The ills of the world fall upon children
Taking a walk this morning (an ill-advised desire for coffee at the local cafe; it's raining cats, dogs and gerbils this morning), I saw two families out walking in the wet. Both had one in a stroller (suitably covered, of course), and my pre-coffee thought was a bit confused: where could they be going at 10am on such an uncomfortable day?
On the heels of that thought was the second family I saw. A man pushing the stroller, a woman following behind carrying an umbrella. The man was singing and whistling. It sounded like a pleasant song. His body posture was upright, his stride confident.
... the plight of children has been much on my mind lately. Our local school district is about to enter yet another tense process, with teacher's union on the wane in a hostile political and budget atmosphere, a truly clueless district CEO, and no relief in sight for men and women trying desperately to provide a basic education to children who don't seem to understand its value, let alone respect those whose responsibility it is to provide it. These children, in my view, have parents who are saddling them with a grave handicap in the name of protecting them: the parents are teaching their children that the world will provide them with everything they need or want, without any effort on their part.
So, I see two families this morning, clearly on their way somewhere they deem important, gently thumbing their noses at the weather, parents doing what is needed to get what they want, the children gently learning by example that facing the ills of the world is infinitely more valuable than being protected from them.
X-posted at http://aleksandreia.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/the-ills-of-the-world-fall-upon-children/
On the heels of that thought was the second family I saw. A man pushing the stroller, a woman following behind carrying an umbrella. The man was singing and whistling. It sounded like a pleasant song. His body posture was upright, his stride confident.
... the plight of children has been much on my mind lately. Our local school district is about to enter yet another tense process, with teacher's union on the wane in a hostile political and budget atmosphere, a truly clueless district CEO, and no relief in sight for men and women trying desperately to provide a basic education to children who don't seem to understand its value, let alone respect those whose responsibility it is to provide it. These children, in my view, have parents who are saddling them with a grave handicap in the name of protecting them: the parents are teaching their children that the world will provide them with everything they need or want, without any effort on their part.
So, I see two families this morning, clearly on their way somewhere they deem important, gently thumbing their noses at the weather, parents doing what is needed to get what they want, the children gently learning by example that facing the ills of the world is infinitely more valuable than being protected from them.
X-posted at http://aleksandreia.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/the-ills-of-the-world-fall-upon-children/