A Day in NYC

IMG_1793Good evening from I-80,

First, lest you think I have decided to try my skills at driving and blogging simultaneously, I am actually in the passenger seat and Mr. Galán is driving my car headed back from spending the day in New York City. For the first time since about a week for Christmas Break ended, I actually took an entire day off. It was a beautiful day to do this because it was actually almost 60 and the sun was shining.

The morning began a bit dreary and it was actually spitting snow yet again in the hills of NEPA. When we got to NYC we began our day at a restaurant called El Malecon, a Dominican restaurant. The food was amazing and I had a dish called Mofongo de Filete de Mero, which was fried plantains in a sort of formed mound on the plate and an wonderful piece of Grouper. Grouper happens to be my favorite fish ever. For something to drink, I had a beverage called Morir Soñando, which literally means ” to die dreaming”. This might be apropos because it was one of the most pleasant things I have ever tasted. It is orange juice, milk, and vanilla. I brought some of my food home because it was so filling (and it was reasonably priced). It was also helpful to have three native speakers with me. I have learned that I might have to the “the beverage maven” make this amazing beverage as a pitcher of that in the refrigerator on a regular basis would be a nice thing.

Following our lunch, I had the opportunity to meet some of the Galán extended family. An aunt or great- aunt recently needed some serious surgery for a severely broken leg. I have never witnessed such a strong person. She was so matter-of-fact about her situation. I am thinking of a sign I have observed from time to time: “no whining allowed”. I believe this woman’s name was Carmen, and, well, she epitomizes this sign. I was reminded walking up the steps to their apartment about the difference in city living and being out in Bloomsburg. I am not sure what rent costs, but I am sure it is not cheap. I had to have things translated for me and I learned, or, more appropriately, was reminded that Jordan can be trouble. He managed to pretend that something was said was very different that what was actually said. The planning continues for divine retribution (or, at least, another form thereof).

Then it was off to see Stomp with Melissa and Jordan. The drive from 136th and Amsterdam to the Orpheum was an exercise in city driving. I was told I adapted well when I went cruising around and through openings between cars, buses, and people. No scratches or dents. After knowing I was going to see Stomp, I looked up some videos on YouTube. If you have watched them, all I can say is they do not begin to do the performance justice. It was over and hour and a half of unbelievable energy. The drumming or percussion, along with the dancing, tapping, stomping, and other choreography was stunning. There was amazing humor and the person, who played the part of the outcast was hilariously amusing. The main dancer, performer, must have the most well-defined man I have ever seen. Holy Buckets!! And the number of hours they must put into practice and rehearsal is extreme. The entire performance was worth every penny and it was very enjoyable to watch Melissa and Jordan.

Next we took a scenic trek from Manhattan to Queens to find a Cold Stone Creamery for a treat. I also received a gift from the NYPD in terms of a parking ticket. I had the little receipt on the dash board, but it was upside down; I am hoping sending in both with their time stamps remove a 35.00 fine. We will see. At one point early in the day as Mr. Galán and I were walking, Jordan and Melissa were in front of us walking arm-in-arm. I did not have my camera out, but it was have been a good picture. I have noted with before: Nunca he visto a dos hermanos se preocupan por los demás como lo hacen. Ellos ponen irritable con los demás (y Melissa suele ganar), pero se preocupan tan profundamente sobre y para el uno al otro como dos jamás podría. Ellos me inspiran.

Then it was back to pick up Mr. Galán and head back to Pennsylvania. Interestingly, perhaps the only thing cheaper in NYC is gasoline. The other nice thing was I did not have to drive home, so hence this posting. When we got back to their house we had a chance to sit and chat. What an enjoyable and meaningful time. It was a wonderful day with great food, great performances, meeting new people, and being blessed by the presence of three of the most astounding people. They make my life better every day.

Well, break is over, but I took one day to actually “take a break”. It was a memorable day. Muchas Gracias Señor Galán, Jordan, and Melissa; su presencia en mi vida es un regalo. I only hope it’s real.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Martin

Progressing

Good morning from my office,

I am back in the quiet confines of Bakeless, where I am able to just work because we are on break and there is no one to disturb my progress. The quietness reminds me of the very first morning I walked into the church where I had just be called to be a pastor. It was my first Sunday to preach and I got to the church at 5:00 a.m. . In spite of the early hour, I was wide awake because I was nervous to deliver or preach my first sermon in my first call. So, with only the exit sign light, I put the key into my office door, and got ready to open it. At that precise moment, a hand reached out an touched my shoulder and a voice said, “Good Morning, Pastor”. I also died at that very moment. I jumped and spun around to look into the eyes of a kind and smiling, but elderly, gentleman. He was dressed a bit shabbily and had a couple-day stubble covering his weathered face, but he extended his hand and said, excitedly, “I’m Arthur!”. I managed to get my breath back somehow and shook his hand and said, “Good Morning, Arthur; how nice to meet you.” To this day, that might be the closest I have ever come to wetting myself. What I found out was Arthur often slept in the church at night because he was a bit of transient.

Fortunately for me at Bakeless, after a certain hour and before another certain hour, the doors are locked and you have to either have card access and then a key to get into the complex where my office is located. That is probably good because at this point, I would probably have a coronary. A couple of Wednesdays ago, I was rather tired and working in my office early evening and I inadvertently dozed off in my chair in my office. Someone came into the office and I was certainly sleeping. When they spoke it awakened me and I was a bit startled, and embarrassed I might add, that I have been discovered in such a state. I jumped almost as much as I did with Arthur that morning. The difference between then and now is there are cameras everywhere to catch such moments. Fortunately, that did not happen. Thank God, for small (or large) favors.

I have two of my three classes completely caught up and managed, I took a break from some of that yesterday and worked on my article for Programmatic Perspectives. I made good headway, which pleases me. I am working on that again this morning and want to do that until about 3:30 or so. If I can put in a good 5 or 6 hours writing, I think I should made some progress. The second thing on the agenda today is to make the revisions needed to the minor and certificate proposals so they can go back to the Curriculum Committee immediately after break. I have one other course proposal to go forward. Then it will be working through the process to hopefully have the major discussed and buy-in accomplished. The buy-in is there, but I am not sure most are aware of what they are buying, so to speak, and that creates the possibility for backlash. I do not want any such thing to occur. The third task today is to focus on the work done in the Writing for Multiple Media class. I want to be completely prepared for the remainder of the semester by next Monday night’s class.

Yesterday, I spoke with a former student (actually we Skyped each other) from Spain. Her name is Elena and I had her as a student in a HU102 class in the fall of 1997, the same semester I had emergency surgery. This was the first time I have seen her “in-person”, albeit on Skype since the Spring of 1998 before she left Houghton. What is really interesting is I have a picture of the sunset on Lake Superior, which she gave to me, still setting in my kitchen. I send her a photo of that in Facebook once and she sent me a picture of the same picture in her apartment in Spain. What an interesting connection. We had the most wonderful conversation and she speaks English fluently now. She has a bit of a Scottish accent to her English, which is there because she has been conversing with someone from Scotland. Interesting to hear such an accent from someone who is a native Spaniard. What was most exciting is we have set up a weekly time to Skype with each other.

What I have learned about myself, something new again, is that I want to learn about other cultures and other peoples. I want to know as much as I can about their languages and their cultures. If I made a list of the languages, places, or things I want to learn, I am afraid it might be a bit ridiculous. There are two in particular as far as languages: the one, as already noted is Spanish, but the other is Russian or Ukrainian (though I am not sure I want to visit there at the present moment.). I am going to work on my editing again. Somehow the last think I wrote in this post disappeared. Yesterday seemed to be a day in which I caught up with former students or acquaintances. It was a good day and I have the opportunity to speak with my graduate colleague and former work colleague; I spoke with another teacher and person I consider a friend and sort of colleague. I heard from a former student by FB messenger and she is struggling, but has at least reached out. I am afraid that the dire predicament she is in will not change unless she makes some significant changes.

Later last night I had the opportunity to speak with (text with) yet another person who has somehow seemed to figure me out better than I have myself. This is a bit disconcerting, but I deem it as a gift. It has required that I do yet again more introspective work. Not in a navel-gazing way, but rather in a way that forces me to consider my strengths and weaknesses and to embrace them both. I do certainly know them, but I am not always sure what to do with them. That being said, it is time to get back to work. I leave you with the following video because I think it offers hope.

This Gives me Hope

Thanks for reading as always,

Dr. Martin

Break-ing and Work-ing

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Hello from my study at the Acre,

It was a nice and productive day. Quiet when no one was in the entire office this morning or most of the day. It was wonderful and a great way to get a lot done. I am organized and I think I have sufficient resources both at home and at school, so I can work on some things in both places. I have a few grading items to finish up tonight, but nothing too strenuous. If I accomplish all I have set out to do, it might set a record for break-productiveness. I have considered returning to what I refer to as “dissertation-mode”. That was an incredible 11 days, but I am a little older and I have not been working on some of this as long. I do think I can get one article drafted and completed. I have the second mapped out and if I could get that at least started in a substantive way, I would be very happy. I met with a colleague on a third article today. This is another thing that has been on the back-burner (maybe not on the stove) over the last year or two. That along with my tenure stuff are on the plate for the week. I think the weekends are going to be a bit stressful for the remainder of the semester. Maybe, more accurately, the remainder of the semester will be a bit like an incredibly difficult hegira . . .  maybe the originator can provide some assistance (even if I am not of the right faith). 

That brings me to the actual topic that has been on my mind today . . .  while I am busy working, even during break, I am realizing that while I might seem to whine about the amount of work, I actually enjoy all the things I have to do (at least-generally). I cannot imagine just sitting at home on my porch in a rocking chair. I would like to maybe work less at some point, but I think being on campus and among thinking people keeps me feeling invigorated. It makes me feel like getting up in the morning has a purpose. I am quite sure I was not always a hard worker because both my older brother and my father were quite exasperated with me at one point in my life. There have been a couple of those times. The first was in my teen years and, while I think I worked reasonably hard at my grandmother’s bakery, outside of that I was pretty much a “lazy-shit”. Yes, I said that and I admit that. The second time I was such a loafer was after the service and before I went on my year travels with a Lutheran Youth Encounter team. This was the middle of the disco era and Saturday Night Fever was the rage. My life was pretty much a rage, or at least outrageous. The fact that I did not die during that couple year period is only by the grace of God. I think there was probably a third period too. While I worked, and worked a lot, my life was a mess. It was after I left a position at Suomi College. I had lost a job, lost a marriage and was back to serving and bartending. That life style is notorious for providing an opportunity to eat and drink too much and to burn the proverbial candle at both ends. While I have always probably did the candle burning, I fell back into that pattern of late nights and hung-ver mornings, which was the same pattern when I had served and worked as a bartender earlier. Fortunately, again, God is gracious and has, regardless my stupidity at times throughout my life, kept me upright and breathing. 

What I am aware of is no matter how much we make things difficult for God, the creator is constant and works in spite of us (I did not say “to spite” us). Early this evening I had the opportunity to speak with my cousin (2nd cousin actually). She is one of the persons who has always accepted me and loved me, never judging me on my foolishness. She has been part of my life in a substantial way since I was 22. That is three and a half decades ago. She might be the one person I can count on no matter what, at least over such a long period. She knows me as well as anyone. She knows things that probably only two or three people have ever heard me tell. I remember when I was told I needed treatments and she called me. I was in a coffee shop in Houghton (I know . . .  shock that I was in a coffee shop). I remember speaking with her on the phone and we both cried. I think she has probably heard or seen me cry more than anyone in my entire life. She has worked so hard to get where she is going and I am so proud of her. She has done it with self-sacrifice and determination. She has continued to hold a full-time job the entire time. She shared her work with me now and was surprised that people have stepped up in such a comprehensive manner to assist her. I am not surprised. It is always a treat to speak with her and we laugh and appreciate each other so much. Thanks!!

I was looking at things I have written and I guess I am surprised that I am almost daily getting new followers, but I am humbled and gratified. I hope the craziness that seems to roll around between my ears somehow resonates with others. I am not really that amazing, but I do believe I am genuine. I am fragile as I have noted; I am driven (most of the time); I care deeply for those who matter to me; and I make more mistakes than I wish I ever had to admit. What does all of that say . . . I am merely a person trying to understand where this is all going. I am always interested in what is going on around me. As I have noted to others, I am always shocked when someone claims to be bored. I instantly wonder: where the hell do you live?? I do not think I have ever been bored, at least not for any extended period. Perhaps an hour or two, but come to think of it, I am not even sure when that happened the last time. 

Well, what I do know is that it will not be a boring week because even though I am “break-ing”, I am also work-ing. It is a diligence thing. For now it is a way to get my act together. There is so much to write, so much to say, so much to ponder . . .  so much for being bored. I guess it is time for another cup of coffee.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Martin (aka: just human)

Heritage: More than a Word

Good Morning from the Fog and Flame,

So this morning I got up at a reasonable time for a break (8:00 a.m.) and did a little work around the house and fixed my second breakfast of a changed diet ( a healthier one). It was quite the event to go shopping yesterday and try to stay away from processed sugar. Oh my goodness, amazing where we find sugars. I had plantains again for breakfast. I have never been a big banana person and I think I might need to ask for some pointers from my favorite plantain-eaters for more ways to prepare them. They certainly have more fiber than many other things I have eaten. I did step on the scale this morning and I have dropped 13 lbs . . . about 20 more to go. Otherwise . . .  things are getting organized.

As I sit here I am listening to Celtic Woman, which seems apropos on two accounts: one, tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day and two, which is really more important,  it is my heritage (and I enjoy their music, which is a bonus) and I feel connected to something when I listen. It is hard for me to even know what that something is because it was never really talked about or lifted up. I think that is because my parents come from that generation where you needed to be American. In spite of being part of the “melting pot”, it seems the consequence of that metaphor was to be so amalgamated that you lost your ethnic identity. More importantly, holding on to it seems it might have been viewed as unpatriotic. I remember my Great-aunt Martha speaking Norwegian. I also remember going to Dana College, a Danish Lutheran College, was another place where the ethnic heritage of the people and place was celebrated. I can imagine where some might see such a celebration as elitist, but why must it be viewed as such? Just like most other things: when we do not understand it, it frightens us. When we are not included, we automatically feel excluded, maligned, marginalized (choose your term).

Perhaps one of the amazing gifts I have received lately comes from those people I have met who celebrate (at least usually) their Dominican heritage. Perhaps celebrate is the wrong term (even though it shouldn’t have to be), they embrace and appreciate that heritage. As a person who studied history as an undergraduate at Dana, I am reminded of what we can learn when we honestly – and I understand that seems to be a relative term, which again shouldn’t be – consider history, most of what we do is oppressive. We (as humans) are all to often ready to judge that which is different. It does not matter if it is language, food, clothing, customs, traits . . .  we always have two options. First, we can embrace and attempt to learn (that would be when we can truly celebrate) or second, we can run away. More often than not, we either intentionally, or inadvertently, do the second. Even if it is unintentional the result is the same. We tell that other person he or she is less than, different than, we are, but more importantly, we imply that difference is wrong or unacceptable.

The other evening I was a dinner and the my dinner guest noted that he or she looked different than anyone else there. I have pondered that ever since. What a sad way to have to understand where one lives. It saddens me. I remember thinking as I have read student papers (especially their memoirs) their work forces me to realize that I wake up each day privileged; I have a good job and it is a respected position, but I am also a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant Male (WASP male). While there is certainly talk about reverse discrimination, it is nothing compared to what I see some of my students struggle to overcome. What are my innate biases? Why do I hope to overcome them? Probably, at least in my view, because it is the right thing to do. I am reminded of the song from the Puppet Musical Avenue Q, “Everyone is a little bit Racist”. That musical, which was superbly done by the BU Players this past fall, really does what another format could not do. If forces anyone with half-a-brain to be introspective.

So as I think about my ethnic heritage, along with the other cleaning and rearranging I am doing, may I work more intentionally to embrace the astounding diversity that I find around me every day. For now, it is back to work and trying to make sure that I continue to be as organized and productive as I can.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. Martin (aka: a mutt with Norwegian, Irish, English, German, French Canadian, and Native American heritage . . . may I learn to appreciate them all. I am all these things in a land that offers a lot to many, even in spite of its problems)

Two Steps Forward . . .

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Good early morning from my office.

I went home early last night and went to sleep and then I woke up even earlier, so I am back in my office and working. I get a lot more done here than in my office/study at home, so it is about 2:00 and I got back to my office about a half hour ago. I have a couple of follow up conferences with students this morning and then I will refocus on the program revisions. There are things that I expect when you are revising things, but it seems somehow no matter how well I thought I was prepared, there is always a surprise. I am not sure how serious this surprise is, but, at least when listening to a colleague last evening, it did not seem insurmountable, but it will surely put off part of the overall revision until next fall. There might be a silver lining in that, however. ‘

I am always amazed at how processes happen (or sometimes do not). What I have learned about myself is that I am very tied to process. Sometimes that is a good thing, but then again, there are those other times. What I know intellectually is that process always takes time, and if you want it to move forward successfully, you cannot try to side-step or attempt some sort of “end-around”. That will almost always come back to haunt. Certainly when all people have a stake, or perceive that they have a stake, in that process, the forward motion can be almost unnoticeable. Most of us can come up with the appropriate cliché here, so I will not list them; you can merely supply your own. I wonder if there is an idiomatic phrase in Spanish for this phenomenon. I imagine so. Perhaps I will have to ask. The use of process has been a manner in which I was raised. I was thinking of that as I am writing this. We had a routine, a process if you will, every morning before school. We had a process every Saturday morning, and there was a process that my father did faithfully every Saturday afternoon and evening and then we had our own Saturday night routine in the Martin household. Every Saturday afternoon, my father washed the cars. We had to have a clean car for church on Sunday, and he was meticulous in the care of his car (I guess that must be where I got that trait). Then we had dinner, and dinner was always at 5:00 p.m. . . . . period. After dinner, we polished our “church shoes” for Sunday morning. After those shoes were polished and inspected, it was time for our Saturday bath. After the three children were bathed, my mother would fix popcorn in a big kettle and we each got our own bowl of popcorn and we were allowed to stay up and watch “Death Valley Days” and “Gunsmoke”. That allowed us to stay up until 10:00, I believe it was 10:00, an entire hour and a half later than we did on school nights.

That time is one of my favorite childhood memories. It was a time when we all seemed to be on the same page and everyone got along. As I have been reading student memoir papers I have been reminded of the complexity of people’s lives yet again. While again, intellectually I know there are no perfect families, and that there is always some “elephant” in the room that is realized and never discussed, emotionally I always find myself taken back, saddened, or sometimes just plain hurt. That is usually what happens when my head and my heart are not working together. Much like what I first mentioned about processes and all those involved. It is always a painful reminder for me that I am so much more fragile than I wish I was. Even though I know from where that fragility originates and the deep-seated place it has in my life, I can never seem to beat it. Then again, if I lost all of that, I certainly would not be the same person. I have often told others the very thing I need to remember: sometimes our greatest strengths are simultaneously our most profound weaknesses. Again, I know this with my head, but I hate when my heart feels it. When my colleague came in, it was easy for me to become defensive, but I did not. In fact, I merely said, “Okay, what do we need to do?” I will find out the specifics later this morning.

It has been a productive couple weeks. It has taken some long hours, but if I continue to make this break as productive, I believe I might be in better shape than I have been in a very long time. There are my two steps, or I am reminded of the Lynard Skynard song “Gimme Three Steps”. Could I get that extra one? That is my goal for the break. I have two articles that I want to have a strong handle on, but again, this latest requirement changes that article once again. I think that was part of my frustration more than the questions. It is that I do not really have all the answers and without some of those answers, I cannot finish the article. Maybe that will be the silver lining again. There will be more conversations and discussions. It will be important in terms of buy in . . . in fact, that might be the way to manage the article. I am well acquainted in a previous situation where that buy in was not garnered and the consequences were serious. Too much good work has been done to not go through the process, and the two steps might be in a seriously different direction. That would be a failure on my part and I certainly understand that.

Well, with the exception of a couple of conferences later this morning, it is merely time to keep on working and checking things off the list. Mañana hay un viaje a AVP y luego a la Universidad de Delaware para ver un decreto de baile de un antiguo estudiante. Entonces la próxima semana es escriben, compilan cosas, y luego un día en ciudad de Nueva York para ver ‘Pisa fuerte’. Hoy, mis naipes de gramática españoles llegaron y ahora necesito los naipes de vocabulario. Junto con un libro esto es el tiempo para entrar en la marcha.

Gracias por leer como siempre.

Miguelito (aka Dr. Martin)

Running, Jogging or Limping toward Spring Break

IMG_1616Hello from my office,

It is about 8:30 and I still have some work to finish up, especially some recommendations I have promised students by the morning, so that will be my next task. I have been meeting with students or in class most of the day. I do not have classes on Thursdays and because of conferences this week (over 40 of them), I have canceled Friday’s Foundations classes. So, I am effectively done teaching until after Spring break. When I was in college, I never went on a Spring Break excursion. There are two reasons for that: first, I was usually on choir tour when I was at Dana College; and second, even when I was at the University of Iowa my junior year, while there was no choir tour, I worked. I was not a student who either had the money nor someone to foot the bill for me to find my way to a Revenge of the Nerds II or some other __________ (you fill in the blank) style of a Spring Break extravaganza. Even now, I plan to stay here in Bloomsburg for the most part and work. I have three significant projects to get off my plate as well as get all my grading caught up. It will certainly be a working break, and I am okay with that. I do want to have the end of the semester go as well as possible for both sides of that “blank-stare-equation”.

It has been a long day and I have been chugging Gatorade like it is going out of style. Dehydration is a significant issue for me and it has certainly reared its ugly head in the last 24 hours. It is so frustrating to continually battle some of this, but more importantly, I am here to battle, so this is not a complaint (at least not completely) and I am certainly not lamenting my life because I am so fortunate to have the life I do. However, what I am sure of is that, not all that different from my students, is I am tired and therefore, appreciate any sort of respite from the usual requirements of a week.

As I met with my students today, I was reminded of how diverse they are, and this is not a comment about their ethnicity. It is about their educational backgrounds (and more specifically, their writing history). I have some unbelievably talented students and strong writers in all of my classes. I have some exceptionally intelligent students who are not in my classes at the moment, nor have they been in the past, but they are phenomenal students. They value the opportunity they have here at Bloomsburg and they are doing everything they can in their power to “claim their education”. I think one of the best things I have ever been fortunate enough to read about being in the academy is this particular article. It is one based on the address Adrienne Rich gave at Rutgers University some time ago. Rather than seeing the university as the next educational mill, she argues that if one is to “claim” this opportunity to be educated, he or she must consider that “they are joining a scholarly community” (Claiming an Education 2). Certainly some of the students I met during the last three days have understood or latched onto that concept. It is difficult to maintain focus on it all of the time, and I for one certainly know that. However, I think it is one of the most fundamental concepts someone can have if they are going to invest wisely in their education.

I wonder at times if what I do really matters, and I am not searching nor am I fishing for compliments, so please do not go there. It is when I feel like everything I have said has somehow fallen on deaf ears or even more sadly that the student is almost defiant (and yes, I mean that word versus a misspelling of definite), almost daring me to make them learn, or write more effectively, or somehow believe that writing has value. I had some of that tonight and it was difficult for me to maintain a sense of decorum, but I did. I am reminded of my former pastor once telling me that I would do well in college unless I just F$!#@*ed off. What I know now is he was correct. His name was Fred Peters and he was my pastor when I first got out of the service. I think he kicked my back end harder than my father ever did, and I needed it at that point.

So what actually lit the fire under my proverbial ass, and got me to do my work? It was another amazing professor (actually two of them) at Dana College. Dr. John W. Nielsen, the director of the Humanities program, and Dr. Richard S. Jorgensen, my history advisor, together taught me to love learning. What an amazing gift they provided me. I think that up until then I merely did what was expected, if even that. I was content to be what my father noted with disdain “average”. I did not really know what I was capable of, even in spite of my work in the service that had been pretty good work. The demons of my background kept me from believing that I had much to offer. Those demons might not be as powerful now, but they are still, nevertheless, demons. I think there were two specific events in my sophomore year at Dana that fundamentally changed my life. The first was the opportunity given to me by Harold and Dorothy Wright when they paid my way to go to Europe with Dr. Nielsen in January of 1981. The second was the entire Humanities program at Dana College, which was a three semester course. I learned “how to learn”. Between walking the streets with Dr. Nielsen in Copenhagen, Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Aachen, Frankfort, Garmisch Partenkirken, or Paris and listening to his wise counsel in the first class coaches on the eRail, I found that learning was being a sponge. It was soaking up everything possible. The humanities course had prepared me to walk through that European history book. I think perhaps the other thing that changed my life was learning another language. I am still working on adding more. I love to hear other languages and I am so enamored by how language works and how it reveals who we are. I am so envious of those who speak three or four languages fluently. So it is time to learn some more.

That is part of my plan for the next months. I am going to learn Spanish. I am going to make myself be able to at least communicate and be able to comprehend. I want to learn the grammar and the patterns and the vocabulary. It is my hope that I will not sound completely like a “gringo” as I work on my pronunciation. If I do, I am sure someone will let me know. Well, it is time to get back to the recommendations. If you are going somewhere fun during break, have a great time and please do not let me know.

Thanks for reading as always.

Dr. Martin

Taking a Break (from reading to doing)

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Good evening from my office,

Somehow, for the first time since I can remember, I actually had no clue that this morning was the beginning of the switch to daylight savings time. I am not sure how, but when I woke up and it was supposedly 9:00 a.m., I was astounded that I had slept that long. I might even go as far to say I wondered when the time might be changing, but I had no inkling that I had actually missed it. Then I got to the diner and heard about it at the infamous counter. The look of some of the regulars that I had missed it was rather amusing, maybe even priceless.

Today I have been reading student papers the entire day. I did just go out to get something to eat, which was a needed break and probably a good thing as I had not eaten since this morning. I have been really pleased overall with the thought that has gone into some of the papers. I have been generally pleased with the quality of some of the peer reviews. I think students worked really intentionally to provide helpful feedback to their colleagues. What has stumped me a bit is when students did not have a works cited page with their rough drafts. First, it is stated clearly in the syllabus; second, I mentioned it on numerous occasions during class. Third, there was a works cited assignment that was due before they even wrote their first draft, so how do you turn in a works cited page and then not use any of the sources in your paper? I am most confused!! Citation is certainly a problem and something that is so widespread that it is painfully evident that this is not being taught in the public school system nor is it being practiced on a regular basis.

I have been in contact with some former youth and a friend from my former state of Wisconsin. Along with another person here in Bloomsburg, I guess I can refer to them as “Tres Melissas” and between the three they cover the entire continent: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and California. They are very different and yet all similar: All strong willed and yet unbelievably kind. The Greek mythological meaning is honey bee. I also looked up the meaning of the name and for them, it certainly rings true. I think about the fact that I have had more than one first name in my life time. What is interesting is that I have characteristics of both of the names, but the name Michael and the name Melissa have many of the same characteristics. I guess that would be an interesting thing because when I was speaking with one of the Melissas about colors, we had the same color also. It is interesting that all of this is out there and I wonder how it all fits together sometimes. I am reminded of a book I once read called The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight. I actually enjoyed both books because they made me think. I remember some people condemning me for dabbling in New Age Philosophy because I was a Lutheran pastor at the time. I do not believe God is that fragile. That is what I told people at the time.

As I work with the idea of a higher power, creator, God, or whatever other term some might be more attuned to, I am always amazed how we try to “own” this entity. He (or she) is OUR God. We too often believe we have some inside track to the creator and our agenda is God’s agenda. It is a bit laughable when you think about it with any degree of critical thought. Of course, my favorite philosophy professor would argue that any thought of God is a lack of critical thought, especially if you are to argue for such existence. I have found myself pondering all of that more than I might have imagined at one point in my life. When I am working on things, my brain is always going. Unfortunately, it seldom shuts down. That can be a problem. However, it always provides something interesting to ponder and examine.

Well, I need to get back to the papers, so this is a short entry, but it does give some insight into what I do when I am taking a break.

Thanks for reading as always.

Miguelito (as Marco calls me)

Being a Gentleman

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Hello from the corner of my study on a Saturday evening,

Today I had the opportunity and honor of being at a wedding of one of my former students. Ranee and Ben had been going out for 6 years today and this was their wedding day also. It was a very nice wedding, not elaborate, but tasteful; not crazy with unneeded things, but carefully planned and managed. It was fun to put names and faces to some of the people about whom I had heard so much over the past couple of years. Along with that, I got some work done and I hope to get more done tomorrow. It is that time of the semester. We have a week until spring break and it is going to be a bit of a crazy week. I guess that has been par for the course the entire semester, or more accurately, the year. 

One of the things I most respected about the wedding today was the calm and careful way Ranee and Ben went about things. They are both so level-headed and they are planners. It was a really fun wedding to be part of. They planned it all on their own. As I watched the dynamics of the families (which is always interesting), I learned a lot. I remember when I was a pastor, I remembered that you learned the most interesting things during baptisms (hatch), weddings (match), and funerals (dispatch). Many of the things I had heard were illustrated today, so there was no real surprises in what I saw. That is not a value statement nor a judgment, it is merely putting faces to names and, having heard some of the family history, it was easier to imagine how people would act or react at the wedding. 

The other thing I have been thinking about is that piece of advice I have noted that my grandmother gave me. When I was about 8 or 9, I was at the bakery on a Saturday, which got to happen from time to time. Well, I remember sitting in the den (this little like television room in my grandmother’s house). I am not sure what brought this topic or need to say this up, but my grandmother looked at me with her loving eyes and beautiful smile and said very kindly, and simply: “Michael, always be a gentleman.” I did not really understand all of that. I figured it had to do with minding my manners and saying “please” or “thank you”. I am not sure at the age of 8 or 9 I knew exactly what such behavior entailed. Now 50 years later, I have a very clear idea of what that meant and why it was such good advice. 

In my Foundations classes right now, the students are working on their visual argument papers. I note regularly that art reflects the culture in which is it created. The number of videos that have some relationship violence in them is disturbing to me. I know that people get into situations that are not healthy. I know that emotions are not rational. I know that things can build up, but I also know that those are excuses and not reasons for violence. I listen to lyrics by Pink, Maroon 5, Eminem and Rhianna, or It’s Britney Bitch . . . and the same theme comes through loud and clear. When I get angry (and this is for either gender), I am going to scream, punch, hit or something else worse. It comes off like it is a reasonable thing because one is angry. While I think anger is an important emotion, and one that needs to be expressed, it does not have to be in that manner. I have learned, the hard way I might add, to walk away. That does not mean I do not express it, but I take that energy and focus it into something positive: like cleaning. When I was in college, if my dorm room got seriously remodeled, the likely cause was some significant consternation about something. 

More importantly, it gets me back to the issue of being a gentleman (or being a lady for that matter), when you objectify the other person, when he or she fails to be an entity, but rather something you see as merely something you have, it is easy to forget they have emotions, needs, likes, or dislikes; it is easier yet to become self-centered or unaware of how what we do affects the other. However, it seems that my grandmother was on to something, and something important. If we behave as a gentleman or a lady, then what we do has a positive affect on the other. It values them; it tells them that they matter and what they think matters. What I have realized is that words like manners, decorum, appropriateness, or selflessness still have a valued place in our society, in our relationships, in our classrooms, or in any place that people must encounter one another. What I am realizing is that words that I heard long before I ever studied rhetoric were important to me. My grandmother distilled it down to one simple (and amazingly complex) phrase: “Michael, be a gentleman.” While I must admit, there have been moments in my life where I have failed miserably at attempting to do this, and if you were on the receiving end of that failure, please forgive me. 

I think about some of the struggles I see people have, and to or with some of them I am quite close. I hope I can somehow demonstrate in a positive way that being a gentleman has not gone, and never will be, out of style. I hope that I can illustrate that what my amazing and kind grandmother shared with me that long ago is not only valuable, it is essential. If we are going to be a civil society, at any level, merely treating others with respect and tolerance, with openness and genuine honesty, with kindness and grace, will lead us to a better world. In the meanwhile, I will continue my mission in trying to pay attention to my grandmother’s words. I should note that I am looking for an appropriate picture.

Thanks for reading,

Michael (aka: Dr./Mr./Pastor Martin)

International Wonders

Hello on a Friday evening,

I had the opportunity to see the punk musical American Idiot this evening on campus. It was quite astounding. The music and the vocals were outstanding, but the choreography was simply stunning to me. The energy and the set were infectious and the Mitrani Center was sold out I believe. It was a great production and the prices are so reasonable for the quality of what is being offered. I need to do more to support it than I have. Before hand, I had dinner at a newer restaurant in town called “Seasons”. This is the second time I have been there. The menu is quite nice and the preparation is among the best in the area. Prices are a bit pricey for Bloomsburg, but reasonable for what you are receiving. Tonight I went there before the musical. It was a very nice dinner. Because it is a BYOB, I took the only bottle of Miraflores Petit Sirah (2004) I have in my cellar. It was a triple gold medal wine at the Orange Country Fair. I think it is the only triple goal Miraflores has had there. They have had many medal winning wines, but I think that was their first big one. The wine was decanted and it opened up very nicely. Had a very silky, but full-bodied texture. The taste was subtle with some notes of almost a black cherry. It had a great finish. I do not think it would have lasted much longer, however. The decanting was certainly the right decision. 

It was a busy, but productive week this week. The program revision is in. I have to work on the revision to Bible as Literature a bit more because of the General Education requirements and grading and writing has been much of the rule of the day. Monday and Tuesday I am doing student conferences for my Foundations students again. I am hoping this will help them. I have actually been quite pleased generally with their work. Some of the peer reviews are the best I think I have seen in my 5 years here at Bloom. Likewise, while there are some issues with citation, which I do not find surprising, the papers in general, once again, are strong. I want to have all the grades in by Monday. This past week I was actually in my office until after 1:00 a.m. twice, but it was productive.

This past week I have been fortunate to have conversations about ones’ perceptions of Americans. This has been enlightening to me. The last time I really thought about this was when I was in the service. It was when I was in the Marines that I felt a bit embarrassed to be an American, and before you accuse me of not being patriotic, hear me out. When I was in other countries that had another language, there was little attempt by those of us in the service to use their language even though we were in their country. I remember being uncomfortable with that. More than the language issue was the arrogance of some of my fellow Marines. There was a condescension that made local people unhappy and, appropriately so, because it was disrespectful. It was then and the meeting of a family back in my hometown that had spent the year in Germany that made me want to learn another language. Now I want to learn at least two more. I want to become fluent in Spanish. I have a former student who lives in Spain for whom, to this day, I have the greatest admiration. Then there is Fernando out in Placerville and many of the workers out there. It would also be fun to speak Spanish with Marco. Then there are the students here that are bilingual and bring such an amazing understanding of this culture we call the United States. 

I have been fortunate to listen to their perspective of Americans. I have also listened to a student from China this semester. We take our lifestyle for granted and much like English is the lingua franca of much of the world (which is an entirely different blog entry) we think much the same of our culture. Again, while I am profoundly patriotic because of my time in the United States Marines, I am also open minded enough to realize that many other places have a much longer historical presence than we do. For instance, my Chinese student spoke about a culture of 2,500 years. That is amazing. It is also impressive. I was researching some of the Carribean this evening and their history goes back to the 7th century with Indian people. We all too often disregard the various indigent people that were here long before the “white” people were. Again, we can learn so much from merely listening and observing other cultures. The importance of attempting to learn their language cannot be underestimated. Language is one of the most importance elements of one’s culture, of their identity. It is my goal to be at least competent in Spanish by the fall. 

This past week I have done a lot of thinking about how much more amazing so many students are than I was at that age. I was pretty clueless as I look back at things. I thought I had it pretty well figured out. Honestly, that is certainly not that case. I do think I began to figure it out when I started my time at Dana, but I still wandered and struggled. My junior year at University of Iowa was important, but I still struggled. Most of it was because of my own insecurities and believing that I still could do better than I was. I think I got a 4.0 at Iowa, but I still felt that there were so many around me who were much more together than I was. I have been forced (more accurately prompted) to reflect on my existence again. I think that is a good thing, but it can be both a blessing and a curse. Because of my predisposition to think I can always do better, I have a propensity for seeing things in a more negative light than I probably should. Even though I can write this,  demonstrating a forward-thinking and and introspective side to me ( I do think it is a sort of rebellion if you will), I find it hard to overcome. 

While I do believe my time here has been the best five years of my life (both personally and professionally), I am reminded of what I wrote in a paper once “I have this sense of melancholy that can serve to undermine my progress” (A River Runs Through It -an unpublished paper). Sin embargo, los dos mencionados en blog más temprano han proporcionado un sentido de alegría. Jordan me hace sonreír y reírse, y aún considerar y considerar que elegante él es… y que bueno él realmente es. Melissa me hace mirarme francamente e introspectivamente, y mientras puede ser desconcertante, por último, es probablemente provechoso. La capacidad intuitiva profunda y asombrosa que ella posee es ciertamente atípica. Juntos ellos han proporcionado un sentido de objetivo por el cual estoy agradecido.They have also pulled me out of what is generally a later winter sadness, a sort of seasonal affect issue. 

Well, it is midnight and I am still writing, but I want to be up early as there is a lot on my plate. I am performing a wedding tomorrow for a former student. The two of them so love each other and while they will struggle with managing like most newlyweds, they too are amazingly capable for being the age they are. I might be one of those weddings that I will look back and say, I am glad I was there on that day. Otherwise the weekend will consist of grading, managing documents, and trying to get my next set of ducks in a row. Discipline and working steadily.

Gracias por lectura.

Dr. Martin

On Pink Paper, Please

z_wine_spillGood afternoon from my office,

Just when I thought the workload might decrease, we are back to the drawing board on a task here in the department. So, Tuesday we will regroup and see what the next options are. I am glad I have such amazing committee members. The reference to “pink paper” will be understood by those for whom the title is meant. . . . it is actually two days later and I have been working on other things simply managing the daily things that are necessary. I am actually sitting in my office, where it seems I have getting more and more accomplished. That is good thing. This last couple weeks I got a book review accepted and later today (and maybe yet tonight depending on my stamina and the weather) I hope to have the majority of an article written, and certainly to have it done by Tuesday evening. This semester, I have a very long Monday. Actually it is so packed I get little done outside of merely running from one thing to the next.

The thing that I believe is dragging all down is the weather. I am one of those few, who, perhaps, might even go as far as to say I enjoy the winter. However, I am tired of it also. I had to smile because the other day I wrote a letter to “winter” asking it to go away (note, I did not use a gender specific pronoun here and that was intentional). I am not sure my letter was valued as we are supposed to get yet another wintery mix of &%*!~(^ yet this afternoon and evening. One of my geo-sciences colleagues has been keeping the latest models updated on his facebook. I can only hope that whatever comes is short-lived and a hint of Spring might soon be here.

During the past few weeks, I have been provided with a sense of hope for this world around us. While there are so many things that might cause a person to lament, become disillusioned, cease caring, or adopt a living-style that includes Hermitage (hmmmm – that might be an idea and I actually have some I think), there have been some phenomenal gifts I have been fortunate enough to witness. All too often, when I am merely observing the goings-on around me or listening to comments from a variety of people about those others from whom they should care, or reading even papers or blogs or other postings, the vitriolic comnments, disapproving looks, and disenchanted attitudes seem to spew, laser-beam, or create an affect that generates much more hate than care. In the midst of this, I have had the chance to see something quite the contrary. I have been fortunate enough to be allowed into the lives of a brother and sister from whom we could learn a great deal. They have, perhaps, the most amusing, loving, and respectful relationship I think I have ever observed. They are profoundly different and yet alarmingly the same. They can read each others’ minds. They speak without speaking, and that is not only when they are in the same space, it is while they are on the planet together. Little as far as chronology, but larger in physicality, the brother is smart, witty and a prankster. The sister, with the opposite pre-noted attributes, has a more serious demeanor, but is wise well beyond the time she has spent here. Together, they are formidable, but still accessible. I am reminded of the biblical text about “many will try, but few will [find them]”.

Watching them has prompted me, pushed me, required me, to consider my own existence in ways I have not for a while. The persons I have known to be most like this would be my grandmother, Louise (I have mentioned her before), and her elder sister, Helen. While I am not sure I ever really thought about their relationship in this way until I began to work on this blog, I know that their individual homes were the two places I felt safe and loved when I was a child. While I did not know it as a small child, my grandmother had some issues that created chaos in her life (she did get those issues managed), but during that chaos, it was her older sister (who was quite tiny), and my Great-aunt Helen, who took care of her in a number of ways. What I know looking back is her care was given unconditionally, it was given lovingly, it was given unabashedly. They lived 70 miles away from each other, but I am going to assume that they spoke regularly. It would be interesting to see what they might have been like in today’s world with technology. After thinking about them, I did some searching and found out when my Aunt Helen and Uncle Melvin were married. I know it was a second marriage for him. She was married in the chapel of a college in Kentucky. Wow!! My Great-uncle, Clement was a pastor. I did know that. Amazing what I have dug up in a few minutes. This is something I can use in my classes too.

More importantly, what this is really about is asking a simple question: how does one exhibit the love that demonstrates a honest sense of valuing that other person, not merely being infatuated or selfish in what one gives (supposedly gives)? Can we be altruistic in our care and love? I think I am beginning to believe it is possible, but mostly because I can reflect on an example in my own family and then see it in two amazing people I have been blessed to have come into my own life at this point . . . gracias por su ejemplo asombroso y vivificante.

Thank you for reading.

Dr. Martin (aka: an older student as I am always learning)