Ray of Light

The other night I had the first opportunity in weeks to sit down and watch the television; to try to catch up on the events that are going on in our community, our country, and our world. I’d been feeling a bit out of touch, and I needed to reconnect. I had been reading the headlines and trying to stay current, but I hadn’t really taken the time to sit down and pay attention. So—I watched video and I listened to commentary, I paid attention to the bombing in Boston and the capture of the suspects, and I read through a couple of local articles that included the deaths of two very young children. My heart broke. In fact, in very little time my eyes filled with tears and I had to take a few seconds to collect my emotions.

As I’ve tried to process all of these events, my mind keeps returning to our children—mine, the students of my school, and the kids of my friends and neighbors. I’ve thought of what we are teaching our students, and contemplated what is truly important in the world of academia. Of course it’s necessary for our students to graduate with skills in math, with historical and scientific knowledge, with kinesthetic agility and an appreciation for the arts, and with the ability to read and write well. But for the most part those facts and figures are just that, facts and figures. They can be researched on the internet, read about in books and articles, and rediscovered in museums or parks.

The really important things to teach our students are the underlying lessons that come up in daily life in and out of school. These are found in the examples set by the teachers, by parents, and by most adults. These are the life skills that will help them make good decisions, listen well, analyze and problem solve. They include helping kids attain a good work ethic and have the capability to participate in their communities as honest, upstanding citizens with integrity and a sense of responsibility. As parents we want our kids to grow up with a strong understanding of right and wrong, and with the knowledge of how to treat people with respect and care. The academics are important, but included should be some very valuable lessons within those lessons. Lessons that include the values and characteristics that come with being a good student and a participant in a school community. Students need to learn how to dive deeper into a subject and learn how to analyze and think critically and formulate well thought out opinions. They should be engaged to the point where their brains are firing at full capacity and the learning that is taking place goes beyond the facts and figures. Education should challenge kids to think more deeply. It should be meaningful, and in the end the learner should be one more step toward obtaining a set of behaviors that will benefit them and others as they grow up and move forward.

I am fortunate to work in a community and volunteer for an organization where both strive to educate and promote learning beyond the basics. Molalla River Academy recently held its fourth annual auction. This was an incredible display of a community who holds strong to the above mentioned values and life skills. Parents, teachers, community members, and students all worked together to make this fundraising event successful for MRA. The event was a great deal of fun and a lot of money was raised, but more importantly was the way our community supported each other, worked side by side, chipped in wherever a need arose, and made a difference. Every person at MRA was a part of this process.

Similarly the National Ski Patrol strives to promote strong leaders and patrollers who willingly put others first. I think of those first responders in Boston and I must admit that I am privileged to be a part of a group of people who would react just as heroically and honorably if faced with a similar situation. In fact, some of them have, just on a different scale.

Paying attention to the news can be disheartening. But it can also be a good thing. It can help us put our own lives into perspective, and help us focus on the important things. Educating kids is important, as are organizations that promote hard work and character building and that challenge us to better ourselves and in the process give back to others.

Rays of light do exist. The bombings in Boston, the unnecessary deaths of children, the lunacy that seems to get sensationalized by our media are heart wrenching. But instead of letting them get us down, let’s use them as catalysts; catalysts to boost ourselves up, reach out to others, utilize our brains and our hearts to make a positive difference, and provide our youth with examples of productivity and decency.