It's For Wil

On July 12 it will be three years since our son, Wil, was shot and killed as he innocently walked down a street in Chicago. I’m not going to rehash it all. If you are curious and want to know the situation and circumstances, I’ve written several posts: “Justice Weeps” and “Our Own Terrible Horrible Day” are the two most recent.

As I’ve written in previous posts, my family and I don’t want pity. We recognize July 12 in our own way, quietly and without much fanfare. It’s the way Wil would have wanted it.

But I do have a favor to ask . . .

Wil was a spontaneous guy. He was fun-loving and good-hearted. Certainly he made his mistakes along the way, just like each of us. We found out at the visitation and at his service how he affected others’ lives in a positive way.

So here is what I would like you to do . . .

It is simple, really. On July 12, I ask you to do some act of random kindness for someone. The person can be known or unknown to you. For examples: while in a line at a fast food restaurant, you could pay for the meal for the guy behind you. When asked why, simply say, “It’s For Wil.” You can add however much of his story as you like or nothing at all. Truly up to you.

Buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks for someone. Buy a donut at Dunkin Donuts for someone. Buy a bouquet of flowers and hand them out one by one to random people or give someone the whole bunch. Whip up a batch of brownies for a neighbor. Text a friend who hasn’t heard from you in a while or send someone an email who hasn’t heard from you. And please, each time, simply say, “It’s For Wil.”

Or not. Don’t have to say anything at all. But do something, some act of random kindness on behalf of Wil.

There are folks who read this column from the USA, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and India along with other countries in the world. This column is read by approximately 120 people a day, sometimes more and sometimes less. Can you imagine what might happen if all of you and all of those who read Simple Thoughts do something kind for someone randomly on July 12? Can you imagine what the outpouring of the gift of love and kindness might do for all those lives we might touch?

And if you care to, stick a note in the comment section of the post. Give me your first name and your city and country and let me know what you did. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you.

May your gift of kindness touch a life in a positive way. May your gift of kindness touch your life in a positive way. And on behalf of my family, I thank you for this consideration. For Wil. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference! God Bless!

To My Readers:

I finished my fifth work of thriller/suspense fiction, Caught in a Web and I’ll keep you posted as to when it will be published.

Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author                          

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI/                   

If you like Thriller/Suspense fiction, check out my novels:

Available on Amazon for .99 the Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:

FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Agent Kelliher and two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://bit.ly/Taking-Lives-JLewis

Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy:

Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://bit.ly/Stolen-Lives-JLewis

Shattered Lives, Book Two of the Lives Trilogy:

Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://bit.ly/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis

Splintered Lives, Book Three of the Lives Trilogy:

It began in Arizona with death and it ends in Arizona in death. A 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t know it. Their family vacation turns into a trip to hell. Out gunned and outnumbered, can this boy protect his father and brothers? Without knowing who these men are? Or how many there are? Or when they might come for him? http://bit.ly/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis 

A Little More Homework

While Leo Buscaglia was alive, he told a humorous story about his childhood at the dinner table. Each night, he and his three brothers were expected to share something they had learned that day.

He recalls going to the encyclopedia just before going to the table, opening the book randomly and finding the population of Nepal. Joyous, his father told Leo to get the encyclopedia and the family had a discussion about Nepal, the people, the altitude, and, well, all things Nepal.

I don’t do the story justice, but the video of him telling the story still brings me a smile. What he and his older siblings thought was a waste of time was a memory Buscaglia carried with him late into adulthood. The idea was that there is nothing too small to be learned. And anything can be learned and turned into joy if one allows it to happen.

This past week, my school district brought in John Antonetti, author of “17,000 Classroom Visits Can’t Be Wrong” among other books, and who calls himself, “a learner.” Over 500 of us worked on ways to reach kids, teach kids, and help kids to think. There were no magic formulas. He didn’t wave a wand like Harry Potter and do magic.

Well . . .

Actually, there was magic.

There were teachers and school administrators and district administrators, some older and quite experienced, others newer to the classroom and less experienced. No matter, he gave us a spark. Perhaps more than a spark. In some of us, perhaps many of us, he helped kindle a raging wild fire.  

He helped us see, once again, why we entered the profession in the first place. He helped us see that kids really need us, or rather, we need the kids. Honestly!

The final day, John told us the story of Kevin. A poor kid whose mother was dying of cancer. The day following the day he and Kevin connected in a magical moment, he never came back to the school where John taught. His mother had died over the holiday weekend and he and his brother were split up between relatives and John never saw him again.

Until about twenty years later.

Kevin recognized John. At first John had no idea who he was. I have to admit that happens to me. I mean, I’ve been in education for forty years and that’s a lot of kids, so I can understand John not recognizing a kid. I get that.

But Kevin recognized John. Kevin was a kid who had a disability, but was later given the designation of gifted. That hit both my wife, Kim, and me. Our son was similarly classified. Wil had a learning disability- reading and math, but was also gifted- art. It was art, particularly photography, where Wil thrived.

Kevin told John that he had become a mechanic- a lead mechanic for a major company we all know. And Kevin thanked John for helping him get there. You see, there were days when John would bring random things, dump them on a desk, and tell kids to make something from them. Kevin explained that it was exactly what mechanics do. And Kevin was thankful that John helped him discover that Kevin could do that.

Again, I don’t do the story justice. I can tell you it was moving. Kim had to leave because the story had certain parallels to our son, Wil and his story. As John told Kevin’s story, she had thought about Wil. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I’m sure Kim and I weren’t the only ones in that auditorium with tears and lumps.

Two things happened . . .

The first was that John asked each of us in that auditorium to picture a student, any student, and write that student a letter how we will try to make a difference in his or her life this next school year. We spent about six or seven minutes writing a letter which was then placed in an envelope to be delivered to us later in August.

I picked Jonathon, a sophomore kid who I had come to know. A kid with a smile. A quiet kid from a large family. A good kid skating in the land of B grades and C grades. Nothing remarkable, really. Just a good kid. But I see potential in him. My challenge is to help him realize it.

The second was that John sang us a song. Didn’t know he could sing. Nice voice, easy to listen to. The song, and I have to say I will probably get the title wrong, is “A Little Homework To Do.”

A Little Homework To Do. Each of us. All of us.

You see, the minute we stop learning, we stop living. As teachers and as educators, the minute we believe we have nothing left to learn, we fail kids. We end up failing ourselves.

So yes, John, I do believe that I have A Little More Homework To Do. I know I do. Even after forty years, I have a lot to learn. And John, I believe as you do, that we come full circle: The Teacher Is The Learner, and The Student Is The Teacher. I have a lot More Homework To Do because I have a lot more to learn. Perhaps each of us have a lot More Homework To Do because each of us has a lot more to learn. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

I finished my fifth work of thriller/suspense fiction, Caught in a Web and I’ll keep you posted as to when it will be published. I am actually working on my sixth, Spiral Into Darkness and I’m having fun with it.

Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author                           

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI/                    

If you like Thriller/Suspense fiction, check out my novels:

Available on Amazon for .99 the Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:

FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Agent Kelliher and two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://bit.ly/Taking-Lives-JLewis

Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy:

Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://bit.ly/Stolen-Lives-JLewis

Shattered Lives, Book Two of the Lives Trilogy:

Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://bit.ly/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis

Splintered Lives, Book Three of the Lives Trilogy:

It began in Arizona with death and it ends in Arizona in death. A 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t know it. Their family vacation turns into a trip to hell. Out gunned and outnumbered, can this boy protect his father and brothers? Without knowing who these men are? Or how many there are? Or when they might come for him? http://bit.ly/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis

Dirt

I think much of life is about perspective. To one, something silly and mundane. To another, that same thing could be catastrophic or hurtful. A job change can make a career and offer an individual an opportunity to advance. Another might see a job change as a career ender.

I’ve had several meaningful relationships in my life before I married my best friend, Kim. There are others who worry and suffer because this one got away or that one said no. Yet, if they were to open their eyes, they would see that perhaps, the best is yet to come.

I received the following story from one of my teachers (thank you, Julie!) and it really is about perspective. Maybe about taking advantage of an opportunity. Perhaps the moral of the story is also up to you and your own perspective.

It goes like this . . .

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off to his pasture!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

All about perspective. All about your view of life. All about your own attitude. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

I finished my fifth work of thriller/suspense fiction, Caught in a Web and I’ll keep you posted as to when it will be published.

Please feel free to connect with me at:

Twitter at @jrlewisauthor

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author                          

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI/                   

If you like Thriller/Suspense fiction, check out my novels:

Available on Amazon for .99 the Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:

FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Agent Kelliher and two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://bit.ly/Taking-Lives-JLewis

Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy:

Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://bit.ly/Stolen-Lives-JLewis

Shattered Lives, Book Two of the Lives Trilogy:

Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://bit.ly/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis

Splintered Lives, Book Three of the Lives Trilogy:

It began in Arizona with death and it ends in Arizona in death. A 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t know it. Their family vacation turns into a trip to hell. Out gunned and outnumbered, can this boy protect his father and brothers? Without knowing who these men are? Or how many there are? Or when they might come for him? http://bit.ly/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis