Leaving a Legacy...

[Techno-Vicki]

I dedicate this threat to Allen, whom I hope will share his “Green dream.”
This thread is started in the hopes that it always continues. I pose this question to each of you who reads this: “What legacy do you plan to leave your children and their children? How will you make this world a better place when you are are gone and your children are left?”
I ask that you take some time to think about this question, especially if you are young (you have a lot of time to think about it…a lot of time). For those of us who are, well older, we need to get moving.
I will start this thread, but I must tell you in advance, I have had this dream for 12 years and will live it the rest of my life. I work with middle school children. They are tough, but…they are our future. How we reach those children will determine society. I have gone back to school at 50 to research how best to make a difference in their lives to make a difference in everyone’s life. Like I said, I will finish my life with this legacy in mind.
Allen, you shared with me your “green dream,” please share with others your passion. It is a worthy cause.
As this thread evolves, please share how you have decided to leave a “legacy” for those you will leave behind. All endeavors to make a difference matter; do not feel any means of caring and helping is to insignificant; it is not. Please share so we may all learn to be a better person and live a better life. May this thread always go on………………

 

[Jeremy0322]

I dont really know if this counts but I decided a while ago I was going to try to make a difference where not many people have tried, and am moving about 10 hours away from home to study Marine Biology in the hopes that I can make some difference and save whats most valuable to all of us before its gone for good. The oceans are not like a tree that we can just cut down and then replant, if it disappears think of everything that we have lost forever, not to mention what we dont even know about yet that will be gone forever.

 

[mps9506]

I will start this thread, but I must tell you in advance, I have had this dream for 12 years and will live it the rest of my life. I work with middle school children. They are tough, but…they are our future. How we reach those children will determine society. I have gone back to school at 50 to research how best to make a difference in their lives to make a difference in everyone’s life. Like I said, I will finish my life with this legacy in mind.

I quit a very lucrative position to go back to school and build on my BS in Biology. I am now studying environmental policy and resource management.
Like you Vicki I have decided I need to make a more significant impact while I'm here on this earth. I've decided I will do it via working for non profit groups involved in habitat conservation an lobbying the government to protect our wilderness areas for their intrinsic values, not for their economic values.

 

[BigAl07]

Wow! Vickie I'm in AWE here. Your decision to "start over" in a sense really sets a great example. I can only imagine all of the work and sacrifice it's taken and IS taking to get this next step complete. It's one heck of a STRONG legacy and one to be very proud of.


My small "plight" here is a far cry from "worthy" of mention let alone getting any focus. I'll start with a small background on "where Allen came from . . ." and go from there . . . .
***Disclaimer*** This is all "new and cool" to me in MY area because it takes a while for the GOOD stuff to filter across from California and other large states to North Carolina and especially way up HERE in the Mountains of North Carolina.

I work in a "Building Supply" company in the mountains of Western North Carolina USA (Center of the Universe and God's Country for those who haven't been here yet). Anyway several years back our VP decided he wanted our company to learn more about this "Green Thing" that people were starting to talk about. So "Allen" was his decision as to WHO would research and learn about it. So off Allen goes taking every class, seminar, certification or webinar that has the word/phrase "Green" in it. This was all in relation to the "Building/Construction" aspect of being Green.

As I started learning more and more about "Green" I started thinking, "Wow if we don't REALLY get busy and make some major changes TODAY there isn't going to BE a tomorrow for future generations to enjoy!" So I dug in deeper and started doing "Green" not just at work but I started "Doing Green" at home and anywhere else I could. I wasn't just "talking" GREEN I started "Walking" GREEN!

Through all of this somehow word got out that our company was a leader and a pioneer (in our area anyway) in this new movement and we started getting "Green" calls from all over. Well next thing I know I'm on a City "Green Initiative" committee. Now you need to understand I'm a simple half way "Edumacated" country boy who is now rubbing elbows and giving technical advice to VERY educated and elected City officials. How COOL is that? Then a few months back I got a call and I'm been placed to co-lead a County "Green Team". Talk about mind boggling. I was in shock with CITY now I'm working with County officials. Whew! Good thing I can make stuff up quick LOL!

Anyway once again I was notified that because of some local recognition in "Green" that my input was needed on a new "State" board. I'm working on a small pilot program that once it's complete it will be rolled out to the rest of the state (if it's successful). Anyway back on track. On some of these "Green" committees we're working to set some guidelines for how a business can actually "Be GREEN" in their daily operations. We're pooling our talents together and setting up some "Green Business" guidelines for them to follow. Well as it goes about anytime you have guidelines you need someone to "Police" these and enforce them. I was approached by two friends with a new idea. They said they had a "Business Plan" but they don't have the knowledge to complete the technical aspect of it so I came on board to start up this new "Watch Dog" company. This company is created solely to go back and "Certify" if a business is indeed operating in a Green Manner and if so they are awarded with Logos, Certificates, media attention and Chamber acknowledgment. Our first "Client" is a HUGE Casino that could be a VERY good client to have as your "Base".

The way I see it is if we don't do more than just TALK Green there wont be anything to TALK about in the not so distant future. If we don't really start to DO GREEN in our personal and business world the damage we do may never be corrected and most of it wont be corrected (regardless of what we do today) in our life-times. We as humans have this "knack" of messing up anything we touch. Do you part and let's take care of our Planet. It's the only one we have and we can't make it without her


On a side note (still Allen's legacy). I got one HECK of a GREAT PM this week. Some of you may or may not have seen
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/off-topic/28069-ot-allens-testimonial.html#post398235

That's a thread talking about where Julie and I started our financial "Ruins" and how we slowly and deliberately are digging ourselves out. Well someone PM's me to let me know that they were in a similar boat a few years back but their boat had a MUCH bigger hole than ours. Through some major health issues they were "Down" over $600K. This family "got on the plan" and through LOTS of hard work and "Life Changes" they are down to the end of having this MOUNTAIN of debt behind them. That's leaving a POSITIVE Legacy for future generations. If I can help one person get "ahead of the game" and get rid of debt that's all I can really ask for. PLEASE take the time to read that thread and if I can help anyone let me know. There is nothing like sitting at diner with your loved one(s) and NOT having to even think/worry about money or bills.

Time for me to give some room for some of you who have decided to make a change in the future.

Thanks for listening

Allen

 

[Techno-Vicki]

Jeremy, you wrote, “The oceans are not like a tree that we can just cut down and then replant, if it disappears think of everything that we have lost forever, not to mention what we don’t even know about yet that will be gone forever.” You are right and thank you for deciding to help our planet as a lifetime goal.

Mps9506, outstandand! I quit a very lucrative position to go back to school and build on my BS in Biology… I need to make a more significant impact while I'm here on this earth. ..I've decided I will do it via working for non-profit groups involved in habitat conservation and lobbying the government to protect our wilderness areas for their intrinsic values, not for their economic values.”

What can I say Allen, you go guy, you go!!!! And now, I will also get a bit long winded here because I know these words will spark something for someone.

Middle school kids, let me share.

First, I am not starting over, I am going deeper…

I have been in education for 20 years working with middle school children and now their teachers. I was in the fortunate position to work in a one school district that gave me complete autonomy to create and develop my own curriculum. After having taught 6th grade for 8 years, I was moved to 8th grade, and I was very nervous about it. 8th graders are as tough as they come, and here is why: they are desperately trying to figure out who they are in relation to everyone around them. They are pulling away from parents and teachers and aren’t quite ready to. This is a time when they need caring adults more than ever, or they will end up lost forever.

A friend of mine was also moving to 8th grade, and we decided we need to find a way to motivate these kids to learn. Motivate – that is the key. We spent the next 3 years writing a curriculum to motivate them. The state had just come out with “standards” in language arts. We chose to write this curriculum around finding a career. Learning to write, the first trimester the students explore their personality and development of character. The next trimester, they explore career pathways and analyze them using writing. Finally, the last trimester, they explore colleges, figure out high school courses and do a finally presentation of their plan to their parents. I have worked in high poverty areas, and this curriculum has helped many children develop both self-esteem (a feeling of self worth) and self-efficacy (a belief in one’s ability to accomplish goals). I did this for 9 years, and have watched many children find themselves and accomplish their goals. Now, I am taking it beyond my own classroom.
I have gone into a doctoral program in order to help other teachers use this curriculum. I am rewriting it to be web based. Researching this past year, I found that I was right on with what I was doing and the age I was doing it with. Long term research shows that by 8th grade most students will develop their career direction. Sadly, if they are not academically successful at that age, they usually do not pursue college and options that colleges offer. With this curriculum, students become motivated to develop their academic skills in order to achieve the goals they set. It is a very powerful motivator. Children who might otherwise drop out of school have gone on. Research shows that by late adolescence (late teens), children will choose life work pathways according to the experiences (development of interests) they have been exposed to. By 20, most do not pursue new experiences that help develop and expand their future opportunities, and if they are not given these opportunities by their parents, they do not know to pursue them on their own. This research only proved that what my friend and I put together will make a powerful impact on society if it can be spread. It can help middle school children take control of their lives and believe in their abilities. It can help close the achievement gap and economic gap the U.S. faces.

My plan is to get a scholarly proposal together by the end of next year and ask for a grant from the Gates foundation. Bill and Melissa Gates do exceptional work philanthropically in education in terms of research and grants. Because my curriculum is technology based, I figure they will help fund the project when the time comes…I hope.

Again, I challenge each of you to find your passion in life and use it to make a difference. You will become the pebble in the pond….sending ripples that continue on. Start today. You will like the person you become and the life you will have.
Vicki

 

[ReefLady]

Wow Vicki, I have to say I am incredibly impressed. Take it from the mother of a 9th grader and a 5th grader - I wish there were so many more teachers like you. The world would be an infinitely better place.

I'm not sure if this is really a legacy - my goals probably aren't as noble as some of yours, but here is what jumped into my mind. There are a few basic things I want to teach my children. They sound very simple, but I think if all children were taught these things (by example), the world would be a better place.

(1) Tolerance. So much ugliness in the world is due to simple intolerance. We have to teach our children to tolerate (and embrace and value) all kinds of differences - social, economical, even differences of opinion.

(2) Live Simply. I'm not talking about no electricity, or only wearing clothes you make. I'm talking about living well within your means. I want my children to find work that will make them happy, where the # of digits on the paycheck is not the be all and end all.

(3) Kindness - to all things. Not just people. Animals, the environment, etc. Silly stuff. We don't litter. When we camp or hike, we try to have minimal impact. We don't break tree branches. When we dive, we don't touch. At the beach, nothing live is touched or taken. Hold the doors open for someone. Rescue a dog that was a stray. Pick up the trash that someone else left behind.

Most of all, I just want to be a good parent. I talk to my kids every day - we enjoy each-other's company. Yes, that includes my 15 yo. I go to every band concert, every baseball game, every practice. And I stay, and watch, and enjoy it. I play video games with my kids...they cook with me. They also have my respect and their privacy - I realize that they are not going to share everything with me, and that's okay. But they also understand that I always want to know where they are, who they are with, what they are doing. They whine when I "nag" them about homework, eating right, getting sleep, etc. But I recently had a very interesting conversation with my older son - so many of his friends have parents who are rarely around - they are basically left home alone a LOT. A lot are cooking their own dinner, getting themselves up in the morning, playing video games or texting with no curfew...because nobody is there. My son admitted that he doesn't really mean it when he complains, and he appreciates the home life he has.

I guess that is really the legacy I want to leave. To teach my kids to be good parents -- so they have happy children. It seems so simple, but it isn't always.

 

[BigAl07]

I really have enjoyed this thred!

Thanks for starting this Vicki and thanks to each of you for contributing

I like the "Pebble in the pond sending ripples that continue on" saying! I'm more of the guy making "bubbles in the pond though"

 

[mps9506]

. Researching this past year, I found that I was right on with what I was doing and the age I was doing it with. Long term research shows that by 8th grade most students will develop their career direction. Sadly, if they are not academically successful at that age, they usually do not pursue college and options that colleges offer. With this curriculum, students become motivated to develop their academic skills in order to achieve the goals they set. It is a very powerful motivator. Children who might otherwise drop out of school have gone on. Research shows that by late adolescence (late teens), children will choose life work pathways according to the experiences (development of interests) they have been exposed to. By 20, most do not pursue new experiences that help develop and expand their future opportunities, and if they are not given these opportunities by their parents, they do not know to pursue them on their own. This research only proved that what my friend and I put together will make a powerful impact on society if it can be spread. It can help middle school children take control of their lives and believe in their abilities. It can help close the achievement gap and economic gap the U.S. faces.

Vicki,
I'm in awe. I don't know very much about education. I will tell you that my personal 8th grade teacher is responsible for much of my success as an adult. He made such an impact on my life growing up in those 9 month I directly attribute all my past/current and future success to him.
He taught me one simple thing that I had never been taught, or never bothered to pay attention to before that. He showed us how to learn.
Simple concept, but, I had no idea how to learn.
I don't remember the specific English, vocabulary and writing lessons from that class, but I still have those skills he gave us in that class where it came how to take notes, listen to your teachers, to not give up when you don't understand something at first. If I did not have him as a teacher I probably would have crashed and burned in high school.
I worry that if I ever have kids they won't have a teacher like him. I see the school systems here and the kids that finish school with no vocational skills, no desire to go to college and it makes me sad.

 

[mps9506]

I'm more of the guy making "bubbles in the pond though"

:laughroll

 

[Techno-Vicki]

Reef Lady, that is as noble as it gets! Thank you so much for sharing. It is vitally important to teach our children those three key values: tolerance, live simply, and kindness. If those three stones are thrown into the pond over and over again, the ripples can make a significant difference in our world.

mps9506 your comment, “He taught me one simple thing that I had never been taught, or never bothered to pay attention to before that. He showed us how to learn,” is very powerful. That is the goal of good teaching, and that is where it can really take shape, in 8th grade. You are very fortunate to have had an excellent teacher at that age. It is a pivotal year.
Allen, you make me laugh, cry, and think. Thank you.

 

[sambrinar]

When I started nursing, I knew I wanted to do more for people. I went back to school and became a nurse practitioner, best thing I ever did. I don't have kids so my legacy will have to be vicariously through others.

The first time I found an unexpected cancer lurking in someones body, referred them to the proper professional and they were treated and continued to live a healthy full life, I was in awe.. I though, "WOW, I actually may have saved their life" It was incredible.. then it was.."holy cow, what if I would have missed that!!"

I have saved many lives in the hospital, but having a person come to you, with a mild complaint and finding something major is absolutely mind altering, really puts life in perspective.

I love to teach and I am one of the only NP's in this area, I have had many of my friends now want to step into my shoes, it is quite an honor