Want to Create Life-Long Memories? Engage Students!

MPS Summer FastTrac Progam #2 I participated in the Minneapolis Public School System’s summer program called the Fast Track Program.  This is a summer school designed to assist eight graders, providing transitional skills as they prepare to enter high school in the fall. After the students read Manhood From the Hood and completed the workbook, I was invited to meet and engage the students.

I cherish the moments when I can engage students, listening to their questions and feedback after they have read Manhood From the Hood.

“Mr. Roddy, how did you feel when you were growing up and didn’t have the confidence in yourself as a basketball player? Why did you decide to reach out and meet your biological father?  How did you feel while you were thinking of trying to contact him? Who helped you to find him? What was he like when you finally got a chance to meet him? What type of person was he?”

As I engage their insightful questions, they help me reflect on my own middle school years. I remembered my own nervousness and tension transitioning to high school. We shared similar feelings about our transition. Looking into their faces I saw myself!

Mr. Roddy, “How did you deal with going from middle school to high school? What did you like about high school? What were some of your challenges? How did you deal with them? If you had a choice would you go to the same high school?”

These engagements with the students left me with hope for our youth. These middle school youth were insightful, intelligent, encompassed all ethnic groups and were compassionate regarding my personal challenges (and their own) transitioning from middle school to high school.

Wouldn’t you agree that one way to create positive, life affirming memories is to allow students to ask questions and encourage them to share their thoughts?

 

My dog ‘Nick’ and Life Experience

Nick Resting

Nick knows the importance of resting

Can humans learn from our pets?

I’ve started a new time management system that has helped me tremendously. More productivity, efficiency, and most important, learning to rest.

 As entrepreneurs we have a tendency of exhausting ourselves without knowing it.

Learning to manage my time helps me with stayed connected with my spouse.  I call it being ’emotionally present.’

When I spend time with my dog Nick I notice he always knows when its time to play, walk with dad, and eat.  When it comes to resting, nothing interferes with his valuable resting time in his lazy boy chair next to me in the evenings.

Time management has heightened my awareness of the simple things in life!

What simple things do observe in your pets that teach you some life values?

Wouldn’t you agree that “Nick Knows” that the basics matter most in life? 

 

Aren’t Real Men Capable of Expressing their Thoughts?

My spouse, Gail Roddy, performed a one person performance a few weeks ago. It was called Calling All Women to the Well.  A dinner theatre performance based on empowering women to understand their innate wisdom.

The most remarkable observations were the astute concentration of the men in the audience.A loving Couple

 

“Bill, thanks for inviting my spouse and I attend Gail’s first performance.  This was one of the best performance we have ever seen.  I learned so much from her performance. I now know more supportive ways to support my spouse.  I had no idea of importance of these aspects of women’s lives.  I have been enlighten on many ways of how I can support my spouse. When is Gail going to be performing another play?”  ~ a husband attendee

Listening to loving husband sharing their thoughts after Gail’s performance was truly inspirational. They got the message!

A loving Couple 2

Wouldn’t we as men love to grow by developing a deeper understanding of ways to support our spouses?

A powerful manhood moment!

BillRoddy_ManhoodFTHood_FBArt_61913_44One of the most powerful statements made to me was from my biological dad. I had never met him only heard statements made from other family members over the years as a young man.

As I entered my later teens my desire to meet, hopefully establish a relationship, the other person who was responsibility for me being in the world became an obsessive curiosity.

I had to meet him to satisfy my curiosity.

One of my most powerful moments was meeting and hearing my biological father say these words to me:

 

“I am glad to hear from you.”

If you are mentoring youth do you share some of your most powerful emotional experiences with your mentee?  If not, why?

 

I know as an adult male, hearing those words from my biological father set in motion a healing, forgiveness and an acceptance process for me.

 

Meeting him helped me move on in life!

 

What memorable moments in your early childhood do your remember?