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    Just Sayin
    Just Sayin
    Just Sayin
    Ebook109 pages1 hour

    Just Sayin

    By Sandra Asper

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    About this ebook

    Sandy Asper's Year of Patch Columns About Education Both Local and National and Occasionally Otherworldly

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSandra Asper
    Release dateJan 9, 2012
    ISBN9781465915979
    Just Sayin
    Author

    Sandra Asper

    Sandy Asper is still wondering what she's going to be when she grows up after 40 years of teaching in junior high school where she was affectionately called "The Great White". Constantly looking for relevance with an irreverent attitude, she has written one hilarious book on dying, YES, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT I MIGHT DIE...SOMEDAY (A LIGHTHEARTED WORKBOOK). Sandy and Bruce (the bemused spouse) have three children and six grandchildren, two of whom have illustrated her three "Grammy" books: My Grammy is a Surfer, Grammy is a New York Cab Driver, and Grammy is a Rock Star.

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      Book preview

      Just Sayin - Sandra Asper

      Introduction

      I was 18 years old and it was my second or third year working at the Orange Belt Emporium, which was the best and only department store in Pomona, CA.

      It was two or three weeks before Christmas and being crazy for the holiday, I thought it would be a great idea to talk the whole store into doing something great. Most of the women I worked with were old…not older…old, and sometimes pretty cranky. They worked on commission, and I had street cred with them because I gave them my sales so that they could get their impossible commission money.

      Regardless, they were not enthusiastic about my big idea. The older women in cosmetics, lingerie, fabrics, household goods and even the elevator lady went negative. The boys in shoes were cautious but okay, and the guys in toys were all for it.

      We found out that one of the gals who worked in the office had neighbors who were in trouble. One of their three kids was very ill and they had to go to a hospital in Los Angeles three times a week. They had no money and were not going to have a Christmas.

      After hearing the story, my cranky crew in sportswear and the entire third floor said yes, and dug into their pockets. The guys in footwear were all over it. Cosmetics was in. The guys in toys started subtly making some toys lightly used and created quite a grouping. Even the greedy owners showed some mild enthusiasm and gave a small amount of cash. The small older woman in sportswear who lived in a trailer gave more than they did. Isn’t that always the way?

      By Christmas Eve, we had a crazy amount of money and purchased clothes, food, toys (the toy department had a lot of lightly-used toys), a tree, ornaments, and a cazillion brand new dollar bills. The lady who worked in the office got her neighbors out of the house Christmas Eve and five of us opened the door to one of the most depressing apartments I have ever seen.

      It took us a few hours to decorate the tree with ornaments and dollar bills, nestle in the beautifully wrapped presents (thanks to the gift-wrapping department), and put the huge turkey and the rest of the food in the refrigerator before we tiptoed out.

      We walked out kind of weepy but so happy and excited for this family, and went directly to church. It wasn’t planned to go to church, but it seemed right.

      The day after Christmas, the woman from the office told everyone at the store that her neighbors opened the door and couldn’t believe what they saw. They laughed and cried, and we laughed and cried hearing about it.

      But here’s the best thing…the very best thing: They never knew who had made their Christmas. They never found out.

      Best Christmas ever.

      Student/Reader Activity

      Students/readers will evaluate their own favorite Christmas memories and write in the comment section if they are brave enough.

      Evaluation

      Students/readers will be evaluated on their comment’s honesty, humanity, relevance, and humor following the precept that it truly is better to give than receive.

      Homework

      Watch It's a Wonderful Life three times.

      Opinion: The Day I Met Nancy Rousseau

      Sandy Asper talks about one of her educational heroes.

      December 14, 2011 - By Sandy Asper

      Note: Please watch the video before you read this.

      Watch video on YouTube

      Nancy Rousseau wouldn't see me, she said she was too busy but I decided to drop by Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas anyway.

      As I was talking to her secretary, Rousseau blew in, took one look at me and agreed to see me for just a few minutes. Rousseau was the principal of Central High six years ago, and she's the principal today.

      I had traveled all over the country, talked to educators thinking that I was going to write a book about education tentatively called What's Wrong With Education and How to Fix It. I never wrote the book, but I met the most fascinating people along the way and one of the most fascinating and my personal favorite was Rousseau.

      Rousseau was distracted with planning the 50th reunion of the Little Rock Nine when I met her. It was the celebration of the integration of nine black students into Central High in 1957. She had reason to be nervous as there were going to be thousands of people there, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Governor Huckabee were coming to speak. And then of course were The Nine who were going to be honored.

      Nancy told me yesterday that Clinton gave an impassioned speech, and the nine students that walked through those doors in 1937 risking their lives were very touching.

      Here's the part that knocked me out, as Holden Caufield would say, I walked with Principal Rousseau down the beautiful halls of Central High and what struck me was her relationship with the students. They clearly loved her and not only did she know their names, but she clearly loved them as well.

      Nancy told me about the Katrina students that they had just integrated into the school a few months before. Ms. Rousseau anticipated problems between her students and with the Katrina kids, so she called them all to an assembly and told them they were all Tigers now, and that they were a family and that she expected no less of them.

      Apparently, everyone fell in line except this one kid...the kind of kid that keeps teachers and principals up at night. You know the one that has such potential, but simply can't stay out of trouble and you have to let them go. That's what happened to this kid. They had to expell him. Rousseau had a personal relationship with him, talked to him a lot, but in the end, he had to go. He left Little Rock and went back to New Orleans. She found out later that he was shot and killed.

      So yeah, Nancy is one of my heroes because she agreed to talk to a white haired pushy stranger in the middle of planning an amazing event, didn't take the normal route to the job that she loves, knows all the kids names, and is so proud of her school and her kids. She says about her life in educataion I adore the way I've lived my life. I also love the way she's lived her life.

      I know Nancy Rousseau would kill me if I didn't mention that Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas is the only school in the nation that has been designated a national park.

      Go Nancy Rousseau and the Tigers!

      Opinion: Amid Tragedy, Newport-Mesa Pulls Together

      Sandy Asper writes about lessons to be learned from a sad death.

      December 6, 2011 - By Sandy Asper

      Hundreds of people showed up at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa on Monday to lend support to Kimberly Claytor and her family.

      They filled the church and spread out to the patio off the sanctuary. They stood quietly around the edges of the church for almost two hours: two of the saddest yet most joyful hours most of us had ever experienced in a memorial service. It was beautiful.

      The service was for Korey Menden, a 30-year-old man who died suddenly last week. One outstanding thing about this memorial was the love that surrounded the family. The support from those attending was palpable.

      Another thing that stood out was truth punctuated with raw emotion.

      The family didn't hide the fact that Korey died because of drugs. They talked about it openly. Westley, the amazing younger brother, read a letter to Korey and joined other speakers in painting a portrait of an extraordinary young man. Korey had played football for Estancia and excelled in almost every sport. Westley said all he wanted in life was to be just like his older brother. When Westley cried and spoke, he was physically surrounded by his older

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