A Lesson to Be Learned

In a world where there seems to be advancements in just about everything from technology to medicine, we seem to still fall short of social tolerance and acceptance. How are we able to advance technologically or even medically but not socially? I honestly do not know the answer to that question but it is fairly simple to justify the latter. Social advancement relies on too many individuals to pull their weight. As a matter of fact, it relies on everyone to pull their weight. To get everyone going in one direction would be quite an accomplishment.

Now this is not a call for the advancement of any one social issue. It is not my place and nor is this the platform that I would use to express such beliefs. I am calling for an understanding of how, in this day and age, the Constitution and our rights of citizens work. 

Unless you have been living in a hole the past few days, maybe you have not heard about Donald Sterling, the most recent owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. It was reported last Saturday that Sterling was recorded on tape, without his knowledge, speaking harshly to a female friend about her affiliation with several prominent African-American people. The comments made were without a doubt racist in nature. The NBA as of yesterday officially banned Sterling from the league, fined him $2.5 million, and is now forcing him to sell the team. 

Very few people on radio and TV have expressed any objection to these consequences. However, I was quite surprised by the number people who have commented online or even called into various shows objecting to the punishment that he was about to receive. All of them were using the same argument. 

"It is his constitutional right under the first amendment to make those statements. He shouldn't be punished." The freedom of speech. This argument is one that I get often if a student says something that is inappropriate in class. 

What we need to realize is the context in which the Constitution and our Bill of Rights was written. The reason why many documents from our Bill of Rights to as far back as the Magna Carta was written was to protect the people from the government. Our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain made that perfectly clear. The list of grievances were long and most of the rights that were abused are now protected in the Bill of Rights. Again... these rights are protected so that government does not overstep their power.

If we understand why our rights are protected and from whom, then we should understand that we, as citizens, are without a doubt protected in the Court of Law. However we need to understand that these same rights are not protected in the Court of Public Opinion. The freedom of speech is protected so that no individual can be prosecuted by the government (national, state, or local). The freedom of speech is NOT protected from the opinions of others.

Sterling's comments will not be used against him in any way, shape, or form in a judicial setting, but we have witnessed the repercussions of those comments when it comes to a public forum. Witnessing consequences for comments made should not be unfamiliar to us. Right or wrong. What we say does have strings attached. Attached are other people's opinions (for and against) and possibly repercussions. It does not matter who we are, but obviously the bigger the name the heavier those repercussions can be. Just ask radio personality Don Imus, the home cooking Paula Dean, Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson, and now former Clipper's owner Donald Sterling.

Right or wrong. Agree or Disagree. 

We must understand and realize this truth:

What you say can and will be used against you in the Court of Law Public Opinion. #RiseTalk

Every Day is a Good Day

Since yesterday was Good Friday, I figured it would be appropriate to share a story. This story is one that has shaped who I am today and who I will continue to be in the future.

In the spring of 2010, I was selected by the NCAA to go to Indianapolis to attend the Career in Sports Forum. The NCAA Career in Sports Forum was a four day event through which selected student-athletes (400 from all NCAA Divisions) will explore and be educated on careers in sports, with a primary focus on collegiate athletics. This forum was provided to participants at no cost. However, for me, I was missing out on baseball since it was held in the spring.

Through the use of dual tracks, I was able to choose to examine the key functions of a coach or administrator within sports. I chose administration since baseball was not offered. (They said it was due to the sport being in season.) At the forum, we covered foundational skills such as communication, networking, recruiting, managing culture, transitioning, and budgeting, academics, compliance, facilities, life skills, marketing and promotions, and sports information.

At the forum, they also had a number of guest speakers. It was one of these speakers that changed my life. It wasn't so much the speech that got me. It was a question after the fact. Needless, to say he had faced high pressure situations and many years of failure. Who doesn't when they are coaching at such high profile schools? So after his speech, I thanked him for talking with us and I asked him, "How have you dealt with all of the adversity and failure?" Now, you have to realize that I had dealt with my fair share of failure during this time. Two arm surgeries and the feeling that I would never contribute to my baseball team was weighing heavily. With this thought in mind, I had to ask him for advice. 

His response was like any other great educators... He asked a question back.

"Have you ever had a bad day?"

As you can imagine, I was caught quite off guard. I said with very little confidence, "Yes..."

He replied, "Well... you wouldn't make it on my team." 

I went from being caught off guard to downright dumbstruck. I think he realized that too because he went on to explain. 

He said everyone has bad seconds, minutes, hours, class period, or even games, but no one should have a bad day. He that we all have the ability to change our attitude. He said its a matter of what am I going to do to fix it.

The gentlemen finished by asking me again, "So, have you ever had a bad day?" 

I said, "No." 

It was then when Coach Ty Willingham proceeded to shank my hand and say, "Welcome to the team." Then we walked away. (Talk about a drop the mic kind of moment!)

As I stood there, I thought long and hard about what he said. I have the ability to change and fix it...  



From then on, I have been able to use this to motivate me through all sorts of challenges and failures. Bad moments are going to come. They are inevitable. I do though have the power to change how I deal with them. Everyday I have something to be thankful for. Whether it's the roof over my head or food on the table, I am thankful and the day isn't all that bad. 

There have been some times where this was tough. The surgery my grandfather had or the final weeks of my wife's pregnancy. Everyday I tried to remain positive. Ultimately, it worked. I was able to see things clearly and see all things through to the end with greater energy and joy. 

Now I have told this story to my classes over the last couple of years. I also tell them that attitudes are contagious; make yours worth catching. This point is so true! I asked them if they have ever gone home and they were already mad or someone in there family was mad. It wouldn't take long for one person to set off the other and now we have a house of angry people. 

I always tell my students to come to me if they have any problems. They need to get it off their chest and realize that my room is a safe place. If anything, they can forget about there trouble for the hour. If I do my math correctly and I make them forget how mad they were for one hour, then they have not had an entirely bad day... and I will for take that any day. #RiseTalk

Addition: 4/20/2014 Easter

I found it fascinating today that our pastor mentioned that every day should be a good day. Pastor Dean talked about how even if we feel only 90% or even 60%, we should be thankful for that 90 or 60% of great health. He said, "Each day is a resurrection; each day is a new day." Don't live day to day closing in on death. Live each day with joy and celebration for that Christ has blessed us with. This man did... 

#WorldsToughestJob

In the midst of last night's scramble to find resources for lessons this week, I happen to come across an amazingly touching video. 

During a "Facebook Break", I saw that this video called #WorldsToughestJob was being shared by a couple of friends. My interest was immediately hooked. I opened up the link to the video and there was a short description about how a company had placed an advertisement in newspapers in order to fill a position. The catch was that the job was a farce. The job was described in the video as the world's most important and toughest job. Unlimited hours. No breaks! A number of people had put in applications and were actually interviewed for this position. This is the video compilation of those interviews. 

Please watch the video before reading on... This will prevent spoiler alerts :)

Don't worry... I will give you a minute to collect yourself...


Feel free to go get a tissue if you need one...


Well... Was it just me or did you too feel the overwhelming need to just cry and hug someone?

This advertisement... this commercial, was without a doubt one of the most single inspiring videos that I have seen in a while. It leads us to believe that it is just going to be an entertaining joke at the expense of those interviewing for a job that doesn't exist. Meanwhile, we wait for one of the individuals to freak out, but we start to hear the soft melody of a piano playing in the background. It was only then did I realize that this video was about to be so much more than just a joke. This short four minute video in its final minute floods us all with emotion and memories we have about our mothers. The video allowed us to literally feel and share the emotions of what the interviewers were showing in its final minute. We in that minute are all connected. The amazing thing is... we are still connected by the billions of moms out there that give up and sacrifice so much for each one of us every single day. Even for those who may not of had a mother, I am sure that those feelings and memories flowed toward someone who took on that role in their life. Grandmother, aunt, sister, or maybe even a male figure like a father. We all have someone to be grateful for and we all have someone to thank.

The video says at the end, "This Mother's Day, you might want to make her a card."

Don't wait until Mother's Day... Let them know today...

To my Mom:

Words cannot even describe how thankful I am to call you, "My Mom." You are always there when I need you. You were there for all of my games yelling at me to smile and have fun before every pitch. You were there when I got my hand stuck in the VCR (though Grandpa helped too!). You were there when I got the doorknob stuck on my finger. You were there to hug me after every football game. You were there to support me during my first heartbreak. You were there when I needed to call you everyday at college because you were the comforting voice I needed to get through the day. You were there at my wedding. You were there at the birth of my daughter. Even though I don't come calling as much as I used to, you are still here... For that I am so ever grateful. I love you mom.

To my Wife:

I am so blessed to have such a selfless and loving person in my life. It seemed like fate for us to meet the way we did. Never in my dreams could I have imagined finding such person that has helped guide my faith when I was lost, give me confidence when I had none, and, ultimately, helped give me a purpose. The greatest purpose you have given me is that of a father. I would not be the father I am today or the one I strive to be tomorrow without you as my wife and as our daughter's mother. If our family is an arch and God is our foundation, you, my wife, are the keystone. The stone that allows Quinn and I to stand strong by your side. The stone that holds the our family together. I love you Jenna more than I can even express.

To my Mom and Wife: 

I love you both dearly and I am so grateful that you both have been, still are, and will continue to be amazing...

Family Matters

With Spring Break 2014 winding down to its final hour, I thought I should take this time to write about this past week. (Apologies for the length of the post!)

One would think that my wife and I, both teachers with the same spring break, would want to go off somewhere and spend spring break together in Florida, South Carolina, or even in Texas to see an old friend. Nope. Not us. We look forward to spring break to finally spend some days alone together and going to see my family in Kendallville.

This is roughly how my spring break went:

Saturday - 

1. To Kendallville for breakfast at MHOP (Maria's House of Pancakes) with my dad and 3 brothers. Also with us was my brother's good friend Brant.

2.  We went to Fort Wayne to meet up with my Uncle Chris and Cousin Nic for lunch at BW's.

3.  We all went to Lazer X! I was the dominant one in the group. Finished 1st for the team (3rd overall) in game 1. I am proud to say that my years of playing COD actually paid off. 

4.  Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball game! It was a good time. Will probably need surgery again after seeing how hard I throw... let me tell you... it wasn't pretty. 

5.  Ended the night back at my parents place to get a good night's rest for Sunday.

Sunday - 

1. Big Breakfast made by Mama Rise!!! No one can rival her biscuits and gravy!

2. Road Trip to Detroit for a Detroit Tigers game.

                                    @ the Tigers Game

Granted I did not get to spend much time with Jenna and Quinn that weekend, but it was so nice to be able to have a weekend with my dad and brothers. We don't get many opportunities like that very often anymore. There are so many different work schedules and responsibilities that keep us all tied up. So whenever I do get the chance to go back and just goof off with my brothers, I cherish it. (I will never forget the one time I was able to get back for a birthday. We shut the power off in the house to have a COD Nerf War! Great times.)

Monday-Wednesday - 

These were great days! With the exception of Jenna taking Quinn to see a friend, we had all three days to ourselves! We did nothing! It was awesome. Quinn and I had some great daddy/daughter time. We played some basketball, watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and of course the Lorax.

                    Quinn walking Minnie Mouse 

Thursday - 

Back to Kendallville. Jenna, Quinn, and I went up to see Mama Rise and Gpa/Gma Rise. It had been forever since my mom was able to see Quinn. Coaching basketball and going right into baseball leaves very little time to see the family. It was a nice trip though. My brother Eric was able to join us for lunch and hangout at the house. It was great going to my grandparents’ house too. We hadn't seen them since my gramps left the nursing home where we live. (It was a sad blessing to have grandpa in Milford to rehab after surgery. I got see him often but it was tough when it was due to a serious procedure.)

Picture of Quinn with Grandpa from a few months back

Friday - 

MY BIRTHDAY!!! Jenna had a great day planned out! She had 27 different gifts for me to open at different times throughout the day. It was a pretty neat idea. I thought that she found this idea on Pinterest but apparently it was all her. Oh Jenna... How awesome you are! I received everything from Double Stuff Oreos to golf polos. I even received a TMNT bowling set and a kid’s basketball hoop. Crazy to think a 27th year old man would find pleasure in those gifts, but they were pretty awesome! Quinn thought so too.

                 My new basketball hoop!

Saturday - 

Another day spent with family ;)

That morning we went to breakfast with my in-laws and came back to our house to open up a birthday present from them. I received an Apple TV! So excited! I am going to see if I can get it hooked up in my classroom! 

After lunch, Jenna had to be in Kendallville for a wedding shower. So I dropped her and Quinn off, picked up my brother Ryan, and headed to Fort Wayne to watch an IPFW baseball game. Now Ryan wasn't the only family I was able to spend time with at the game. I was able to see my old IPFW baseball family. My friends Tyler, Matt, and Jason were all at the game. It was great seeing them since it had been a while! 

Sunday (Today) -

Today was a special day... I was able to see my student council family. I have just joined to be a chair in the high school division of the IASC. Today, the elected high schoolers on the executive council met in Indianapolis to discuss plans for the next year. I saw so many familiar faces from the leadership camp (SLI) that I do every summer. This was such a great feeling. Many of the students were in my councils at the camps. It definitely helped validate what I do every summer. Feels good to see the difference that I am making.

                                                    My 2013 SLI Family

After my trip to Indy, I headed back to a family birthday dinner for a number of us who shared a birthday this past week. It was just the perfect way to end a week full of family time. 

Family... whether it is by blood, marriage, or through bonds of friendship, is by far the most important thing in the world. Barbara Bush tells us, "Cherish your human connections - your relationships with friends and family." That is what Jenna and I did this week. We wanted to be sure that we took time to cherish all of our connections. Fortunately for myself, I was able to visit, text, or call a lot of my loved ones this past week. Spring break for was not about going to a vacation spot and getting a nice tan. Spring break for me was about putting value back into the friendships I have had over the years. 

We all, at some time or another, have been guilty of getting too consumed by what we are doing "now" that we forget about those who have helped us. Even if we do acknowledge those who have helped us in the past, I honestly believe that we can do more. We should want to tell all of our love ones, friends and family, that we want them to be a part of our future.

#RiseTalk

Forgive and Heal

Last week I had a once in a life time opportunity fall directly into my lap. It was one that I will never forget.

I had the opportunity to visit Grace College and hear a Holocaust survivor tell her story. It was by far on of the most humbling experiences of my life. I was invited to go hear her on a Friday, read this survivor's book on a Sunday, and went to hear her presentation on Tuesday. I was beyond excited to go and see her (hopefully meet her).

Eva Mozes Kor was only 10 years old when she was placed in Auschwitz. While everyone else around her was heading for certain death, she managed to will herself and her twin sister through countless disturbing experiments and exercises during their captivity. Eva and her twin sister were under the supervision of Josef "The Angel of Death" Mengele.

In short here is her story...

After just a few weeks, Eva and her family were packed into a cattle car and transported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. After 70 hours without food or water, Eva and her family stepped onto the selection platform at Auschwitz.

After just a few minutes, Eva and her twin sister were separated from her father and two older sisters. She would never see them again. Soon after, the girls were approached by an officer yelling, "Twins! Twins!" When her mother said that Eva and her sister Miriam were indeed twins, they were taken from their mother, whom they also never saw again.

Eva and Miriam became part of a group of children used as human guinea pigs in experiments under the direction of Dr. Josef Mengele. Approximately 1500 sets of twins were subjected to these experiments, and most died as a result. Evan Eva herself became deathly ill. Mengele would give one twin up to five shots every other day of various illnesses and drugs. He would then measure the effects compared to the healthy twin. Eva was so sick she was near death, but she lived and helped Miriam survive.

Approximately 200 children were found alive by the Soviet Army after the liberation of the camp on January 27, 1945. Eva and Miriam Mozes were among them. After everything that had happened to her, exactly fifty years to the day of the camp's liberation, Eva Mozes Kor publicly forgave Mengele and all Nazis for their crimes. She was actually at a document signing at Auschwitz when she made her public statement of forgiveness. How could anyone forgive those cruel individuals? How could she forgive those who stripped her of her family and her innocent childhood? This concept is mind blowing to me!

Eva describes the power she now had over her perpetrators. She had the amazing power to forgive. Her power was not one that harmed another or gave someone else something of value. Eva's power to forgive the Nazis was her way to heal herself from the nightmares of her haunted past. She said that an incredible weight of suffering was lifted and she felt strong. Offering her forgiveness (to those whom did not deserve such grace) healed Eva, but it did not mean she would forget.

She will forgive and not forget... She will forgive and heal. She isn't healing the pain of others, but she is healing her pain. So powerful. As hard as it to rap my mind around the fact that she has forgiven such cruel individuals, she firmly believes and honestly showed the audience (of 2,500 plus) that she was a thousand times better for it.

If she can forgive the Nazis that systematically killed over six million Jews, why can't I forgive anyone that has trespassed against me?

I will forever be grateful to my cousin Cheryl for inviting me to hear Eva speak. Due to her kindness, I was able to inform my classes about the seminar. I had four students make the half hour drive to Warsaw. I'm not going to lie, the experience was doubled when I saw that I had students there too. All we could talk about the next day in class was Eva Kor and her amazing story.

In the end, I was able to listen to an amazing 80 year old Holocaust survivor and gain a completely new view on life. I also had the honor to meet her. After standing in line with my cousin, we were able to get our books signed. When she signed it, she wrote nice and big, "Forgive and Heal". #RiseTalk

Find out more about Eva Mozes Kor:

http://www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org 

https://www.twitter.com/EvaMozesKor 

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Good day to the world of bloggers!

This is the introduction to my first ever blog, #RiseTalk. Some would consider this narcissistic, naming a blog and creating a hashtag to play off of my last name, Risedorph, but to me it represents all of my "real talk" moments I have had with my family, friends, students, and, yes, even myself.

Before we get into any more about #RiseTalk, allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is AJ Risedorph (@TeachRisedorph). I am a sports and history enthusiast. I was raised to root for my Michigan Wolverines and Detroit Tigers, Lions, Pistons, and Red Wings. I graduated from IPFW in 2011, so regardless of my love for the Maize and Blue, I am truly a Mastodon at heart.

I am married to a beautiful young lass named Jenna, whom I met through a mutual friend in college. We were blessed to have a daughter 10 1/2 months ago. Her name is Quinlynn Rae. You better believe that much of my blogging will come from my conversations and experiences with those two wonderful people!

I am currently a high school social studies teacher in the small town of Nappanee, IN. I coach basketball and baseball, and I am also a co-sponsor for the school's student council. Without a doubt, there have been a number of #RiseTalk moments in my classes that has been the inspiration for this current undertaking. There is rarely a day that goes by where I do not catch myself thinking about how lucky I am to be apart of a place so special. (Seriously, my school is awesome!)

The concept of #RiseTalk began not long after the phenomena "real talk" took over as the new slang for "you better believe what I'm saying, because I am seriously serious." I first saw it on Twitter and then eventually heard it in conversation among young adolescents. I was lecturing a 7th grade class one day about aiming to be a better person each day. After my winded discussion with the class, one student piped up and said "#RiseTalk." Since then, I have ran with it and haven't looked back.

I cannot gaurantee that everything on here will be inspirational. Some of it may be similar to a "You Know What Really Grinds My Gears" segment from Family Guy. Either way, this blog is about my the experiences. I hope to inspire and entertain you all.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!