A Leap In Progress: In Santa Fe, New Mexico where the New Mexico School for the Deaf is located in, I knew of a couple who complained that the school is bit too tolerant and liberal for their children to attend. When I heard of this, I quickly got in touch with someone else in Santa Fe to get confirmation. And it was confirmed that it did happen and it was no big deal.
At the high school graduation ceremony, the valedictorian mentioned that she thanked her "partner" or "lover" for her support, endurance and love to help her graduate. Someone felt that what happened is so ... liberal. When one is tolerant and open-minded, it is automatically called "liberal" by any means! Such a ridiculous mentality.
I knew of a guy that worked at NMSD. He used to work as Coordinator Residence Educator before heading off to NMSD. I personally lost the respect for Cliff a while ago because of a fiasco that occurred with my job as Resident Advisor which he fired me unjustly and I fought savagely and won it back with the support and blessing of Campus Life Director Sue Hanrahan (God bless her!). She also ordered Cliff to apologize for what he did to me. He never did.
The Newmans: Spending the day and night with the Newmans is quite a blessing. It is sane. It is all about love. I love Todd like a brother. I love Dyan. I love Tayla and Thor. It was good to see Angela there as well. We had steak kabobs and chatted all day long to catch up with what we did in our lives. Dyan mentioned that she's stopping taking the pills and gave me a smirk.
Dyan is good mother. It was quite amusing that Tayla is going to her first camping for a week. Dyan went into a mother-mode and work on the details to ensure that Tayla has everything she needed before hopping off to the camping for a week. At 8, it is Tayla's first one ever. Dyan is understandably worried and aghast about it. I chortled, "Soon, she's off to college before you know."
Dyan smiled then pulled the sort of sad smile, "Yeah, I'm bit worried about it." Then she laughed. No wonder she would like to get third and ... fourth. Todd is all for it as he went on to explain the logics of his age and his children. Thor is awfully cute. He is quite an affection monster -- he's going to charm anyone out of their minds eventually. Like father, like son.
Pics will be posted eventually.
Spring Ridge: I cannot believe what I saw last night when a child talked to Tayla via the videophone, I was curious whether if he went to MSD or not. The brat, probably 9 or 10, from the deaf family ... italian one. He said, "Of course I go to MSD, I live in Spring Ridge!"
I was at loss to know what is the big deal about Spring Ridge, Todd and Tayla (at 8) explained that it is "exclusive neighborhood" where many Deaf families who has these money and expectations.
I turned to see the brat on the tube saying, "YOU DONT KNOW WHAT SPRING RIDGE? MY GOD!"
I shot back, "Well, I'm not from here. I lived in New York and Philadelphia!" The brat challenged me on few things which I dismissed it -- I teased that he should get a custodial job when he finish his time at MSD. "I will go to Gallaudet when I'm done with it!" He boasted. I smiled, "I hope you find a custodian job at Gallaudet."
Good grief -- like Gallaudet needs another punchbag like Dorian Yanke.
Later, I talked with few people -- they said that apparently, some Deaf families flocked to Spring Ridge in Frederick as the means to be part of that "exclusive community" reserved for affluent, well-to-do, narcissistic and reputation-driven. It is OK to be part of the "cream of the crops" but this concept of "exclusive community" will not prepare their brats in dealing with the real world outside -- not everyone else is smart nor rich. I won't be surprised that these neighborhoods will produce a group of nuts like Dorian Yanke.
I have no complain that Frederick has become one of the nation's favorite place for Deaf people to live, mingle and send their Deaf brats to MSD. I heard that there are lots of power struggles among the administration at MSD. If I had a family of my own and that I have deaf children, you can bet that it is off to Frederick I go. Why? Because in Frederick, it is OK to be Deaf, people get used to it. People do not give you hard time when you indicated that you're Deaf. It is somewhat utopia grounds for Deaf people to regain their sanity.
But Spring Ridge? It is absurd to see kids bragging about it. Even worse, I was told that their parents bragged about it as well. Folks, nobody in New York or in Los Angeles cares about Spring Ridge.
R-
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