Archive for category Reflections: Others
Labor Day
Posted by Justin Whitcomb in Local Madness, Reflections: Others, Reflections: Self, Updates, Weather, life on September 6th, 2010
It’s amazing how quickly a three-day weekend can fly by. Yet it was more relaxing than I could have possibly imagined. We spent two nights at the lake, Gray and all, and enjoyed almost every minute of it. We had almost all of our close friends out there at one point or another (sans David and Melita and Jack). We even had a bonfire and took out the dock, despite the cold, windy, rainy weather. Good food, a new relationship, and plenty of awesome times to end the summer officially.
But, once again, it’s bittersweet to see the cabin come to a close. With any hope, though, we’ll practically live there next summer. Gray should be able to handle a little more next year (we hope).
To all those with similar Labor Day memories, my heart goes out to you. We all long fir another three months.
A Shout-out to my Choir peeps
Posted by Justin Whitcomb in Music, Reflections: Others, Reflections: Self on October 28th, 2007
A little too gangster for this white boy, I know, but I do want to give props to my four All-State Chorus students for their accomplishment this weekend. We went to Rapid City to sing with 928 other choir students and almost 200 orchestra students–the best in the state–and my kids were absolutely excellent. All four of them behaved, obeyed and even volunteered to help with everything. It’s amazing how great your job can be.
The flipside, of course, is that I have not seen my wife in almost four days. I miss her dearly and can’t wait to get back home. I’m also looking forward to our own comfy bed. Nothing like a good night’s sleep. Then, back to reality.
But it won’t be so bad. I’m looking forward to digging away over the next week at our Veteran’s Day pieces, getting everything put together in the few rehearsals we have left before the big performance. And after that, it’s Christmas time. Boy, the year zips by quickly. And in less than a month, I’ll be a quarter-century old! Yikes! Well, at least my insurance will go down. That’s always a nice thought.
I’m hoping to write a little more of just about anything. That’s kind of my goal–music, stories, love letters, whatever. Just something. I need some creativity. My wife and I have been doing some paintings together for wall art, and I want to do more of that as well. But it’s all a game of time, so I’ll have to budget some extra relaxation into my schedule in order to do some of that fun stuff.
Thanks for stopping by. Good night all.
An Update on Professional Expectations
Posted by Justin Whitcomb in God, Reflections: Others, Reflections: Self, Social Issues, Updates on October 8th, 2007
So, long ago, I made a post about how disappointed I was when I entered the teaching profession–how cynical, sarcastic and downright apathetic students are. I talked about my disappointment with their attitudes and their efforts. And I mentioned how the whole world was essentially going down the drain. But I need to revise these statements.
Needless to say, I was not in the right place all last year. I found out in about March that God had better things for me to do. That’s when I learned why I was struggling so much to get my students to do anything. At that point, I began looking elsewhere, and Wham! I found a job. So here is my revised reflection on the state of the youth in this nation.
While still naive and somewhat selfish, I have discovered that students who really wish to accomplish something simply do so. Teenagers (and younger) are not little monsters with nothing better to do than play video games. I was wrong about that assumption. They are intelligent and willing to try just about anything with the proper coaxing. I now know that if you are seen in the right light, you can help students achieve amazing goals. And you can do it quickly. It doesn’t take centuries for it to happen–not even decades, years or months. A matter of weeks is all you really need.
Essentially, my conclusion is this: the youth of America are not truly dying. They are living the same lives that I lived when I was in high school (except with cell phones and iPods). They are exploring and discovering, they are wisely choosing to do more than just get by. And even the ones who seem reluctant really do want to make themselves better–they just want to look cool when doing it. All you have to do is disarm them enough and then give them confidence to make up for the possible embarrassment. Give them something to really indulge in. And now I know how that works, and I know what can come of it. Future teachers, don’t give up. Don’t be disheartened when you find yourself deep in fear. That first year is hell, and the sooner it’s over, the better every other year will be.
And if everyone hates you, just remember: it’s not always going to be your town.
You Know You’re In Nebraska When…
Posted by Justin Whitcomb in God, Reflections: Others, Reflections: Self on May 25th, 2007
Ah, weddings. Those monumentous times when two people are joined forever in what may be the longest civil war known to history. That magic moment when man and woman decide that no matter what their faults, they’re going to be screwed up together. It may sound cynical, but often that’s the case. We’re not perfect, and that’s fine. Sometimes it’s much better to be imperfect together.
And while we love our spouses dearly, we married folk know very well that we’re not in any way perfect, but that we compliment each other in ways that no one else ever could. I love my wife because we’re not perfect separately, but much closer to perfection together. She helps me when I have absolutely no clue (which is quite often), and I help her when she has absolutely no clue (which is much less often). That’s the beauty of it.
So today, I will be watching my good friend Mary and her fiance get married, and I know that those two will work perfectly together for the rest of their lives. Amazing! God blesses us so much, and sometimes we don’t even realize it. Those two will only grow stronger together–that’s what marriage is about. It’s like bridges designed to become stronger when weight and pressure is increased. We’re designed to withstand and grow even closer to God as we go through hard times together.
So, just a little reflection, but I thought it was time I said something on here–and something meaningful. Godspeed, good readers.
What to Expect when College is Done
Posted by Justin Whitcomb in Reflections: Others on December 6th, 2006
Some days you have great expectations for the world around you — knowledgeable people, wise decisions, eager and willing individuals desperate for change and growth. And some days those expectations are utterly destroyed by the simple fact that few people actually give a hoot. There are just some really careless individuals out there right now. When do I get to witness the “Bloodthirsty Youth” that TV on the Radio so eagerly sing about?
Maybe never…you see, it seems the world has slowly lost its need to improve. There are individuals that push and push and push for change, but so often no one ever feels the push (or they ignore it simply because that would be too much work). I’m starting to learn that at one point I too was like these foolish individuals. The Allegory of the Cave comes to mind…
There are people out there who just don’t want to move forward. Whether it’s family problems, money problems, social problems, or intellectual problems, something has kept them from feeling the passion of the real thing, not just the shadows on the wall. It seems that on a daily basis I run into these people in my classrooms. Not that everyone is like this — sadly sedentary — but I now know individuals that would much rather lose a limb to a sawmill than fashion themselves into more avidly intelligent human beings. It’s honestly incredible.
And it makes me long for my days in college, where I eagerly ate, ate, ate information up like a Weight Watchers dropout at a Royal Fork. Now I feed, feed, feed, and some people sit there, mouths closed, vehemently humming, “mm-mm! Mm-mm” while shaking their heads back and forth, letting the knowledge spill over into the abyss. Wasteful!
But I must give a thank you to those students and friends who so willingly eat up all the information I can give out. Often times those same students are the ones that most readily help me learn something new. They listen as great historical facts are laid out in front of them, and they sort through and collect each tidbit, carefully saving it in their minds. It’s an incredible site, and I wish I saw it more often.
And I can’t totally dismiss those who don’t live for learning. I learn something from them as well. I learn patience, perseverance, compassion, and serendipity. If I’m random enough, eventually something might hit them. Hook one, and you may never discard that individual. But it’s finding that bait that is so difficult anymore. What are the scared of? Excited by? Interested in? What’s new to them?
So, if you’re in college, thinking to yourself, “This is awful, and I can’t wait to get out into the real world where I can make real and consequential change,” just remember: you’re in a golden age of idealism. Everything you want to do in college can happen there, because it’s all theory. In the real world, you lose that flexibility, that lucidity. In the real world it’s like walking in fog, hoping to find the magic button in the middle of a button pasture seventy acres across. You might find it, but it’s usually a long and arduous process or just plain dumb luck.
Be idealistic. Be chaotic. Be optimistic. Maybe you’ll find the magic way to cure all the world’s problems. And maybe not. But it’s not going to start in the real world — it starts where you’re able to focus on theory alone.
And if you recall, even the most visionary of individuals ended up moving into the woods to transcend reality.