L.T. Kodzo's Blog

I'm not very good at keeping up on this site, but I thought since I'm participating in the National Novel Writing Month this year, I thought I'd jump in with both feet.

I'm going into it with an idea of setting and what I feel is a good character. We'll see where she takes me from there.

I will say, I'm really glad November begins on a Sunday because I like to start well and by 1:00pm today, I have over 2,322 words and I'm getting ready to go to my first ever "NaNo kick-off Party" here in Erie, PA.

I'll try to keep you posted.

Cheers,
LT Kodzo

Hello,

I just spent a week with some AMAZING students at Elmira Free Academy, in NY. They all read the book together and will be having a "on the same page" follow-up tomorrow.

I made them an offer that I want to make to everyone I know.

Starting this summer I will be posting to GoodReads.com, bullying solutions given to me from students. We grown-ups need to hear from the next generation how to reverse these trends.

If you have a story or idea on how to make high school a safer place for all, then send it to me. Here are the instructions:

1) Go to www.Locker572.com
2) Click "contact author"
3) Email me your story (500 to 1,000 words)
4) Tell me the name you want it published under (first name and city, state)

Please note, not all stories will be published but all responses will be commented on.

Thanks ahead of time to all those who want to make a difference.

As I meet with heroic students in both middle schools and high schools, I've become convinced that this generation will reverse the popularity of bullying.

Heaven is the only place where people will be free of all unhealthy behavior. But we're living amoung people who have taken unhealthy lifestyle choices and made it known how lame they were.
Both of my daughters graduated high school between 2000 and 2011. They have been letting the world know, it's not cool to smoke, drink to excess or eat only fast food. You only have to watch a movie or visit a McDonald's to know the impact a generation can make.

I think the young people coming out of school within the next ten years will also make the unhealthy habit of hurting others or themselves no longer cool. And I can't wait. Thank you class of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. You ideas today will make schools a better place for the children of tomorrow.

In my study of bullying and suicide, I recognize I've sat on all sides of the issue.

1) Said and acted mean.
2) Had mean things said and done to me.
3) Stood by and watched others say and do mean things.

I recently read a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. It touched on the empathy require to dig beyond our human motivation to fit into the crowd and called us to be better.

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

I'm grateful I lost all desire to do number one above. Number two requires remembering who my real friends are and hold fast to their love. This year, I hope to remember to not be guilty of bystander silence.

I recently spoke at a Boys and Girls Club in Upstate NY about the "popularity" of bullying. What surprised me was how convinced the young people were that watching a fight was cool.

What do you think?

Two quick questions:

1) Why do so many people upload real fights to YouTube?

2) Why do so many people watch them?

I get that bullying will never go away, but honest to goodness mean people make up less than 3% of society. Yet, thousands of not-so-mean people support the minority as accomplices by downloading, spreading and watching kids beat the snot out of each other. Being mean shouldn't be so popular.