Lest We Forget

Today is a day none of us want to remember, unless it's your birthday, or wedding anniversary, but we who are living can all remember where we were and what we were doing on this day. It is as the FDR said when Pearl Harbor was bombed, 'A day that will live in infamy'.

I was at work, the fellow in the cube across from me came over and sat down in a chair in my cube and with a voice that was breaking told me what had happened. His wife had called and told him. I stared at him in disbelief for what seemed like minutes, but was only seconds and tears began to run down my face. I was terrified that life as we knew it was probably over. As the days and weeks wore on, it was our only topic of conversation.

Troublesome times are here, filling men's hearts with fear, freedoms we all hold dear, now are at stake....it ends with....Christians Awake. This is part of a song we sing and even though it pertains to our souls and salvation, it seems very fitting. I woke up with this in my head this morning.

Then I watched the Today show(remember, I'm on vacation this week--hooray for me!), and one of the segments was 'What's wrong with our public schools'. Well, let me tell you, I know the answer that question. So if you want to hear my opinion, read on, else, go see if Suzanne got any milk from Clover this morning, or if maybe her chickens laid any eggs, and I'm not belittling her blog, cause I never miss it, it's just that her daily stuff is so cute and fun.

I digress. What's wrong with our public schools? Let me go back a generation or two. If you are a baby boomer(and I am), and if you grew up in a middle class or lower family(and I did), at least one of your parents and maybe both didn't have an opportunity to finish or maybe even to go school. My mother finished 8th grade, which is as far as her school went, and my dad made it part way through the 5th. He and the teacher had a falling out(which means he probably got in trouble) and didn't go back.

That's not to say my parents weren't intelligent, they just didn't have the opportunities most of the rest of us had. Schoolin' and book larnin' just wasn't terribly necessary to farm 40 acres and as long as my mother could read a recipe, a dress pattern, milk a cow and gather eggs, that was all she needed.

Probably the single most intelligent person I have ever known was my first husband's grandfather. If these people had half the opportunities we have, there is not limit to what they could have done.

Many people were able to go on to finish educations, and we can look around and see their accomplishments.

With that bit of history, let me tell you that the one thing my dad pounded--no beat into our heads--my two brothers and myself, was that we not only needed all the education we could get, he was going to make sure we at least had a 12th grade diploma. And he was very proud that we all did that. Being the middle child, I think he probably wondered about my ability, but I hung in there and finished.

And that was the thing. Our parents wanted us to have what they didn't. They wanted us to know more, do more, be more and yes, have more.

But then along comes the seeds of complacency. We did get on that big yellow bus and go to school, we did participate in the programs the school offered, and our parents were involved as much as possible. Then what happened to us, we just didn't see quite the importance our parents did, then our children just didn't see quite the importance that we did, and so on and so forth down the line.

Before long we began to lose sight of why and how this country was founded. We began to lose sight of the blood that was and is still being shed that we can continue to go to school, to be free to make the choices about what college or university we want to attend. We don't look at it as a privilege, but just something that's out there and some one owes it to us.

I'm not a world traveler, and I don't know a lot about third world countrys first hand, but I have been to Mexico a few times and what I notice is that the children who are being educated are being done so privately. No money--no education. That's for those of privilege. What if it were that way here. How many of you reading this post today would have a high school diploma or a batchelor's degree or maybe even a masters or doctorate? I know I probably wouldn't.

We are allowing children under the age of 18 to rule our schools. We as parents don't allow them to be disciplined. Let me address that for a second. If we(mostly me) got into trouble at school, and if we should happen to get a paddling, then when my dad found out about it, we got another one. And believe me the first one may have been humiliating, but the second one was very painful. How many kids have that fear today. I don't believe in beating anyone, child or adult, but the Bible says,'spare the rod and spoil the child'. And that is what is happening.

If you are over the age of 50, how many spoiled children did you grow up with? I dare say not too many. If you have children or grandchildren under the age of 18, how many spoiled children do you know? I dare say you probably know a lot. We need to unspoil these children, teach them to accept some responsibilty and become viable human beings as they go out into the world. And hoping they will do better when they are grown just 'ain't gonna happen'. Instead, we are going to need about 50 more Dr Phil shows.

It's time for me to get off my soap box. You may not agree with me, but that's ok, I love you anyway. And it's time for me to go back to enjoying my vacation(gotta go see if Clover gave any milk today)--hooray for me.

Have you got an opinion about schools? If so, share it here. I'd love to hear it(I think).

PS. Thanks Will from Teensy and The Boys for those kind words about me on your blog.

Have a wonderful Thursday. Love one another.