His level of confidence brings us JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That kid is totally destined for GREATNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do YOUR kids advocate for themselves?
Do your kids get to use calculators to do their homework and to take tests? Does this bother you when they aren't scientific calculations?
Have you ever taken one of these?
How did YOU prepare?
Did you get the score you wanted the first time?
If not...did you re-take it?
What did you do differently?
I got annoyed recently at a dude who isn't a college graduate and yet seems to have had an okay life so far. Dude works in a service industry and has a life that seems comparable to that of someone who has a graduate degree and is working in a position of management.
I got annoyed because dude came across as trying to celebrate college dropouts who made it as if it should be a source of encouragement to those who were on the fence about going to or completing college.
I doubt if Steve Jobs ever had to fill out a job application in his entire life.
A woman lives in a district where her kids would have to go to poor performing schools.
Her father lives in a distict where the schools are really good.
The woman decides she wants her kids to go to the better schools so they may have the better quality education.
She uses her father's address so the kids can go to the schools in her father's area.
The district spends $6,000 on private investigators to follow the kids and their mother to prove they don't live in the district.
The mother is arrested for fraud and sent to jail for 10 days.
I posted this article on FB last night and a good discussion evolved. The following comment was particularly interesting to me:
What say YOU?
She's finally finished Lawd.
She's finally finished Lawd!
SHE'S FINALLY FINISHED LAWD THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR BLESSINGS, SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE!
She defends on Wednesday.
THANK YOU JESUS!
Question...for some reason her graduation party is almost two weeks later than her graduation. If this was your sister and you KNEW your schedule wouldn't allow you to make both events...which would you do? Graduation or party?
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