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This week’s article pulls on my heartstrings quite a bit. I met this young lady at the Grimes County Go Texan Cook Off in January where her boyfriend was cooking on our cookoff team. They had recently started dating and Friday evening we were first introduced to her. Karina Munoz, from Madisonville, came into our circle and fit in perfectly from the very beginning!
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You heard that right – I actually ate a live earthworm at school. Here’s how it went down – no pun intended. This would have been in the early 2000s when I was teaching 5th grade math. At this time the required standardized test was the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, or TAAS for short. I always prided myself on teaching mathematics and not teaching the test, however – there is so much riding on the students’ performance that one must do what one must do in order to survive. You can take the high road as a teacher only so long because at the end of the day your performance will be determined by a group of 11-year-olds.
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In my last column, I chastised Senator John Fetterman for his lack of appropriate attire when conducting the people’s business in the people’s capitol. No good deed, or good intent, goes unpunished. The very same day the column was released, I was visited by the clothing gods of retribution in the form of my gentleman friend. While disgusted by former President Clinton’s infamous finger-wagging, I have to concede there may be situations when such emphasis is justified. That Wednesday was one of those days for me. So, with a stern face and a wagging finger, I swear I had nothing to do with his color choices that day!
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This story begins in the spring of 2002 when my best friend from high school, Pat, called me up and asked if I wanted to join him on a hike. You might remember Pat from some other escapades that have been aptly described in this fine publication. The 5-day hike, Pat said, would take place in Washington and we would climb Mount Olympus. He had completed the hike before and all I had to do was follow him. The adventure seeker in me immediately agreed and we started making plans. What could possibly go wrong?
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Clothes make the man! Dress for success! I’ve heard those sayings all of my life. They’re words of advice passed on from mother to child to secure a successful entry into the workplace and society. Not so for Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman who recently received a pass to work in the hallowed halls of the United States Senate in his trademark hooded sweatshirt and baggy gym shorts. Many of us of a certain age find his choice of apparel in the Senate chamber disrespectful to his colleagues, his constituents and to the process of running this country.
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We weren’t around for the adoption of the Texas Constitution in 1876 but we ARE here in 2023 to have a say in amending it. With early voting commencing Oct. 23, I’m dedicating today’s column to proposed Amendment No. 9, “The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-ofliving adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.”
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For this article, I had to get some help from one of my good friends and local realtors Yolanda Fultz. Being that she is also involved with our local Navasota Grimes County Chamber of Commerce, I knew she would have several great suggestions for me - and that she did!
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Have you ever heard the phrase or comment, Risk versus Reward? Sometimes, to see the greatest “reward”, you may have to take the greatest “risks.” Management consultant and educator, Peter Drucker, stated, “There are some risks that you cannot afford to take... and there are some risks that you can’t afford NOT to take.”
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