"Be the Echo" - Abraham Alarcon's Blog

Spring is here but it these days still feel like winter. The change of weather brings a great opportunity to reflect and find news ways to act. When the day is cold, windy and sometimes full of rain and snow, it can serve as a metaphor for my internal spiritual state.  There are times when I feel cold and still as an icicle, hanging aloft a tall tree branch. I want to be out of reach and out of the way of all the hustle and bustle, all the action that life brings - family, friends, work, wishes, dreams, and disappointments.  Yet, even though I may feel like I am hanging still way up on high on a tree, I am reminded that this is temporary. The Church season of Lent reminds and invites me to prepare and remember. I am called to prepare for an encounter with Jesus and walk with Him. I am called to remember what happened to Jesus and enter into that Paschal mystery as best as I can.  During this time of preparation, I may feel unsettled or uncertain. Doubts can increase as...

Twenty years ago, I did the  Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola as a Jesuit novice . The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by  St. Ignatius of Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God. This past February, I decided to do a weekend retreat and return to  The Jesuit Center at Wernersville, PA. The following is a description of what I learned on the retreat: 1. You cannot rush God. God operates on his own time. For months I was excited and anxious to go on retreat. I had so many expectations. Yet, when I arrived I was overwhelmed with the work I had to do. I was tired and this feeling of getting on with it, getting over with it slowly grew into impatience. Things were not going the way I planned and I grew frustrated with God. I wanted to control when, where and what would happen. Most of my prayer times were dry and distracted. No new and exciting revelation...

Fifty. 50. Fiftieth. It's just a number right? Depends on how you look at it. And that is what life is really about: how you look at it.  Oh, and what you do with it. Party? Almost everyday is a party ... fiesta.  You just gotta make sure that you are the first and last one ... on the dance floor. There are so many people looking at others dance.  They say to themselves "I can't dance" or "I can't move like that" so they never step onto the dance floor.  They never try, never take a step.  Many clap or tap their feet while they sit down.  To stay seated is safer and more comfortable. I've never been one to sit still especially when good dance music is playing. I don't know what fifty (50) will bring but I know that I will bring everything to everyone and everything I got.  So what will be different? Nothing really.  The only difference is that I will be the same person just one more year older. There are 48 days until my birthday (Feb...

At the beginning of a school year one can seem a bit tangled up and confused. New students, new schedules or even a new school can make one feel undone and uncertain.   Yet, my years in education have shown me how to meet these “tangled” situations head on and just keep it BASIC .   B - Believe in myself and in others.  I cannot do it ALL. Teaching and learning is never a “me, myself and I” project and I need to rely on others. When I work with others I am always better.  Asking for help when you do not know something is a smart move. One might hesitate to ask for help to avoid the appearance of being seen as weak or vulnerable.  There is a sincere strength in showing vulnerability.   A - Accept that I am not perfect and will make mistakes. School business involves different levels of risk. Trial and error are always my favorite teachers. Knowing that I will make mistakes makes me feel less anxious. I give myself permission to not be ...

“Mr. Alarcon, can you come to the security desk and cover me? Security was called to the music room.”  I heard this message over the radio and a sharp feeling came over me. Now, I really had to do a lot of work but I stopped what I was doing and went to the security station in my school and told the security guard, “I’ll go.” Before I reached the classroom, I dropped off a student who was sent to my office for a “break” and then headed to the music room. I guessed correctly who it was because no more than 30 minutes earlier I was called into that student’s classroom. Apparently, this boy was having a rough day.  When I entered the music room, books were on the floor and two chairs overturned. Thank Goodness no one was hurt. The boy was underneath the teacher’s desk. The music teacher and the rest of the class sat silently as they observed me interact with their classmate.  “Hi!” No answer.  “How are you?”  No answer agai...

Today, it seems easier to blame, use curse words, and hate those who are different because of their race, culture, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, appearance, etc.  It is so much harder to show love and respect. Why? Because it forces you to hold yourself to a higher standard. To self-impose this higher standard does not show weakness but strength of moral character. It compels you to treat another person as your equal: with kindness, care and dignity. You do thi s not to give yourself accolades or credit for being a "good" human being, you do it because the other person is a human being. Period.  People like Jesus, Gandhi, MLK, Jr., Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa showed this "higher standard" of love not only in their words, but through their actions. Some paid the highest price with their lives. It compels me to think of family and friends who serve in the military, law enforcement, as first responders, in the medical field, and in education whom on a...