From passion to full time job

What do you do with a whole day to yourself? For me, it is always an opportunity to write. Writing is what comes to my mind on the first place. It comes, however, with a mixture of excitement and dread. Excitement, because I just love bringing up words, producing sentences, and pounding on the keyboard; dread, because more often than not, the result falls short of my expectations.

See, I want to make a living by writing. I want to research stories about people and places, and then write about it. That is, in fact, how I started writing. I worked for a local newspaper, writing the weekly neighborhood news. Later on, I moved on to the daily newspaper.  Yes, writing was part of the job, as it was reporting, reading, and talking to lots of people every day. We produced the news, but we also got lots of news. People called to the newsroom and looked for us to publish their stories. There were lots of stories to be written.

Wanting to write out of that sphere has been unfulfilling, to say the least. The timeliness of the stories, the potential audience and the relevance of the topic weigh heavy on me when I start writing. I oftentimes miss the deadline when writing about calendar related events. Not because I have not written in time, but because I look forward to produce a piece that gets published. When I am done, I run out of time and energy for selling it. Then there is the audience. I am aware that there are more blogs out there than there are readers, but I still want to write for someone other than me. That is why any topic won’t do. It has to be, as I learned in the newspaper, relevant, timely, and of wide interest.    

Reflecting on it, I believe working for a newspaper was both the best and the worst thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the opportunity to grow as a reporter, as a critical thinker, as a flexible writer. It also gave me a chance to meet some of the most interesting people I have ever met. However, it imprinted this idea on me that publishing is the goal of writing; it also restrained my thinking to consider just a narrow range of writing topics. Again, if it is not relevant, timely, and of wide interest, there is no point in writing about it.

Re-reading, though, I can see the faults in the thoughts. Any topic can be worthy of publishing. Just look at today’s newspapers: food, fitness, decoration and traveling compete for space with economics, politics and sports. There is no need to be a reporter to be able to write. There is the need, though, to be a good writer to find a job that pays for doing it. There is my new challenge.   

American citizenship in black and white

After getting my Citizenship certificate, I joined the leagues of Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albright, Joseph Pulitzer, Ang Lee, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. For one reason or other, they left their country and came to the United States to live the grand life that awaited them. Hopeful scientists, politicians, writers, and artists do the same thing every day. As they take the steps of the immigration process, their dreams take shape, mature, and wait to see the light of day.

Immigrants are not necessarily expecting that greatness will come with their citizenship. The ‘American Dream’ takes different shapes and sizes for every newcomer: some want economic opportunities; many seek political freedom or religious liberty; others want a peaceful life. Despite its many pitfalls, United States of America is still the land of opportunities. The place where many dreams become true.

Along the journey towards my own dream, I have seen many faces of the life in the US: underpaid workers who struggle to put food in their family’s table, families broken up by cultural differences, entrepreneurs accomplishing what they could not dream of doing in their countries, and millionaires who arrived to the States with empty pockets. Many gave up their social status, but have found comfort in the little they find here. A few find success in their new lives, and several fail to see their dream come true.  

Another hurdle arises when children question the parents’ decision of leaving their country of origin. As a school teacher, I have heard a fair share of nagging and complaining about learning a new language, living in a big city, and growing up far away from loved family. Even though many of my students were born here, they consider themselves Mexican, and dream of the day when they can finally go back home. Most immigrants look for job opportunities in big cities, and their children don’t have any other option but joining the underrated and oftentimes under performing urban school closest to them.   

When my 13 year old nephew learned that my mom and I became American citizens, he lamented that our new country was in decline. After some questioning, he cited political corruption and gun violence as the main triggers in the downfall. I oftentimes consider the implications of that statement, that has been discussed in almost every magazine during the last 5 years. It is easy to see how people would agree with my nephew’s statement. Just go through the news reports about government’s espionage, the weak economy, gun violence, health costs, and poor ratings in education.

However, the greatness of this country is such that it can be accurately portrayed in hundreds of ways. While corruption raises, so do charitable donations. As public education stumbles, American universities lead research in several fields; gun fatalities increase, but street crime rates are lower than ever. This is a country of many faces. Proud Americans show off their foreign heritage without shame or conflict of identity. Second generations are historically better off than their ancestors. There has always been a way out of the issues that this country faces today. 

People from 29 countries became citizens the same day I did. We all know the facts, but we hope for a better future. We get the message: if we work hard, we might achieve the dream.
I am ready to fully live the life that awaits me.

What to do with this new school year?



School hallways are waxed, walls are freshly painted, and teachers as well as students are on their way to a new school year. Administrators and educators in Dallas faced a contentious year, to say the least, but that will not prevent thousands of children to show up again in the coming weeks.
Even if they have a hard time admitting it, most children get excited about coming back: there are the new clothes, the fresh school supplies, and that secret relief of reuniting with friends. How does a Dallas teacher get excited about the new school year? It is not easy when unpopular policies continue, the threat of a performance based pay system becomes a reality, and half of the coworkers are now in different districts, or starting completely new careers.  
It is not easy to keep the spirits up when the looming test scores are presented during the first day of work, and it is disheartening to know that someone from the same grade level might lose a percentage of their salary because her teaching style does not follow the administration’s guidelines. But, at the end, despite all that, the children will still be there. And the teachers will be the ones hearing about their adventures, getting excited about their accomplishments, and cheering them up for the chance to a better future.
Teachers take pride in their work. Most love what they do, and many have had to go through a difficult path to get where they are today. In fact, these professionals repeat constantly to themselves and to others that is not the pay what keeps them doing what they do. However, so much revolves around standardized scores these days that educators do not have time to educate. Test preparation has replaced read aloud time; unison responses have all but supplanted small group instruction; the search for good scores has left children yearning for attention because the teacher is preparing, not only for the lessons and the test, but for rigorous scrutiny from the administration.
Perhaps, this year more than ever, that overused —and many times misused— phrase ‘we are here for the children’ will become a mantra for many, as it seems the only reasonable argument to keep coming back. Teachers will again give hope to troubled teenagers, pay fieldtrip fees for struggling families, and cheer up scared kindergarteners during the first day of school. 
There are two options for the school teachers in Dallas: to perpetuate the district’s terrible image through complaining and resisting, or to look past the administrative roadblocks and continue to do what they know best: giving out their best, so the less favored children in the city get a glimpse of the many good things that await for them.

A peek around the Rocky’s foothills

 

Driving from the southeast, visitors to Colorado quickly realize they are in for a treat! Mountain views start wowing nearby Trinidad, a town packed with history about the Native Americans, the Santa Fe Trail, the pioneers, and the westward expansion. Italian builders left their marks in the Courthouse, public buildings, and a handful of mansions made out of limestone. Trinidad is also a stop in the historic rout 66, and the beginning of a scenic drive through the Cuchara Mountains. The drive, that includes vistas of coal mines, lakes, and impressive rock walls, ends on highway 160.

As visitors drive westward, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains show off their grandeur. The foothills of the Rockies shape the land, dotted with cattle, farmhouses, and pine forests. These are the surroundings of San Isabel National Forest. The RV resorts, campgrounds, and inns along the road offer a constant reminder of the state's motto: The playground of America. This forest alone contains the majority of 14,000 feet peaks in Colorado. The southernmost portion offers fishing, camping, boating, and an auto tour that explains in detail the findings of dinosaur tracks and other prehistoric treasures in the canyon lands.
Pass the picturesque surroundings of Blanca, and you will start to question your eyes: is it a sand hill what sits at the bottom of those mountains? There, at the edge of the San Luis Valley, the Great Sand Dunes shine in their uniqueness. Sand surfers, sun lovers, hikers, and curious stop to find an explanation to this Saharan landscape. For the last 44,000 years, wind and a variety of water streams have taken mineral deposits to this very spot, filling the western side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with 150 feet of changing dunes. The National Park Service manages the area, which includes also alpine lakes, aspen forests, and wetlands.   

After contemplating, playing and shaking off sand, travelers find food, lodging and even more entertainment options in the town of Alamosa, the commercial center of the valley. Then, after a short drive through the communities of Monte Vista and Del Norte, highway 160 enters the Rio Grande National forest. Here, the road meanders along creeks, mountain passes, and pine forests. Soon, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock show up between the mountain slopes. On the mountain, the ancestors of the Pueblo tribe built gathering places called kivas, and a multi-family dwelling. Auto tours and hiking trails are available.

If, and when visitors are ready to move away from this land of enchantment, Bayfield welcomes them to the Animas River Valley, where Durango, its history, and recreation opportunities await.
want to see more pictures? Click here.

Crown of what?

Okyeame Poma, or Linguist staff, at the DMA

In her ceaseless search for anything fun, and out of the ordinary, my friend came with me for a stroll through a local museum. We walked through halls and rooms as if the paintings were there to look at us, and not the opposite, which is what we were supposedly doing there. Sometimes a short look to a portrait induced new topics of conversation, but the talk was mostly about work, family, and everything that lies outside of the walls of this particular museum. 

I imagine that for an art fan, people like us can be extremely lousy. We hardly ever stopped to appreciate the pieces, and when we did, we were a little too near, and a little too random.

When strolling through the American decoration and design section, I noticed that a guard was quietly following us. My guess is that we were too loud and she wanted to give us a look. My friend, probably unaware of it all, decided to start a rather provocative conversation. "I wonder how people steal art from a museum", she started. "With so many guards, and such big frames", she insisted. I immediately thought of Edvard Munch’s The Scream, which has been stolen twice in Norway. She vaguely remembered the piece, and kept saying: “I wonder what kinds of tools they use”. It was then when I remembered one of my husband's favorite movies, which shows a very interesting take on art theft.

―Have you seen The Crown Affair?

―The crown of hair? No, yuck.

―No! The Crown Affair― I repeated a little louder with a smile.

―Oh, what a relief! The crown of heir. No, I don’t think I have.

Bent over laughing and trying to repeat the movie’s name, I realized that we were not going to talk much about art that evening. We walked and talked, and even then a few pieces talked to us. We were almost moved to tears when we saw Linguist staff; a piece of art from Ghana that shows how people will be willing to help and support you, if you show good intentions. It was a nice stroll with a friend. Hopefully the art will be there next time. And hopefully we will give it a chance to talk more to us.  

The last day

An acquaintance posed this question the other night: How would you treat the person closest to you if you knew that today was her last day? Not only your husband, your parents, or your children, but whoever is in a close proximity at any given time: a waitress, a cashier, the bag boy at the supermarket... Would you still be that indifferent? Still run out of patience? Still wished they did not show up for work? The exercise was a subtle reminder to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. 
What if, however, a crisis came unexpectedly and found you praying for someone's well being and hoping for an opportunity to be nice to them once more? My aunt Olga Lucia is in the ICU tonight. She is battling an aggressive infection caused by a peritonitis, which was triggered by stones in her gall bladder. She is unconscious. She had dialysis in the evening. Her siblings, children, and grandchildren are at the hospital, as close as they can be, waiting for some news. 
They are far away. I cannot show up at the hospital, but I can call. I cannot tell her how much she means to me, but I can write about her. Tonight I can show my love by praying for her life. 
What am I going to do tomorrow? How will I show my 'neighbors' the love I want to show to my aunt?  

Mark 12:31 ...the second is this: love your neighbor as your self. There is no commandment greater than these.

The Americans' take on modern art

From Winslow Homer to Stuart Davis and Jackson Pollock, American artist have expressed themselves through realism, impressionism, cubism, and abstraction.
The Phillips Collection has been traveling the world in the last few years, and it will make one last stop in Tampa Florida, before it returns to Washington D.C. Here are some of the exhibit's highlights.

To the rescue, by Winslow Homer

Sunday, by Edward Hopper

Skyscrapers, by Charles Sheeler

Blue Cafe, by Stuart Davis

Pattern of leaves, by Georgia O'Keeffe

No more resolutions!

When he saw our surprised faces over the high volume of people working out, one of the managers at the neighborhood recreation center said: "I've seen it over and over; this enthusiasm only lasts until February".
‘Exercise more’ might be the number one resolution for most people who even bother to make a list. However, just as the enthusiasm for exercising wears out in a month, resolutions have a short lifespan for the big majority. For the last several years, one of my resolutions has been 'Write daily'. I have started a few journals, created a 'write about work' blog, and wrote down variations on schedules to include a daily 45 minute writing routine. But there is always bad weather, illness, stress, long commutes, dinner preparations, winding down... reasons that become excuses to leave blank several of my journal pages.  
Through the years, I have learned a few basics on making resolutions. One of the rules is to keep them realistic. Attempting to make radical changes in life such as ‘Eradicate negative thoughts from my mind’ has been proved counterproductive. Another rule is to keep a short list, ideally with no more than five resolutions in it. John Goddard would probably refute this rule, but very few of us have his capacity for commitment. The third rule is to make your goals measurable. ‘Be happy’ sounds good, but does not help you track your progress on a regular basis.
In his book ‘The Pathfinder’, Nicholas Lore challenges his readers to rename their desires and call them commitments instead. Following the same path, it might be a good idea to change the resolutions to goals, and to set a path to fulfill them. In that case, writing a list is only the first step in a series of tasks that will help you get through.
Once you have a list of the things you want to change, improve, or eliminate from your life, you might want to set a deadline to accomplish it. Separate time to evaluate your daily goals. Celebrate your successes. Determine a pathway to accomplish your goals. ‘Have a master’s degree’ will most likely fail if it is not backed up by specifics.
Finally, prepare for failure, but don’t give up. There are 365 days to keep trying, re-writing, and refining those commitments. Perhaps ‘Changing my resolutions into commitments’ will be first in my list for 2013.