How Do You Tell?

The Sullivan Brothers

A powerful song is Sullivan by Caroline Spine.  Everytime I listen to this song I get goose bumps!  It is about the Sullivan Brothers during WWII who all joined the military, and were placed in the South Pacific on the same ship.  They were all killed, and what eats me up is the thought of how the mother dealt with this.  I can't imagine having kids in war.  Knowing they are in harms way, and never knowing fully if they are safe.  But this Mom had all 5 of her sons, and then one day gets a telegram that they were all killed!  This song captures the emotion and heart of this situation.

My favorite line is, "...so Uncle Sam will send you a telegram - so he doesn't have to tell you over the phone..."  That line speaks to me, and always makes me think.  I really think now after this song that if a family has a loved one die in the military the President should call the family.  That man or woman made the ultimate sacrifice and they deserve more than a telegram.  

Farewell, My Queen

My dear friend just showed me the most amazing trailer for a movie that is coming out!  It is called Farewell, My Queen, and it is about the French Revolution.  The French Revolution is my favorite historical period!  It captivates me, and I love every part of it!  This movie looks good, and I love that it is in French!!!

Blind Side

I just watched this movie on TV, and have to do a post!  What is great about this movie is the reminder that someone believes in you!  And when someone believes in you incredible things can happen!  In this movie Michael is a kid from the projects who is taken in by a wealthy family.  All of sudden so much is possible!  He is playing football, making good grades, and getting scholarships to colleges.  It was always possible - he just needed the push and drive!  Michael needed someone to believe in him!

Sandra Bullock as the concerned mother

So it makes me wonder - who believes in you?  Who pushes you, and expects excellence?  Is it your parents, a teacher, a leader in the community, or a friend?  Whoever is pushing you in your life - hold on to them and thank them!  You are so lucky!  If you think you have no one - you DO at BTW!  The administration, staff, and faculty love you so much, and want the best for you!  That is why at BTW teachers expect so much of you, and have high standards.  We want the best for you!  We want you to follow your dreams, and have the life of your dreams! 

Your life is your life.  You make it what you want, and in high school you will make decisions that will impact your adult life.  Just know that I'm behind you - your biggest cheerleader wanting you to accomplish all of your dreams and goals!  I saw Charlize Theron on an interview recently and she discussed helping kids in South Africa.  She said she came home thankful because circumstances worked out for her.  She is an Oscar winning actress making millions!  She was reminded that circumstances don't always work out for everyone.  We are blessed - how are you going to use your life?

The King's Speech

I love movies!  And I love when the movies take a historical event.  Because then it is exciting, and engaging.  You get a sense of what that event was all about!  How people felt, and what they went through!  There is a huge differenc reading about an event, and watching it!  A great historical movie is The King's Speech.  It came out a few years ago, and I was blown away!  It was the best movie I had seen in a long time!  I think I saw it three times at the theater - It was that good!  I knew it would win Oscars.  Colin Firth who plays the King won Best Actor!  And it was so deserved.

The King's Speech follows the King of England during WWII.  He must inspire his country at a horrible time, but there is a problem.  The King of England has a horrible stutter.  Radio has been invented, and all of his advisors want him to address the nation.  But he can't, and it is painful to watch!  So he hires a speech therapist to help him.  The relationship he develops with the therapist is so much fun to watch.  It is an outstandiing movie!  Rent it today!

The real King

Unbroken: The Power of Forgiveness

This is Memorial Weekend - a time to remember and thank all the men and women who fight for our freedom.  So this weekend I want to share an incredible story of service and forgiveness.  Now this story is captured in the book, Unbroken.  This WWII fighter pilot crashed in the ocean.  Luckily there was life raft for him to use.  He survived over a month weathering storms and fighting off sharks!  Eventually a boat showed up, but it wasn't a rescue party.  It was the Japanese who took him as a prisoner to Execution Island.  He spent a few years there where he was beaten, tortured, and starved!  I could not even imagine what he went through!

The most amazing thing about his story was years later he decided to forgive his torturers.  He didn't do it in his mind or paper, he went to Japan and forgave them face3 to face!  If he can forgive those men who tortured him and beat him - I can forgive anyone.  He said it has brought him joy, and it freed him!

     “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

The World War II Soldier

Him Today

Looking For Our Roots

Today I was watching Jon Stewart, and was touched by his guest.  His guest was the head of Westminster Abbey in London.  He talked about what the Abbey means to the world.  What he said resonated so much.  It described how I feel about going to historical places. 

He said Americans go to the Abbey to look for their roots.  The Abbey is just not a holder of the English Civilization for Great Britain, but the whole English Speaking World.  As the head of the Abbey he said the best part is that he gets to live there.  The house he lives in is from the 13th Century.  Jon Stewart said our country's history is 240 years old - so that would make the Abbey our great, great, great, great, great grandfather.  I cannot imagine that much history!  America is so young compared to other places. 

The other impressive thing is everyone who is buried in the Abbey to Charles Dickens to Charles Darwin.  He talked about the inspiration that can come from walking among them.  All these great minds together!  I have been to the Abbey, and I will say it is inspirational to be in that space among that history!  It is crazy to believe that these famous people are buried there!  To think about all that they have done in their life time!

So if you get a chance to go to a historical place - go!  This is what makes history come alive and exciting!  Nothing beats going to the real place, and seeing it first hand.  I have been to Europe ten times, and every time I go to the Place de la Concorde in Paris I cannot help but think about the French Revolution.  It is where thousands were beheaded, or going to Rome and seeing where gladdiators fougt and died for entertainment.  I love history, and seeing it! 

One of the most amazing places I have been to is the beaches of Normandy.  It is such a sad place, and no one talks!  I don't think I could if I tried.  The day I went it was a beautiful sunshining day, but June 6, 1944 was a much different day.  I can't imagine storming those beaches under heavy gun fire.  When the guns went silent the beaches were red with blood.  In my head I kept saying thank you to all those men who sacrificed their lives that day.

That is why history is important!  It took blood, sweat, and tears to be where we are today!  We need to respect it and say thank you!

The Abbey

Place de la Concorde

Rome

Beaches of Normandy

Red Tails Field Trip

I don't know how it happened, but for Black History Month I got a field trip approved to go see Red Tails at AMC.  This movie is about the African American Fighter Pilots of WWII.  It is a phenomenal movie, and I went to go see it opening night.  At the end of the film I knew I had to bring students!  I'm still amazed that it all worked out, and I know the students had a great time!

The best part was having the theater to our self, and being at the movies during a school day.  I was watching the movie, and that kept standing out to me!  It was so much fun!  Oh at the end of the movie we ate pizza at the top of the stairs at AMC.  The icing on the cake was my sister (who works there) giving the students a tour of projection.

Here are pics of that day:

Some of my amazing students from 6th Hour - they got to go to the movies!

Brooklyn and Macy getting snacks before the movie

My sister came with us - and she is a manager at AMC!

All the pizza we ate!  Sorry the picture is sideways!

Trailer for the movie we saw - Red Tails: