These pictures confirm that I was once much younger than I am now.
Also that I had really long hair
Also that I cant keep my eyes open worth shit
and Im taller than my mom, and I have awesome clothes
me in spain
james and his first sort of gf in spain (we ran into her at random... he was more than weirded out)
me in turkey
my mom wanted to take a picture of how much i was carrying... (i seem to have had a really hard time keeping my eyes open for pictures at the time)
dorky me
kinda looks like the mask
your uncle sam
i dunno why but i like this
I think i called this a tumultuous peace -however its just bs
this is me trying to get rid of old paint that doesnt work any more.It always starts with a photograph, catches me off guard, as if I didn’t know that album contained them. As if I wasn’t aware that you’d be in there.
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I dont know why all those pictures turned sideways...Greetings to you wonderful teachers!
Hello again. This is Mike _____ class of 2002 -long hair, too talkative, peace sign (I know how hard it is to remember everyone). I just wanted to let you know that I will be finishing up my social studies license in May and hoping to teach as soon as I can. I am pretty sure a huge part of my decision to become a teacher is because of all of you and wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all that you did for me and my class and think about you often. My time at St. Louis Park was one of the best times of my life and I'm glad to see that so many of you are still there.
Is it still a good school? Has it changed too much?
I always dreamed of teaching there but I understand that there are no openings available, still keep me in mind if anything opens up. Also, if any of you would feel comfortable giving me any advice, or if you know of any good leads on the job market let me know (especially if they are in urban areas, fun alternative schools, or international).
I thought I should share some fond memories (Forgive me if I mess up honorific titles).
Mrs. Garland, You were my first social studies teacher at the high school, and I'm pretty sure my incessant questions and comments had you flustered numerous times, but you were always more than courteous, fair and certainly helpful in challenging us to backup are political arguments and discussions. I’m not sure, but I think I began loving politics in your civics class.
Mr. O’Brien I was in your class my senior year when those planes struck the WTC and I remember you allowing us to watch the news every day. Personally it was a fairly challenging time for me to retain my beliefs, but I remember thinking that your response to this event was almost perfect, helping us to realize that in many ways the history of western civilization is actually still happening, and that in order to really understand events, we need to inform ourselves about them.
Mr. Miller your excitement in class everyday was amazing. U.S. History came alive for so many of us in your classroom, and when we fell asleep in class dreaming about Lincoln, Grant and Sherman, Davis and Lee, well you woke us up and regaled us with another great story. One time you got so excited about the topic of my presentation, you jumped in and told one of the best parts… but I can’t hold that against you because I am constantly excited by history now in much the same way. I only hope that I can bring that kind of excitement to the classroom.
McLean, what can I say? I camped on your lawn. You let us steal electricity and provided the extension cords. Deviance was never so fun. I’m not sure if you remember me now, but a couple years after graduating you walked up to me and called me by name and shook my hand and asked how I was, and it meant a great deal to me because you assured all of us that you would never remember our names. I have the same problem, but we could always tell how much you enjoyed having us as students because you sort of glowed in the classroom. It was great.
Mrs. Skadden, not only did I absolutely love sociology the moment I realized what it was, but also I never felt so personally welcome in a class. I don’t mean any offense to anyone else on this list, but every day you sort of went out of your way to tell me that you expected a lot from me but knew I was capable of it. One day in the hall after class you stopped me and told me I had to do something important with my life. Strong words, but exactly what I needed to hear. I don’t know if teaching will always be the right path for me, but I plan on trying in any and every way to fulfill that command.
Ms Jurewicz, I recently handed out an evaluation to my students and one responded to every question (whether it was related or not) “More yoga! More yoga! More yoga!” I’m not even good at it… Of the many things I learned from you, the most important has probably always been that it is important to be yourself, because that is how one shines. I think I learned that both from your words and your example. I was inspired by your stories, your attitude, your ease and comfort and I know it wasn’t always easy dealing with me or your other students, but thank you for your confidence and support, and for being such a wonderful inspiration to me in so many ways.
To all of you and so many others at Park, THANK YOU! I loved school, and it saddens me how many people have not had that experience. I really want to give you a list of all the people I wish you could thank and say hi to for me, but it might be kind of long… so I guess just let everyone know that they are great and I’m sure they are doing their best.
A quick bio to let you know what I have been up to
By the end of high school I had been to about 6-7 different countries but am now at about 30. I went backpacking in Europe right after high school and returned while doing an individual study on ethnic conflicts throughout the world. Those trips also provided time to explore parts of Turkey and Morocco. I also spent a few weeks in India cramming as much information into my brain as I could.
I graduated in 2007 from the University of Minnesota Morris, but have stayed there for a teaching license. Other graduates of UMM include Andy S , Ashley E, Kristen I, Tim P, Ashley T who is in elementary education, Tim is in law, Kristen and Andy are both playing music along with other activities. I graduated with a soc science degree, but chose history, anthropology and sociology as minors, and threw on a women studies area of emphasis for fun. I guess I wasn’t in a rush to leave. Anyway I have been enjoying my life a great deal.
I hope this letter finds all of you doing well. I have become more and more aware of how thankless this profession can be at times and wanted to let all of you know how much I appreciate all of your hard work. So thank you again.
What do I want to say right now?
These songs just reminded me of Nikki.
When Nikki and I broke up so long ago I made a number of mistakes. I jabbed with truth, but it stung her like wrath and unjustified revenge. It was all online, it was passionate and awful.
But she got me into this cd. Counting Crows, all my lady friends have introduced me to good music. I remember being so young and surprisingly innocent even though I felt guiltier then -than I do now for my past. I've had time to make up for things, including the way I struck out at her.
Each memory and bit of knowledge was a curse and a sign to me of impending doom, and my caring (to me) meant protecting her from herself. And even more, protecting all of them from her. What a curse it was to me to know that someone I had trusted would take all that support and use it to cripple another. I'd seen it in others, in friends, in acquaintances. It was around that same time that I was neglecting my duties with pete, and when I confronted I confronted without confidence, but all the same I knew it was right.
I say this shit because there are times when I say something, and it may be wrong, but if it comes from a place of concern and caring... is it wrong?
Some of them admit that I wasn't out of line later. Most of em end up rejecting me. Its sort of funny in the really not funny at all category... how self assure we are when we head into our mistakes (all of us). Some of us just assume we will make them, so we try to warn others. Some of us don't believe we even have that power, so we are taken aback when someone says something.
but those are the people we can trust right? The ones who say something.
A few years ago my mom told me about someone she knew, their son had gone out drinking, his first time, he was underage. He wasn't even drunk; he hit a car and killed a family. He wanted badly to do whatever he could to make up for it. But he couldn't, ever.
Several of my friends are drug/alcohol addicts. I tend to be supportive of them, even when they are clearly hurting themselves, even though its against my rules (rule number one says dont hurt yourself, rule number two says dont hurt others... rule number two seems to be more important). I do say things sometimes... they know how I feel, so they avoid me when they want to act this way. That’s not the way I want it. I tell them I can drive them, I can stay sober if they want to be silly. But the moment they start seeing themselves and their fun as more important than the lives of others, they cross a line to me. It’s the same line, only a bit more dangerous and irresponsible as the other rule... the you don't hurt others rule. I been in that situation before, where I thought, yeah I could drive, it might even be fun.
I wish I could say that I was bold and strong enough to cut myself off from people with this type of behavior. But I know we all make mistakes... still if you look at who I trust, who I'm close to, it’s not those who risk others lives. It’s even hard for me to trust them when they have clearly changed, not so much to trust that they have changed, but to trust that they are not capable of doing the same or a different thing again, it’s nearly impossible.
Don’t make unhealthy behavior a habit. It makes you unreliable.
And of course keep me honest to this.
I was reading about some people, words from their mouths, hurt from their hearts, trying to be something they are not. For someone else. It’s been a while since I was that, but here I sit wanting to write a poem called “I am not one to be trusted” for acts unseen of scents pressed closely. For a thousand dark nights and day's spent in shadows. For the things I will do, regardless of my welcome.
In spring people hop together to make fruit of their flowers, and in summer they branch out seeing that the sky is greater than they had imagined. Come fall they backtrack, hurried for trepidation, winter warmth of another, early spring set asunder to repeat it all over again.
To 8 girls with no faith.
For a hula hoop and a home in Italy she’d marry –a joke, but not so different from the reality, throw in honesty and integrity and she’d be happy. I don’t understand the games you play, both want, but tear each other apart in friendship. Dependent. Leave, come back a new woman, but surely you’ll always love him. I think you love the idea of being wanted, excitement, but is he really the man of your dreams? Or are you simply biding your time with the eccentric, in and out for the demon’s pulse to throb, enthralled with mixed values. You’ve misplaced your life again, goals in everyone else’s vision but your own. The things we’ve learned, the way we’ve grown, too attached to really say goodbye, too attached not to lie. I wonder sometimes what the eyes mean, intentions are there, mysterious, but I’m not ready and neither of us is nearly as steady as we project. Grown accustomed to comfort, too afraid to leave, unready? You look at me and wonder how I can remain calm, vivid pictures suggest you weather it, but my vision is faith-driven, where as my fear is just imagination. Trust your self, no man is worth it.
