Just Married!

Brother Brice and his new wife, Lynette, ride down the streets of Savannah, Georgia in a carriage after their wedding ceremony in front of Forsyth Park's fountain.

Illegal to Reprint Poetry on the Internet

I had planned to reprint the words to Julia Alvarez's poem, "Love Portions," as a part of this post. When I used google to look up "Julia Alvarez," I discovered this website and spent some time learning a little more about the author. I also read this statement: "If you need to get in touch with me about setting up an appearance or an interview or to obtain permissions for reproducing my work, please contact my agent, Susan."

I sent Susan Bergholz an e-mail requesting permission to reprint the poem as part of my blog post and received a response indicating that permission could not be granted. She explained, "I am afraid we cannot grant it as we do not allow posting of author's original work on the internet; it interferes with our ability to license that work. If you have seen any of Julia's writing on the internet, it is without our permission and is therefore illegal."

I had provided a link to another website that reprinted the poem, but I have removed that link and provided this message in its place: "[It is illegal to reprint the words to Ms. Alvarez's poem on the internet, but those words are what I read at this point in my reading.]"

I discovered Ms. Alvarez's poem in a text called Love Poetry Out Loud (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2007).

So Much To Do, So Much To Say

I just posted my first two posts in almost a month, and I'm adding this one to the collection. The simple explanation for not posting more is that I've been very busy. I've had good intentions of making several posts about many different subjects, but I haven't found or made the time.

The first few weeks of school have gone well overall. I've been reminded of what an incredible amount of work there is to do at the beginning of the school year. I'm always overwhelmed at the start of every school year, and that feeling stays with me just about all school-year long.

Both of my parents were born this time of year, so within the first two weeks of school opening, I'm also getting together with each of them to celebrate their birthdays. I took my mom to see the play "Vanities" at the Open Space Cafe Theatre, and I took my dad to see Triad Stage's "Little Foxes." Both plays provided us great entertainment. Our community is incredibly fortunate to have these two theatres, as well as many others, each providing some amazing productions for our community to enjoy.

I also had a reunion at Oka T. Hester Park with the fifth- and sixth-grade students with whom I traveled to Australia for two weeks this summer (through People to People's Student Ambassadors program). Out of 30 students, 27 of them and their families were able to make the reunion, and we had a great time getting back together and reflecting on our shared travels together.

My brother also scheduled a big event this weekend: he got married in Savannah, Georgia. I took off Friday and Monday from work so that I could travel to and from the wedding and have some time to enjoy spending with my brother, my new sister-in-law, our families, and our friends. (I'm hoping to post some pictures soon and maybe some additional comments.)

There's a primary election coming up very soon (October 9th). All sorts of other news events have occurred. Some of them I would have liked to have commented on. Sooner or later, I hope to find the time to do so.

My Reading for My Brother's Wedding

For their wedding, my brother and his wife-to-be asked me to do a reading as part of the ceremony. Brice met Lynette right before graduating from Dudley High School in 1992, and they have been dating ever since. This Saturday, they finally got married. These are the words I chose to use:

It was slightly less than four score and seven years ago when Brother Brice and Sister Lynette first met. That was then, and this is now. 1992 is now 2007, and the present time is the perfect time for Brice and Lynette, together, to take their next step forward.

Mere minutes from now, these two individuals who have brought us all together here in Savannah's Forsyth Park will take their commitment to one another to an even higher level than has already existed these past fifteen years.

Like you, I love, respect, admire, and enjoy Brice and Lynette. They are both good and decent human beings, and we are lucky to know them and have them in our lives, just as they are fortunate to have one another.

It is a beautiful, special thing in life when the right man and the right woman, against the odds, discover one another. As right as Brice and Lynette are for one another, there's nothing more appropriate than what we are about to witness. In some relationships, there may be doubts and uncertainties about how well suited two people ultimately are for one another. With Brice and Lynette, no such question marks exist.

Brice and Lynette have already shared more positive moments, better conversations, and greater laughs than some couples manage in a lifetime. Lives best lived are full of diverse experiences, and together, Brice and Lynette have already sought to explore and discover more of the world than they've already known. Now, they're only making plans to keep up such an approach for the rest of their lives.

I have very limited advice for this happy couple because their wisdom in such matters far exceeds mine. They've been my role models, two people I look up to, not least of all because of how good they are to and for one another. I only hope and pray they continue their best practices toward one another, constantly seeking to take their relationship to even higher, mo' better levels. That describes their approach these past fifteen years, and may that remain true every day and every year for the rest of their lives together. Anything less is unacceptable, and fortunately, they both already know and understand that.

I found and would like to share with each of you here today a poem by Julia Alvarez titled "Love Portions":

[It is illegal to reprint the words to Ms. Alvarez's poem on the internet, but those words are what I read at this point in my reading.]

Brice and Lynette, may the scales between you ultimately remain balanced, and may we always see you, together, forever, laughing in the Purple Rain.

The Marriage Ceremony Uniting Lynette Jones & Adrian Brice Floyd

My younger brother, Adrian Brice Floyd, married his long-time sweetheart, Lynette Jones, this weekend.

The three-fold program included the following information:

Front Page:

In Celebration:

15 Years of
Love and Friendship

The

Marriage Ceremony

Uniting

Lynette Jones

&
Adrian Brice Floyd

Saturday
September 22, 2007

12:00 pm

Forsyth Park
Savannah, Georgia

Page 2:

Prelude

Processional

Bridal Processional

Welcome and Greeting

Bishop Willie C. Kendall

Song

Christina D. Shoffner

Reading

Seymour H. Floyd

Declaration of Intent

Wedding Vows

Exchange of Rings

Final Blessing

Presentation of Bride and Groom

Recessional

Reception

The Lady and Sons

In Loving Memory

Norman N. Jones III

Lila Mae Floyd

Goldie McGrady

Page 3:

Officiant

Bishop Willie C. Kendall

Mother of the Bride

Shirley A. Jones

Grandmothers of the Bride

Elveta F. Jones

Shadie M. Mobley

Parents of the Groom

Rebecca M. Floyd

Maurice A. Floyd

Brother of the Bride/Bridal Escort

Norman N. Jones IV

Maid of Honor

Christina D. Shoffner

Best Man

Seymour H. Floyd

Hostesses

Mia C. Jacobs-Watts

Christie N. Williams

Musician

Ricky Standard

Wedding Consultant

Karen Moore

Feeling Like A Celebrity At Staples

I had to pick up something at Staples this evening for school.

Parked in the parking lot, I talked to a friend from school about several different things. She's been at our school about 10 years, but she'll be leaving the end of September to take a full-time training position with our school system. She has more than 40 years in education, so this won't be the first time she's tried something new. She just plans to put her talents to use in different ways. Her son just moved to Chicago to study. Though I've passed by her the last couple days, I've barely had time to say "hello," so I gave her a call during after-school hours.

After we'd finished talking, I started walking to the store's entrance when my cell phone suddenly started vibrating. I answered it, and it was a good friend who's already left my school. I miss having her at our school, but it was good to hear that she's enjoying her new job a lot more. The ways things are going so far, she said they'd have to double her pay to get her to think about returning to what she had done at our school the last two years. It's just been a lot less stressful and a lot more positive for her than last year was.

While I was on the phone, standing to the side of the entrance, a woman and a high-school-aged female walked past and waved. I recognized them as a student I'd taught a couple years ago and her mother. I finished my phone conversation, hung up, and entered the store with two missions in mind: 1) finding and purchasing what I'd come to buy and 2) finding and saying hello to the student and her mother.

Before I made it very far, a woman stopped me. I didn't recognize her, but she quickly identified herself as a Southwest Guilford Middle School parent of a seventh grader. Her daughter had recognized me and pointed me out to her mom, and it just so happened that even though we'd never met before, this lady had wanted to get in touch with me. Someone had mentioned my name to her, and she had wanted to ask me a question. She'd planned to get in touch with me at school, but suddenly running into me, she'd decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I enjoyed talking to her and discovered that she's one of the parents we're particularly fortunate to have at our school: she's active in our PTSA and wanted to talk to me about how she could better communicate with and assist our staff members. Since her daughter's in the seventh-grade, there's a chance that I'll teach her next year, and now there's already a connection in place, which is always positive to have.

Then, after getting what I needed to buy, I stood in line, waiting to have my item scanned and to pay for it. The seventh-grade student and her mother, whom I'd just met, had also finished shopping and were right behind me, so while we waited to move up in the line, we talked some more. While we were talking, a young lady called out from near the entrance, "Mr. Floyd!" It was another former student, one I'd just seen for the first time in a few years when she had dropped by our school to visit. I didn't get to talk to her, but she had a beautiful smile on her face, and even though we didn't get to talk, it was still a positive encounter.

I made it to my car without running into anyone else, but already, I'd been reminded of just how small a world ours actually is sometimes.

Schoolhouse Rambles

With two new administrators and approximately 30 new staff members (out of approximately 115), Southwest Guilford Middle School has gotten off to a very good start the first two days of this 2007-2008 school year. Under the leadership of new Principal Beverly Wilson, Assistant Principal Gloria Ramsey, and new Assistant Principal Billy Hardy, things have run smoothly. (Doesn't Mr. Hardy have a great last name?)

The worst thing for some of us has been dealing with uncomfortably hot classrooms. I've worn a long-sleeve shirt and tie these first two days, and I've been drenched with sweat at times. From 10:30 AM-3:45 PM (with a break from about 12:48-1:15 PM for lunch), I've been in near-constant motion in my classroom, moving back-and-forth as I speak, listen, ask, answer, write, monitor, and observe. (I admit that I'm usually sitting while writing on the overhead.) Somthing's wrong with our air conditioning, and yes, there's some suffering going on. The only comfort I can offer my students is to point out that I'm probably even less comfortable than they are, wearing hotter clothes and moving around more than they are. But it's all good. I've just come to realize that for all our amazing technological advances, the people who develop the systems designed to cool and heat our buildings still have light-years to go. Buildings are always either too hot or too cold; they're never just right. Ms. Wilson has visited my room two or three times so far, and when she visited today, she let me know that she's aware of how hot the rooms are. I appreciated her taking the time to do that, and though it's made the day slightly less pleasant, I know they're working on getting it fixed for us. There are some things that you just have to deal with and make the best of, and that's as important a lesson as any other for us all to learn. Mixed in with that lesson is the one about it being pointless, senseless, and mindless to dwell too long on certain things or to complain about them. Too much wasted time and energy involved that could be put to infinitely better use elsewhere. Some things are just beyond our complete control, and we just have to accept that.

So far, I love our team's students! "Love" probably seems like too strong a word here--I realize that it probably comes across as hyperbole. By "love," I mean that it's been easy to enjoy, appreciate, and respect our students so far. The negative signs of potentially bad things to come have not shown themselves so far. I'm just hoping that the positive vibrations are real, that the love is going to last the entire school year. Because if that's the case, there's going to be a lot of higher learning going on, and the results are going to be positive for everyone.

I haven't dealt with any major issues so far. By this point last year--if not very shortly after--I'd already had a student "MF" me in class, to the delight of some of his classmates. ("MF" doesn't stand for "Mr. Floyd.") I felt like the effects of that incident haunted that class all year long, stirring an ugly, unpleasant energy that was challenging to overcome. Unless my memory's failing me, I think my primary sin against that student was to ask him to do what all the other students were doing: to keep his head off his desk and write what I was asking them to write. There were negative signs with that student the very first day, and I was left wondering if I'd have any positive moments with him. There were actually a few positive moments with him, but they weren't lasting. And he always was within a second of flipping--it didn't take much to provoke him. He didn't stay with us all year, and I don't know what ultimately happened to him, but without some major changes, he was heading in every negative direction you can think of, seemingly eager to become a part of the horrible statistics we don't seem often enough capable of reversing.

You don't put 1000 students together and expect that there aren't going to be some students with some problems. What you try to do is control the environment as much as possible and try to figure out how to help or change the students who have problems and/or are causing problems. You try communicating with those stuents, and when necessary, you follow up with proper discipline. I've already heard of some students getting into trouble, with at least one or two directing their negative energy toward their teachers. Some of those students have a history of doing that, and whatever the solution is for turning around their attitudes and/or behaviors hasn't yet been discovered. Maybe we'll figure out those solutions this school year. For the sake of those students, for the sake of our school, and for our sake, let's hope so.

I'm excited and curious right now. Excited about how well the year has started and how much positive potential seems to exist right now. Curious to see if the positive energy can be maintained and magnified. How far can we go? How long will it last? How far and long will it extend?

While I've looked forward to these last two days, I've also finished both days feeling exhausted. I'm drained by the energy that has to be put forth to keep it all moving, to accomplish all that needs to be done. There's a beginning-of-the-year "To Do" list that stretches forever, it seems. With teaching, once the school year begins, it doesn't end until the very end of the school year. Between the first day and the last day, there's not a single day when you leave school knowing that you've done everything that needs to be done. Not if you're honest. There's always one more step that could have been taken: one more record you could have read; one more lesson you could have developed; one more decoration you could have added; one more meeting you could have scheduled or held; one more phone call you could have made, or one more e-mail you could have sent; one more field trip you could have planned; one more speaker you could have scheduled; one more note you could have written; one more set of papers you could have graded; one more text you could have studied; one more incentive you could have created; one more bulletin board you could have changed; one more activity you could have coached or sponsored; etc. Don't think there's not even more that I could have listed here. There's no peace during the school year for a school teacher, no luxury or relaxation. Even the moments you take for yourself require more work and greater preparation, and they leave you feeling guilty and unrelaxed. When you take a day off, for whatever reason, your mind still travels back to school, worrying how all's going for your sub, your teammates, and your students. You're praying and hoping that all went smoothly, that the students were better for your sub than they've even dreamed about being for you.

There's so much more to say. And of course, there's stuff that can't be said. But it's all there. It's all going on everywhere right now, in every school. Stuff most of us don't even have a clue about, though we think we do. It's everything positive and everything negative that you can possibly imagine.

My mind's spinning, right now, trying to figure out how I'm going to keep up with it all.