Of What I Am Most Proud
By Dr. Roxanne Henkin
July 23, 2015
Haridwar, India

Today our writing prompt was, “What are you most proud of that you have achieved?”  That’s a hard question for someone who has lived so long.  The most personal achievements--to love my spouse and my children and grandchildren and my extended family and friends and pets are most meaningful.  To help and support my students at all levels is another accomplishment I try to do. Also, I try to be a good person, although I have to admit there are days when I don’t do that so well.  But outside of my personal life, what is it that I am most proud that I have achieved?

Sitting here at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya University in Haridwar, India it is so clear to me that I am proud of the work of the San Antonio Writing Project and our international connections across the globe.  The teacher consultants in SAWP are doing such good work even this week and throughout the summer, with our writing camps and inservice in area schools.  I am so grateful to be able to learn along with these talented professionals. I am thankful for the many opportunities that opened up for us since we created the San Antonio Writing Project in 2006.  I am also grateful for the support of our ILT Department Chair, Dr. Mari Cortez and our Dean, Dr. Betty Merchant.

It’s also clear to me that rather than talking about achievements, this is a vehicle for me to be thankful for all the gifts in my life.  Last night on Facebook, there were posts about the international work that I am proud of.  The first is an article on Thandiwe Dlodlo, who came from Limpopo, South Africa and attended the SAWP 2015 Summer Institute.  She stayed at our house and we had a wonderful time showing her the sights in San Antonio. But more importantly, the article about her shows all that she has learned and is taking back to South Africa with her.

And then there is India.  I feel so moved to be able to be here, writing with wonderful and talented professionals from so many disciplines.  I am learning so much more that just content as we write and discuss with our hearts and listen with an intensity that does not always happen.  Each person’s unique insights change my world outlook.

Kalpana said that you couldn’t know India unless you come here.  You can’t really know India through Bollywood or the movies or even documentaries.  You have to meet the people and fall in love with them and their beauty and their intellect and creativity and their insights.  You have to listen to the people and learn from them, and be changed.  That is what I am proud of and that is what I am grateful for: the opportunity for knowing all of you.

Saying Goodbye

Spending the month with Thandiwe Dlodlo has been a wonderful experience. Thandiwe is gracious and loving and puts everyone at ease whether it is my Ninety-three year old father or my four and one-half year old nephews. She comes from South Africa, and shares information about her country that always leaves us wanting to hear more. Dr. Ndimande greeted her at the airport with us when she first arrived, the day before the institute started. They started talking and realized that they had gone to the same University, though in different years. We asked her if she ever imagined that she would travel such a long distance only to find a person from her own country and we marveled at how small the world has become. The SAWP 2015 Invitational Summer Institute has been a time of exploring social justice issues through writing, among other things. We’ve explored injustice from multiple perspectives. We’ve looked at the impact that social justice issues have on education, our teaching and on our classrooms. And we’ve also examined these issues through a global lens. Thandiwe’s gentle voice has reminded us of the similarities and differences we face in our lives as teachers. The participants have all brought their own unique perspectives and contributed to our shared understandings. As the SAWP 2015 Summer Institute comes to a close, we leave enriched, inspired and ready to continue making a difference in our students’ lives.

This is the Historic Day!

This is the day that I have been waiting for. This is the day that makes every bad day worth it. This is the day that when I didn’t receive awards or win elections, I thought, all other things really don’t matter. It’s really the ruling on gay marriage that is important because it will change my life. This is the day I have been waiting almost 40 years for. Mary Lou and I moved in together in 1976 and married legally in Canada in 2006, on our 30th anniversary. This is the day that our marriage is finally recognized in Texas, and in all of America. This is the day that Mary Lou and I become eligible for the many rights most married Americans take for granted including social security benefits and being listed as spouse on each other’s death certificates. I know this may sound morbid, but I’ve heard too many times how devastating it can be to not even be recognized when a spouse dies. This is the day I have been waiting for. My cousin Elissa remembers when I told her that I wanted my marriage to recognized somewhere in the world before I died. I didn’t really think I’d see this day. This is the day I have been waiting for. To no longer to be a second--class citizen in the land of my birth. To be legally connected to my in-laws. To be told no more, that my marriage doesn’t count. It makes all the work, all the activism, all the disappointments worth it. It makes me believe in America again. This is the day I have been waiting for.

Kalpana Iyengar is the UTSA Roadrunner of the week. She talks about the San Antonio Writing Project and the Writing Project we'll be starting in India this summer.