So I Wanna Be the President

In 2005, I read David McCullough’s biography of John Adams. In the spirit of former highlights blogs (Truman and The Shame of the Nation) and in honor of yesterday’s celebration of Independence Day, here I present to you the highlights from John Adams:

* Writing to his wife, Abigail, about the early battles of the Revolutionary War, “paraphrasing a favorite line from the popular play Cato by Joseph Addison–a line that General Washington, too, would often call upon–Adams told her, ‘We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.’” (91)

* Thinking “beyond independence, beyond the outcome of the war, to what would be established once independence and victory were achieved,” Adams wrote that a true republic was “an empire of laws and not of men.” After writing about proposals for a separation of powers and checks and balances, “he urged the widest possible support for education. ‘Laws for the liberal educatoin of youth, especially for the lower classes of people, are so extremely wise and useful that to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant.’” (102-103)

* While living and working in Paris with Ben Franklin and Arthur Lee, he wrote, “The longer I live and the more I see of public men, the more I wish to be a private one. Modesty is a virtue that can never thrive in public.” (207)

* In letters to his son, John Quincy Adams: “You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket. You will never have an idle hour.” and “You will ever remember that all of the end of study is to make you a good man and a useful citizen. This will ever be the sum total of the advice of your affectionate father.” (260)

* Regarding Jefferson’s (Jefferson was a former good friend, and later in life that friendship would be rekindled and strengthened, but Jefferson, Adams’s Vice President, had become the leader of Adams’s political enemies) presidency, “I think instead of opposing all their measures, right or wrong, we ought to support every administration as far as we can in justice.” (94)

* June 24, 1826, just 10 days before both Jefferson and Adams would die on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson declined (as would Adams) an invitation to Washington to celebrate the anniversary (due to poor health) and in his remarks on the anniversary wrote, “May it be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government…. All eyes are opened or opening to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few, booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately by the grace of God. These are the grounds of hope for others; for ourselves, let the annual return to this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.” (644-645)

* John Adams, in much worse health, when asked to give some words to be read aloud at John Quincy’s 4th of July celebration, said, “I will give you, ‘Independence forever!’” (645)

A memory from when I was around 17 or 18:

I’m smoothly driving the Camaro through the curves of Laguna Canyon. My dad’s in the passenger seat.

Me: (silent, beaten)

Flash forward to Wednesday this week, as I’m driving to school. It’s 6:45 and I’m on a moderately busy 605 North going 75 MPH when I see a little black kitten inbetween my lane and the lane to the left of me. It’s hunkered down, clearly scared out of its mind. It darts left, then darts right again, narrowly missing getting hit by a car a couple seconds ahead of me. He’s now squarely in line with where my left tires will shortly be arriving–my left tires of death.

My three thoughts, three thoughts over and over again: Oh no!, Please get out of my lane!, and What do I do?

The memory of my dad and me driving through the canyon pops into my head.

My hand stays firmly attached to the wheel. I’m not going to swerve. I tense, bracing for the sound more than anything.

But the kitten, perhaps sensing my resolve, darted away from me with what must have been a half second to go. In my rearview mirror, he was still there, crouching inbetween lanes.

I don’t now if that kitten made it or not. But I do know that I heard some squealing tires behind me, and I think I’m a better driver than that person. Maybe even as good as my dad.

Since March 28th, this blog has been silent. I have had class nearly every weekend, I’m three days away from my second semester project presentation, and I generally feel every day like I’m drowning.

But here I am, writing about Susan Boyle.

What is it about the story of Susan Boyle that has created such a firestorm of interest? Plenty of others have already tried to answer that question, but as for me, what I like about 47-year-old Susan Boyle is–well, there are so many things:

* She has learning disabilities and was teased as “Simple Susan” as a kid. It’s inspirational, renewing hope that some of my most struggling students will find within themselves that great thing they were born to do (though unfortunately our test-driven school system isn’t likely to nurture whatever hidden gifts and talents lie within them).
* She took care of her ailing mother, sacrificing years of her own life. She was asked on Larry King how her life might change because of this experience and the first thing she said was, “I won’t be lonely anymore.”
* She picked “I Dreamed a Dream” because, she said, it fit the circumstances of her life. (the lyrics, in part: I had a dream my life would be/So different from this hell I’m living/So different now from what it seemed/Now life has killed the dream I dreamed).
* She taught everyone in that audience a lesson (and now millions of people around the world via YouTube).
* She smiles when she sings (especially check out the pause before the last stanza; it’s priceless).

Simon: What’s the dream?

Susan: I’ve never been given the chance before, but here’s hoping it will change.

Unfortunately, YouTube is not allowing videos of her performance to be embedded, so you can view it here.

You’re going to hear about this guy some day. Maybe when he gets his first Oscar he’ll dedicate it to his good ol’ 8th grade English and History teacher…

It isn’t so much that people switch words around to make their thoughts seem somehow more deep and thought-provoking. It’s that thoughts seem somehow more deep and thought-provoking when people switch words around.

It’s something I’ve been noticing more and more lately. Perhaps it’s because, on occasion, I am flipping through my very few antenna-grabbed channels (yeah, when everything goes digital I will have no TV access–GASP!) and I stop on some preacher trying to convince his audience to “plant a seed” of cash in his church that will, he says, miraculously come back to them tenfold. He goes on to say, “You may feel reluctant to plant a seed. You may feel like you’re waiting for some sign from Jesus. But guess what my friends? You’re not waiting for Jesus. Jesus is waiting for YOU!” And the crowd goes wild. Hands shoot into the air, shouts of “Hallelujah!” and “Oh Lord!” fill the air, feet start stampin’, hands start clappin’, and the preacher starts smilin’.

It wasn’t such a profound statement, but its degree of meaningfulness was multiplied by the fact that he did the ol’ switcheroo. By switching who was waiting for whom, all of a sudden it sounds like an aphorism.

Not that this is anything new. The most famous instance is probably from John Kennedy’s inaugural address when he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

In my school’s hallway, we have a poster that says, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

It got me thinking–does it always work? Does the flipping around of words stir some primeval deepness of thought receptor? And so I come up with some examples in my head, ridiculous examples that were, objectively, nonsense, but the nonsensical becomes dramatic.

For example:

“Ask not if we’re having pancakes for breakfast. Ask if for breakfast we’re having pancakes.”

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Or some others:

“It’s difficult to be polite, but it’s more polite to be difficult.”

“You might see clothes all over my floor. But I see the floor all over my clothes.”

See, it works!

Make up some of your own and post them in the comments section.

Hmmm… Being President doesn’t seem like so much fun anymore.

“25 Random Things About Me” has been spreading like wildfire around the social networking sites for several weeks. I posted a similar blog (see Well, You Don’t Know Me) way back in April of 2007, so apparently I was ahead of my time.

I’m just now jumping on to the latest craze, however, which is where you Google search “your name needs” (e.g., “Darron needs”) and post the results. I was skeptical at first (Shari did it, so…), but found the results to be rather funny! As I read them aloud, Pam even said, “Are some of those from your blogs?” They aren’t, but some of them might as well be about me.

So here are the Google results of what “Darron needs”:

* Darron needs numbers.
* Seriously though, darron needs to start shooting smack if he wants this thing to go anywhere.
* I wanted to put up pictures of porn stars with this but Darron needs to fix my picture upload thing.
* Wow darron needs to get a haircut and shave cuz he looks like an old man.
* Darron needs prayers.
* Home inspector, Darron needs.
* Darron needs to heal 100% before he returns.
* Darron needs to get here soon and keep me company…
* Darron needs to take some time off from homework.
* anyways i do also think that darron needs to do less singing.
* Darron needs a time out.
* Darron needs to sort his life and mind out.
* My friend Darron needs a job lol. Have you got any?
* I am actually attending the Kegel level 1 school in November so if Darron needs a break I am more than willing to help out.
* I really think Darron needs to shut up though, he’s a great guitarist but his voice isn’t exactly soothing to my ears.
* Darron needs to get off that horse.
* Oh, yeah Darron needs kisses.
* Darron needs to swallow his pride and let Serj take his rightful place at the helm once again.

Some trivia:

Barack Obama is not just the first biracial President in the history of the United States. He is also the first person in history to win both my vote AND the Presidency.

Until Obama, I had picked the loser in three straight presidential races. My very first presidential election was in 1996 when I was 20. That election I voted for Ross Perot, with whom I had become enamored during his initial run in ’92. In 2000 I voted for Gore, and in 2004 I voted for Kerry.

Today, all 406 of my school’s students, and every single teacher, every single office member, every single administrator, every single cafeteria worker and hall monitor, sat down in our school’s library to watch the inauguration. Literally every single one. We were all in there.

I looked out at the sea of student faces, nearly all of whom are the sons and daughters of immigrants or are immigrants themselves, and I wondered what this moment meant to them.

I listened to Aretha Franklin sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and found it to be so much more beautiful than I remembered it. A song with words that maybe up until today rang hollow and with bitterness to a good portion of the American people, but now, as she sang them, perhaps sounded the way they sounded to me when I was a little boy, pure and promising. Maybe some of the people in the audience sang “my country” for the first time with a feeling that it really was their country. That’s a beautiful thing, and it was the most moving part of the inauguration for me.

My students appreciated the moment, I think, about as much as you could expect most 13 and 14 year olds to appreciate it. They yawned and fidgeted during Obama’s speech. But I don’t think what was important was so much the words that he said. I think what was important was that they saw a very diverse group of millions of Americans all rallying around someone who, like many of them, was the child of an immigrant and was raised by a single mother.

I’m pretty sure that today, for most of my students, it was the first time they actually felt like Americans.

And, truth be told, it’s the first time in a long time that I’ve felt like one, too.