I once read that the Olympics were started as an alternative to wars.  The idea of friendly competition had begun.  Before the Olympics death and destruction even in coliseums were a spectator sport.  Often slaves thrown into the ring. It is 10 times better to have something people actually wanted to be a part of and everybody could go home in the end.  Not only that the regulations at one time were they had to be amateurs.  People came together to watch an athlete put all their effort behind every move, maximizing results.  That is real competition or what is the phrase mano-a-mano.  I believe I even heard someone say the only way to fight fire is with fire.  It is never just to be in a competition that you know is unequal.  It may give you some skill but really think about it most people enjoy watching those that were close, real challenges. That is why I support the Olympics, athletes from all over doing what they do well against others of the same caliber, simply put good matches. 

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Speeches are tough.  To be an elegant orator takes balance of words, catered toward your audience and their interests without losing your own. Now if your speech is on any major social media outlet, then you know it has to be very detailed and span many topics.  For even then people will question the authenticity of information and sincerity of honesty from the speaker. As I have watched some of the convention speeches, I have seen some have gone beyond their party limits to gain the respect of all listeners.  A president represents the country and its inhabitants and because our country is a mixture of cultures they must have      every bodies basic needs at heart. Though it doesn’t stop there it inspires the listener to pass on that knowledge and commitment towards each other regardless of their backgrounds. Most importantly it does not devalue or dismiss a persons own needs within the context of interaction.  A speech brings everyone together including the speaker by eliminating misconceptions, instead it is about how we as individuals live in a community that achieves success regularly for all inhabitants old or new.  For respect comes when people feel inspired at home.  Therefore a moving speech is just reliable conversation from some who strives to be kind.

-Jennie Nawrocki 

I can’t explain my mind.  Though several people try.  However my mind and people mix all the time.  I am not making excuses for it because that has how it has always been.  On the other hand it creates conflict within me that can mess a whole bunch of stuff.  Now that it is an open book it is more easily influenced than ever has been before.  Explain this explain that, or that is not what you meant I am told, this is what you meant.  Look I am all up for interpretation and improving myself,  but sometimes I have to say this what I meant and that is all.

-Jennie Nawrocki 

This week there has been quite the headlines about justice towards racism, is it being served?

A few years ago if you had asked me whether or not racism was dead in this country I would have said, yes! Now without doubt I say, no!  

I have taught in some very diverse schools and in some not so much.  I have taught all one race classrooms in fact. I am not proud of it, it was just the students I was given at the time. I have seen one big difference, which of course could be argued a big difference between all these classrooms, which of course could be argued but this is how I saw it. 

Some students were told by their parents you may be a slob, messy and disrespectful at home but once you are out there you are on your best behavior not matter who it is and the discipline that would follow would always be the power of disappointment and your grounded. Whereas the culture in another home might be if you don’t treat your parents or the leader of a gang as your king or queen fears of spankings, tugged away by ears and even worse threats or acts issued was the punishment.  Then there was also the culture of raising your kids to stand up for injustice, no matter what.  This is how I was taught,  I could easily get into a screaming argument with my mother if I thought she was being unfair.  

So how do teachers, principals and cops deal with these differences of attitude toward authorities!  As with anything, the situation, the person, background knowledge along with what is the ultimate end result decide how a person should respond to misbehavior.  For the simple reality if the student grew up with the idea well your not ________ so I don’t have to listen to you or they grew up thinking to respect authority even when they never met the person each requires a different response. To put it another way, in the teacher world there is this saying you can’t change the behavior until you know the cause of the behavior. 

Have you noticed so far I have taken out labeling certain cultures and that is because I have seen it isn’t just one culture that does one thing, it is the culture the family has adopted that decides how they raise their kids and respond to authorities. I also don’t say it because I think labeling adds to racism rather than recognizing how you treat someone.  I believe what is extremely important is the behavior over all else.

That is why teachers are told remain calm, model correct behavior, and use redirection often. Teachers or maybe even yourself may have feelings of rage, if they didn’t at least once throughout their career they have or they couldn’t be human.  Though even then most teachers, cops or even professionals often don’t show it.  How you vent your anger determines your level of professionalism, even if you are in competitive career.  I have heard that when learning martial arts most instructors will tell you it is for self defense only and a true martial artists only fights if they absolutely when necessary.  Fight or flight is what they call those situations, a person broken down to their most primal response fight or flight.  Now again even in martial arts or in the culture you were raised you are taught a true character of a person is determined by the words chosen even in the worst situation. What is the saying fight with might versus braun, something like that, I have heard it so many different ways but the meaning is still the same body slams and fists are not as effective as language used. 

Therefore I have come to the conclusion that even I need to remind myself to protest smart and calmly, everyone will feel safer.  

As for the racism issue, if you trust a person to drive your car, build your house, prepare meals, wash your clothes, take care of your children, sick and elderly then you can trust them to be CEOs.  I will also think the issue of racism is over when we have diverse rich neighborhoods.

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Disappointment is quite a word.  It really defines a persons expectations of you or the situation.  I think of all the mistakes I have made, the people affected by all my decisions.  Though I also think how much I am affected by them too. The effect people have on you or you on them is never really known until long after it happens and then disappointment sets in because all expectations were lost. I found out recently people have only one expectation of me.  The only thing I can say to that is with every behavior I will move towards building trust of me, to be a leader and an honored friend and family member.

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Some people aren’t like that, they have access to what they want, who they are and have control over their lives. Have pride in who you are.

No matter what if you are what you want to be. Have pride in who you are.

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Dads are a peculiar thing, they don’t hold you in their womb for nine months or have numerous hours of being labor with you like moms do.  However they went to the store bought any craving item needed along with listened, watched and supported tirelessly as she screamed UGH! Then took on the same weighted role of responsibility of raising us.  That is the person I will admire and remember on Father’s Day! That is a dad.

Happy Father’s Day!

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Find your place

Settle there with confidence 

For those around 

Will revel in your comfort

For you have

Found your place

-Jennie Nawrocki 

Bring the flowers blooming after the harsh winter.  The blue sky fills with warmth and shines upon the lush green grass, growing from saturated soil from the melting snow.  The rains contribute also, for those days it is too dry. For the heat only comes high enough to bring comfort that the summer months are here. 

-Jennie Nawrocki

It is a well known thing that I confuse things or put things together that don’t belong together. For instance, transposing letters or words as I am speaking or typing.  I am infamous for not getting all my homophones right.  For example there, their and they’re, even double checking my writing I still get some of them mixed up.  Therefore (that time I got it right) I would and have taken it to the next step and associate concepts with items or people that wouldn’t normally have those associations.  

All to often, I will think as I walk around that person looks like this person or see them do something that reminds me of some one or something else.  Personally, I think some people do it on purpose but that is a whole other conversation.  If you don’t believe me think about advertising. We all know advertisers have suggestive themes to make you buy their products.  Well people can do that too.  Whenever someone wants something maybe for a birthday or their spouse complete the “honey do” list ( I don’t like the title of that either) it has been suggested to you indirectly or directly.  Well those same people could get you thinking about things you may never thought of or put together.  As a result, there are certain associations that my mind connects with certain people through past experiences. Believe me some of them do not go well together. Seriously, I have seen some nasty pictures as of late on social media that I literally want to throw my phone but stopped the urge because my complaints only seem to help it more.  Which is the exact opposite of what I wanted to happen.  Yes, subliminal messaging works well on me and yes, it is that bad. Then you combine that with I am a confused person to begin with and my innate process of connecting things to what I already know, the situation gets even worse.

Let me give you an example of how this chain of events could take a wrong turn.  As babies we are gven those soft furry stuffed toys or blankets.  You have seen it or I am positive you have touched a stuffed toy and commented on how soft it is.  Heck before PETA mink coats were the thing, for several reasons even. Women in classic movies were always wanting them because they were soft and expensive.  Though soon and extremely right we were found out we evolved from needing to kill animals for their fur as our clothing.  So the softest synthetic fur came to be that is used today for all sorts of things including stuffed animals. We have even taken protecting animals even more by buying food and implementing grooming regimes to ensure they have a healthy coat of fur.  Which they then think as they pet their family friend, how soft their fur is.  

Well when I was a child I had this big white soft teddy bear, it was really big.  In fact, the half shirt I wore in Middle School and High School (man my teachers hated that shirt) fit very well on this white teddy bear and he is still wearing it to this day.  Though of course as a little girl I would hug, play and even lay my head on this teddy bear.  Now my family was also into Samoyed Dogs, if you haven’t seen one they are big white fluffy sled dogs, whose shedding could make several chihuahua sweaters. To continue with the putting things together in weird ways.  This one day I closed my eyes and could see a picture of me about to bury my head in a whole bunch of fur.  You would think nothing of it considering I had a whole bunch of white fluff in my life.  

Though here is where it takes the turn.  I almost screamed, well at least in my mind I did, I said what the heck, what am I doing? Ew! This is where social media can give subliminal messaging to. I started to think that fur is not good and you shouldn’t even hold a pet close to you your face or hug a pet because it is bad, sick and wrong.  That is why I became anxious I was like what is going on here? I freaked out a little to be honest.  Now it has gotten to the point where I get weirded out even thinking of petting an animal. How stupid is that, though that is the power of subliminal messaging and the horrible cycle I want to get out of before I question other perfectly normal things such as petting animals.

-Jennie Nawrocki