Teachers put in hard hours and struggle to bring their classes up to par by the time school’s out, each year. I had several relatives who taught and I married into the Rockenbach’s where almost all of the aunts and the grandmother were teachers. Rocky’s sister and brother both taught.

Once in a while teachers can become preoccupied and find themselves caught by a small student. A friend of mine had a little kindergartner who was busily drawing a picture. The teacher came by and pointed to an object she colored purple. “What is that, Janie?” she asked. Nonchalantly, Janie answered as she colored, “It’s a cow.” “But Janie, I never saw a purple cow” the teacher continued. Without missing a swipe of her crayon, Janie looked at the teacher and said, “Ohhhh!! That’s too baaaaaad!”

The moral is obvious…..don’t overlook new ideas….. even if it’s a waif in kindergarten who steps out of your box.

When John was in kindergarten he traveled to the Kansas State School For The Blind every day. He rode with a neighbor who taught there and I picked him up each day. His teacher was blind and we didn’t know it for several weeks. She was a very capable woman who didn’t go around with a dog and a white cane. Because of her dark world she and the other educators at the school thought John should take Braille lessons because it takes a long time to develop the sense of touch needed to be accurate.

From their past history it was good theory because no one knew if John’s eyesight would last throughout life. It would be far easier to train him at that age and then he would be prepared. I thought about it a few days and decided since he did have vision he should continue with “sighted” material. I am sure the teachers would be happy to know of John’s success in a sighted world and especially as one of their students who has given back so much to others.

I’m not downing teachers at all. It’s just that sometimes things turn out really good when otherwise they could be really bad. The difference could go either way at a certain point but once in a while we get a nod in the right direction.

Teachers and parents….add in friends chosen by our children. The three elements can make such a huge difference in a child’s life. How they turn out is usually the time spent putting the right things out there for them to choose from. I’m no expert on raising children but I know when trouble comes and there is a good built-in support group….things turn out for the better.

It’s hard to know when to shove and when to pull but I do know that too much too soon can ruin a young person. Look at the evening news and you’ll see the effects of youth gone wild. It is sad to see those who have been given so much opportunity throw it away. It isn’t their youth they’re tossing……it’s their life. They won’t live enough years to overcome the losses of these very precious years. It’s like someone swimming downstream towards the falls with ear plugs on.

Sadly, you never know it’s gone until……..it’s gone!

Until the next time, I am,
Essentially Esther