I received a high compliment the other day that my being a part of the team helped raise the confidence and level or work of another team member. It did not hit me at first how big of a compliment that was, or how much I had accomplished. Raising this individual's confidence level certainly was not my primary goal in the team; my primary goal was much broader--to contribute to the team and to assist in achieving the mission of the organization. Whether I did that on my own, I have not heard. This individual is ten years my elder, and had been a part of the organization and with the leadership much longer than myself. Their experience and the amount of time they had worked with the cadre dwarfed and cast a shadow on my own lack of knowledge. However, to think that I played a part in the growth of any individual, and particularly this one, who I have the utmost respect and admiration for, is very fulfilling. A Filipino American labor leader that I spoke to on Sunday made the declaration that when one is helping another, nothing else matters. There is no greater achievement than empowering someone another.

On the third Monday of January, we recognize the contributions of a great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is the only person of color with a national holiday here in the United States of America. While he is certainly deserving of the honor, with all the many individuals that have contributed to the fabric of this nation, it is a shame that we do not honor anyone else. Yet even the act of creating a holiday for this honored individual was long in the making.

Imagine that after Dr. King's assassination in 1968, it was not until 1986 that the holiday was first celebrated. Some notable names that opposed the holiday were President Ronald Reagon, Senator John McCain, and Senator Jesse Helms.

The world is better off having had Dr. King in it.

It is said that ignorance is bliss. While I do not necessarily agree, I do think that ignorance allows people to analyze situations less. I caught part of President-elect Barack Obama's speech at the Lincoln Memorial and immediately thought that he was lowering expectations. It is a shrewd move, because so many are likening his election as the event that will save the country. Some are saying that he is fulfilling a part of Martin Luther King, Jr's dream. I do not recall the late Reverend King saying that a Black President was part of his dream. Maybe I am just overanalyzing the situation and parsing words.

Reverend King did ask that all men be considered equal, and the election of a Black President does not make it so. We all should be more realistic. The President alone does not shape policy. Congress plays a large part in that as well. We will have a very eloquent President.

Part of the incoming President's strength has been his cool, calm demeanor. He addresses his audiences with an even, strong, and forceful delivery, Rather than coming across as stoic or monotone, his charisma beamed through. While the President-elect has stated that this financial situation will take several years to recover from, he still has conveyed a sense of hope that, when all is said and done, the country will be in good shape.

I am at the age where I have a lot of friends, family, or coworkers that are expecting, have just had a baby, or want to conceive. It would be easy to wonder if I was behind, and I have family members that never fail to remind me that I am alone and getting older.

I have, however, come to the conclusion that if I were destined to be alone, that I would be alright with that. At the same time, I wonder if that has also put me in a position to not try. I can not honestly say that I have put myself out there. In other parts of my life, I operate with a strong sense of urgency. In my social and love life, however, I do not.

It is silly, because I walked past a girl today at the store that I have seen often. I have wanted to talk to her before. One time, I even introduced myself. When it came down to asking if I could call her, I completely backed out and pretended to be interested in a particular item. I wonder how many opportunities like that I have let pass me by.

A friend of mine is working on the sixth annual Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Summit. The theme of the summit is "Connecting the Dots: The Catalyst For A Stronger Community Voice".

It is a very relevant theme because many of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities operate as silos within he larger social and political structures. The reality is that there is a much stronger collective power. There are many community issues that go unaddressed.

The civil rights movement owes much of its success to coalition building. It would be amazing to get to a similar position.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his State of the State address. Its primary focus was the economic crisis that faces California. Solving the issue will take the sacrifice of each and every taxpayer.

When the Governor recommends shortening the school year by one week and cutting education funding, the sacrifice is not being made on taxpayers. It is being made on students. Kindergarten students through grade twelve students.

Education Week recently released its Quality Counts 2009 Report. In it, California ranked 47th in per pupil spending in the United States. It is a shame that this is the case, especially considering that California boasts a huge economy. Where are our priorities?

Tomorrow, I move into a new position and a new adventure. Today was my last day in the Correspondence Unit at the California Department of Education.

It was a bittersweet last day. I have been fortunate in that I have been in offices where everyone pulled their weight and then some, supported one another, and worked hard. My supervisor has been and continues to be very supportive. I told her that I would not have been able to accomplish a lot of what I have been able to do these past four years, both professionally as well as personally, if not for her.

I know very little about my new position, except that the long term potential is higher than the position I was in. There is a possibility for me to "promote in place", which was the most attractive part of the offer. For now, I will hold the same classification and hopefully gain some different experiences and skills while enhancing my current ones. The different experiences and new challenges were another attractive part of the offer. I have never been one to step back from new challenges. It is in my philosophy to always at least try, and to learn from the experience, whether or not it results in success or failure.

When I was promoted into my current position, it was a huge step up in the quality of work expected and the volume of work expected. I anticipate that there will be a step up here, and quite a learning curve. Like always, I look forward to doing my best, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst.

I immediately noticed a little pep in the step of most of my coworkers. It could have been on any day, but I believe that their morale was boosted by the idea that their boss supports them and will not allow a furlough to happen to them. This translates well when one is considering loyalty.

There is a saying: Stand up for something or you will fall for everything.

My boss put that saying into practice today when he stood, along with the other California Constitutional officers, and said that he would not implement the furlough that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put in his Executive Order to close agencies two days a month and cut their pay by ten percent to reflect those days. To say that I am happy would be obvious. Sure, my boss' decision only applies to me and my fellow coworkers. I could easily say that as long as I am not affected, it is all good. We all know I am not like that.

I am sure, now more than ever, that the courts will block this Executive Order when they review it on January 29, 2009. It really is unfair that so much of the burden of the defict would be placed on a small fraction of the population. I would rather that taxes be raised for all than a certain sector of society be targeted by virtue of their career path. It would be like singling out all hospitals.

Some people have thrown around a flat tax, as opposed to the tax tables that bracket the tax rates based on income, and the various tax loopholes that exist in the current system. I wonder if that would really help the situation.

What I do know is that while I am not living as luxuriously as many, I am better off than many, and am helping some of those that could use some charity. For that, I am thankful and appreciative.

I was reminded today that there is a Filipino American owned vineyard in southern California. With the viticulture classes at the University of California, Davis, and the rise in popularity of wines among individuals of my generation, it is surprising that I have not followed the trend. Eden Canyon Vineyards was started in 1996 by the Villamin family. I have been meaning to try their wine, but there are no local restaurants that carry it. The closest are in the San Francisco Bay area.