The Braden Bin - 2/19/16

Quote I'm Pondering:  

“We spend the first year of a child's life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There's something wrong there.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

• I'm doing a fun little thing on Voxer with some of my AP bros.  I just said, AP bros.  #DealWithIt.  One of us presents a topic and we all say a word to describe it and give a brief reason why we chose that word.  If any of you watch PTI on ESPN they do a segment called "What's the Word".  
• So, what word would you chose to "describe" that quote?
• My word:  Conformity - Of course we have to teach our children how to follow the law and be contributing members of society.  I think we try to mold them and conform them into something that children just aren't.  Maybe some are happy to conform, and that's fine, but what about those that aren't?  I've seen too many "nonconformist" children that have a hard time being told to shut up and sit down.  I was one of them.  

What I'm thinking about:  

• Pediatric cancer is something very near and dear to my heart.  My three year old daughter, Avery, has been battling the terrible disease for over a year now.  Three major surgeries and ten cycles of chemotherapy and we have yet to beat it.  Don't worry though, we are #StillFighting. 
• Well, pediatric cancer struck close to home again.  A little girl I know, who has battled and beat leukemia once already, found out last week, that it has come back.  She is currently in the hospital receiving treatment and the family and doctors are hopeful it can and will be beat again.  So far the cancer is responding nicely to  therapy.  
• When I first found out about Avery having cancer, I met this little girl whom I was told, beat cancer.  This girl became a beacon of hope for me and I made a point to check in on her every day.  I built a relationship with the family.  Even though we don't speak the same verbal language, we do have one language in common and that is being a parent of a child fighting cancer.  My heart broke into smaller pieces when I found out this news.  Don't get me wrong, she is still a beacon of hope for me.  She has seen thing thing before, she has beaten it, and she will beat it again.  
• It's not fair.  For kids like my daughter and the little girl I know.  For children like #KickItKenzie and #TeamRaleigh  and #RallyForRhyan and #LilyLaRue and all the other warriors fighting #PediatricCancer, it's Simply. Not. Fair.  
• Consider checking out St. Baldrick's Foundation to see how you can help some of the leading pediatric doctors find new and improved treatments and maybe even a cure for pediatric cancer.  According to recent news they tweeted this week, they have reached $4M in donations for pediatric cancer research!  

• If you want to know more about my Avery's fight, check out #OwlsForAvery.  

Jam I'm jamming to:

• As I am writing this blog, Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder came on Pandora.  
• One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movies made from my favorite book of all time!  
• Seriously, the book is life changing.  

Totally and completely unnecessary purchase I am considering making:  

• I haven't thought about Air Jordan shoes since I was a wee lad.  

Prom circa 2001

• The Air Jordan brand recently celebrated their 30th anniversary so, naturally and deservedly so, they are getting a lot of publicity from really important news outlets such as ESPN and stuff.  I happen to be an avid ESPN consumer.  I also happen to like shoes.  And now, dag nabbit, I happen to want a pair of Air Jordans!  Nice job ESPN, Nike, and Air Jordan, nice job.  You got me with your article Ranking every Air Jordan Sneaker, 1 - XX9.  
• I grew up about an hour away from Chicago and when I was at quite an impressionable age, the Bulls were winning championship after championship after championship and Michael Jordan was the man.  Every kid wanted a pair of Air Jordans.  I actually was lucky enough to get a pair when I was in middle school.    

That's a beautiful pair of shoes, #AmIright?

• I don't want a pair like that.  I think I'm going to struggle rockin' a pair of J's,  so I'm not even going to try with those.  Start small, a wise man once said.  You eat an elephant one bite at a time.  What that has to do with this, I don't know.  
• My question to you - Can a 32 year old Assistant Principal, with more grey  than brown hair, who goes to bed before the 9 o'clock news, pull off wearing a pair of J's?

What I'm watching:

• I'm watching this because who doesn't want to know how wallpaper was made in 1968?  

BONUS VIDEO:

• Kids, pay attention to your teachers or you could end up on Wheel of Fortune and think a) Paris is a country and b) Venice is located there.