Brett A. Reif's Blog
March 28, 2013
Colors Come Alive
Happy Monday everyone! Have you ever noticed how much brighter the greens and browns of the landscape are on a gray winter's day? I was thinking about that this morning on my way into work. It was actually quite magnificent.
Valentine's Day Wish
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there! I hope you all have someone special to hold tight today. If not, remember that tomorrow is a new day and that there is someone out there for everyone! Everyone should know love, embrace it, and show it freely!
Happy Monday
Happy Monday afternoon! Well it was quite a chilly weekend and honestly, I did go out unless I had to. I spent most of it writing though. A good winter storm conjures up so many good ideas for stories. Hope you all have a great week!
Out Running The Devil!
Out running the Devil on a 10 speed bike and his minions are nipping at my heels! Keeping the faith and not looking back. Not today Old Man!!!!
It's Official!
It's official! I'm ready for spring! The subfreezing temperatures and freezing rain need to go. Bring me the crisp mornings and warm days. I'm ready for the Boys of Summer to take the field and the smell of fresh cut grass. I long for the warm breeze carrying a freshness like no other on it. When the smells of charcoal and grilling are abundant. Waiting for the days to get longer and being able to gaze at the stars at night, when ever I choose. Winter has served its purpose and it is now time for it to leave!
Relay For Life
Cancer has affected my life just like it has so many of you. That is why I am donating a percentage of my sales to Relay For Life. Take a look and support a great cause! Let's give somebody another birthday!
Political Correctness
America is a country built by the mutts, migrants, and criminals of the world. Our soil has been filled with the blood from some of the biggest atrocities that this world has ever known. We have survived and persevered through it all and were growing so strong! Yet now I sit here and question our tomorrow. I question if we will continue to exist. And why is that you ask? I turn to values and political correctness. We were born, bred, and lived by core values for most of our existence. Somewhere along the lines we got too full of ourselves and decided that we were no longer American's... we were a country of individuals! Every person who stands beneath that great flag now has their own description.... I am a Caucasian American... An African American.... Hell I am a Homosexual Irish American, with a hint of Cherokee American Indian on my mother's side... I'm a Pro-abortion Atheist Mexican American... See what I mean with just these examples. We have names and quotas for everything we do in our country! We went from calling each other names such as honkey, cracker, nigger, and spic to labeling ourselves! If we want equality and justice and the American way.... why don't we just call ourselves AMERICANS.... simple... easy to remember... then maybe we could get past all the confusion and all of the seperation and focus on what we need to do to get back to the top of the food chain.... maybe if we stop fighting each other on what beliefs or feelings that we believe are being trampled on and suck it up and do what is best for the group instead of ourselves, then maybe we can move forward. Guess what America... we're getting the shit kicked out of us... from the inside out and it wont take long for the rest of the world to want a piece. They are already salivating! If you're an American then welcome home. If not, then figure out what is your home and go there. We need a resurgance of the patriatism that made our country great before it is too late. We need to find God and let him back into our lives. Now I didn't say which God, because guess what... our Four Fathers didn't either... but unify together as the collection of mutts, migrants, and criminals that we have always been and reclaim the power that came with calling yourself just... An AMERICAN!
The Letter
Kevin Jennings is a nineteen-year-old boy, who just became a
man. His mother Kelly, passed away from breast cancer at the young age of
forty-two. She was given six months to live, upon diagnosis. Kevin dropped out
of college to take care of her. Kelly only managed three and a half months.
Kelly was a single mother, but it wasn’t a usual case. Kelly’s loving husband’s
name was Jared. They were married for two years before Kevin. Jared and Kevin
never met each other. Jared died in the hospital roughly a week after
conception due to complications from a head trauma. He never knew he was going to be a father and
Kelly swore to never let anyone take his place.
Her body was only a few days cold, but Kevin was already
cleaning out the house and getting it ready for whatever was to come next. His
mother never talked to him about any will. Kevin just knew that his mother was
dead, she was to be put in the ground on Saturday, and that he needed to put
the pieces back together of a life that hadn’t even truly started yet.
Kevin noticed the mailman pull up to the mailbox, pause
momentarily, and then pull off. The mailman waved at Kevin just as he has for
the past nineteen years. Kevin wondered if the man knew that his mother was
gone. No matter he thought! Time will speak volumes to all those who no longer
see or hear from her. He knew in his soul that he would not be the only one to
miss her; for she had such a demeanor that everyone loved her. Kevin followed
the broom, which followed the dust particles, down the steps to the sidewalk.
He leaned the broom in the corner, where the light grey aluminum siding and
white wooden handrail met. With his head still feeling heavy from grief, he
stared at the cracked slates of concrete as his feet passed in and out of view,
missing the crevices, remembering in his mind that stepping on one would break
his mother’s back. He wished it were true, because if she had a back to break,
then she would still be with him and not being prepared to be buried deep in a
pit of nothingness. He eventually made it to the mailbox and peered inside. A
Small stack of what he was sure were bills were piled between a large white
envelop, which was bent in the middle and squeezed into the cramp hole. As he shuffled his feet, he flipped through
the envelopes and found bill after bill as he thought. Kevin pushed open the
door, with the toe of his foot, as he got down to the large white envelop. It
was addressed to Marty Kobb and had return to sender stamped on it. Kevin
looked at the mailers name and it was Kelly Jennings. This was the same envelop
that she had asked him to mail just days before her untimely death. He dropped
the mail on the black coffee table and went to get a drink. Kevin decided to
open the returned package. Without even looking, he dumped the contents on the
table. Before him was a piece of folded paper, a black wig, a small black key,
and a soiled red lacy thong. Of course his first thought was why the hell is my
mother sending a man this. The note read:
“Kevin,
Take this key to the bank. The rest of this will make sense
then.”
First thing, Kevin headed to the bank with his collection of
items. The attendant gave him the charcoal box and he sat alone in a private
room to view its contents. He hesitated to flip open the top but soon found the
strength. The box seemed to have nothing but newspaper clippings in it. A note
on top read:
“I’m sorry you are finding out this way, but you need to
know the truth about your father. I couldn’t find the strength to do it
myself. Jared Jenkins was the love of my
life. He worked a lot of nights though. I got lonely. I got desperate. I went
out to the bar to let off some steam. I wore the black wig, so that I wouldn’t
be recognized. This guy and I started talking. The drinks flowed and we couldn’t
keep our hands off each other. I was quite tipsy, so he drove my car home.
Jared came home early from work and caught us. Jared was enraged and went after
the man. While trying to get away, the other man shove him down the stairs, leaped
over him, and ran out the door. Jared
laid there unconscious and went into a coma. I pulled the plug after a week in
the hospital. That night I called the cops, told them someone had broken in, that
they attacked Jared, and they ran off. I was never questioned about it again. A
few days later, a man was arrest for murdering an elderly woman and robbing
her. The picture in the paper was of the man I had the affair with. His name
was Marty Kobb. He sat in the electric
chair 10 years ago, so there is no way to do a paternity test, but I know he
was your father. The soiled panties were the ones I wore that night and will
prove DNA. I hope you can forgive me! I can’t face God with this eating at my
soul. My indiscretion killed the man I loved and the man I lusted after killed
everything else."
Kevin not knowing what else to do flipped through the cutout
newspaper articles about his father’s murdering spree and execution. He went for
answers, but was now more confused. After nineteen years of lies and
half-truths, he now didn’t even feel remorse for his mother. He sank his head
as he headed home, a man even more alone.
man. His mother Kelly, passed away from breast cancer at the young age of
forty-two. She was given six months to live, upon diagnosis. Kevin dropped out
of college to take care of her. Kelly only managed three and a half months.
Kelly was a single mother, but it wasn’t a usual case. Kelly’s loving husband’s
name was Jared. They were married for two years before Kevin. Jared and Kevin
never met each other. Jared died in the hospital roughly a week after
conception due to complications from a head trauma. He never knew he was going to be a father and
Kelly swore to never let anyone take his place.
Her body was only a few days cold, but Kevin was already
cleaning out the house and getting it ready for whatever was to come next. His
mother never talked to him about any will. Kevin just knew that his mother was
dead, she was to be put in the ground on Saturday, and that he needed to put
the pieces back together of a life that hadn’t even truly started yet.
Kevin noticed the mailman pull up to the mailbox, pause
momentarily, and then pull off. The mailman waved at Kevin just as he has for
the past nineteen years. Kevin wondered if the man knew that his mother was
gone. No matter he thought! Time will speak volumes to all those who no longer
see or hear from her. He knew in his soul that he would not be the only one to
miss her; for she had such a demeanor that everyone loved her. Kevin followed
the broom, which followed the dust particles, down the steps to the sidewalk.
He leaned the broom in the corner, where the light grey aluminum siding and
white wooden handrail met. With his head still feeling heavy from grief, he
stared at the cracked slates of concrete as his feet passed in and out of view,
missing the crevices, remembering in his mind that stepping on one would break
his mother’s back. He wished it were true, because if she had a back to break,
then she would still be with him and not being prepared to be buried deep in a
pit of nothingness. He eventually made it to the mailbox and peered inside. A
Small stack of what he was sure were bills were piled between a large white
envelop, which was bent in the middle and squeezed into the cramp hole. As he shuffled his feet, he flipped through
the envelopes and found bill after bill as he thought. Kevin pushed open the
door, with the toe of his foot, as he got down to the large white envelop. It
was addressed to Marty Kobb and had return to sender stamped on it. Kevin
looked at the mailers name and it was Kelly Jennings. This was the same envelop
that she had asked him to mail just days before her untimely death. He dropped
the mail on the black coffee table and went to get a drink. Kevin decided to
open the returned package. Without even looking, he dumped the contents on the
table. Before him was a piece of folded paper, a black wig, a small black key,
and a soiled red lacy thong. Of course his first thought was why the hell is my
mother sending a man this. The note read:
“Kevin,
Take this key to the bank. The rest of this will make sense
then.”
First thing, Kevin headed to the bank with his collection of
items. The attendant gave him the charcoal box and he sat alone in a private
room to view its contents. He hesitated to flip open the top but soon found the
strength. The box seemed to have nothing but newspaper clippings in it. A note
on top read:
“I’m sorry you are finding out this way, but you need to
know the truth about your father. I couldn’t find the strength to do it
myself. Jared Jenkins was the love of my
life. He worked a lot of nights though. I got lonely. I got desperate. I went
out to the bar to let off some steam. I wore the black wig, so that I wouldn’t
be recognized. This guy and I started talking. The drinks flowed and we couldn’t
keep our hands off each other. I was quite tipsy, so he drove my car home.
Jared came home early from work and caught us. Jared was enraged and went after
the man. While trying to get away, the other man shove him down the stairs, leaped
over him, and ran out the door. Jared
laid there unconscious and went into a coma. I pulled the plug after a week in
the hospital. That night I called the cops, told them someone had broken in, that
they attacked Jared, and they ran off. I was never questioned about it again. A
few days later, a man was arrest for murdering an elderly woman and robbing
her. The picture in the paper was of the man I had the affair with. His name
was Marty Kobb. He sat in the electric
chair 10 years ago, so there is no way to do a paternity test, but I know he
was your father. The soiled panties were the ones I wore that night and will
prove DNA. I hope you can forgive me! I can’t face God with this eating at my
soul. My indiscretion killed the man I loved and the man I lusted after killed
everything else."
Kevin not knowing what else to do flipped through the cutout
newspaper articles about his father’s murdering spree and execution. He went for
answers, but was now more confused. After nineteen years of lies and
half-truths, he now didn’t even feel remorse for his mother. He sank his head
as he headed home, a man even more alone.
My Students & Our Last Trip
Hello all! As you all know, I am a teacher by day. Most of you probably don't know that I teach a remedial reading class. It is a tough job, filled with many many many days of banging my head against the wall. I've actually contemplated buying stock in Tylenol and Excedrin. If you know anything about education, then you also know that I don't do it for the money!!! I can honestly say that I do it for those moments when the light bulb goes off and you see the student get the process and gain understanding... for some for the first time! It is an amazing experience. Since taking over my room, I have tried to bring in my outside the box thinking and tried to shake it up a bit. What I mean by that is to get the kids out of their comfort zones and to experience things that they have never been exposed to before. I have taken them on College tours, to the theater, and to baseball games. Each of them has a different reaction to each experience, but I can honestly say that each of them has come out of each experience with something. Most have gone into it with blinders, but have come out wanting more. This year has been no different. In December I took them to see "A Christmas Carol" after reading the play. For those who were with me the year before they looked forward to it. It was like pulling teeth with my new kids, to get them to go. Once we boarded the bus after the show... the kids were actually comparing their favorite scenes without prompting. On Monday we tried something new again. Now as I said my students are below grade level in reading and I teach middle school. For the past month we have been reading "The Hot Zone". It is about the Ebola outbreak in Reston, VA and is the basis for the movie "Outbreak". Needless to say, this is actually normally read by AP HS Biology students and science majors in college. Since this book is about the biological aspect of primate research, I took my students to the Duke Lemur Center, which deals with environmental and behavioral research. It was an amazing trip. As usual every student learned something new and enjoyed their time there. The researchers did a great job describing what they did at the facility and even how it related to what we were learning in class.
I guess what I'm trying to get at are two things. First I need to send a huge shout out to the Duke Lemur Center and the work they do there. If you are ever in the area, you need to go on one of their tours. It is amazing to say the least. Secondly I need to tell the world how wonderful my kids really are. I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but most of my kids have been pushed through a system that didn't know what to do with them. Some have been told they are stupid by parents and teachers. Along the way, they learned that saying I can't is okay. They've found that negative attention is better than no attention at all. Well I'm here to say... give them a chance. They are looking for someone to believe in them, even though at first they won't know how to react to it. With a little extra guidance, some tough love, and the occasional shoulder, they will go to battle for you and give you their best effort. In doing so, they will surprise themselves and learn, slowly but surely, what success is. It becomes contagious and grows amongst them. Sometimes we just need to open the door for someone and hold it open for a minute longer.
I guess what I'm trying to get at are two things. First I need to send a huge shout out to the Duke Lemur Center and the work they do there. If you are ever in the area, you need to go on one of their tours. It is amazing to say the least. Secondly I need to tell the world how wonderful my kids really are. I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but most of my kids have been pushed through a system that didn't know what to do with them. Some have been told they are stupid by parents and teachers. Along the way, they learned that saying I can't is okay. They've found that negative attention is better than no attention at all. Well I'm here to say... give them a chance. They are looking for someone to believe in them, even though at first they won't know how to react to it. With a little extra guidance, some tough love, and the occasional shoulder, they will go to battle for you and give you their best effort. In doing so, they will surprise themselves and learn, slowly but surely, what success is. It becomes contagious and grows amongst them. Sometimes we just need to open the door for someone and hold it open for a minute longer.
My Students & Our Last Trip
Hello all!
As you all know, I am a teacher by day. Most of you probably don't know that I teach a remedial reading class. It is a tough job, filled with many many many days of banging my head against the wall. I've actually contemplated buying stock in Tylenol and Excedrin. If you know anything about education, then you also know that I don't do it for the money!!! I can honestly say that I do it for those moments when the light bulb goes off and you see the student get the process and gain understanding... for some for the first time! It is an amazing experience.
Since taking over my room, I have tried to bring in my outside the box thinking and tried to shake it up a bit. What I mean by that is to get the kids out of their comfort zones and to experience things that they have never been exposed to before. I have taken them on College tours, to the theater, and to baseball games. Each of them has a different reaction to each experience, but I can honestly say that each of them has come out of each experience with something. Most have gone into it with blinders, but have come out wanting more. This year has been no different.
In December I took them to see "A Christmas Carol" after reading the play. For those who were with me the year before they looked forward to it. It was like pulling teeth with my new kids, to get them to go. Once we boarded the bus after the show... the kids were actually comparing their favorite scenes without prompting. On Monday we tried something new again. Now as I said my students are below grade level in reading and I teach middle school. For the past month we have been reading "The Hot Zone". It is about the Ebola outbreak in Reston, VA and is the basis for the movie "Outbreak". Needless to say, this is actually normally read by AP HS Biology students and science majors in college. Since this book is about the biological aspect of primate research, I took my students to the Duke Lemur Center, which deals with environmental and behavioral research. It was an amazing trip. As usual every student learned something new and enjoyed their time there. The researchers did a great job describing what they did at the facility and even how it related to what we were learning in class.
I guess what I'm trying to get at are two things. First I need to send a huge shout out to the Duke Lemur Center and the work they do there. If you are ever in the area, you need to go on one of their tours. It is amazing to say the least. Secondly I need to tell the world how wonderful my kids really are. I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but most of my kids have been pushed through a system that didn't know what to do with them. Some have been told they are stupid by parents and teachers. Along the way, they learned that saying I can't is okay. They've found that negative attention is better than no attention at all. Well I'm here to say... give them a chance. They are looking for someone to believe in them, even though at first they won't know how to react to it. With a little extra guidance, some tough love, and the occasional shoulder, they will go to battle for you and give you their best effort. In doing so, they will surprise themselves and learn, slowly but surely, what success is. It becomes contagious and grows amongst them. Sometimes we just need to open the door for someone and hold it open for a minute longer.
As you all know, I am a teacher by day. Most of you probably don't know that I teach a remedial reading class. It is a tough job, filled with many many many days of banging my head against the wall. I've actually contemplated buying stock in Tylenol and Excedrin. If you know anything about education, then you also know that I don't do it for the money!!! I can honestly say that I do it for those moments when the light bulb goes off and you see the student get the process and gain understanding... for some for the first time! It is an amazing experience.
Since taking over my room, I have tried to bring in my outside the box thinking and tried to shake it up a bit. What I mean by that is to get the kids out of their comfort zones and to experience things that they have never been exposed to before. I have taken them on College tours, to the theater, and to baseball games. Each of them has a different reaction to each experience, but I can honestly say that each of them has come out of each experience with something. Most have gone into it with blinders, but have come out wanting more. This year has been no different.
In December I took them to see "A Christmas Carol" after reading the play. For those who were with me the year before they looked forward to it. It was like pulling teeth with my new kids, to get them to go. Once we boarded the bus after the show... the kids were actually comparing their favorite scenes without prompting. On Monday we tried something new again. Now as I said my students are below grade level in reading and I teach middle school. For the past month we have been reading "The Hot Zone". It is about the Ebola outbreak in Reston, VA and is the basis for the movie "Outbreak". Needless to say, this is actually normally read by AP HS Biology students and science majors in college. Since this book is about the biological aspect of primate research, I took my students to the Duke Lemur Center, which deals with environmental and behavioral research. It was an amazing trip. As usual every student learned something new and enjoyed their time there. The researchers did a great job describing what they did at the facility and even how it related to what we were learning in class.
I guess what I'm trying to get at are two things. First I need to send a huge shout out to the Duke Lemur Center and the work they do there. If you are ever in the area, you need to go on one of their tours. It is amazing to say the least. Secondly I need to tell the world how wonderful my kids really are. I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but most of my kids have been pushed through a system that didn't know what to do with them. Some have been told they are stupid by parents and teachers. Along the way, they learned that saying I can't is okay. They've found that negative attention is better than no attention at all. Well I'm here to say... give them a chance. They are looking for someone to believe in them, even though at first they won't know how to react to it. With a little extra guidance, some tough love, and the occasional shoulder, they will go to battle for you and give you their best effort. In doing so, they will surprise themselves and learn, slowly but surely, what success is. It becomes contagious and grows amongst them. Sometimes we just need to open the door for someone and hold it open for a minute longer.
