You seldom hear that from Kindergartners, do you?
Then something happens.
I was listening earlier to day to sadly familiar tale from a woman whose son goes to school with my daughter. Apparently, the 8-year old son has been getting bullied pretty regularly on the school playground. What for, you ask? Well, it's not because of his looks (which would certainly not be any more tolerable), his clothes (as if that matters to 8 year old boys), or his race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or nationality (all of which are equally inexcusable). Nope, none of those "transgressions" of birth or uncontrollable factors.
He has been psychically, emotionally and socially abused because (pause for effect) - he gets perfect grades in class. Yes, you read that correctly...the boy is an outcast because he is getting good grades.
If you'll notice, I did not describe the cause of the abuse as intelligence. I have no idea how smart the young man is. Neither do the other children. It is simply because he gets good grades. One does not have to be intelligent to get good grades. Intelligence is not as reliable a source of good grades as hard work.
Children who are succumbing at ever-decreasing ages to the lure of laziness and the symptoms of that disease which pop up as people age.
With every pair of pants I see worn 14 inches below the waistline; with every sentence I hear comprised of nothing but slang and profanity; with every cashier who has no concept of basic math...I wonder where it begins - this infirmity of the will, this ritualized imbecility...
It begins right there, folks...KINDERGARTEN. Maybe even younger.
There was a time not so long ago when achievers in all walks of life were glorified, emulated, respected, mimicked and memorialized. Then came the age of deconstruction we're in today. Some say it began with the Nixon resignation, others with the 1919 Black Sox (say it ain't so, Joe!), or with the JFK assassination, or the 60's in general, or other bellwether events in history. Whenever or wherever it happened, the urge to break down everything and anything heretofore seen as "the establishment" has gone too far.
The Japanese have a saying "the peg which sticks out gets hammered back in". Is this the culture - the country - the society we want? If so, the past 234 years haven't been a grand experiment in self-governance. They've been a colossal waste of time and will result in a simple footnote in the history of humankind.
When I think of the people I know who have the highest self esteem and most positive energy to offer in any situation, they're always the ones who have given their all in life. Whether they succeed at any specific endeavor or achieve great fame or fortune is immaterial to the point; the nucleus of their contribution to humanity is the DESIRE to be their best, and expect the same in return. As the wonderful educator Jaime Escalante (RIP) said..."Do you have the ganas?" - "Do you have the DESIRE"?.
What would have happened at Bunker Hill in the absence of this desire? Or on the fields of Bannockburn? Or Iwo Jima? Or the laboratory at Menlo Park? Or on launch pad 39a, Cape Canaveral July 16, 1969? Or at the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963?
Somewhere out there - right now - TODAY - the next great generation sits in smallish chairs in smallish classrooms. Will their desire to be the person of their own dreams be nurtured and promoted by a society that looks for the best in its own, or snuffed out due to cynicism and the faulty sentiments that lead some people to only feel secure in their own misery if accompanied by everyone around them.
I say no. Not today. Not EVER.
Search for, Strive for...DEMAND the best in yourself and those around you.
I reject the imbecility that bumper stickers are replacements for complete and developed thought. I deny the backward "logic" that puts forth anger in place of respect. I ignore the worn out false-reason that would have people believe ultimatums are an effective substitute for compromise. People cheer when leaders declare we will "not negotiate with terrorists". Rightfully so, I suppose...but what happens when the leadership widens the definitions and categories of people we do not negotiate with?
War. That's what happens.
I read one of these wonderful bumper stickers yesterday that had the following uplifting prose: "So, how's that hopey-changey thing workin' out for ya? I assume the person who placed the sticker was referring to the campaign of Barack Obama in 2008. (Disclaimer : I am not a Democrat and the only person I vote for is ME - and I do vote in every election...for ME).
You want to discredit or defame Barack Obama? Fine, that's your right...more power to you.
You want to smash and bash the Democrat party? Fine, that's your right...more power to you.
You want to claim Obama is a complete failure? Fine, that's your right...more power to you.
But...mocking the theme of "hope" and "change"...are you serious about that? Do you have children? What do you teach them...despair and malaise? Hate is not a progressive strategy.
It's not about supporting the President (whoever she/he might be). It's about looking forward, upward and onward.
There's a saying that we should all "be the change we want to see in the world"...well, what's your change?
Everyone has a chance to shine a light into the uncertainty of the fog that is the future to light the way for our future generations. Its hard to smile and fight at the same time (unless you're completely insane). Try being angry at someone while you're hugging them.
I thank all of you that have subscribed to and read my blog so far...it's a labour of love and I appreciate your comments, suggestions and referrals. I think I need a closing line for the blog posts that reflects optimism and desire.
Nobody said it better (as usual) than Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children
To learn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of
false friends; to appreciate beauty;
false friends; to appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a little bit better, whether bya healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
Have the vision, and shine a light so that others might share the vision.
Peas,
Jason
Hi Jason,
ReplyDeleteLife is constantly hectic for me and for most people today (esp in the tri state area). It's rare that I get the chance to take a moment in a peaceful quiet room to read anything and tonight I am REALLY glad I did. Not because you are a true friend (and true, true friends can sometimes be counted on one hand) but because many of the things you posted have been resonating with me lately and I suspect most Americans.
What society for the most part idolizes or deems as "celebrity", where and how we chose to spend our time have had a sad and tremendous impact on where we are today in the world. When The situation and snookie are household names but no one knows the names of the true heroes in life that save lives, educate the young, spend time with the poor and elderly, and feed the hungry ..... We are a self fulfilling prophecy and as long as we continue down this path and get further and further away from community and selflessness we are on the road to further destruction.
Reading your blog reaffirms that there are people who understand the road we each individually must take each day to better ourselves and in turn better our country and take our country back. We MUST (not an option) educate our young and not push them through a broken system. It's frightening to me to see adults who can not read, write, or communicate well, which by the way I see EVERY DAY. We are doing ourselves a huge injustice by not giving every American child a great education. In Europe the children know 4 languages by the time they are in 3rd grade. If we think this will not impact us we are sadly mistaken. I see it in my industry, 30 yrs ago 90% of all apparel was made here. Now we are lucky if 10% is made here. We had a healthy thriving retail/manufacturing industry that not only contributed to the American economy but was part of the fabric of developing the economy. Well, not sure if you have seen what's happening in China today with the cotton prices. The prices are going up by the second..... why is that? They know they have us! Simply the demand from the US is so great that they can basically charge whatever they want.... This will GREATLY impact the prices of clothes going forward. We must take education back and we must get the jobs back to the US!!! With an unemployment rate of nearly 10% and an underemployment rate of nearly 20% there are few of us who have not been personally affected.
We MUST educate the young, teach them RESPECT for themselves and others. We should "be the change we want to see in the world"... Something I myself have not been doing enough of lately. Sorry this was so long and I rambled on but I loved your blog today and I think many of us have been doing a little soul searching lately.... You blog is thought provoking and inspirational and sometimes we all need a bit of a kick in the butt to "be the change we want to see in the world"... A phrase spoken like a true hero. By the way, if you do ever decide to run I will help take charge of your campaign and make it my life's goal to see you win... And like my mother says I am the "boss of the world" so losing is not in my vocabulary. Cindy
Jason, I love reading your blog. It is truly amazing who much you care. Keep on writing; I will keep posting on FB so my friends can find you. Should I ever disagree with something you write, you can be sure I will let you know. Like you, I am a person without a party. I'd like to think that if you decided to run for office that the political process would not change a thing about you. My father (ex-pow Japan) would be proud of you and what you stand for. I look forward to reading your thought. Thanks Jason for caring.
ReplyDeleteJ, As a soon to be father, many of the things you hit on are in a constant spiral of my thoughts. One of the biggest downfalls children today face is the lack of leadership in their own family. While parents NEED to nurture their children with love, caring and encouragement, many have focused so much on the child/parent friendship, that they forgot how top be a true PARENT. One who also cares for the safety and development of that little one. Disappointment, failure, loss, and winning are all part of the competition that we thrive for, however we no longer have children who understand the benefits and DRIVE of WINNING, because everyone is a winner. Can you imagine if Thomas Edison would have thought that his first attempt at the light bulb was "the best he could do" and therefore worthy of reward?
ReplyDeleteI understand that no parent wants to see their child suffer, and I am sure this will amplify with every second my child grows. However, i do believe that children will, as we did, grow with conflict, with failure and defeat. If we choose to support them through the rough times, instead of the MEDIA's answer, I believe we can give children the opportunity to succeed and grow.
This whole mentality that everyone is on an even playing field and should be given all the perks without the effort creates a 1984 scenario. Do we want to be clones? Do we want to be rewarded for sub par performance because we believe we deserve it? This is the mentality of many people in our nation, doing the bare minimum to get by in life with the hopes of having a lottery winners dream life. This is why I love the story you tell about Sadie wanting to be an actress and giving her the tools to explore and exceed as she wants. Build them into what they DREAM of being, teach and mold, love and strengthen, pick them after falling and tell them the next time will have a different outcome.
Keep up the encouragement, you are delivering your own "letter to Garcia"