A Lesson on Bullying from Chicago Fire

I'm going to be frank, and I'm going to be simple, we were put on this planet to Love and Be Loved.  At the end of the day, that's what it comes down to. We were meant to Talk before we Judge. We're to value what we have, and share it with those who don't.  But somewhere a long the line, we really screwed the pooch on that one. Now I love the TV show Chicago Fire. With CSI New York having finished it's run. This is the show that speaks to me. It's Character Jeff Clarke has also inspired this particular blog post. so Shout Outs: to Jeff Hephner for playing him as well as the awesome cast and crew that make this show happen.

Jeff Clarke: Played by Jeff Hephner

Now I've learned that it's not all about me. My misadventures in the world of bullies, fisticuffs and badly dealt hand don't always compute. At times I need to be relevant.

Now this pretty fellah is a Firefighter named Jeff Clarke( Jeff Hephner) from Fire House 51, a character from Chicago Fire. As I've been enjoying this fabulous show and falling into the various plot points of the show. I've been looking at Jeff's character in particular and the reactions of the Fire House in general.

He's this new guy, from a shut down fire house. He's come in and upset the balance of house 51 just by being there. He's quiet and just a bit mysterious. He also does his job, he's good at what he does and without doubt the rest of the house are glad he's there on a call. But things start going wrong and evaluator tasked with potentially shutting down the house, starts finding out things that somebody from inside would of had to tell her. He's branded a snitch. As you'd imagine, Clarke in essence gets bullied by the boys and girls of House 51. He's excluded and I imagine poor Clarke ate his meals alone and was left out of the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team and family. Now in spite of all the bullying and cold shoulders, Clarke still had his less than friendly teammates backs and even covers Mills' back by bringing back a tool he'd left behind.  Now granted this is a turning point for Clarke' character on the show. But what made this character arch really stick out. Was the fact, nobody actually took the time to talk to Clarke.

At the very core, Jeff Clarke is a character that resonates with every child or adult facing bullying. A small beacon of light that things will get better. But it paints a stark lesson about judging somebody's character without ever doing your homework. So next time you think to judge somebody, because of something you maybe thought you saw, or something somebody said, Find that person and talk to them. Because they could be your Fire Fighter Jeff Clarke.

Now if you don't watch Chicago Fire....you should. It's one Tuesday Nights at 10:00PM on NBC ( America) and Global ( CANADA)

8 Steps to Getting Better Grades At School ( Grades are Important)

I realize something, the main focus of my blog is Bullying but the truth is, I would like my blog to be something of a survival guide for the ultimately crazy school kid soup. Granted wayward parents and generally adults will frequent my blog maybe to understand their kids, maybe they're teachers or just find answers to their own life's challenges whatever the case. I want to make my blog inclusive. One thing school kids always worry about are grades, the one's who don't, probably should.


1.  Make schedule and stick to it. Set a block of time each day for homework, chores and bedtime. Scheduling your time, ultimately helps you save time and also conditions your brain to crave sleep at a consistent hour so your rested for each school day. You also train yourself to do homework during a block of time and it becomes easier to not only focus on work but remember to do it.

2. Eat balanced meals and healthy snacks, your brain needs food in order to thrive. Eating healthy keeps your energy stores high and makes it easier to concentrate in class. A diet rich in junk food and fries from your cafeteria helps your brain wander and lose focus easily and your energy starts waning sooner.

3. ASK FOR HELP, this is a big one. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher to repeat an example. Don't be afraid to ask a teacher for help finding a tutor if you need the extra help. I made the mistake of not doing this in high school and paid the consequences. It wasn't pretty.

4. Read more BOOKS,  reading is essential to life's success and it's one of the few things that effect every facet of your education and work world post school.  Read a good book, get lost in the adventure or the history or the life of a person. Paint pictures with your mind. Reading works more of your brain than texting, tweeting or the TV ever will.

5. Be active, put down your phones, laptops, DS's and all that technology and go play outside, ride a bike, go to the gym just get out there. Burning off excess energy helps you to concentrate and also makes you a far healthier individual and it's often easier to learn when your body feels healthy and good.

6. Have a study space! Having a place designated for studying and doing homework really helps.

Room By Aaron Christiensen 

Working at the kitchen table is find in 2nd grade but as you get older it's not a great solution.  You should have all the things you need to accomplish school work organized in your study area to avoid running around looking for that Pen, Ruler and so forth. If you don't have your own study space in the house, talk to your parents about putting a desk in your room.














7. Use your agenda, most schools even colleges provide students with an agenda or planner. It contains the usual school rule book, calendar of events/ holidays ect...but come on do we really use it? NOPE...but we should. I didn't start using mine until college and it was night and day. Use your agenda to write down assignment due dates, assignment reminders and what your homework is that night. This ensures you don't forget to do something at night and the less homework you don't do, the more points that get recorded into your over all grade.

8. Just take a break, don't forget to take a break while studying and doing homework. It gives your brain a chance to relax and de-stress.

If you have the ability leave a comment, let me know what ideas you have for future blog posts. If you can't comment...your welcome to comment to me on twitter.

I hope this Helps...
H

Drugs...won't heal your pain and they'll never make you cool.

If their is one thing, I despise more than bullying, it's drugs. Now folks I'm not talking about your garden variety of tylenol or the penicillin, that lovely doctor prescribed for your cold. I'm talking about weed, kush, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and whatever else. The real stuff.

I rarely take the time to be completely blunt but this stuff is serious and things need to be said. You may be part of the in crowd today because your smoking that spliff, but what happens tomorrow? Prison, Addiction, A grassy plot a memorial cemetery, Your left overs in an urn?  None of those things are cool.

Today that Heroin might numb your pain, but eventually that pain will become immune and your left an addict with a drug addled brain and an immeasurable you can never lessen because drugs don't deal with it. Like treating gunshot wound with a hello kitty band-aid.

Never be the reason somebody turns to drugs, Never offer your friends drugs. If you see that a friend of yours is using, it's time to be responsible and talk to them and bring their parents into the conversation. You might hurt your friendship, but friendships mend like broken bones and you could save their life. Never, be a bully. Because sometimes being bullied is the catalyst to another's drug addiction. Be a friend and you might just keep a person from that path.

If you ever find yourself in a position where you hurt so much, that you want to consider drugs, don't. It's time to talk with a parent, teacher, principle, priest, anyone you trust or call a support line. Maybe find a support group anything to stay off of that road. It's a dark, dangerous road full of hurt and sorrow for more people than just you. If your struggling with drugs, it's time to find a support group and to talk, because staying on them isn't an option. Don't be ashamed, it's better to be remembered as a former addict who had the courage to come forget and get help to find away to get clean. Than to be remembered as the addict who never tried or didn't have the courage.

Young adults, adults....don't buy into this garbage that you need drugs to have fun, let loose and chill out. If thats the case, you've forgotten how to have fun.

Take one look at Hollywood or the music industry and look at the effects drugs have had. It's never pretty. Life is not the next picture in the Hang Over Franchise.

-H

Don't Judge a Book By it's Cover

As a society, we place so much emphasis on how a person should look. Whats hot and whats not. We've been programmed this why by our father's before us, as they were by theirs. But I have come to the conclusion that it shouldn't matter how I look or anyone does for that matter.

I see it all the time, beautiful people who are turned away or left out of things, because they don't look right. What are we teaching our children? to be judgemental, to judge merit on other men by the clothes on their backs?  However the first thing we ever tell a child is " Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover", It's something every child learns, while growing up in a world that teaches them other wise.

It's high time we collectively started looking beyond the cover when it comes to people in ours lives or those we've yet to meet. Maybe a girl prefers to wear boys pants, maybe because they're more durable than girls and she just likes them.  Maybe a boy would rather a shirt that says " Mommy's Little Shopper" because he likes to go shopping with mommy more than playing in the sand box. But then these two amazing little children are shunned because society taught us they shouldn't wear those clothes or look that way. That only continues on and now those kids aren't just being left out at recess but shut out of jobs....because they don't look right.

It makes you wonder about where the world would be if we spent more time judging the content of one's character on not their covers. Maybe the world economy would be different because the people who could do the jobs best weren't turned away because she was a women who rocked a man's suit and short hair, Because He was a man who had long hair and wore light pastels and tight pants. Maybe the very high schools we send out children too, would be safer with less bullying because it was ok to dress and look different from the crowd.

I'm a handsome Women, and I can Do IT

I'm A Beautiful Man, I can Do it Too

Next time you see somebody who walks their own path in the looks department. Don't just judge, say HI and spend sometime reading whats between those covers. You just might make a new friend.

A little more Food for Thought.
-H

Congratulations America, Your Government is now as efficient as Windows 95

Now hear me out folks, I don't care to much for politics. However if I had to really claim one side more than the next, I would probably say Republican if I were an American. Since I'm also a Conservative here in Canadaland. I'm really modern oldy worldy kinda guy. I just think there are some things that worked before and would still work now, if people didn't go around fixing what isn't broke. Like Rogers Cable messing with the guide function on my TV. Canadians who have Roger's would understand this, but I digress.

See the with the government,  politicians are all a bunch of toddlers who unfortunately are old enough to question motives and manipulate perspective and their endgame isn't getting out of a nap or getting a cookie. I think it's high time the guys at the top, learn what the world wants the kid's at the bottom to learn. HOW TO BE A TEAM. Because Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or otherwise the Government will always have to be a team. Because you'll never have a Government where there isn't multiparty representation say and sway.

It's a lot like Hockey, if the Team has to much in fighting....it will never hoist the cup. No matter what kind of external forces are at play. That team has essentially doomed itself because none of them were willing to work together and play together for the Team and essentially their fans better good.

Because the Government can't play like a Team, It can't be a efficient and guess how efficient Windows 95 is these days?

Food For Thought, Brought to you by a Canuck
-H