What is the price tag?

"Following orders"
is just not good enough

to justify an action you know is wrong
– your soul won't buy it.
No-one makes you pull the trigger,
no-one forces your aim
toward an unarmed person’s face or groin
to cause maximum injury with those rubber bullets.
There is no-one to blame
when you soak people
– fellow human beings –
on a freezing night,
with water turning to sheets of ice.
No, it's not like a real bullet,
but you know the effect can be the same.
And knowingly, you “follow orders”.
For what?
A paycheck?
So looking back at this time, years from now,
you will have exchanged your integrity as a human being
for,
tell me,
what is the price tag? 

Launching nonprofit Hugs that Empower!

Coming off an overdose of positivity and inspiration, I realize I haven't shared the BIG NEWS!

Here is the story...

What an empowering feeling it was to stand on the McCaw Hall stage at the SVP Fast Pitch Finals this past Tuesday and share the work that inspires me day in and day out, stories of my brave students (stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors) who -- in the face of their immense challenges -- show up each week, to dance.

This is how you talk to strangers, Jim Hillman?

After I posted this article on my personal Facebook page about my GHS Bulldogs taking a knee, I got 40+ "angry" faces from people who are not my Facebook friends and this… 

I posted a screenshot of the message on my Facebook page and questions arose: Was this message to me? Was this a hack? People looked up Jim Hillman's profile, his employer, and even his employer's email.

Schools punish poor families by isolating kids

A public school in the UK is punishing students for overdue lunch fees:
"Children whose parents had not paid off lunch debts were made to sit in 'lunch isolation' away from friends and given substitute meals"

Here is a copy of the letter sent out to parents:

And the full article: http://ind.pn/2ahqlZs

Schools should be places of sanctuary. I'm tired of people saying, Well if the parents taught their kids this or that. My students were my kids. If they acted out, they made me look bad. And I told them so. Not your parents. You spend 5 hours of your week with me, I am responsible, too. And if a child needs something, something as basic as food, we need to help them. Sad, sad, sad.

It takes a village. We are that village.

Thank you, nice guy!

As I pulled up, I noticed there was a space in front of his Explorer truck and space behind it.

"Do you think if you moved back a little, I might be able to squeeze in in front of you?"

Coloring for the Soul

I saw this card when I went to my first ever The Coloring Project event in January, but I chose another one which better represented where I was at then. This past Monday, as I sifted through the stack of beautiful cards to color, I came across the fishy again. And this time, he stuck. Mission I'm Possible.

Finding #freedom in dancing with my whole self,
power in #vulnerability. 

Thank you, Andrea Koehler, for creating cards and an event that speaks to people's souls, a space for connection and community. 

Check out The Coloring Project for events near you!

Victim we are not

I have a problem with the use of the word "victim". Just because someone is part of a minority group does not mean they are a victim. The reason Trump or anyone can "pick on" a group of people is because he highlights the difference, the us vs. them. But "victims", people who are different are not.

Too Nice to Say NO

"I don't know how to say No," she told her friend, "I'm too nice."

Not saying "No" when what you want to say is no, is not nice.  In essence, you are lying to people.  Sure, we all do things we are not extremely excited to do - take care of loved ones when they are sick, take out the garbage, homework, etc.  Even these things I'd say are more like responsibilities and opportunities to learn, grow, better ourselves, to be there for the people who count on us, to keep our space clean and comfortable.  These things are not much of a choice, but we do them, and in the long run, most of us would probably agree that it's a good idea to do them.

But when you say, I'm too nice, not good at saying No - keep in mind that people have choices, too.  So if you're "too nice" and then are upset or make others miserable hanging out in your presence, you're not doing anyone any favors.

Let's be clear and direct. Yes means yes. And no means no. Please?

Creativity Problems

Problems I'll gladly accept. Bored isn't part of the vocabulary.

When your struggle is too many fun ideas and an overload of inspiration, it can be daunting, it can feel overwhelming. Treading water as the waves try to take you down. But swim in it, flow with it. Because at least with these problems, you know you'll never be bored, never be short of life energy, of vitality. Let your creativity guide you.

And here's a secret: there's never enough time and there's always enough time.

Dance. Create. Be.