Why am I Surprised?

My latest piece in The Huffington Post.

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The TexPat has spent much of the past two months on a Western odyssey. While at a writer’s residency in Northern California my latest Huffington Post article was published re my reflections as an alum of the sister school of one of the expelled University of Oklahoma frat boys.  The bravado with which he spewed racist rants among his homogeneous crowd of “brothers” (and a number of dolled-up sorority women nervously laughing along, lest they lose their shot to snag the right sort of beau) is so antithetical to my experience in the community that produced him – the first schools in Dallas, Texas to integrate years before the Dallas public schools, which I entered as a shy but happy-go-lucky kindergartener in 1968 (see above – ready for my first day of school with my new book bag, though I’m not sure that I was reading yet), that I had to take a moment to reflect.  My weeks in California and then driving from Cali to my native Texas provided much room for reflection as well – more to come!

Tools for Peace – A worthwhile read

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As a mother, I often wonder how my Texan grandmothers felt when their sons exited their thresholds en route to foreign battlefields during WWII. How did they deal with the fear and uncertainty of whether they would ever see their babies again? Though perhaps not to the same degree, many parents face similar fears when they drop their kids off at school or the bus stop. A friend – one of the most awesome attorneys and advocates I know – has written a compelling article in The Huffington Post to guide and empower parents in navigating issues of school violence and bullying.  A must-read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/areva-martin/tools-for-peace-the-power_b_5193638.html

Monday, Monday – Weekend Weary

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The TexPat is weary from a weekend of slinging hash while hosting the in-laws over Easter weekend (excitement Saturday for my first opportunity to fire up a grill this year, though I apologize for not upholding my Texan heritage and using a gas grill instead of dusting off my grit-covered kettle). So I’ll post a link to a hilarious article from the Huffington Post re hipster food that I will keep in mind the next time I return to my Oak Cliff ‘hood. Or Brooklyn.

Godspeed to all the Boston Marathon participants today. The TexPat is wearing running clothes and watching the marathon on television rather than actually running to prep for this weekend’s Nike Women’s Half Marathon.