We all pretend the rainbow has an end...

"...and you'll be there, my friend, someday...
There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true,
Tomorrow is not far away."

(*Be the first to email me with the source of that quote, and there'll be something sweet in it for you!)

As we prepare for this new year, here's something else I want you to chew on for a while:


"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success."

— Norman Vincent Peale: Author, The Power of Positive Thinking.

When I think about that quote, I think about babies and cats. I know--sounds crazy, doesn't it? But it's true. Babies learn to walk because there is no one there to tell them they can't. In fact, their parents and everyone else around them constantly coo about how great they are, don't they? If you're around doting parents and grandparents too long, it can get pretty saccharine and sickening! But there is Junior, toddling and falling, constantly getting up and trying again until he finally gets it to the cheers and gasps of onlookers. And every once in a while, you hear a story in the news about a toddler who saves his family member's life by calling 9-1-1- or who drives his kid sister to the mall while no one is looking.

In addition, I can personally testify to the amazing power of the average DSH (domestic short haired cat). If you think about it, cats are really a little like Superman. For example, their thigh power (on animals, we may call the thighs haunches) allows them to jump the equivalent of about 6 stories in human terms. So they are literally "able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." Have you ever watched one try? Mine are hilarious. Sometimes, they just do it instinctively. If they're scared, there's no hesitation whatsoever. On other occasions, it's funny to watch them study the precipice to which they want to jump, crouch and prepare, go through a couple of practice starts, and POOM. All of a sudden, kitty has reached the summit and is master of all she surveys. I've even seen a video of a cat jumping from the top of a telephone pole, landing effortlessly on its feet, and trotting off in triumph. How do they do it, these remarkable babies and felines?

Simple. They don't know they "can't," so they just do it.

Over the course of the next year, I'm going to expect a lot from you, and I'm going to ask you to do a lot of things. Sometimes, you may be tempted to think to yourself, "I will never be able to..." (fill in the blank), but I want to tell you something I honestly believe right now, before we start, before day one of school.

I truly believe that each one of you can do anything and everything you set your mind to doing, and I'm here to help you. If you start out thinking that you can succeed, you will! I will help you see to that. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot get the grade you want in your class. In fact, there is no reason why every student cannot get an A. You only have to do three things:
1. Believe in yourself.
2. Try.
3. Refuse to quit.

If you can handle these three steps, you will earn the grade you want (in fact, you'll probably exceed even your own expectations!). You might want to add a fourth, just in case:
4. Ask for help when you need it. (Really, that's 3.5, I guess...if you want to get nitpicky about it).

One of the most depressing things I hear when I work with students is the phrase "I can't." Every time I hear it (and I've been hearing it for 21 years now...no comments about age, please), I want to throw up my hands in despair, resign, and move to Tibet with the yaks. But think about it--this is my 21st year. I haven't quit, have I? I haven't quit on my former students, and I'm not going to quit on you.

So ask yourself--with the three and a half steps above and the assistance of your lovely, omniscient, hard working, never-give-up/never-surrender (there's another phrase to email me about), Rocky of an English teacher, is there any reason why you can't get an A and have a fabulously successful year?

I thought not. It would be great if you thought about it, too. (Every day.)