Leonard Bernstein said,
“A liberal is a man or a woman or
a child who looks forward to a better day, a more tranquil night, and a bright,
infinite future.”
He did not say a liberal is an anti-conservative. Nor did he
say a liberal was a control freak of government. And he certainly did not say
that liberals were enemies of constitutional government. He focused instead on
desired results. What people of all stripes hope for. In the future. People
like you and I.
Liberal is not a term that means something negative. There
are liberal conservatives and republicans and democrats. I know this because I
was once a liberal republican. Not anymore, the republican part, anyway!
No, I am a person with hope in the future. I’m a person who
recognizes problems and seeks solutions to them. I work with people from all
ideologies to do this work. I dream of better days where all people are
respected and nurtured in their yearnings. Where kids get the education they
need to be whole. Where parents are not viewed as enemies but partners in
building the citizens of tomorrow. Where businesses work with local communities
to build healthy living environments. Where citizens study hard and understand
local issues and vote on them intelligently. Where teachers are allowed to
teach and not required to parent other people’s kids. Where police make the
streets safe by partnering with all the citizens. Where art is appreciated as a
communication force and enriches lives.
From Facebook.com/bloggingforchange comes this quote:
“Throughout life, you will meet
one person who is unlike any others. You could talk to this person for hours
and never get bored. You can tell them things, and they’ll never judge you.
This person is your soul mate, your best friend. Don’t ever let them go.”
Another label ~ soul mate. We have them. We don’t always
recognize them. But they are there in our lives. So good to have. So fabulous
when we know they are there and who they are. That means we are tuned in, aware
to our surroundings. Not easy in a chaotic world. No not easy at all. But when
the calm comes over us, look for the cause of the calm. Might it be because
your soul mate is at hand, on the scene? Do we know who these jewels are? Do we
work at awareness?
Kevin Hall, author of “Aspire” shares this idea:
“To teach is to show. You can’t teach what you don’t know. You
can’t guide where you don’t go. And you can’t grow what you don’t sow.”
The label is teacher, or guide or consultant. Many variances
but the same core meaning. We ask teachers to be so many things they are not
meant to be. And by doing so rob them of the time and energy to be really
exceptional teachers. I don’t know how to reverse the trend, but maybe teachers
need partnerships from us to free them up so they can concentrate on their
jobs? This would mean proper day care separate from schools, parenting where it
belongs in the home, and alternative growth-oriented activities provided in the
community, again, not in the schools. The intellect of a nation resides in its
people, in their minds and in the intentional development of such capacity by
people who are trained to do so. All the other stuff belongs with the people
who can take these tasks from the busy teaching staff. I bet that would make
them happy. And the kids much better students. And the future of America
much brighter. Maybe we should try this?
And finally, a quote I may have used before, but remains
anonymous:
“Never be bullied into silence.
Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your
life; define yourself.”
Good label. The best really: yourself. Only you can define
you. Don’t stand still while others try to do it for you.
July 27, 2012
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