Field Tests To Increase In Schools – Do We Want Our Kids to Be Test Dummies?

Article first published as Field Tests To Increase In Schools – Do We Want Our Kids to Be Test Dummies? on Blogcritics.

Educators everywhere are all tested out; however, it is worse in some states than others where they are forced to administer field tests. “Field tests” are instruments of mass instruction, usually given after other standardized testing and state testing is completed. The goal is to use students basically as test dummies, but instead of putting them into a car and having them crash into a wall at 50 miles per hour, the kids have to suffer through yet another exam. Parents are told it doesn’t count and not to worry. The students are told the same thing, but the bottom line is valuable instruction time is being turned into a destructive practice – more testing in the name of testing to fine tune future testing. Does anyone feel angry yet?

A recent article in The New York Times focused on this issue, indicating the widespread problem that is growing across the United States. On TV we see people worrying about the so-called zombie apocalypse, but in education we are turning our kids into testing zombies. As an educator I can tell you that nothing – and I mean absolutely nothing – dumbs down the classroom environment more than these standardized tests.

What educators are forced to become now is glorified proctors. We hear people banging the drum for the Common Core State Standards (which are sadly and inextricably linked to these assessments), but in the same breath they have no clue how kids are supposed to reach heights suggested by them, especially in classrooms where teachers are unnerved by having to teach to the test. The tests are like a hydra rearing its ugly heads, and this is mainly because the testing in many states is now being tied to teacher evaluations.

What these states are basically saying (and New York State is at the forefront of this) is that teachers need to learn the new standards, teach in a new and more challenging way while they are learning them, make sure that the students grasp everything about them, and also succeed on the state tests. Oh, and by the way, if the students do poorly, you’re probably a bad teacher.

So at this time of year, after students have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous assessments, now some of them will be selected to sit through field tests. Having been through this process, I can tell you that there is nothing a principal or a teacher can do about it. Your school and grades to be assessed are selected from on high and you get the directive to administer the test. After a long haul of state exams in math, English, and science, this is asking a great deal from those selected schools.

Now should be the time not for field tests but more for field trips. In beautiful spring weather, many learning experiences await students at conservatories, farms, parks, and museums. As a parent as well as an educator, I would rather see our children out in the sunshine learning about something in a vibrant and memorable way than being stuck behind a desk taking an exam that will facilitate the testing companies and the state’s plan for more testing.

This June over a quarter of a million students in over 3,000 schools will be forced to take field tests in English and math. Outraged parents can bang on the principal’s door and ask why, and the principal can only respond that he or she has been directed to do this. Of course, the salient reason is that the alignment of the CCSS is going viral nationwide, and the companies are scrambling to craft a “national exam modeled on the new standards.” Next year more than a million students in 22 states will be subjected to more of this insanity, all in the name of propagation of more and more testing at a school near you.

People everywhere need to stand up to the testing companies and state education departments and demand for an end to this ludicrous waste of school time. It doesn’t take a degree in education to realize that tests do not teach kids anything more than they know; in fact, over-testing like this inhibits true instruction and actually impedes the learning process.

I have always hoped that we would view testing through the less is more lens. I would prefer a more holistic model, one that could involve a wide variety of things to assess knowledge and cognition. I believe students who have to compile artifacts of their own learning into a portfolio over time, who can become the center of learning rather than the object of outcomes, and who can fully and actively participate in their own education will not only become outstanding students but the brilliant leaders of tomorrow.

But now we are caught in the bind of contracts with testing companies and a course that has been set for us. It is as if we are on a ship caught in a flow of water with no oars, sails, or anchors. If there is nothing that can stop the direction we are heading, we are on course for a disaster when we hit the iceberg of inevitability.

Testing is not teaching; it has never been teaching. True educators view testing as a necessary evil in a grade oriented world, but in reality most of us who are in this because we are passionate about our subject matter and love teaching it know that testing only stops the educative process. There are better ways to assess such as portfolios, oral presentations, visual essays, and digital projects. This is the direction education should be heading in because life is heading in this direction. If the goal of the CCSS is to prepare students for the “real” world of work, then taking the over-testing route is by far the most horrendous and eventually detrimental way to go.

Ask your children when they come home from school what they did today. Chances are if they took a test they will grumble, groan, and a short time later forget everything they studied to pass the exam; however, if they had gone on a field trip that day to a farm and learned about irrigation, raising crops, caring for livestock, and bringing goods to market, chances are they will be smiling and happy. There is also an amazing opportunity for retention because they will never forget what they saw on that farm.

Everyday cannot be a field trip, but it also should not be another day to prep for testing. At this time of year especially kids shouldn’t be subjected to field tests in a hot classroom and should have the vibrant experience of meaningful field trips. We are only wasting valuable class time on tests that do not count and mean nothing now or later in our children’s lives.


Parents should rightfully reject these tests and the more extensive testing yet to come. We know our kids are not test dummies, and it is high time that testing companies and education departments across the country know how we feel. We need to fight to get these bloated instruments out of the way in order to get back to the basics of learning, of wonder, and of joy that education can bring into our children’s lives. Teachers do not want to teach to the test. Students shouldn’t have to be subjected to this, and it is up to every parent to make a difference and the time to do that is now.

Photo credits: testing dummy-testing.gobanana.com; test dummies-roadandtrack.com

Drunk Driving Blood-Alcohol Level – Nothing More Than Zero Is Acceptable

Article first published as Drunk Driving Blood-Alcohol Level – Nothing More Than Zero Is Acceptable on Blogcritics.

It is the weekend and workers are ready to let off some steam. All across America people leave work on Friday evening and head to “happy hour” at bars and restaurants. They have some cocktails, maybe then follow that with wine at dinner. Perhaps they have an after dinner drink with their desert. By the time the night is over many dig keys out of their pockets or purses and then head out to the car to go home. If this doesn’t shake you up and scare you there is something wrong with this picture.


On Tuesday the National Transportation Safety Board urged states to adopt a new definition of drunken driving – lowering the blood-alcohol level from 0.08% to 0.05%. This recommendation comes as alcohol-related traffic deaths jumped last year to 10,000. Anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to a drunk driver will tell you that even one death is too many, but obviously something is happening to have the figure jump after six years of declining alcohol-related deaths in traffic accidents.

I would argue that the NTSB’s suggested level is too high. Consider that a woman weighing around 120 pounds could drink a glass or two of wine and drive and still not be considered drunk. A man of significantly more weight (let’s say 200 pounds) could consume three to four glasses of wine and still not meet that level. Unfortunately, impairment begins with the first sip, and alcohol affects everyone differently.

I have had the opportunity to be the “designated” driver, and it is amazing how when one is sipping club soda how the effects of drinking become obvious rather quickly. I can say unequivocally that in these moments I have seen changes in my friends even after a few sips of an intoxicating beverage. There is also the matter of whether or not they are taking medication, eating while drinking, and just their individual level of tolerance. In the end, any amount of alcohol could affect a driver’s ability to react in a situation and cause an accident.

As would be expected, a recommendation of a level of 0.05% has the restaurant and beverage industries crying foul. Sarah Longwell, of the American Beverage Institute, said that the recommendation is ludicrous because the prime drunken drivers are not in “the .08 to .05% range” and that authorities should focus on the “biggest boozers” that are well over the .08% level. Isn’t this just what we need in society – more enablers?

As of now Mothers Against Drunk Driving has not endorsed the NTSB’s new proposal, and all along MADD has emphasized that the government should enhance technology (car ignition breathalyzers for instance) and an increase in sobriety checkpoints all across the country. I have great respect for MADD and believe its members have done great work, but I think they are missing a golden opportunity here. They should not only endorse the lower standard but even go further – I believe the most logical and safest of all blood alcohol levels is 0%. There has to be a realization here that drinking alcohol (in any amount) and driving is unacceptable and absolutely illegal.

Let’s look at some statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services. Alcohol is involved in 37% of all traffic deaths of persons 16 – 20 years of age. Considering the drinking age is 21, that is a mind numbing figure; furthermore, 17% of traffic deaths involving children 0-14 years of age were due to an alcohol impaired driver. These numbers are totally unacceptable and are a salient reason that something more needs to be done as soon as possible.

Zero Tolerance Laws (for those drinking under the age of 21) reduce over 1,000 alcohol-related traffic deaths a year. It doesn’t take a long and expensive study to indicate that expansion of “zero tolerance” for all drivers, not just those under 21, would have a profound effect on the number of alcohol-related deaths. Of course, there will always be those who still grab the keys and think they are super drivers, even while drinking. That is why besides zero tolerance even more steps need to be taken.

A quick glance at Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration should get people thinking differently. Even with a blood-alcohol level of .02% (below the NTSB’s current proposal) impairment is absolutely evident. By the time someone reaches a .05% level, significant impairment is evident. As we go up to the current nationally accepted level of .08%, it is frightening to realize how deeply affected the driver can be.

I think besides lowering the accepted blood alcohol level to absolute zero, we need cooperation from other industries (most notably beverage and automobile) immediately. I believe that every bar, club, and restaurant should have readily available breathalyzers for customers and that it has to be mandatory for each adult to check his or her level upon exiting the establishment. Upon entering the adults should be required to deposit car keys in a secure location. If the adult is found to be impaired, the keys will not be returned and the management should be required to provide a complimentary car service to bring the adult home.

I also propose that every car available for purchase in the United States be equipped with factory installed ignition systems that require an alcohol breath test each and every time a key is put into the ignition. There should be no exceptions, no wriggle room of any kind. Everyone, absolutely everyone, from the President of the United States to the bus driver in NYC to the soccer mom in Connecticut must engage a system to the detect blood-alcohol level before a vehicle can be started.

I know that this will cost money and time and will be an inconvenience, but these would be extremely effective ways to stop drunk drivers in their tracks. Of course, bar, club, and restaurant owners and automobile companies will want to know who pays for all this, and the answer is that we all do. Each time a young driver's car is wrapped around a utility pole, his or her family has to plan a funeral, and we drag the drunk driver into court, we pay. We pay for the children lost when their parents get behind the wheel drunk; we pay in so many tangible and intangible ways that preventative measures should seem inconsequential in the big picture.

We worry about all sorts of things that kill people. We raise money to stop cancer and other diseases, to feed the hungry, to help the homeless, and to bring medical help to the poor. We advocate laws for soda cup sizes, cigarette smoking, wearing seatbelts, and gun ownership. All of these things are ways to protect life and our citizenry, but then why are so many people reticent about regulating the ultimate lethal weapon – the driver of a two to three ton vehicle who is impaired?

I must share a personal anecdote that affects the way I feel about this matter. I recall being at a party with friends as a young man. We were all graduating college and had beautiful futures awaiting us. There was a keg of beer and bottles of whiskey, and a number of people were quite drunk. One of my good friends was so drunk that he could barely stand. As the night was winding down, he took his car keys from his pocket and placed them on the table next to his drink. Another friend and I distracted him with conversation, and I managed to snatch his keys and hide them. When he realized he couldn’t find his keys, he was very upset, but I offered to drive him home and said that he could get his second set of keys and we would come back in the morning.

The next day we learned that three young people from that party never made it home. They were all in a horrific car crash and were decapitated. My friend and I went back to get his car the next morning and we saw the remnants of the crash on the highway. He looked at me and said, “I know what you did; thanks, man.”

All these years later I think about that life altering event. My personal policy is don’t drink and drive – ever. I will not have even a sip of alcohol if I am going to drive. I know that drinking is a personal choice for everyone, but safety has to become always the bigger picture. Those three friends of ours who died are gone for over thirty years now and never had a chance to realize their futures. We can only multiply that by the tens of thousands who have died over that time due to alcohol-impaired drivers. The time to stop this madness cannot be put off until tomorrow; it has to be faced now!

The goal has to be to stop drivers from drinking and driving. We need new zero tolerance laws for all drivers. We need ignition systems on all vehicles, and we must require the essential cooperation of entertainment establishments to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. The only acceptable blood alcohol level for all drivers has to be 0%; the time has come to accept nothing less.

photo credits: breath test-dps.mn.gov ; drinker-hayspot.com ; accident-nydailynews.com

David Beckham Retiring – He Writes His Own Happy Bending

Article first published as David Beckham Retiring – Writes His Own Happy Bending on Blogcritics.

When I heard the news that David Beckham has decided to retire from soccer, it seemed like one of those watershed moments for all sports. We can arguably say that Beckham is the most famous soccer player ever, though when I mentioned this to someone who loves the game, I was immediately told “One word – Pelé.” I am sure others will chime in with their candidate as well, but it seems obvious that no soccer player ever transcended the sport the way Beckham has.


Whether or not someone is a soccer fan, that person probably knows David Beckham. If you mention his name they recognize him for his model good looks or his marriage to Spice Girl Victoria Adams. I heard someone on sports radio this morning saying that he is better known in this country as a “fashion icon” than as a sports figure, and that could be true more because the United States has never opened itself up to soccer (which everyone else in the world calls football).

As someone who has gone to his daughter’s soccer games for years now, I have a rudimentary understanding of the game. I appreciate it when my daughter scores a goal and her team wins, but my connection to the sport ends when her games do. I believe many Americans have a similar point of view.

I am a baseball-(American) football-basketball fan who invests too much of his time watching teams I have loved all my life (Jets, Mets, Knicks) that continue to disappoint me. I used to be a hockey fan but after the last strike I have stayed away from the Islanders (even if they had a decent season) because I vowed never again and stuck to it. Soccer does not enter the equation because I did not grow up with it, did not play the game, and only watched during the Olympics.

Yet Beckham’s retirement troubles me in that it is another end of an era, and one I only knew in a cursory way. I felt the same way about the TV series The Office, which had its series finale the other evening. It was on for nine seasons and I had never watched one episode. The next day everyone was moaning about it all being over, and I only knew of Steve Carrel from his films and that’s about it, but I still felt that end of the era thing – one that I guess I missed just as with Beckham’s career.

Beckham’s accomplishments are the stuff of a legend. Besides having a film made about him Bend it Like Beckham (2002) and being married to a Spice Girl and appearing in all those sleek advertisements, the man could really play the game. Sepp Blatter (FIFA President) said that Beckham was “one of the most iconic figures in global football.” Proof can be found with his winning championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Paris Saint-Germain (his current team). If that doesn’t make him a “global” superstar then I am not sure what would.

Beckham has two games left with PSG and seems to be happy to be going out with a title. He said, “It’s every athlete’s dream, every footballer’s dream to go out on top – on top form or winning a trophy – leaving as a champion.” No one would argue with that, and Beckham also has to be seen as one nice fellow since he has been donating his salary to a children’s hospital. I cannot think of one American athlete in any sport that has done anything like that, and there are many who have amassed so much money that they could for certain.

So, as he retires at a ripe old age of 38, one can only wonder what is next for Beckham. He can be a model with those dashing good looks, or he could go into the movies and be the next Tom Cruise. One can probably safely say “The world is his oyster” and get away with it.


There is one more thing to note about Beckham – he is a family man. Beckham makes it clear that what matters most to him in his life when he says, “I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family. I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realize my dreams.” And he added, "I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period."

This is such a great story that it should be made into a film. What about David Beckham starring as himself? Now that would be a happy bending!

Photo credits: beckham-fanpop.com; beckham family-mirror.co.uk

Angelina Jolie Reveals Double Mastectomy – Will Her Bravery Help Redefine What Is Beautiful?

Article first published as Angelina Jolie Reveals Double Mastectomy – Will Her Bravery Help Redefine What Is Beautiful? on Blogcritics.

In her extremely honest and well written New York Times Op-Ed entry entitled “My Medical Choice,” actress Angelina Jolie explains the reasons why she underwent a double mastectomy. The bravery involved in an A-list actress doing such a thing is obvious, for all of Hollywood is built on an extremely shaky foundation of so-called beautiful people, many of whom only got that way through artificial means. These enhanced individuals set the tone not only for the tinsel world of spotlights and movie premieres, but also influence young people everywhere who want to be like the false gods who become their idols.

Ms. Jolie could have hidden her “choice” from the public, which would have been her right, but she chose to reveal what she experienced. Her choice not only will be an inspiration to many other women but could also help to redefine, or perhaps create a new category of what is a thing of beauty.

Ms. Jolie goes into explicit detail as to how the procedures took place, and she speaks about her reconstructive surgeries as well. In this way she is letting women know that options include ways to feel whole again.


What was her motivation for taking this path? The fact was that after taking a gene test doctors told her that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk for ovarian cancer. Since Ms. Jolie’s mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at 56 from ovarian cancer, Ms. Jolie (37) took a proactive approach because she had a greater risk of getting breast cancer.

She also mentions that her children were the most important factor in her decision making process. Since only her older children had a chance to know her mother and the others will “never experience how loving and gracious she was,” Ms. Jolie began thinking about her own mortality and her role as a mother, and that impelled her to follow the steps she needed to take.

When she writes, “For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options,” she is setting the stage for many others to think differently. Unfortunately, the idea of beauty and what is beautiful obfuscates the thinking of not only Hollywood types but all people. Ms. Jolie knows this better than anyone, and we need only look at her film career and understand that it was established in large part because of her physical appearance; however, she also manifested a reputation as a serious actress in various roles and also became a female action hero. She certainly made her mark, but she also settled down and took her obligation to her family as a serious priority.

Not one to seem to be held down by standards, Ms. Jolie is now setting new ones. She writes, “I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.” Clearly there will be people who have feared even getting a breast exam who may now think differently, and it is obviously Ms. Jolie’s hope that by revealing her ordeal that she will help other women.


In Ms. Jolie’s article she also tells of the strong support that she got from her partner, A-list actor Brad Pitt. If you didn’t like this couple before, you may start to think differently about them now. Clearly theirs is not some superficial Hollywood union; rather, it is obviously one based on love, family, and mutual respect. Ms. Jolie notes that Mr. Pitt was there “for every minute of the surgeries.” Hopefully, this will also put men into the right frame of mind as well when and if they learn that their partner has breast cancer.

Ms. Jolie wants women to face facts about their options, especially hoping that they will “get gene tested” in order to ascertain their risk for developing these cancers. If even a few lives are saved, then Ms. Jolie has done a great service through her selfless act of revelation.

I have always thought Ms. Jolie was a beautiful woman, and I have enjoyed the movies that she has been in, but I have to say that now she is even more beautiful than ever. In my mind this is the kind of thing poet John Keats defined as “beauty is truth, truth beauty.” Keats knew, as we should too, that physical beauty is fleeting; however, true inner beauty resides in a place that is unaffected by time’s cruel hand. Ms. Jolie has written about a truth in her life that in the end is a beautiful thing that she has shared with us.

Ms. Jolie is a brave and truly beautiful woman. Hopefully, her words will reach as many individuals – male and female alike – as possible and help them as they deal with this pernicious disease. Now Ms. Jolie has transcended what it means to be a Hollywood star, rising to new heights in the firmament by telling her story. Let’s hope she will be a guiding light for many years to come for people everywhere.

Photo credits: jolie-getty images; bertrand-imdb.com; pitt-people.com

Tiger Woods Wins Players Championship – Now Destiny Awaits Him

Article first published as Tiger Woods Wins Players Championship – Now Destiny Awaits Him on Blogcritics.

You can arguably say that Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever, but almost no one will dispute he is the best here and now. By winning the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Woods won his fourth event this season and 78th of his career. In doing so he made it resoundingly clear that not only is the old Tiger back but he is ready for more conquests.

Of course, Tiger is not Tiger without some sort of drama, and in this case it involved fellow player Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard accused Woods of trying to mess up his shot by causing a commotion in the crowd as he chose a club. Where I come from in New York City, we street kids used to call for a “Do Over” in cases such as these, but this is the PGA Tour and not some stickball game. Whether you like Woods or not, it seems to be more like sour grapes coming from Garcia, but there will be those who want to believe Woods conspired to throw Garcia off his game.

Later on Woods and Garcia were tied on the 14th hole after Woods’s double bogey, but then Garcia sent two balls to a watery grave and had no one to blame but himself (unless he felt Woods conspired with the wind to blow his shots off course). Woods got more assistance when rookie David Lingmerth missed the birdie on the 18th hole, securing Woods his second Players victory (last one came 12 years ago).

After the victory Woods told reporters that a lot of people thought his career was over and done, but Woods assured the crowd “But I’m not.” That kind of confidence has to be a little unsettling for his opponents now, reminding them that the big cat is back on track and ready to reclaim his kingdom. Consider the following incredible statistics* regarding Woods’s career at this point:

4: Victories in 2013. This is the earliest Woods has ever reached four wins in a season.
7: Victories in his last 21 PGA Tour stroke-play events.
52 of 56: Conversion rate when Woods has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
78: Career PGA Tour victories. Sam Snead, with 82, is No. 1 on the list.
300: PGA Tour starts (including as an amateur). Woods also won in his 100th and 200th PGA Tour starts.
$5,849,600: Official PGA Tour earnings in 2013.
$106,800,300: Official career PGA Tour earnings.
*USA Today

If these numbers don’t impress you, then I guess nothing will. Obviously, Woods has been chasing Snead and, at 37, it is highly likely that he will overcome that record. Only a year ago people were thinking that Woods was finished and that he would never get back his confidence on a course, and even only last week when he got too well lubricated at the Met Gala after-party in New York, many thought that was a sign he was unraveling. After this victory, we can safely say that Tiger has proven them all wrong.

Watching Woods walk around the course, it is clear that the old confidence is back and more. He stares with (please forgive me) the eye of the tiger, surveying the jungle and keenly observing all. It is also pure poetry to see Woods take a swing, just as it was to watch Tom Seaver pitch a baseball, Hank Aaron hit a homer, Julius Erving (Dr J) sink a basket, Muhammad Ali land a punch, and Joe Namath throw a touchdown pass. In sports poetry lies in the beauty of the moment, the majesty of its effect, and the long lasting memory of its greatness. There is no question that what Woods does on the course is the stuff from which legends are made.

Besides Snead’s record, perhaps the even more elusive and important number is 14 – Woods has been locked on that number of victories in the four majors since 2008. More meaningful to Woods is catching Jack Nicklaus, whose record 18 stands as a golden sports record in a way that Babe Ruth’s 714 home runs once did.

To clarify this record's Mount Everest quality, Snead only won the four majors 7 times. Gary Player and Arnold Palmer, both iconic golfers whose names can be said in the same breath as Nicklaus, won the majors 9 and 7 times respectively. Directly below Woods the late great Walter Hagen stands with 11, a number surpassed by Woods so early in his career that Nicklaus’s record appeared to be easily in reach.
After all his problems, it seemed Woods would never get back on track, but now that record is there for the taking again, and Woods is the only one around with a chance to reach it.

Tiger Woods is the superstar of golf, the reason why people follow the tour and watch on television. He is like a golfing Tom Cruise, and you can bank on his attracting interest and his performance always commands your attention, but perhaps more than ever this season. For now it is clear Tiger is playing like he did a decade ago, and that means all things are possible.

Photo credits: tiger trophy – usa today; tiger with club - getty images

First Mother’s Day Without Dad

Article first published as First Mother’s Day Without Dad on Blogcritics.

In the past I have written about the difficulties of living through Mother’s Day without my mother. This is now my seventh Mother’s Day without Mom, and it is no easier than the first. I think about her, wish she were here, and try to celebrate the spirit of the day for my wife and children's sake; however, there is a noticeable heft in my heart.

When I went to the grave to place flowers there, for the first time I was also placing flowers on my father's grave. As to get the fact into my mind, I traced his newly engraved name on the tombstone with my fingers, and I realized, perhaps for the first time, that he really was gone now.

In the past years since Mom passed away, I always had Dad as a support on this day. After all, we were suffering the loss and got through the day together. That gave me an emotional crutch to lean on, and we would share our stories and it felt as if Mom were there with us. Now with Dad gone, those stories are exclusively mine now.

My sister’s stories are hers and they were shared with them too, but there are those things you share by yourself with your parents, and those get filed in the memory banks as moments no one else is familiar with. Therefore, things that I could have just mentioned to Dad that we three experienced would make him laugh, perhaps something Mom did or said in our presence. Now only I know these things, remember them, and I realize they are lost when I pass on.

I know I am not alone in this; everyone eventually loses his or her parents. Of course, this is a natural progression of things. Now I go on, share what I can with my children, and realize some things do not need to be transmitted. Now if I see something that I could only reference to my parents, I speak to their ethereal presence, and I know that they hear me. More than ever since my father passed on I feel an aura, some spiritual companionship that is fleeting but I know is there.

So on this Mother’s Day I will try to get through the day knowing Mom and dad are together but also with me. They are watching me with my children and wife, and this helps me appreciate what is happening now. One day I will join them when I pass on, and there will be so much catching up to do for me because I believe they will already know everything that happened here.

If you do have your mother in your life, I wish you and her well. I hope you can be together, but if not there are ways you can connect from far away. Do not let the day slip away because one day you will wish Mom was here and you’ll only be able to bring her flowers in the cemetery. Believe me when I say at that time you will feel empty and lost and just wish you could have her back to kiss on the cheek.

Now I must get through my first Mother’s Day without Dad. It’s harder than I thought, but I will get through the day thanks to my own kids. Yes, I know Father’s Day is the next hurdle, but I’ll face that when the time comes. I’m told it gets easier with time but that hasn’t happened for me yet, and I have my suspicions that it never will.

One World Trade Center – Now Stands a Symbolic 1776 Feet

Article first published as One World Trade Center – Now Stands a Symbolic 1776 Feet on Blogcritics

The final piece of the comeback of 1 World Trade Center was hoisted into place: a 408-foot antenna that now sits atop of the building, making it 1776 feet and the tallest building in the western hemisphere. 1776 connects with the year Americans declared their independence from England, and workers flew an American flag from the railing as the spire went up into the bright blue sky. It is a symbolic message to the world that not only this building but all of New York City stands tall and strong.

The World Trade Center has been called many things, including Ground Zero because it is here that the worst terrorist attack on American soil occurred. Many have called it a sacred place, and if you go there now and stand near the footprints of the old towers, where water cascades and mist flies, it is hard to not feel the spirituality of the place, to sense that those 2,753 souls lost on 9/11 are never far from there. It is a burial ground, a place where blood and bone mixed with concrete, steel, and earth. It is impossible to separate what happened here and what was lost; they are sacrosanct acres that should be seen as a place of remembrance and reverence.

I lost a family member and friends on 9/11, and in the days after the attacks every time I looked at the skyline the emptiness in that space where the Twin Towers once soared pierced me right into the heart. Not only were loved ones murdered but the physical damage compounded their loss, and as the city stood resiliently against the despicable evil that brought those buildings down, plans almost immediately went into the works to rebuild.

Over the years I heard people rant about this and that. Some called for the towers to be rebuilt just as they had been in their footprints, but the idea of making those voids sacred spaces made more sense. The concept of the Freedom Tower (now One World Trade Center) came into being, and the building would go up floor by floor and eventually defiantly stand out in the skyline, a message to those who would destroy us that we will never be defeated. New York is bigger than all its skyscrapers because its essence is not brick and mortar but flesh and blood.

As the original towers were being built I watched from my roof in Queens, and as they rose against the
skyline I felt like they were New York. Years later when I visited other countries and my friends would get postcards from people visiting America, invariably they would get one with a picture of the Twin Towers on it. They were a symbol of America’s greatness, and it doesn’t take much to understand why the terrorists hit them. They wanted us to break as the buildings did, but they miscalculated our resilience and determination.

So as I stand back and look at my city’s skyline now, I see the gaping space being filled. Now One World Trade Center soars up into the sky like a beacon of hope and strength. Other buildings are going up there too filling in the emptiness, like Two World Trade Center that will be a modest but still impressive 88 stories tall. As things go up we can’t help but remember the day everything came down so dramatically, and we inherently understand that this had to happen in order to get back to where we need to be.

There is also the controversy about the 9/11 museum that is opening next year (it will charge $20 admission fee), and the whole bloated $700 million mess that it became. This is not what families and friends of the victims wanted or deserved, but it was forced upon them. Whatever happens with the museum notwithstanding, millions of visitors from around the world will once again walk around Manhattan and tip their heads upward to see the magnificent new buildings going into place. They will stand close to the footprints and feel the surge of emotion this place causes, and this and the view of the skyline will not cost anything. That is how it should be.

The building is worth more than anything else because it was erected with those lost in mind. It is a monument, as soaring as any one in the world, and it stands tall and powerfully as a message to everyone. Those who would do us harm should take note that this proves they failed. They may have thought they won something but because New York stands taller than ever they lost big time. They just made us stronger, more determined, and showed the world what New York is all about.

One World Trade Center now touches the sky and our hearts. Yes, the pain never goes away, but it can be eased by knowing that what we are back big time. New York is not just the city that never sleeps but one that never gives up. That building is our symbol now and honors those lost in that sacred space and that is forevermore.

Image credits: 1 World Trade Center-ny daily news; workers – getty images