Witty Quotations by Others, and a few by me!

"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future." Cloud Atlas

Quote of the day: "Your TALENT tells me what you can do. Your ARTISTRY tells me who you are." -Keith Urban on American Idol

"Robert cherishes those who give him even the most fleeting moments of happiness and loves them for it; he expects nothing more." -Robert Robinson

Ok, if you are Sandra Bullock in "While You Were Sleeping", alone on Christmas, wanting your dream man to take you on your Honeymoon, I'm the sweet, kind blonde man patiently standing by, making rocking chairs in the distance. Open your friggin' eyes, Sandra!  --Robert Robinson 12.26.14

Season 7, Episode 5

Quote of the Century:From "True Blood" LaFayette to Jessica:

LaFayette: And if you keep it 100 and honest, you know he is not the man for you...

Jessica: ...Because he is the man for you?

LaFayette: If he is, what is so f-ing unimaginable about that...Red! Huh? Everyone else in this f-ing town is falling in love, getting engaged and having babies. Has it ever occurred to you that Lafayette, that Queen, that make ALL you white heterosexuals laugh and feel good about yourselves, has it f-ing ever occurred to you that maybe I want a piece of happiness too? No....

http://rachelheldevans.com/blog/literalist-gluttony

"I assure you my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair." -Annelle in "Steel Magnolias"

Reference for Diversity Training and Trainers: Research on Intersex births (copyrighted). 

Quote of the Day, From Karen to Grace on "Will and Grace:" "Lord, you are just as simple as that blouse you are wearing!"

The sky is not red. It is blue. And sometimes God sends us a rainbow to remind us that Hope exists for a brighter day!

When I read the book, the biography famous,And is this then (said I) what the author calls a man's life?And so will some one when I am dead and gone write my life?(As if any man really knew aught of my life,Why even I myself I often think know little or nothing of my real life,Only a few hints, a few diffused faint clews and indirectionsI seek for my own use to trace out here.)"  When I Read the Book-Walt Whitman

‎"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown outyour own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." - Steve Jobs

Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.  --RR

"I ain't nobody's side order!"

Some people have asked me why I would go back and teach Walker HS Band's Color Guard when I had "been there, done that" 35 years ago...here's my answer and I sincerely mean it: A person should give back to the community that helped him/her succeed. I was a country boy from Cordova, a coal mining town with a population of 3000.

BARACK KNOWS THE AMERICAN DREAM BECAUSE HE’S LIVED IT. AND HE WANTS EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY TO HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY, NO MATTER WHO WE ARE, OR WHERE WE’RE FROM, OR WHAT WE LOOK LIKE, OR WHO WE LOVE. AND HE BELIEVES THAT WHEN YOU’VE WORKED HARD, AND DONE WELL, AND WALKED THROUGH THAT DOORWAY OF OPPORTUNITY, YOU DO NOT SLAM IT SHUT BEHIND YOU. YOU REACH BACK, AND YOU GIVE OTHER FOLKS THE SAME CHANCES THAT HELPED YOU SUCCEED."--Michelle Obama

"I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree," and "I think that I shall never smell so much pollen that sends my nose to HELL!" -Joyce Kilmer and Robert Robinson!

"We can pepper spray and arrest the Occupy people for wanting real change, but we let the Westboro Baptist Church people get away with vile and disgusting behavior {such as protesting at military soldiers' funerals}" A profound perspective.

"If you didn't hear it with your own ears, or see it with your own eyes, don't invent it with your own small mind, and share it with your big mouth!"

On becoming a WGI HSA National Finalist for the First time in 1993.

As historical commentary, I  founded a group from Lassiter High School in 1983 and 1984 called "Design." Design in its first year, placed as a class A finalist at the Pensacola WGI Regional. And in its two-years' existence, brought home 27 first-place trophies  only 3 second place trophies,  2 Sweepstakes awards,and one silver medal in 1983, and the SCGC gold in 1984. (Yes, I am bragging, mostly on the girls achievement in such a short period of time.) In its second year, Design hosted the first WGI Regional in Georgia at Lassiter HS in 1984. Participants included Pride of Cincinnati and Choctawhatchee, each winning their respective classes. Design earned the silver spot in A class, and after this qualification for WGI Nationals in 1984, two weeks prior to our departure to Dayton, Lassiter's principal, Doug Allen, contrived to pull us out of the competition under Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA) rules, and succeeded--deposits were lost, buses and hotel reservations were cancelled. This painful experience had left Lassiter girls emotionally wounded, so the parents of Lassiter Band took a strong stand to convince  GHSA to amend their rules to allow for winter guard to be included in the state of Georgia and to compete in WGI events in future years, but not soon enough for Design to make its debut at WGI Nationals.  It was a silly administrative decision, because now every school in Cobb County, Georgia has a winter guard, and many have become finalists and even champions, thanks to the Lassiter parents opening the door to this opportunity to compete at WGI.

I left Lassiter to organize a new group, Walton HS winter guard. It was first called "Fashion" because still, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) would not allow us to officially compete using the school name; thus we were "Fashion of Walton HS". The first year, Walton was promoted to class A, having started in Novice class, and scored highest among the promoted groups.  These founding members paved the way for growth, excellence, and the building of traditions. In it's second year, Walton competed and placed as finalist at the Dayton, Ohio, and Pensacola Regionals. In 1991, Walton placed 11th in WGI prelims at  Springboro HS, but at the time, only the top 10 were accepted into finals. Walton earned the silver medal at the South Florida Regional in its 4th  year, in 1992. Only 4 girls remained to compete in 1993.

Walton made finals for the first time in its 5th year, in 1993. Comprised of fifteen rookies, and only 4 vets to color guard, Walton earned the 10th place spot in finals.  To walk in the tunnel as a finalist and as a rookie guard was incredible.  The young girls did not even know what they had achieved--until they saw Escapade perform in World Class, and saw their A Class competitors.Then, they were inspired and knew that that had accomplished something great for a rookie guard. These young ladies earned their place but also reaped the reward that the Lassiter girls and parents sacrificed in their winter guard program nine years before.  Of course, my personal pain and sense of loss with the Lassiter experience (caused by cruel administrators and dirty politics, in my opinion) was redeemed when walking in that tunnel for the first time.  Lassiter's hope and "Design" was filled by "Fashion" carrying on the stylistic traditions established at Lassiter.  I told the girls..."Now, you are among the best in the nation. You don't have to win, as far as I am concerned, because if you are among the best, you are honored to be in great company."

That since has become my personal motto in my personal life, in my professional life, and in winter guard. Winter guard gives us the strength to endure, to seize the moment, and to honor the  past in order to build a better future for participants yet to compete at WGI.

Each girl brought her own jewel tone to the guard and each girl sparkled in her own special way. The collective radiance of Design was breathtaking! 

 Lassiter HS Design 1984

Walton HS Fashion 1993, WGI SA Finalist 1993

Walton HS "Fashion" in the Tunnel 1994