The Passage of Time and Torches

This past week has been an awesome one for me in so many ways.  Although most of them have been for personal reasons, it still goes back to my career and my previous life as a teacher and a principal, and as a mother.

In the early 1980's I taught third grade at Patterson Elementary School in Gilbert.  I had previously taught special education in the district.  I have always loved Arizona history and so much of the early history took place in southeastern Arizona where I grew up.  In addition, Arizona's economy for many, many years was tied to the copper industry.  Growing up in Douglas, I was immersed in the copper industry as Phelps Dodge was a major part of the economy down here.  In fact, I was able to go to ASU for four years because I was able to work at the smelter here in Douglas during the summers and during vacations and the pay was great.

My great grandparents moved to Bisbee in 1903.  Both of them were from Ireland and my great grandfather, Matthew Roughan, was a miner.  He moved to Bisbee from the silver mines in Leadville, Colorado.  My grandparents, Katherine Roughan Scott and Edward Scott were married in Leadville in 1902.  They moved to Douglas, Arizona in 1912 (the year that Arizona became a state) as my grandfather was a conductor on the Southern Pacific Railroad.  So our family history is steeped in the history of Arizona.

As a result of this love for my roots, I wanted to share this history with my students.  So I started taking my third graders to Bisbee and Tombstone.  We spent the first day in Tombstone and then spent the night in Bisbee at the high school gym.  The next day we did the mine tour.  I was the first teacher in Gilbert who took a class on an overnight field trip and I remember having to go before the Board to ask permission.  I did this trip for 10 years and it was an incredible experience for my students and did so much to build community in my classroom.  

I remember when Kartchner Caverns was discovered, but not yet opened.  My plan was to have my students experience this also.  But then  I became an administrator and no longer was able to do this trip.

One of my wonderful teachers at Gilbert El started taking her students on this trip a few years ago.  Cameron was in Mrs. Dawn's class and was able to have this incredible experience.  And of course, she added Kartchner Caverns to the trip, as well as the Arizona/Sonora Desert Museum.  Kerri did her student teaching with Dottie and had the opportunity to have this experience.

So this year when I moved to Douglas, I checked with our policy down here and it was possible for the students to stay at one of our schools.  

Last week both classes had their field trips.  The kids and parents were able to stay at Ray Borane Middle School which is a block from the house.  It was the original high school and has a big gym which is much like the one in Bisbee.  I had all of the kids over both nights for bean burros, salsa, and hot dogs.  It was so much fun!! 

My high school friends, Susan and Elsa (and their husbands, Brian and Jesus) came to help serve both nights.  We had about 30 kids and 20 adults in the backyard.  What was so funny was that the kids loved jumping into our "home made pool."  Lucy and Diego were in their glory!!  And Teresa loved every minute of it!!  One of the funnier moments was when Brian heard a couple of the Gilbert El kids talking about Lucy and Diego.  They were commenting on how protective the pugs were of me.  However, one of the kids insisted that they were not pugs, but were PIT BULLS!  Lucy and Diego are as far away as any dog could be from a pit bull!

I am so proud that Kerri has carried on this tradition.  I was so proud of how she told her kids and parents about the house here in Douglas and her heritage and family roots!  Her class came Tuesday and so we had a sort of "rehearsal" for Wednesday when the Gilbert El kids came.

I was so EXCITED all day Wednesday for the arrival of the kids.  I cannot express how important this was to me.  I have mentioned previously about not having any closure to my 20 years at Gilbert El.  

Everything was ready for dinner and I was just waiting for the call from Dottie.  When she called and told me they were about 10 minutes away, I went out and waited in the front yard.  I could hear the bus coming down the street before it arrived.  

And the hugs from the kids and parents brought tears to my eyes!!  I know that I was so excited to see the kids, but what meant the most was that they were so excited to see me!!  It reinforced my feeling that being an elementary princiPAL was truly what I was.  It has always been my belief that the role of a principal is to ensure the best for the students in every way possible.  I never wanted my students to be afraid of me, but I always wanted them to be respectful of my position.  I believe that discipline must be "taught" and not necessarily be just a "consequence."  This was reinforced when I talked to a young man who I saw a lot over the last few years for his behavior choices.  When I asked how he was doing, he told me he was doing good.  He then told me that he always knew that no matter what happened, he always knew that I cared about him.  We both were a bit teary during that conversation.  He had come into the kitchen while I was getting something and we had a chance to talk privately.  I gave him a big hug, which was reciprocated.  That conversation meant the world to me!!

I love my new  position down here in Douglas.  I feel as though I can do some things that will make a difference on a whole different level.  However, being an elementary principal is absolutely the best job in the world!!  I could never imagine a better experience than I had those 20 years.  I am blessed to have been able to be a part of shaping the lives of so many young people who are the future of our country.  WOW!!!

She Has Officially "Gone to the Dogs!"

I never thought it would truly happen, but Aunt Teresa has officially "gone to the dogs."  She wasn't real excited for me to bring the two pugs down here, but she has actually become quite attached to them, especially Diego (aka James).  

Every day she walks down the street to the mailboxes to get the mail.  A couple of days ago, she decided to take Diego with her.  Now he isn't real fond of leashes after the bad experience he had when he was a little puppy (a previous blog entry).  However, he has now figured that a leash means getting to go somewhere.  Lucy not only knows what a leash is, but even gets excited when the word is even mentioned.
 

So I had to hold Lucy when Teresa took Diego on the walk.  He walked very well and came back very happy.  He needs to go a bit farther on his walks as he is on a diet (sort of).  Since moving to Douglas, he has gained a few pounds!!

The next day Teresa took Lucy on her jaunt to the mailboxes.  Lucy isn't the best walker.  She tries to bite the leash and tends to run up and back.  At one time, poor Teresa was wrapped around the leash.  I can just hear the family if I had to report how she fell!!

But Diego had a FIT when he was left behind!!! He was out in the  front yard running up and down, howling and crying.  Our other dogs always seem to want to make a break to "look for a better life."  But not Diego.... he never wants to go out of the yard as he knows that he has a good life.  

That was until yesterday!  Teresa moves a bit slowly and when she opened the gate, Diego made a beeline out of the gate.  He has never tried this before.  He ran as fast as his fat little puggy feet could carry him down to the mailboxes.  He was hellbent on his mission to go to the mailboxes.  I went after him and he wasn't interested in anything other than getting to the mailboxes.  It was hysterical!!  I am not sure what exactly he thought he was going to see there when he was left behind, but he came back with me just fine.

So today, Teresa took Diego on the leash down to the mailboxes.    He was very content with his trip.  Poor Lucy---I doubt that she will get to go anymore.

SO IT IS OFFICIAL!!  OUR AUNT TERESA HAS 
BECOME A PUG LOVER!

The Ultimate Compliment!

So many of the events that have happened since I have moved to Douglas in my new position, are not things that I can write about on my blog.  I think that may be one of the reasons that I haven't written a whole lot over the past few months.  Living here in Douglas with Teresa and learning a new job and reconnecting with people has been quite an experience.  I haven't had a whole lot of time for other "things" in my life.

Although I know many people here, it has taken me several months to make connections and to reconnect.  I have mentioned in previous entries that it has been amazing to me how fast the trust has come for me in my new position.  I never in my wildest dreams thought that would happen so quickly.  

With education cuts happening all over the country, this is certainly a very trying time.  It seems that our country, and particularly Arizona, doesn't value the importance of public education and what it has meant to the U.S.
 

So the past many weeks has been spent trying to develop a budget that will have the least impact on our students and on our staff.  Our district is a large employer in the community and we have a lot of great support from the community.  The faculty and staff in our district are incredibly dedicated and I continue to be in awe of what is accomplished in this poor, border town.  Our kids are amazing, too.  It says so much about the sense of community that exists here.

Today our leadership team met with certified and classified representatives to discuss recommendations that are going to be made to the Governing Board next Tuesday.   We have been able to find a way to make cuts as painless as possible.   

I firmly believe that we have to involve all of the stakeholders in decision making.  So as I went through the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we will be proposing, one of the classified participants looked at me and said, "You are Margaret!"  This man served on the City Council and knew my mom.  He had told me one other time that I sounded like her, but when he said that today, I took it as the ultimate compliment that anyone could give to me!!  And I truly believe that is exactly how he meant it....

I have thought all evening how to put this into words.  I don't know if I can express the depth of emotion that those three words brought to me.    I can only hope that I can be half of the kind of person that Margaret Shannon was.  I have always been proud to be her daughter, but to have those words uttered today..........all I can say is WOW!!

  

Alice Walker says "My Mother handed down respect for possibilities--and the will to grasp them."  Those words have a powerful meaning to me.  I hope I will continue to have "the will to grasp those possibilities."  

There is not a week that goes by that someone doesn't say something to me about my mom.  It continues to happen.  I know that she would be proud that I am here now.  But more important than that, I am proud to be in this wonderful community.  Hopefully, I can give something back to this community.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be here!!!

Timely Message

At the Arizona School Board Association conference in December, there were two of the most inspiration speakers I have ever heard. Dr. Kent Keith was one of them. He wrote this when he was 19 years old. His words have been used by many influential people over the years. I truly believe in what he says and this has been tested recently. My last post was very timely with some events that happened this past week. I just want to share them as I believe they are very powerful. The other speaker was incredible also. She is probably "the most inspirational speaker I have ever heard!" I will post more about her later. In the meantime, these words are what I believe we all need to live by. I am keeping the wonderful song by Rascal Flatts on this post. Please listen to the words of this song!!!

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

A Very Important Gift

For some reason, I haven't been keeping up with my blog writing like I have in the past. I think I may have a bit of a "writer's block." However, this has even carried over into my love of reading. I haven't read for awhile until this afternoon. Although I am busy, I don't think that is the reason. Maybe the quiet afternoon today without having to go to the valley, Tucson, or any place else and the time I spent actually reading a new book, will help to unlock whatever has kept me from this blog. I hope so, because I miss reading and I miss writing.

I have actually been thinking about writing about this gift for some time now. Maybe trying to make sure that I impart what I want to say has been formulating in my mind and how I will be able to get it down into words...................

Just before Christmas, I went to lunch with our Governing Board President. He was instrumental in me being named the Superintendent of Schools down here. His term of office was up the first of January. He had been an invaluable support for my first six months on the job.

He had a gift bag to give me with some words of wisdom behind the gift. He told me that it was not an expensive gift, but it came with a lot of meaning. So I opened it and found a hunter's compass. Mr. H. is a hunter and he told me that he believes that not only does one need a compass when out in the wilderness, but also in our daily lives.

He said that he has always found that you need to know what direction you are going in and then forge ahead in that direction without deviating. He wanted me to have this gift to help me when times are tough and decisions have to be made.

I was very touched with this gift for many reasons. I know that people in a position of leadership must have a sense of what direction they need to be headed in. John Maxwell said that "A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." I absolutely agree with that quote. I also believe that includes the courage to especially "go" the way.

I have thought of this gift over the last few months, but more importantly, I have thought about the words that went along with it.

There have already been many, many decisions that have had to be made--some minor, but many of them have been major. Although I have had to make decisions in my life and career in the past, none have had the potential to impact so many people like they do know.

I have also thought about his words about seeing the direction where you are headed and not deviating from that direction. While I agree with him on this, I also feel that sometimes a detour must be taken in order to get to the final destination. That detour might take me off course for a time, but I also think it provides me time to "see other sights" along the way.

I will always cherish the gift of this compass and the words that went along with the gift. I hope that I will always have the wisdom to know that I am headed in the right direction and the courage to make sure that I follow that path--even with a detour here and there!!

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference."

Passage of Time and Wonderful Memories

I think that one of the hardest parts of growing older, is the fact that all of the people I looked up to growing up and through the years, are no longer here among us. Growing up in a small town, I was so fortunate to have so many people of my mom's generation who have meant so much to me. Coming back to Douglas after all of these years has really brought that home. Going from place to place and seeing homes that I spent a lot of time in over the years but now belong to someone else brings such a feeling of nostalgia. The memories I have are something that I will always cherish!!

A week doesn't seem to go by that I don't hear about the passing of one of these in what Tom Brokaw calls "The Greatest Generation."

On February 6, a great lady left this life after 95 1/2 years--Marge Littrell. Marge is the mother of my dear friends, Elise and Ann. I can't remember ever not knowing Marge. The Littrells lived down the street from us when we were all young. I remember playing "Cowboys and Indians" in the front yard with them. I remember playing in their second back yard which was so cool when we were kids.

When we were in high school, Elise and I teased her mom by calling her Phyllis for Phyllis Diller. My mom's middle name was Olive so we used to always say, "here comes Phyllis and Olive!" They never said a word to us about that and if you knew my mom, you would find that hard to believe.

Marge was very good friends with my mom and Teresa. They were bridge players together for many years. Because of this and the fact that "us kids" were friends, meant that we spent a lot of time together over the years. Last July, I took Teresa to Tucson to celebrate Marge's 95th birthday. She was as sharp as a tack and just as witty as ever!!

Last Saturday, we went to Tucson for a party to celebrate Marge's life. She didn't want a funeral, but wanted everyone to have fun. I love that philosophy. And she would have been thrilled to see everyone there to celebrate her life, just as they were there last July to celebrate her 95th birthday.

Pictures of the Littrell family were all around, along with a lot of "momisms" that Elise and Ann posted. They had a very nice booklet put together with a story of her life.

It concluded with Marge's favorite ditty that she even entertained the nurses at the CCU with. Here it is and I can still hear it being said in Marge's voice:

THE GOLDEN YEARS

I CANNOT SEE, I CANNOT PEE,
I CANNOT CHEW, I CANNOT SCREW,
MY MEMORY SHRINKS, MY HEARING STINKS.
NO SENSE OF SMELL, I LOOK LIKE HELL.
THE GOLDEN YEARS HAVE COME AT LAST,
THE GOLDEN YEARS CAN KISS MY ASS!!

And the final two lines, "Marge will be sorely missed by the many people who loved her. Que vaya bien, Marge!"

I feel so fortunate to have had people like Marge as part of my formative years and then into adulthood. I will miss her!

There is a Chinese Proverb that says, "One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade."

I am so thankful for the "shade" in my life provided by the elders like Marge Littrell!!

BRRRRRR............................It's Been Rather Cold Outside!!

The weather all over the country has been very cold, but it seems to be the norm in places other than Arizona. Winters in Douglas are always much colder than in Gilbert. I had forgotten how cold it can get here. Daytime temperatures are usually great, but once the sun goes down, it can get rather chilly!

Earlier this week, the weather forecast was calling for extremely low temperatures all over Arizona. And was this forecast ever accurate!!

Thursday morning when my alarm went off at 5:00, I could tell it was very cold. I am so glad to have my electric blanket and the new gas heater upstairs. But even with the heater, it was still cold.

I got up to get ready for work and went to take a shower--NO HOT WATER! Not only was there no hot water, there was no water coming out of the faucet when I turned it to hot. There was plenty of cold water, but with the temperature around 14 degrees, I wasn't quite ready for a COLD SHOWER! So I brought everything downstairs hoping that the downstairs bathroom would have hot water. Too much to hope for I guess..............

So as I was trying to figure out how to wash my hair or at least wet it down enough so that it wasn't sticking straight up all over, I got a call from Edna at the district. Power was out in different parts of Douglas and water pipes were frozen. She didn't have any water either. So I told her I would be at the office in about 10 minutes so we could figure out what to do.

I got to the office about 6:00 a.m. and it was bitter cold. Edna and Bonnie came soon after. Bonnie brought her curling iron with her. At least there was some hope for her!!!

After talking to our maintenance and transportation guys, I made the decision to call off school for the day. We actually have two "snow" days so we were okay with our mandatory days. We then started the process to notify everyone--calling the principals, sending an email to parents, putting it on the website and calling the Governing Board Members. I called the three Tucson television stations and asked them to announce it. When I called Channel 9, the young lady who answered is from Douglas and is a graduate of DHS.

Everything went smoothly considering that we had over 4,000 students and their families to notify. Five of our buses wouldn't start because the batteries were frozen. There was no water in the cafeteria at the high school so no meals could be prepared or served, and various other issues at the other schools.

After listening to the news and all of the power, gas and water outages and the forecast that it wouldn't even be above freezing on Thursday, we made the decision to cancel classes on Friday also. The concern was for when it did go above freezing and what might happen with pipes at our schools. All of our school buildings for the most part are old buildings.

As the day wore on, I was glad to hear that many other districts in southeastern Arizona and in Tucson were also canceling school. This is a big decision that impacts so many people and it came down to me being the one to make that call......

Around 11:30, I got an email from a reporter from Channel 9. She was heading down to Bisbee and Douglas to do a story on our school closures and the weather. She wanted me to be available to be interviewed. I told her that I would love to be interviewed (lie-lie), but I had not had the "opportunity" to take a shower that morning and didn't feel that I should be a representative for Douglas Unified School District under those conditions. She laughed and asked if I could get someone else. In the meantime, I tried to figure out how I could be "presentable." I even tried to call my hair dresser to see if I could get a shampoo, etc. No one answered. I can only assume that they had no hot water either!! So I called our Assistant Superintendent, Bonnie, and told her that she "had to take one for the district." She did an awesome job when it was shown on the 6 o'clock news!!!!

This morning it was a whopping ONE DEGREE!!! I do not think that I have ever been anywhere when it was this cold!!! Right now it is a very warm 48 degrees outside and it actually feels like a heat wave!! It is suppose to get down to 12 or 13 overnight, but the forecast after this looks much better.

The sad thing is that there are broken pipes all over our district. As the day warmed up, the water in many of the pipes broke. It would have been a disaster if we had students at our schools today. Our maintenance guys will be working all weekend and probably longer to fix things. I am hoping that insurance will help as I imagine it is going to be costly.

As for me, still no hot water; still now shower; I actually have been heating water on the stove for various reasons. I am hoping that I will be able to wash some clothes for work next week, but the thing I am most worried about is NO SHOWER!

As I have said before, moving to Douglas has been quite the adventure!!!