School, School, School

This time of the year the calendar cries out school, school, and more school!
I do believe that most folks like to live their lives in such a way that time periods are the focus goals, so thinking August and “back to school” thoughts go hand in hand. Depending upon your personal disposition on change, you maybe thinking that August and “back to school” thoughts will always go together? Myself, I believe even this togetherness of thoughts will change given time.
For those of us living here in the mountains we think of school as an August-May experience for school age children, many teachers think of their professions as summer free jobs, unless teaching summer school of course. However, this line of thinking has changed in not just large cities but small cities too as school districts have changed their thought lines and have begun the public introduction of year round education. We have heard this discussion in some of our local districts and no doubt, this change will occur eventually and the change may even prove to be good, if you are capable of believing that change and good are two words that can be used together.
My great – grandfather was a school teacher and I have and cherish his certificate that proclaimed him as such. It listed his grade in each subject and with such he was off to the one room school in which he was the school master. Every time I look at his certificate and I look at the basic subjects he had proficient in I think about how far it seems education has removed itself from the basics today, but that subject of thought I will save for another day.
Depending upon your location, the setting for education and the resources for education may have changed very little from the 1800’s to even the 1950’s. My father and mother attending one room schools and I have heard them say many times how they cherished books, it was just something classrooms didn’t have. I don’t understand at all today when I hear students say that there are not enough books in some subjects for every student to have their own, so students share books, wow and this is 2007 I think to myself? It is true for different reasons, but unacceptable to me, but I will save that column thought line for another day too.
Today’s column presents many things. Thoughts of the calendar month, school beginning, change; change; change; comparisons of school districts, basic education needs, issues facing students and teachers today, and some random thoughts about tomorrow or the day after next maybe. Life is so full of stuff isn’t it? The complications of issues, timing and experiences seem to fill every time slot and even seem to cover every time period.
Great advice for a month like this is best found in the Book of Psalms from the Bible. Psalms 46:10 says, “be still and know that I am God”, and oh what a thought to be in such a moment as these like these described in this column. Consider a pause from His point of view. For us to stop and see what He might be saying or communicating through this experience. Yes, no doubt, great advice would be for us to simply know He is God and in that , our discovery of peace and purpose no matter the circumstance.

Until then