It is midweek and the ball just keeps on rollin.

My latest toy is a Blackberry Pearl. I just got it yesterday and am trying to figure out all the functions, but it sure is sleek. I think I’m going to enjoy it.

Like most of the rest of the country I watched the elections last week with great interest. Congratulations to President-elect Barrack Obama who ran one of the best races I have ever seen in all my years of watching politics and elections. He is a supremely gifted leader and I hope he is successful. Our country is in some dire times and we need strong leadership out of the White House.

When you look past the politics end of it and consider what this election means culturally and historically, it is a tremendous step forward. In my own lifetime I remember some aspects of segregation and vividly remember when schools in my own town were desegregated. To go from that to electing a black president says much about how far we have come as a people during that time. We still have a long way to go, but this makes a large statement.

We had a couple of minor fights at school after the election. I told two boys, “guys, the election is OVER. In a democracy we argue, debate, and vote. Then someone wins. Then it is over until next time. There is nothing to fight about. Someone wins and someone else loses. Get over it!” I will say that high school kids were more engaged and interested in this election than any I have every seen.

Now they need to stay engaged beyond an emotional election and participate in their community. Citizenship is not just about voting or supporting candidates in an election.

Some kids made their own Obama t-shirts and wore them to school the day after the election. Another girl wore her McCain button the next day, telling me, “I just want to stand up for what I believe in. I know we lost and I’m ok with that. I won’t wear it again after today.” Good for all of them.

I am in the midst of some major writing for my qualitative research class. Qualitative research is all about the writing and we are doing LOTS of it. Only two more “classes” before we are done and start to focus on writing a dissertation. Yowza!

So how is YOUR week going?

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