September 1, 2104

Dear Witte Museum,

My daughter and I visited your museum today and we were particularly struck by the ancient relics of a time long past. Yes, no need to state the obvious, of course I am talking about the "Exercise Exhibit." We spent almost an hour in this exhibit marveling, along with other Average Americans about the concepts of heart rate related to movement. It was truly fascinating that your curators were able to restore so many tools from yesteryear, from an era when people moved freely from Point A to Point B, unfettered by the confines of cars, jetpacks and teleportation. What exactly were those devices with two wheels that really got the perspiration going upon pushing those things with our feet? I don't think anthropologists have seen those since 1987! My daughter was really taken with the floor with flashing lights. I mean, this is no different than the technology she has in her own bedroom, but we would have never dreamed of using it as her grandparents did--to exercise! What a concept!

Now, the Pull your Own Weight section was a little politically incorrect, don't you think? Considering the new Anti-Segregation of FAT (Failed Athletic Training) People, we were astonished that such a racey item was available for use by museum-goers. There were many FAT people who simply could not participate, and we did not think this was fair. But kuddos to you for riding the line! It was more of an Art piece than a Museum relic! Good for you!

The Heat Sensor screen really played up the Political/Artistic message of the whole piece, actually mirroring one's place on the health spectrum by color--for ALL to see! Wow! That takes guts! I sure hope no one lost their job over that move.

We also really enjoyed the attention to detail with the bathrooms. I had to explain to my daughter how people used to be able to fit into one of those tiny stalls, before the FAT laws. That truly was another time, and you captured it beautifully!

We do hope you will continue to share these ancient relics that hold so much inspiration for today's world.

Thank you!

Just went through a 2-part series on the Unity founders, Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore at the Unity Church of San Antonio. Always great to hear that story!

I've been saying those words: I am a child of God and I do not inherit sickness. And WOW. If I don't inherit sickness, maybe I don't inherit poverty. Or depression. Or poor communication. Or frustration in my marriage. And come to think of it, I don't think PMS or fear or lack runs in God's side of the family. I AM a child of God. I am royalty. I am valued. I am worthy. I am loved.

Powerful stuff!

It's so great to say these mantras aloud. It has brought up many discussions with Franki. Her biological father passed away a month ago from his failing health. As she has relied more and more on me, we have noticed more and more similarities. Instead of, "You're so much like your dad," it has turned to, "You're so much like your mom." But as a child of God, all of the silliness of our human condition fades. We don't have to identify with the ways of our parents, with their sickness, with their premature passing, with their bad luck. We can simply recognize the LOVE that unites us all!

I just enrolled my daughter in Kindergarten at Agnes Cotton Elementary School in San Antonio, TX.

First, let me say that it was a great experience--the staff was wonderful. The principal was attentive and kind to every parent. Everyone was Texas-Nice. That was a welcome surprise compared to the charter schools I tried to get into (we are still 150th on a waiting list somewhere!). My residency and immunization forms were not A+ work, but they smiled and helped me out.

On one form I had to admit that my daughter was (shhh) white*. Minutes later I regretted sharing that tidbit of information when I chatted with one of the smartest, most charismatic women in the room. She was playfully teasing me about my daughter's name**, which I much prefer to the awkward silence and, "Oh...k" when they try to pronounce it. Turns out the woman is a kindergarten teacher. I hoped my daughter would have the good fortune of being in her classroom. Nope. She's the bilingual teacher and will only be working with the lucky Hispanic children. We chatted about the possibility of immersing my daughter into the Spanish language; she talked about the benefits of knowing more than one language. Of course, we agreed, there are a million reasons to speak, write and read both Spanish and English.

And that's when I felt it.

The discrimination.

One third of the students at my daughter's school will be learning two languages, while my daughter, because of her unfortunate place of birth, will just be learning how to apply extra layers of sunscreen. Knowing only English, she won't have a chance at the extra income and opportunities almost guaranteed to her bilingual peers.

My husband and I should have agreed to only speak Spanish in our household since her birth. We could have. We would have if we had known that growing up in a Spanish-speaking home was the only way she would qualify for this free education.

I'm not complaining. I believe there are solutions and that we have the power to create and implement them.

Solution 1: Make all San Antonio public schools Spanish Immersion schools. Teach kids equally. If necessary, give extra support in English or Spanish according to the needs of the students. Give kids a relevant education! White* kids are waiting in 3 year lines to get into Spanish Immersion schools when the public schools already have the staff, the curriculum and the infrastructure to share this education with all.

Solution 2: Stand up for your unique culture. This is TEXAS, right? Be proud of your heritage and your language. Rather than asking the Federal Government for hand-outs because of the large Spanish-speaking population, USE IT. The school administration knows how valuable Spanish is; demand that Standardized Tests be provided in multiple languages, or that bilingual schools be allowed to opt out. Let your test scores reflect the true academic prowess of your bilingual students. Your students are SMART and LUCKY! Stop making the Spanish language an excuse. You can't be a victim over something that white* kids want, pay for and fight for. You can't be a victim over something that gives you an increase in pay.

Solution 3: Offer 30 minutes a day of Spanish as a Second Language to interested students. Offer a complementary Spanish class for parents in order to reinforce the concepts and give the English-speaking children a chance to succeed in the lovely City of San Antonio.


I will be brushing up on my Spanish, and I will be speaking to you and my child in Spanish. The next time you hear "Si" coming from my mouth, please know that I'm not trying to spell CAT. If Spanish is the only way to get ahead in this town, then count us in.

*English-speaking children
**Frankincense: ˈfraNGkənˌsens; an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree and burned as incense.
The Magi (/ˈmædʒaɪ/ [1] or /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings were, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.