Old School Photo Friday. I am Empowered. And Old.

This week Old School Photo Friday was hard.

Not because I don’t have a ridiculously large amount of old school photos from which to choose, but because I am so very tired.

Sleepy, exhausted, battling a migraine headache to beat the band.

All of that thanks to a 3am wake up call from #3 and a 5am departure time from home.

But, no migraine is gonna make this Dummy miss sharing two super funky fresh exciting developments in my blogging life.

Nuh-uh.

Because this week, Old School Photo Friday has joined forces with a much more developed, well-imagined, and supported meme over at More Than Words.

Alicia, sweet blogging beauty queen that she is, graciously agreed to join forces with me this week because she obviously saw my lonely linky and felt sorry for me and didn’t want to watch me gravel for participants for one more second is kind.

Actually, it’s probably just because desperate Dumb Mom is a very persuasive Dumb Mom Rebecca from Life With Kaishon put in a good word for me and told her I wasn’t super creepy or scary stalker-ish and pairing up with me would probably be safe.

Not in any way helpful to her, but at least safe!

So, she did and I’m glad and I hope you all go over there and read her blog and link up with her Friday Photo Flashback too…

Friday Photo Flashback

And here’s my entry:

This, friends, is a photo of my chubbily pregnant self when I was teaching back in Oakland, CA in 2001.

I wanted to share this picture because memories of my days in the classroom were brought crashing back to me today when I sat in the PRESS SECTION (yes!-I-was-sitting-in-the-friggin-press-section!-with-a-special-press-badge!-with-other-official-press-people-trying-to-pretend-like-I-did-this-junk-all-the-time-only-I-was-freaking-out!-and-seriously-considering-puking-on-my-sensible-but-fashionable-shoes) at the National Urban League Convention at the Washington D.C. Convention Center where the President (YES! THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) was speaking about his new educational reform initiative, Race to the Top.

Sitting in the audience while being wowed (literally, let me just say that Michelle scored, big time, because Mr. President is a hot-ty.  Like for real.) by one of the most eloquent speakers of modern times, I began to feel the stirrings of some of the passion that drove me into the classroom some 10 years ago.

When I joined Teach for America in 2000 I was just like any other idealistic, optimistic, unrealistic Corps Member (TFA is part of AmeriCorps).  I thought I’d get into the classroom and change the students drastically, and eternally just by being there.

I failed to realize then that some of them not only didn’t need to change, but some of them, even those that did need it, didn’t want it.

And, I failed to understand how integral to change their desire (and by their I mean to include their family, friends, and community at large, all of which were conspiring against them at times) to do so was.

I also failed to appreciate that not everyone would see me as their savior (as I mistakenly saw myself) and that some people would feel like they needed to attack me, victimize my poor, defenseless motor vehicle, and leave me near tears with the threat of litigation and retaliation.

Long story short, it sucked in ways I never imagined and was awesome in ways I didn’t completely understand.

But mostly, it was a fantastic learning experience that helped shape me a little into the big brained super human super hero I am today.

Just like today was.

I learned that just because I got married and had kids (not necessarily in that order) and quit teaching and started blogging while spending good chunks of my day in my chocolate milk stained pajamas and slipper socks, doesn’t mean that everyone else did.

The fight continues.

People, loads of people  from the crowd gathered at the #NOL100 conference today, are still fighting for equal educational opportunity.

And, I also learned that just because on the front line, in the classroom, may not be the place for me right now, there are a number of other stations at which an educational soldier such as myself can be of service.

Which is why I decided to take the I am Empowered Pledge (and because President Obama’s sexy self told me to and, as many of you know, when a hot dude asks me to do something, pretty much, that’s what I do); because I can do something.

Something more than just show up at the convention, look sexy, and be comic relief for those in attendance.

I mean, naturally, I did that stuff too (you’re welcome Blogalicious Ladies), but I can do more, you know?

And probably, so can you.

Starting by sharing your Old School Photo by  linking up below and then going over to my new blogging buddy’s virtual abode to do the same!

Also check out Photo Story Friday and Give Me Your Best Shot for more photo sharing fun!