Fork in the road

It was a really nice ceremony. My son, along with more than 600 fellow students, graduated from eighth grade earlier this afternoon.

They looked like the babes they are as parents and family members cheered and celebrated their accomplishments. Many of the boys — I’m sure with parents’ guidance — wore their Sunday best, tie and all. While many of the girls — I’m sure acting on their own — chose dresses that were a little beyond their years. Most looked bored out of their minds.

But that’s okay … they are kids. It’s normal for them to spend much of their time in another world. They are even allowed to test the waters — a little. They are pieces of clay just waiting to be molded. And it is at this time we as adults need to be there for them more than ever.

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Celebrating diversity

For about 20 years, the push to be diverse has taken a stronghold on this country.

And despite the ongoing battle to legalize same-sex marriage — the California Supreme Court ruled to uphold Prop. 8 last Tuesday — our state, especially the Bay Area, is overly liberal in its thinking. This includes how local residents often times don’t think twice when it comes to the LGBT communities.

Unfortunately, a small group of East Bay parents didn’t get their copies of the “embrace diversity” handbook.

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Our nation’s economy: The perfect scapegoat

I waited all week for the news.

And early Tuesday morning the decision was made: Miss California — Carrie Prejean — will be allowed to retain her crown and finish out her reign as our state’s Miss USA representative.

Whew.

I was poised at the end of my Lazy Boy, like so many other Americans, as the Donald gave us his organization’s verdict. Neither racy lingerie photos nor “miscommunications” between Prejean and her state pageant directors would convince pageant officials that she should be stripped of her tiara.

Despite her vocal support against gay marriage — which I could take in a whole different direction, but won’t — the young woman from San Diego will be able to spend her last six months as queen, waving, smiling and wearing her crown proudly.

Why was the media fascinated with this and so many other stories that some would say are totally ridiculous and a waste of our free TV time?

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Stand up … or just remain seated

For most of my life — and many times during the last nine months I’ve written this column — I have “preached” the idea that one person can make a difference.

No matter how big the problem, how minute the situation, if you are determined to create change, then nothing, and no one, will stop you.

Monday night, I met someone who despite the hardships she encountered, ridicule she endured and moments of insecurity she faced in her life, never gave up.

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Fighting for our future

Whitney Houston and I are in agreement: We believe the children are our future.

Yeah, it’s cliché and has been heard around the world way too many times, and I’d be pressed to find someone who doesn’t believe the same. But what are we doing to show the phrase is more than just words?

Our economy continues to struggle, our country is still at war and the state’s jobless rate is close to an all-time high. We struggle to make ends meet and struggle harder to give our children a taste of what we adults had ourselves. But with every corner we turn it seems those in the state Capitol and several in Washington are forgetting what building a better future really means.

It is important to get our country — and state — on solid ground again, but should this be done at the expense of our youth?

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Earth Day philosophy every day?

On Tuesday - Earth Day 2009 - people around the globe will come together to celebrate the great planet we live on.

On the “official” Earth Day Web site it reads, “Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment."

Hmmm … interesting. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could incorporate this “vision” into a way of life for all? Not only on Earth Day, but the other 364 days of the year, as well? And let’s expand the focus from the environment to include say … one another?

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Go team, go! Next, please …

In last week’s column, I shared with you my observations on how the enthusiasm over the election of our 44th president had dimmed and how Obama-wear no longer seemed to be the fashion du jour.

I hadn’t realized it until a reader pointed it out, but part of my frustrations in seeing less people openly supporting our president is more about the people who seem to have crawled back into the comfortable holes they call lives, only to venture out again when enough other people are making noise.

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