July 10th, 2009, was a very important day for me. It was on a Friday afternoon that I made the trip to the University of Redlands for an orientation meeting for the incoming doctoral students in the School of Education.

On July 10th, 2012,  I was in Redlands again, presenting with my classmates at the Summer Institute on Leadership in Educational Justice with the letters Ed.D. after my name. Yes, that's right. Exactly three years to the day.
And there you have it. Bookends on a three-year window. It's amazing, really.

I am around a lot of people who don't think that it's all that amazing, but I know how amazing it is. I finished a doctorate in less than three years. In that three years I've read thousands of pages, written (at least) hundreds of pages, and slept for fewer hours than I am used to. I've fallen in love and have been heartbroken more than once. I've seen families expand through birth and marriage. I've been to many--too many--funerals. I love my best friend--my beloved Milo. And now I have a Barney.

It was a rough week, so instead of celebrating the milestone, I was arguing with my collaborators, suffering from insomnia, and dealing with a car emergency. But, now that I have a chance to breathe, I have to say, yay, me!

I saw this sign on the wall of one of the buildings in the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver. Since the picture's not that great, here's what it says...

The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

I think this is a great list. I try to ask myself these questions when making a decision, although I don't necessarily do it systematically. Maybe I should try to keep these questions in my head?


I recall a conversation with a colleague last fall when he was having some issues with his students, his colleagues, his classmates, and his teachers. I basically asked him these questions. He was very concerned with answering #1, but he tended to ignore #3 and #4. And the saddest part was that he did not understand why they were important.

I wonder what would happen if more people asked these questions. But since I can't change the world, maybe I should start with myself.

Sunday morning arrived, and I woke up much earlier than I wanted to. I had breakfast with my sister and brother-in-law, and they left to go to sing in the choir at church. I worked on my dissertation for a little while and watched some episodes of "The Six Million Dollar Man" on DVD. Don't laugh. They were the Bionic Woman episodes. :D

I soon got tired and lay down for "just a little while." After 1-1/2 hours, my sister and her husband arrived home from church and work me up. Ha ha. We had lunch, and then I did a little more work before getting ready to go to the wedding.

We left the house at around 4pm, and we went into town so that I could get my hair fixed up for the wedding. I'd made an appointment on Friday, but the girls at the salon acted as if they had no idea who I was. One of them finally checked the book, and my name was indeed there. So one of them did my hair. She did not introduce herself, and she did not seem overly happy about it. She was not hostile; just not very friendly either. She did an OK job, I think, but, boy, did she use a lot of product!

This past weekend I traveled to Northern California to attend my cousin's wedding. I left early on Saturday morning and drove and drove and drove. I drove for 4-1/2 hours until I got to Santa Nella, CA, where I stopped at In-n-Out and had an animal style cheeseburger and fries. I also bought some gasoline and used the facilities. Before I had my car engine rebuilt, I would have had to stop much earlier, but the old car gets really good mileage now. :)

I arrived at my sister's house at around 4:30. They live kind-of out in the woods in Angwin. And, because they only live at this particular home part-time, they had no phone, no internet, and no TV. Also, because they are in the middle of nowhere, they get no cell service. I honestly did not like that much quiet, although some people might find it relaxing.

It's finals week! This means that in less than a week I will be free for three whole weeks! Yay! I am almost caught up with my grading, so that means I will also be able to go through this week with little grading to do except for the finals exams. I am looking forward to the time off, especially from the commute...and the grading of papers.

The goal is to find a new work situation before the end of the three weeks. I don't know that it can happen, but it would be nice, wouldn't it?

So...prayers requested... :)

Was going to write more, but I realized that what I was going to write about is still too painful.

So...prayers requested for that, too...

So, it's been almost 2 weeks since my graduation. The parties are over. The congratulations have stopped coming. I've stopped grinning like a Cheshire cat. And now...the let-down.

It's not that I'm not still happy about the celebrations and the well-wishes. It's just that...well...now what?

I have the same job (which, by the way, was quite sucky yesterday). I have the same relationships (or lack thereof). My best friend has basically disappeared for the next two months. I just feel...I dunno...lonely and let-down.

I really have nothing to look forward to. Looking forward is what has always carried me through. Without that...*sigh*

So...*sigh*

So, I'm going to get on my soapbox again today, because it's something that gets to me almost every day, and I think it's time someone stands up and says something.

PLEASE NOTE: DIABETES IS NOT CAUSED BY EATING COOKIES, DRINKING SODA, OR INGESTING MILKSHAKES, EVEN BACON MILKSHAKES. PEOPLE WITH DIABETES--EVEN TYPE 2 DIABETICS--DID NOT BRING THIS ON THEMSELVES, NEITHER SHOULD YOU OR THE MEDIA BE BLAMING THEM FOR IT.


Then this morning a Facebook friend of mine posted something about the new Jack-in-the-Box bacon-flavored milkshake. She is in medical school, so her post said, "Comes with a lifetime supply of glucose monitors and a coupon for metformin!" This sounds very smart, but the fact is, she was still saying that drinking milkshakes causes diabetes. So I posted as such. More specifically, I said, "Not that milkshakes cause diabetes. But thanks for perpetuating the myth and continuing to stigmatize us. Oh, if only I hadn't eaten that milkshake, I wouldn't have to inject myself 4 times a day." I know that sounds kind-of harsh, but I think if a medical student is so taken in by the myth, what hope do we have of educating people? Luckily, I was right about the way that she would take my words, and we were able to have a short exchange about stigmatizing people and being careful about our words. DIABETES IS NOT CAUSED BY INGESTING MILKSHAKES, EVEN BACON-FLAVORED MILKSHAKES!

But it makes me so tired. I do not want to be a crusader. Does having diabetes me that I have to take on this role, too? It reminds me of when I decided to get my Master of Pastoral Studies in 2001. I really just wanted to study the ministry because I felt a true calling to it and wanted to learn more about it. Little did I know that I would have to spend the next 2 years defending my decision to people I barely knew, including the one person who told me that the "only" reason I wanted to be a pastor was because I wanted to "be a man."


 PEOPLE WITH DIABETES--EVEN TYPE 2 DIABETICS--DID NOT BRING THIS ON THEMSELVES, NEITHER SHOULD YOU OR THE MEDIA BE BLAMING THEM FOR IT

This week I had two lunches out. Since I rarely eat out once in a week it was an interesting occurence of two very different experiences.

On Monday I went to get my hair cut. I was surprised (happily) to run into Virna and Lisa. Virna was celebrating her completion of her first (and she says last) marathon by having Lisa cut her hair. We chatted, and Virna invited me to join them for lunch across the street at Granville cafe. Febe also joined us, and that was especially lovely because I hadn't seen her in so long. It was a delightful time with great company and delicious food.

Contrast that with today's lunch. I went to church and met with some friends. We hadn't gone out for quite a while and finally decided to go to Souplantation in Pasadena. It was a similar occasion--people I rarely go out with and a friend I hadn't seen for a long time; four of us, just like Monday's lunch. But the atmosphere was completely different. One of our party felt the need to monopolize the conversation and to demonstrate her expertise on pretty much every topic that was brought up. It got tedious, and I had to leave the table more than once to give myself a break. It was nice to hang out with my other two friends, and we had some good conversations when we weren't being interrupted.

One week. Two very different lunches. Such is life.

Here's the jist of a conversation I had with someone yesterday.

Friend: Thanks for sending me the contact info for your endocrinology professional.

Me: Oh, I didn't realize you'd gotten it.

Friend: Yes, I got it, but I'm not going to call. Out of principle, I don't use that company. I think it's a terrible company, and I think they give horrible care.

Me: I like them; they are good to me, and I've been doing much better since going there.

Friend: Well, that's fine for you, but I think they are a terrible company, and I won't go there. We always got patients that had left their downtown office after getting terrible care.

Me: I don't go to the downtown office. I go to South Pasadena. South Pas is very different from downtown.

Friend: Yes, I know. But I still think it's a terrible company. But it's fine for you.

What the hell?

*seriously reconsidering the value of this "friendship"*

Yesterday one of my Facebook friends posted something on her wall that really upset me. This person usually posts inspirational sayings and pictures of fluffy kitties. So I was pretty surprised when she posted a picture yesterday that bore the caption: "Even liberals can understand this." Unfortunately, this post is not rare in the Facebook world, so common that it made me question the hours that I spend on the site.

Just for the record, this post is not a political statement on my part. I consider myself conservative on some points, liberal on others, and moderate on still others. I disagree with most of what I hear from politicians. But more than anything, I find political bullying absolutely unbearable.

I wonder why anyone would post something that clearly would insult at least one of her Facebook friends. Is the post meant to engender intelligent discussion during which both sides (in this case, "conservatives" and "liberals") can exchange points of view and maybe learn something from each other? If so, then starting with an insult would probably not be wise.

Is the post meant to appeal to those with similar political ideals, to say, "Look at how right we are?" If so, then why the name-calling?

Seems to me that the caption on the post is bullying, pure and simple. And as such, I want nothing to do with it. So, sorry Facebook pals. I may have to block you soon. If so, it's absolutely personal.

Yesterday was very odd. It was so strange, in fact, that I think I am just going to pretend that yesterday didn't happen.

For Christmas, my sister gave me a membership to the Norton Simon Museum. It's one of my favorite places, and I'm really grateful for the gift. I was planning to go sometime during the week; I figured fewer people would be at the museum, and I could linger as much as I liked. However, one of my friends decided to go with me, and since she works in the afternoons and evenings when the museum is open, we made plans to go yesterday afternoon. I was working until 1pm, so we decided to meet for lunch in Pasadena and then head to the museum.

However, when I finished with my student, I hadn't heard from my friend. I called and texted her multiple times, but I got no response. Just when I was about to give up on her, she called. Turns out that her water heater leaked in her apartment, and she was busy getting that taken care of. She said it had been settled, and she would be along shortly. About 15 minutes later, she called me again and said she was feeling sick and was going to go back home. I was very disappointed, but I was having a conversation with someone, and I decided to stay put while I decided what to do next. While I was sitting there, my phone rang again. My friend had decided that she wasn't feeling sick and was coming back. I had wanted to go to Green Street Restaurant, but my friend wanted to go to Souplantation, so that's where we went. I figured that since she wasn't feeling well, I'd let her choose. Has the food at Souplantation always been that bad? It was also crowded, and we had to wait to be seated because of the crowd.

Anyway, we were finally off to the museum. Once there, we headed straight for the special exhibit: A Raphael painting of the Madonna and Child; the painting is on loan from the National Gallery.The painting is quite stunning in its beauty. Any pictures of the painting that you may have seen do not capture how truly beautiful the painting is. I really can't even explain why.

After we looked at the Raphael, my friend seemed very antsy to leave. "Did you want to see anything else?" she asked. I answered that I love to look at everything, and she seemed disappointed. I did a little shopping in the bookstore while she visited the restroom. However, when she found me, she said that she still wasn't feeling well and was going home. I shopped for a little while longer by myself and then decided to go home, too. It was less than an hour until the museum closed, and I had been out all day.

So, yeah. It was a strange day. But I have decided to go back to the museum on Wednesday. I have to work in Pasadena at 6:15, and the museum is open from 12 to 6, so that will be just perfect. If you promise not to be a catalyst for another strange day, you are welcome to join me. :)

Well, I got through Winter Term. It was rough . . . Legal and Ethical Issues in Education; Quantitative Research Methods; Research to Practice Seminar. The work wasn't necessarily HARD; it was just LOTS. And I learned lots, too.

My classmates were pretty disappointing, though. Many of them were big jerks, just because they couldn't pick up statistics immediately. Certain students were VERY rude to the teacher. This was especially disappointing because my classmates are education professionals and would be angry if their own students treated them with the disrespect they showed our professor.

And our professor was BRILLIANT! Not only did he understand the one Doctor Who joke in the textbook, but he was really sensitive to the fact that the material was really scary for a lot of people. He made statistics really accessible and was very kind. I must say that I liked the class.

I was glad to find out later that I wasn't just irritable and that other people in my class felt the same. The semester ended well, with me finishing all of my projects and a nice lunch with some new classmate friends. I had felt rather lonely and isolated for much of the term, so it was nice to know that I'm not alone.

I don't know if I got straight A's. Statistics is a toss-up, but the lowest grade I could have possibly gotten was a B+. Anyway, Dr. Mitchell set me straight when he said, "This is the last degree you're going to get. At this stage, GPA is just ego." After he said that, I calmed down about grades and felt MUCH better.

So now I have a month off of school (but not off of work). When we return in May, it will be the third term of our first year! :)

It is time for me to clean my house.

Stephen sent me this link last summer, and I've been meaning to blog about it. Now, you all know that I love Hello Kitty, but REALLY? Do we need this???

This poem is the result of two experiences I had this week.

On Monday I tutored a woman for the GRE. She is 55, White, and from middle America. She is very nervous about her test. A while into our session, she said to me, "You are very calming. Where are you from?" I wasn't really sure how to take that. Was she assuming that I was from some exotic Asian land and was bringing the inherent calming effects of my supposed culture? Or was she just asking a question? I still don't know. My answer is in the last line of this poem.

Then last night in class we actually had to write "I am from" poems. It was kind-of odd that this came up after my experience on Monday. We wrote them together, and we didn't have a whole lot of time. But after last night, I felt moved to write my own "I am from" poem.

I don't know that it's complete. I don't think it will ever really be complete. But here's what I came up with.


I am from . . .

. . . a sugar cane farmer on a far away island
. . . an owner of a fleet of fishing boards on the Pacific Ocean
. . . a man who died in an unknown village in China
. . . a devout member of a Catholic parish in Spain
. . . families torn apart by a war
. . . grandparents who dreamed of more for their children
. . . parents who saw education as a golden ticket
. . . someone who could see opportunities on distant shores

I am from . . .

. . . a preacher at a tent meeting on that same far away island
. . . a colporteur who sold books door to door
. . . a group of young believers who longed for the return of their savior
. . . a pastor who preached grace without extending it to others
. . . church members who threw me away when I was deemed no longer useful
. . . a God who loves unconditionally

I am from . . .

. . . a collective of teachers—Mrs. Croak to Dr. Lalas—who imparted me with their knowledge—and lack of knowledge
. . . a science teacher who played H-O-R-S-E with me during P.E. rather than traumatize me with team sports
. . . a vice-principal who saw potential rather than mediocrity
. . . a professor who asked, “What was it like growing up gifted?” (to which I replied, “I was?”)

I am from . . .

. . . people in a city that places youth and beauty above all else
. . . aunts, uncles, cousins, second- and third- cousins, once-, twice-, thrice-removed, who arrived one after the other
. . . a family that must answer the question, “May I speak with Dr. Repique?” with “Which one?”

I am from . . .

. . . hundreds of students, who gave me more than they could possibly know
. . . groups of dedicated teachers and students who shared their hearts on Kairos and Emmaus
. . . principals, vice-principals, and department chairs for whom potential donor dollars were worth more than people
. . . colleagues—devoted and not---who inspire me with uncountable reasons to walk into a classroom

I am from . . .

. . . an unexpected friend who challenged me to be better than I was
. . . another friend who knew how to use my gifts without making me feel used
. . . new classmates and professors who are teaching me to become a superhero for educational justice

 
Where am I from?

I am from . . .

. . . here

Watch this video on You Tube and give it 5 stars for my friend Chris. :)

Watch it on the You Tube site so that you can vote. :)

Thanks!

Your prayers are needed for a very dear friend of mine and my friend's family. They are going through a very difficult time right now. I cannot go into much detail, because I'd like to preserve the family's privacy. However, I know that many of you will pray, no matter what the circumstances. Thanks.

Since I got in trouble earlier this month for responding to a forwarded email, I decided to do this in my own space.

Almost every day I receive a handful of emails from someone in my address book. It is someone I know that I have known for several years. The emails that I receive are varied. Sometimes they contain jokes, sometimes they contain inspiring stories, sometimes they contain interesting pictures. But these emails are consistently forwards that the sender feels the need to pass on.

I enjoy jokes, inspiring stories, and interesting pictures. However, what it obvious is that the person who consistently sends these to me is doing so with no thought about recipients. She does not edit or even consider to whom she is sending these things. So I will get several emails containing penis jokes, followed by several telling me to pass God's love to my friends. Then I will receive a slideshow of the most beautiful churches in the world, followed by a warning about eating chicken wings. (By the way, I used Snopes to look up that story about chicken wings, and the story is a hoax.)

I have forwarded emails in the past. I admit that I have made mistakes when it comes to forwarded emails. But I have learned from my mistakes. I forward emails to people who will enjoy or gain some benefit from what I am sending them. I use my mind and my discernment rather than just filling up my contacts' mailboxes with a bunch of junk.

I may end up having to report my "friend" as a professional spammer if she can't figure out how to self-edit. *sigh*

If you are reading my actual blog and not the Facebook feed, then you are seeing the new look. I found this template online; I'm not talented enough to do that myself. Other than the template, the most fun I had was adding the stuff about me. Hope you like it, too. :) (Yes, you. The five of you who read this.)

I'm in the process of reworking my blog. I managed to do something weird when I changed the look, and I lost my blogroll again. This time I was smart enough to keep track of who was on my list to begin with, but it will still take some time to reconstruct. Anyway, if you have a blog and you'd like to be included in my blogroll, respond to this and let me know the site. :)