"Be the Echo" - Abraham Alarcon's Blog

“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...

When I was a kid I, remember summer vacations at Wildwood, NJ. Just the name of the beach town made it seem adventurous. The boardwalk and delicious goodies also made the time “down the Jersey shore” a memorable one.  I didn't know how to swim back in the mid 70’s. I was too little and afraid of the waves. One thing my big brother Dave taught me was to hold my nose and crouch down so the waves would not knock me down. It was soooo much fun and nerve-racking. But, I was only able to walk into the water waist high.   It was a lot of fun going underneath the waves and then jumping out of the water. I could feel the force and power of the waves as it swept my long hair. Sometimes I didn’t crouch low enough and the waves would tumble me over.  Still, I would jump up  to catch my breath. But then a new wave would come. After a while of the same, I would tire and have to get out.  My brother didn't share in the ducking-underneath-the-waves act...