The Best Advice You Ever Got from a High School Authority Figure?

Earlier today, I tweeted the question, "What's the best piece of advice you ever got from a Principal or other school authority figure?"


There were a flood of interesting responses -- far more than I would have expected. 


For what it's worth, here's mine: my High School creative writing teacher Mr. Podas saw my passion, and how I suffered for it. He once told me that for every great thing I might achieve in life, I should expect to be greeted not just with kudos, but with an almost equal amount of scorn, insult, and seeming disgust from those around me. He was right -- at the age of 42, I've gotten plenty of applause and been called truly horrible things so many times, little of it surprises me any longer. 


There were too many responses to post them all here, but I thought I might share a sampling of what you had to say. Some of these are optimistic, some bittersweet, others hilarious. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have:

txlonghorn_02 txlonghorn_02 

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"You think all these people are your fiends? In 5 years you'll be able to count them on one hand" #truth

mrin912 Michael Rogers 

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My French teacher -- Do first; apologize later. It's much easier that way!

brettteslaa Brett TeSlaa 

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Christian School AP English teacher, "It is not my place to judge gay people, but I know God wants me to love them."

LilyJaquith Lily Jaquith 

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Follow your own dreams, not your parents, your friends or your significant others. Be what you want to be.

auntymana Mana 

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The best advice was taught by example: Example of how NEVER to act as a human being in charge of shaping young minds.

MichaelxShirley Michael Shirley 

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If you're going to smoke cigarettes on the way to high school, don't let your home room teacher see you.

jossafan Joss 

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From my HS counselor: "Take college seriously, but don't let your studies drain you of your creativity."

joelygabs joelygabs 

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don't get into graphic design - my guidance counselor. i should have listened.

nycdude5235 Mike 

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My HS principal stepped btwn me when I was bout to fight. She told me if I fought I would be expelled and all my dreams gone.

Blue_Eye28 Sarah 

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a teacher once told me to always stay true to myself and I'm still living that advice :)

JFKimberley JFKimberley 

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My 7th-grade teacher: "Go travel, see the world. The best education you'll ever get is to travel." And I've done just that.

SVAllie Allison D. Duncan 

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don't eat glue?

PurpleOutkast Jonathan Gavaldon 

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"Never pay for porn." - my high school ethics teacher

AdamSank Adam Sank 

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"The higher you go on the ladder, the more your rear end sticks out, and the more people will take pot-shots at it."

MMMelissaK Melissa Kreipe 

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Chem teacher Pat Anderson- "You don't HAVE to do anything. Everything in life is a choice. BUT there's always consequences"

SteveRalph1 Steve Ralph 

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best piece of advice from a teacher: before you leave a club with someone ask for their ID to check their age. #400thTweet

andydrinks andydrinks 

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From my English teacher who said: If you want to experience 'life in the raw' go into journalism. I did. He was right.

crookedcrack Ryan Blazer 

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keep doing what you're doing and be yourself - you're going to do well

techlifter Techlifter 

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"Never let someone else be responsible for your failure." Great advice from an otherwise unimpressive college English prof.

katyadotcom Kathryn 

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Keep speaking your voice because your voice deserves to be heard no matter others. My HS counselor is the best!

theregards Ryan Wardana 

My 7th-grade teacher: "Go travel, see the world. The best education you'll ever get is to travel." And I've done just that.

aluminomad TrailerTrashTrez 

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the higher you go on the ladder... the more people your farts will reach

BurritoElito Brian Eagle 

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Invest in dot-coms, they will never go wrong.

drjosh81 Josh 

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Shut up & do your work! 

AliMoonGoddess Ali McCollum 

 Quit smoking!

MadamloverOMG10 Raelyn Ddub-Girly 

"Keep smilin' always :) 

WBCVideo Rebekah Phelps-Roper 

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I can't remember, but my principal *did* like my Minny Mouse shirt!

Thanks to all who weighed in!!

A mother on her daughter's same-sex wedding ...

The following note came forwarded to me from my own mother, age 84, who lives in Minnesota and is a Quaker. Her Quaker friend Marie Knowland wrote this for her daughter and and Marianne and partner Michelle, who have been together over 20 years. Marie was unable to attend Marianne and Michelle's marriage in NY this month, but wanted to participate in the ceremony nonetheless. So she asked that the following be read at the ceremony:

August 5, 2011

Marianne and Michelle Wedding

Michelle and Marianne, as you enter this stage of your continuing commitment to each other, I am honored to address you on this occasion and celebrate with you your love and respect for each other.  I am aware that such a relationship has not always been accepted in our society and your honesty and integrity in how you have dealt with it is much to be admired. 

In the manner of Friends (Quakers) let me hold you in the light and bid you continue with my blessing.  May you enjoy the love and support of each other in a legal relationship of marriage for many years to come. 

Go in Peace, 

Mom 

Kids, Teens and Empathy

Sometimes my tweets and Facebook posts are spontaneous. Often, though, I work ahead, looking for quotes and media items that fit a theme -- something going on in the news, a holiday, my own emotional or intellectual gnawing.

This morning, I found myself looking for quotes on listening and empathy. I came across this gem from Daily Show Executive Producer Josh Lieb, from his recent book I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and Want to Be Your Class President. It matches what I've observed on playgrounds and in classrooms, both during my own growing-up, as well as now in the behavior of my Godkids and their peers. 

I'm reminded that empathy doesn't just happen. It must be cultivated:

I am amused when goody-goodies proclaim, from the safety of their armchairs, that children are naturally prejudice-free, that they only learn to "hate" from listening to bigoted adults. Nonsense. Tolerance is a learned trait, like riding a bike or playing the piano. Those of us who actually live among children, who see them in their natural environment, know the truth: Left to their own devices, children will gang up on and abuse anyone who is even slightly different from the norm.

GOP Congress members plan to delay/prevent implementation of DADT repeal

When the House Armed Services Committee meets tomorrow to discuss 2012 business, several Republican lawmakers have announced they will offer amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that would either slow or block implementation of the Don't Ask/Don't Tell repeal already passed by Congress, according to a bulletin today from Fred Sainz, HRC's VP of Communications. It's these congresspeople's right wing social conservative attempt to make an end-run around the will of the House, Senate, President and (by poll numbers) majority of American voters.

Here's the hall of shame. Please, let's let them know we're NOT happy with them for trying to codify socially-backward, fearfulness and bigotry once again ... even after the train has all but left the station.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) 

Mr. Hunter claims approval of the DADT repeal by the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the previous requirement suggested by critics) ... doesn't satisfy him. He's now asking for approval by all the Chiefs.

It should be expected that if/when all branch Chiefs do sign off, Rep. Duncan will try to move the goalpost once again and come up with some additional difficult standard the repeal must achieve in order to be enacted.

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)

Rep. Todd will try to keep Department of Defense facilities from being available for same-sex marriages, regardless of the laws of the particular state in which the wedding would occur.

He wants to bar chaplains or civilian DOD employees from officiating at such a ceremony even if the wedding is otherwise fully legal.





Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-MS)

Mr. Palazzo will try to include language on behalf of servicemembers whose 1st Amendment free speech and religious/moral rights are trampled, he claims, by their having to serve in the same military as open gays and lesbians.

Mr. Palazzo feels one should be able to live gay-free if one's religion dictates, and that it's the military's and Federal government's job to ensure this.




Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO)

Mrs. Hartzler wants to essentially reinstate DOMA, the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, which our Attorney General recently dismissed as unconstitutional. Hartzler sees an opportunity for this in the DADT repeal, claiming it's necessary to block same-sex marriage in the military because of a "heightened need to protect marital and family stability."  She does not elaborate about what, exactly, she'd like the see marriage protected against.



While their arguments and positions sound/look pretty absurd and obscene when presented as plainly as I have here, they are quite serious about this and will try to slow/kill our military's progress if at all possible.

If one of these politicians represents you, I encourage you to drop them a note TODAY and let them know how displeased you are with their shameful obstruction of basic societal progress. It doesn't take Nostradamus to forecast that history will not look kindly on these people and their actions. But let's not leave it to history while a generation of young men and women in uniform suffer. Let's make a difference TODAY.

BPJ
5-10-11

Source information for this article from HRC, cnn.com and wikipedia.com