Being Andy Pettitte

On June 15, 1972 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana a human being with truth was born.  Not one with a spine but with truth.  Andy Pettitte is most famously known as helping the New York Yankees in the post season, with 19 wins and more importantly 5 wins in the World Series.  This would easily qualify him as one of Marvel Comics new super hero.  

What makes Andy truly special is his life.  To many people stand on a podium and speak volumes about this and that, they preach a belief, or more importantly they speak about a righteousness that does not exist in an ounce of their bones.  This is what separates Andy from the rest of us.  

August 19, 2010 Roger Clemens gets indicted for perjury during Congressional hearings for the Mitchel Report on steroid use during his playing career.  To me this is humorous that he would be indicted for lying to what we all know are the truly professional liars, politicians.  Seriously, if a politician is moving his lips, chances are nothing coming out is the truth.  

We have become such a pompous society that we think we are superior from others.  “The corruption in Mexico is out of control.”  George W. Bush.  Seriously?  The difference between Mexico and United States is we just hide it a little better.  Over the last 30 years the price of oil in the United States has gone up twice, first under Father Bush and the next time under Jr. Bush.  This doesn’t make them guilty of any crime unless they happen to have financial gains from this.  

Now unless your head has been under the sand they are one of the largest oil families in the United States.  Does this make them guilty?  Or does this make them corrupt?  It can be spun to be beneficial.  The point is it is morally wrong that as the leaders of this country they would capitalize from an act they provoked.  Don’t get me started on Dick Chenney and Haliburton.

Irony is that it would be the Bush Family who would support whole heartedly Roger Clemens.  Did he lie?  I’m not going to go out on a plank or limb, but the answer is quite simple.  Yes!  Not because of the the trainer McNamee testimony but because of Andy Pettitte.  

This man who aspires to greatness in God and himself.  His friendship with Clemens is infamous.  They roomed together, families vacationed together, played golf together, and they were best friends.  Then Clemens expected Andy to fib.  To lie about what actually happened.  

These are life altering moments.  This is when a man can truly define the power of that word!  

I’m from a podunk community in South Texas that epitomizes small town America, where life is about watching the sun rise and the sun set.  In small towns you can’t run over the neighbors cat without it being front news in the local paper.  Least you realize the differences in opportunity.  

Not that long ago I took the time to reformulate my life; to make changes within myself to be a better person.  My days that are left in this world had to be about living to give someone a smile, so I changed.  This means that if I see wrong in life I have to speak up, I can no longer sit idle and allow people to be advantages of friends or strangers.

In my small little town there are people who are still trying to live their glory days through others.  My biggest gripe while clearly aimed at our School Board Members is a side note to the bigger problem.  Yes, we have people that once you give them a title they become power mongers.  The worst thing about this is we allow it to happen.  

Did we forget that the State saw the corruption and sent a monitor to teach us how to manage properly.  He has not been gone six months and the level of corruption is at an all time high.  I vote to eliminate the school board.  I vote that we allow the state to run our schools.  You ask why?

Simple.  I am about being fair.  I do not believe in righteousness.  I believe that if you are guilty you have to pay a penalty.  This past year has seen some incredible things occur with in the athletics department.  It has seen the schools achieve incredible heights.  The school board members would have you believe it was because of them.  I’m sorry guys.  Wake up.  

If you are having an affair its called, cheating!  If you interfere with the daily functions of a school because of your title to protect your personal interest.  Its called a conflict of interest.  If you feel your above the words of the people that voted you in, you will be ousted in the next election cycle.  

When the kids bond together to protest the decisions of a school board, we are not suppose to oppress them by sending all the administrators there to prevent them.  We are to praise them for seeing the wrong that you have gestated.  I am not Andy Pettitte by any stretch, but my children go to school here, my family works within the school district.  Yes, I care about what is going on.  Yes, I am going to make my voice heard.  

No I am not going to sit idol.  When asked if he ever saw his friend Roger Clemens do steroids Andy Pettitte’s answer was no.  When asked who introduced him to it and who claimed to be doing it, he also answered truthfully.  

The truth to this rant is such, “There are few Andy Pettitte’s in this world.  No one wakes up to be righteous.  However your voice is protected by law.  If you voice a concern, if you want to oppose the status quo, it is protected by law.  Yesterday oppression arrived in an ugly form, corruption.  Corruption by power hungry people that have lost sight of what truly matters.”  

Note:  This is not an article to promote one political party over the next.  This is about speaking the truth and injustice of what has transpired at Edcouch-Elsa.  This is about not being quiet anymore.  There is an old saying if the truth stings a little its probably because the man in the mirror is broken.  

Look Ma! No Hands!

This is an article I wrote for my mother last year for Mothers Day. In our family it became sort of a cool thing.  Mom read the article to everyone of her friends then those friends layed into their sons my friends.  So what started out as a tribute to my Mother became Rick's spiral into getting his friends pissed off at him.  

This is for all the Mothers today that have had a son like me.  One that drives you to the brink but you will always know his heart is in the right place.  Enjoy my tribute to my Mother.

John Mayer ventures to suggest that we dream with a broken heart.  He even also believes that you have to fall asleep with roses in your hand.  Can this guy just call his mother for guidance?  Yes indeed its that time of the year where we look to Ma.  We remember the first time that she kissed the boo boo or the time when she held you and told you time heals all wounds.  She meant well so make sure you buy her roses.

When Mother’s Day is upon us think of the following things, with out realizing your own mortality, this woman gave you life.  This woman suffered through the pain and agony of giving you your first breath.  This is also the woman whose soul will never judge you.  She is by far the only woman who will champion your life, right or wrong.

Its not a bad gig.  Mom.  A definition of what we all aspire but can never reach.  For instance my mother, I call her the “Tony Soprano” of the Day Care world.  Before you brilliant ones go out and call the state about this, it is meant as the highest form of flattery to my mother.  A woman whose highest level of education was the 9th grade.  She married and had four children, a boy and three girls, yes I have suffered all of my life with women.

Time never stood still for my mother, she just grew fashionably with it through the years.  She wanted to open a Day Care, I feel more out of the fact that she was all ready baby sitting all of her grandchildren while the parents went to work.  Than a desire, enter “Tony Soprano.”   “Why not make a little bit of money if I have to watch these kids?”

Then the shock of my adult life happened.  The woman who had not seen a text book in years found one to read instead of throwing it at me.  She studied and got her GED.  That was awesome.  She didn’t quit there, oh not this lady, College was next.  Years later, the woman has enough hours to not simply say she is a College student but also a sophomore add an accomplished Business Woman.

Yes this is my mother.  A lady who I don’t see as often as I should.  A woman who when I do visit, it will be an automatic conversation that starts with our typical, “And who are you?”  This is a woman who gave me my first breath.  This is a woman who a couple of years ago I asked to be my Valentine.  Yes, she called me, she explained to me her utter surprise when the flowers were delivered.  More importantly the words, “You made my day!”  No Mom, you made my life!

Now that I have explained the building up of my mother let me give you the secrets of the dark side.  Yes I am smiling and smirking, knowing full well the amount of grief that will be coming my way.  When I was 16 years of age, this genius decided to go well, drinking.  Shock!  Yeah I was a light weight even then, two beers and done.  To this day my sympathy to Oscar and Benny, wait not true, to Benny for walking me inside the house.  Oscar weenied out.

Benny was the responsible older friend who walked into the house or the boiling pot.  Inside he apologized to my mother and father for keeping me out so late.  They weren’t buying it but still at that age it showed the depth of Benny’s character.  He is a very good man.  Note to self take Benny drinking.

Back at the farm, Dad was happy I was safe and home, Mom on the other hand could smell a rat.  “Have you been drinking?”  Note to all of you, Mom’s never ask questions they all ready know the answer to.  “NO”  This was about five seconds before I ate it.  Lost my balance and well the rest as she said was history.  

Getting in trouble was not what sticks out the most from that moment, it was during the night.  She kept walking into my room to see if I was okay.  To make sure nothing bad happened to me.  The love of a mother.  In the morning when the daylight hit, she was no longer Mom, she was the warden there to punish the offender.  

Punishment came in the form of chores that well were worse than one could imagine.  My official duties of being a bus driver for my sisters began.  That in itself should have been considered corporal punishment but I learned a valuable lesson.  Its taken me my entire adult life to realize that it was in me from that day.  Be responsible.

Such a strong word.  Be responsible!  An open meaning to define at liberty.  An old tale, change your drawers in case if your in an accident.  My personal favorite, Dad teaches son to throw a baseball, teaches him how to stay off a bad pitch, how to get a jump on the pitcher to steal second.  He teaches him how to play baseball, what does the son do when the TV cameras are on him?  “Hi Ma.  Look no hands.  I love you!”  

To my mother who continues to be an inspiration.  Who defines my thoughts, my sincerity, and my obligatory heart to love.  This article is for your undying defense of my soul and heart.  I love you.  Happy Mothers Day.  Salut!