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Bang, bang. Shutters rolled closed, people dropped, and…there she was. Except it’s there they were: the Adidas three feet from awry angled foot and a skull that slowly seeped blood on subfusc pavement floor. The 100 pound rickshaw of disassembled boxes untouched by passer bys who gawked at the stiff body, head full of gray hair, planked coldly on the side. What no one saw was the topographical implosion, body from inside the cab over pretty windshield or the bullet hole it failed to dodge. Bang, bang, intent travels at 896ms reaching way before your 3/10ths of a second cognitive deduction reacts and…there you are.

So take heed of who you keep as friends. It only takes 12 seconds to imprint upon memory things that most likely shouldn’t be done and consequences can be felt for years or far more detrimental. Stay with those who smile in sincere connections to remember that you are a complex individual made to be that way since the day of conception miraculously contained in a pulpy skull bigger than the rest of your body. On the first week, cells of your body were only interested in giving you a head and a tail but by the fourth week of your life you sought light. Light to develop, see and feel, and keep searching until the day you die.

Never let anyone tell you that you aren’t a complicated because it’s in these contradictions that humanity finds meaning. Where killing a dog is repulsive, yet we’ll take arms for our country. Where even if the physical makes us sweat, we postpone for the emotional foregoing immediate rewards for long term happiness, like exchanging gold pieces for beautiful color pallets in luminescent paint.

Learn everything you can until the age of 25. You are born with 1 million brain cells running a marathon to make connections, group and regroup. Then spend the next 10 years wondering where it all went but not really caring while you’re riding the red corvette with a license plate that says…Dr.

Never forget that you are special. What else can my five foot temporary presence tell you that you haven’t heard somewhere else? You are special.
You are special.
You are special.
Even if I loose my voice in perfectly pronouncing your name, I’m hoping that by you hearing it enough, you’ll rebuild new pathways and eliminate the old. Temper your emotions into fine blown crystal refragmenting and distributing pure colored light in all directions. Remember those words on days when the memories you willed to death resuscitate and make you cry. Remember the faces of those that helped you when you smile.

Remember, you are special.

~~~~*l*~~~~
Check out Saul Williams’ official website and the series on the brain by the Annenberg Foundation. As I listened to the poetry and the videos, I went back and rewrote the piece with an audience in mind. I made a home visit during my first year of teaching only to realize that it would be me, in the coaching seat using the small 8 hours of the day, and her against the world. I think about her.

On the Blogosphere: A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Gunfighter, who is now a paid artist! Go by and contribute to Yvonne Russell’s Writer’s Cafe…is it okay to use comments without citation or permission? This is a cool article via Mr. Carvin on Learning.now, on how one teacher using only web apps can make 50 different presentations. Last, one of my favorite websites for traveling, Global Incidents. Tells you everything that’s going on in the world…personally, I like seeing the response time.

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these gave only life, those the art of living well. –Aristotle

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