First of all, I had my evaluation and post-evaluation meeting. I believe it went well. Basically I need to do a better job of checking for understanding during class. I was told to use the popsicle stick method to call on names. I've decided that a great time to do that is just after the Unit Test this week. Or perhaps while studying for the Unit Test. I'll play around with it. First I need to go buy some popsicle sticks. I'm not really good at asking questions and didn't have many to ask. I'm lucky though. Our principal is one who is very approachable and I think that as I do develop questions through the year I've got a wealth of people I can call on to help me out.
The next topic is one I am sad to report. My beloved city, Chicago, failed in their chance to win the bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Despite my small involvement from the 100 degree temps at the 2007 marathon to the icy chill and hail of this past spring when the IOC came for their visit, I was thrilled to be a part of something I knew could be big and have a lasting impact on this city. I believe in my heart Chicago will get the Olympics someday. What we need to do is use the leverage we've got already in our bid. Baron de Coubertin who began the Modern Olympic Movement in 1896 wanted Chicago to host the games. He was impressed with our city, after attending the 1892 World's Fair. We should have had the games in 1904 but gave them to St. Louis with barely a fight. And this time around we gave them to Brazil with our pathetic pitch to the IOC on legacy for the youth of the city.
What failed our city was the final marketing strategy. We focused on what would happen after the Games came to Chicago rather than what the Games would do for the athletes and the Movement itself. Yes our President and First Lady were there. Impressive. But so was every other dignitary. Watching the presentation I knew we had lost. There was no passion. There was rhetoric. It was as though these people had championed the cause for so long they'd lost site of the prize itself.
I sit here tonight wondering if all the death and violence amongst the youth of Chicago was the reason we pitched the Games as a way to galvanize Chicago's youth to focus on sport. We don't need the Games to do that. We need communities to do that. We need parents to step up. We need people to support the charities that exist, like Here's Life Inner City. We need kids to realize that by extinguishing the flame of someone else's future they are burning their own to the ground. That the burned out shell that is left behind will remain inside them until they take control and turn their lives down a path that builds up rather than breaks down.
Sports will continue in Chicago. Baseball, well, we'll wait till next year to see how that goes on any side of town. Football, doing well so far this year (not the same can be said about the teams down here). Basketball, too early to tell. The Chicago Marathon is next weekend. I think this one will finally be in perfect runner weather. I'll be bundled up though.
I'm excited to head back to Chi-town. It's been a long time and the last was a quick swing into town to get allergy shots. I have a lot of friends there, many of whom call me on a weekly basis or I call them. Some I don't think realize I've moved away, like life is moving on as it always did for them. Hopefully we can all take the time and support each other.
I love cheering the runners on in the marathon. It is a worthy goal to run a race that killed the first person who did it. None the less, I will be there as I have at nearly every marathon the last 8 years, ringing my cowbell and yelling for people whose names are on their shirts. I stop at around 5 different places around the route each time.
Who are you cheering on this week? Who do you support and do they know it? Or are you just standing on the side lines? Life is worth living, sure, but it is so much more fun when you live it weaved into the tapestry of the people around you. Give someone a high five. Give 'em a ring. Heck, wave that cowbell and yell for all you are worth. Be a buddy.
Sweet dreams.
KB
Great blog, buddy! Hope that the weather holds and the marathon is as special as it always has been. Have a great time. And thanks for keeping up with this. It's great work. BTW I set up small cards for each kid in the class with his or her name and numbers for all 31 days of the month. When they contributed on a certain day, I circled the date. If they contributed twice, I put a dot on the circle and so on. At the end of the quarter all the dots and circles added up as extra credit. And I could shuffle the cards or pick them out at random to get the kids involved who never speak. It worked for me, anyway. Now it's off to London! Exiting!
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