The Challenge

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Do you remember “Chase”? You know, that kid who dressed up in a shirt and tie for the days I had gone home for a family emergency back in October? Well, he made me a little challenge today…

About 9 weeks ago I got a student teacher, Miss Grubbs. As the weeks she spent in my classroom progressed, she began to take over the teaching almost entirely. There were days that I taught for only a few minutes—aside from a few of my reading groups in the afternoons. Well, as my teaching time went down, I sort of got out of the habit of dressing up when I went to school.

Chase noticed.

A few days ago Chase said, “Mr. Z, you used to dress up all the time at school, and now you don’t do it anymore…why not?”

Well, I’d thought about this myself. A part of me was wondering if any of the students would notice…more importantly, if any of them would say anything about the change. After all, how often does someone change something about themselves and we don’t seem to notice or mention it to them? Also, I had to admit, it was much more comfortable wearing jeans and a nice shirt instead of being crammed into a shirt and tie for eight plus hours.

Why had I been dressing that way so long?

Today my class went to listen to a symphony perform. The students, as well as teachers, were required to dress up for the occasion. I have to admit that my class was looking quite dapper in their “best” clothing today. After we’d returned from the symphony we finished the school day but Chase lingered. He walked up to me and said, “Mr. Z, I’m going to dress up every day from now on if you will.”

I looked at this boy. Why was he asking me to do this? There is no dress code at my school other than it has to be modest and reasonably nice. “What do you mean?” I asked, wondering how he’d explain his proposal.

“I will wear a shirt and tie every day for the rest of the school year if you’ll do it too.”

“Really?” I asked. “Are you sure about this, Chase?”

He nodded and extended his hand. “I’m sure.”

I shook his hand to seal the deal. Before he left for home he added, “But Fridays will be dress-down days for both of us, okay?”

“Sure, Chase. Fridays off,” I agreed.

Tomorrow is day one.

Photo update

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Well, just an update from the photo world. I have realized that there is a LOT of work that goes into trying to get something off of the ground. This is one of those times. I found myself spending many hours digging through all of my photos from over the past 7 years and putting them all into one place. As I was going through these files I was reminded of the words I’d heard about amateurs vs. professionals. Amateurs show you everything they’ve done, professionals only shows you the best. Sometimes going though photos and trying to decide which your favorites are is like trying to decide which kid is your favorite.

I do have favorites.

The photos I have below are only about one-third of the total photos I have set aside as those “worthy” of showcasing; however, printing these out was a bit on the expensive side. Yet…there was something amazing seeing all of these photos spread out over my kitchen table. As I looked at them I was hit with a thought, “Wow, I’ve taken some pretty good photos!”

I have taken some dandies too...

On Thursday I go in to Hoffman & Company to set up an S-Corp. What is that you ask? I will admit, I had no idea before I talked to one of their representatives about it. An S-Corp is basically a type of business license that can be set up for those people without a storefront.

Yes, that would be me.

I must admit that it is kind of exciting to be doing something like this, however, there is a certain amount of risk…you know, a setting yourself up for failure. I am excited to start this; I can only hope that it will go someplace other than into the ground.

Storms...and He that Calms Them

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Remember when I said that I had a soundtrack to my life?

I do.

I remember when I compiled the varied songs that there were far too many to simply have a one, or even a two-disk compilation. There are just too many songs which have become interwoven into the threads of my experiences. Their words, as well as the emotions they invoke, would also need to be included in that simple “soundtrack” to my life.

I needed more.

I went for a walk tonight, enjoying the crisp, evening air and the empty streets a Sunday night always seems to provide. It was nice to be outside and away from the things in a week which, at times, has been hectic and draining for me. As I was walking on a road overlooking the city, I stopped to gaze at the lights spread out below me…

In this vast panorama which lay before me, I could imagine a veritable trove of people, all with their individual lives and problems, struggles and challenges, joys and accomplishments. As I stood looking out over the city, it seemed so calm, so quiet. Into my mind came the words from a song I’d first heard many years before, as I drank in the calmness all around me, I felt at peace.

The calmer of the storm does look down and He sees us all, and is mindful of everything we experience in our lives. All of our pains, trials, and everything which bombard us each day; I need to remember to take the time to raise my eyes and not concentrate on the waves crashing around me.

My favorite stanza from the song is the following:

“There on the storm I am learning to let go.
The white wave’s high, it’s crashing o’er the deck
And I don’t know where I go.
Where are You Lord? Is my ship going down?
The mast is gone so throw the anchor…
Should I jump and try to swim to land?”

Thank you, Calmer of the Storm.

Calmer of the Storm
Down Here

When everything is wrong
The day has passed and nothing’s done
And the whole world seems against me
When I’m rolling in my bed, there’s a storm in my head
I’m afraid of sinking in despair.

Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what You’re bringing me will
Change my life and bring You glory

There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord, You are the calmer of the storm.

You rebuke the wind and the waves
Once again I find I’m amazed by the power of Your will
‘Cause I’m a child of little faith
I feel the wind and forget Your grace
And You say, “Peace, be still.”

Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what You’re bringing me will
Change my life and bring You glory

There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord, You are the calmer of the storm.

Oh when the torment blows
The middle of the sea.
May I never trust, never trust in me.
‘Cause there in Your arms I find
No tragedy.

There on the storm I am learning to let go
The white wave’s high, it’s crashing o’er the deck
And I don’t know where I go
Where are You Lord, is my ship going down?
The mast is gone so throw the anchor
Should I jump and try to swim to land?

There on the storm, teach me God to understand
Of Your will that I just cannot control.
There may I see all Your love protecting me
I thank you Lord, You are the calmer of the storm.

Actions vs. Words

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“Actions really speak louder than words. But still the best case, to my opinion, is when your words match your actions.”

Natalina

Ukraine

Why I Hate Christmas

Pin It ...being over.

About six or seven weeks ago I found myself taking down the Christmas decorations which festooned my home and made it feel bright and cheery. As I took them down, I suddenly felt a longing for Christmas yet again.

I feel it again today.

I love Angela Landsbury’s rendition of, “We Need a Little Christmas” from the musical, Mame. There are times when I feel that I can really relate to Mame, especially as she and her nephew, Patrick, decide that they really need a little something to keep them going...they need a little Christmas. I firmly believe that we all, at times, need a little Christmas too.

The main reasons I hate Christmas being over are:

7. The “newness” feeling of the snow is missing.

6. The white lights and decorations are down.

5. My sister's AMAZING cooking and meals.

4. The feeling of anticipation is gone.

3. No more Christmas music of the Savior on the radio.

2. No candy cane cookies.

1. I miss my brother.

I am a sixth grader...

Pin It Did you ever have one of those times when you felt really stupid?

I went up to Sundance to meet with Suzanne, the woman who does purchasing for the store up there, with some of my photography. However, I didn’t have the slightest clue what I needed in order to do this. So, stupid me went up with one—yes one—framed photo and a whole lot of nothing else.

Well, as I stood in Suzanne’s small office and she began to talk, I was suddenly thinking about my sixth grade Math class. More specifically, I was thinking about those students who sit there with these blank looks on their faces which tell me that they have absolutely no idea what it is I am talking about.

This was me. I had no clue what this woman meant as she went on about wholesale vs. retail and a bunch of Greek about consignment and going rate. She then went on to talk about portfolios and artist stories…In a word, I was completely lost. It probably hadn’t helped matters that I had a screaming migraine which was threatening to blow my head apart right on the spot.

As Suzanne took some of her time to explain what I should have had ready for our appointment, I suddenly found myself on ‘overload’ and my brain cells were starting to shut down. She was speaking this foreign language and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. At one point, I glanced at a chart on the wall behind her, and Suzanne, the office, and the reason I was there just drifted away. Her mouth was still moving…there was even sound. However, this sound was a million miles away as I remembered my poster for my Young Men’s awards which hung on my bedroom wall in Summit Valley. Wow, I hadn’t thought about that chart in years…I wondered just where it was now. Had I packed it away someplace? Those button-like stickers were so cool…

“Whoa there Zimmerman!” a voice seemed to chime in my head. “Why aren’t you paying attention to what this woman is telling you?”

I drug myself back to the present and listened as she went on and finally had to concede: “Look, Suzanne…I’m stupid, I have no idea about anything you just said.” I then went on to admit that I had a headache and she had said a lot of things I didn’t understand right off.

She blew out a breath and said, “Jason, you’re starting to give your headache to me.” She then gave me a homework assignment…to go and check out what other photographers had done, get pricings, and come back when I was good and ready…ready to commit to the world of business.

I just looked at her and said, “Are you even interested in the photography I have?” I asked.

Suzanne just looked at me and gave the fleeting hint of a smile. “I’m still talking to you, aren’t I?”

I left the office a bit dejected and REALLY confused. Well, luckily I had taken my sister, Shawna, up with me. As we left the office she began to explain to me what Suzanne had said, we then looked at an example up at the art gallery behind the store of an “author story and bio.” Well, it started to make a whole lot of sense and I realized that I had gone up completely unprepared, expecting Suzanne to do most of the legwork and not me.

So, what did I learn from this? Well, it is to do my “homework” beforehand and have things prepared out in advance. It is true that there is never a second chance at making a good first impression, however, we can be grateful for second chances and for those who make us do it right…sometimes by giving us a little helpful advice and then letting us do it on our own.

Well, I’ve still got homework…

Tortellini Soup

Pin It I got this really great recipe from a friend of mine recently. I actually got it two years ago and never actually made the soup. I guess I was just always hoping that it would get made by my friend, who would then usually send some my way (which was usually the case).

Well, I suddenly felt this craving for tortellini soup and decided that I’d better take a crack at making it myself. I will admit that a part of me never made this before because of fear…I was afraid that it would probably be horrible-tasting and also a colossal waste of my time when it didn’t turn out.

Well, last Sunday the call was much too great and I gave into my desire for tortellini soup. As the smells of sautéed mushrooms and basil wafted about the kitchen mingled with the odors of Italian sausage and onions, I knew I’d made an EXCELLENT decision.

The great thing about it is that I now have four great recipes of things which I could make should I ever want to impress somebody.