A couple of weeks ago I was chatting it up with a staff member and disclosed a particular question I wasn’t so sure I wanted answered.  Nearly ten years ago the board of trustees I currently serve purchased a book to be shelved in the library of my choosing in honor of my late sister.  At the time, my oldest child was just in kindergarten so his elementary school was the logical choice; actually the preferred choice.  So, I’m rambling along the other day with my colleague and somehow detoured to one of my “I wonder” moments.  I shared with her the whole background on my sister’s illness, how she passed on Christmas day, how I was surprised my boss and workmates showed up for the funeral unannounced, and how I thanked them later for being there.  My “wonder” because I could never bring myself to verify was if the book ever made its way into that library.

As I was winding down earlier this week in the office and sifting through the snail mail, I had to sit down for one package in particular.  There, among all the other mailings, was a book that had been sent to me through our interoffice mailing system.  The book’s title, ‘Are You Blue Dog’s Friend?’, was a show stopper.  The story itself is for another day but the artist was a favorite of my sister – George Rodrigue.  And, as tangible proof, the book, while well worn,  had all its pages.  It was my sister’s dedication book…

With apologies to non-dog people, this post is all about canines.  George Rodrigue, the artist, would himself pass in 2013.  His wife Wendy has journaled extensively about their time together and provides great narration on how this legend came to be.  I suspect all states have their “thing” that residents embrace and as a native Louisianan, we certainly have plenty of those “things.”  Blue Dogs in Cajun Country go hand in hand.

On a more scientific note, I was reading this article yesterday that debates the science behind canine emotions.  I’m not sure how we would challenge any of the assertions but the main point here is your dog really does love you, and he or she definitely has favorites.  In my household, there is quite a distance between my wife who is the #1 fav for Lucy and everyone else.

So readers of this post may be starting to question where this is all going; what’s so special about a K-12 blog now drifting on to dogs?  I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen some pretty amazing instant congregations when a dog is introduced to the circumstance, particularly when kids are present.  The dogs will always react to the vibe of the crowd, often hesitant at first but then warm as the crowd welcomes, and by the end of the introduction there is competition for the dog’s attention.  Teachers have the same effect on our kids, and certainly at a more organic level.  Teachers, in general, welcome all comers, and have the uncanny skill of knowing just when to cut you off while still letting you have your say.  They are also experts in matching personalities so that everyone has a friend.  For me, it started with an illustration that manifested to a brown, mouthy lab that served as a needed benediction.  For countless kids, teachers are the mirrors that reflect to them the future, a future filled with promise.  They provide students with their own special dedications each and every day…

I deliberated a long time on this post – I mentioned last time I often hold lively debates with myself and this time was especially no different.  For some of my bosses that I have worked for my greatest gift has always been my calculated response to any firestorm.  For others, I suspect I have been perceived as a bit too late to the knee-jerk party.  What my dad taught me long ago was the eternal question of whether or not a bear has freckles.  What I surmise after decades of frustration under the tutelage of a living philosopher is if you know that answer you probably aren’t among the living.  In short, life is complicated…

A timeline for reflection:

Westside Middle – March 24, 1998 – 5 victims

Columbine High School – April 20, 1999 – 13 victims

Red Lake Senior High School – March 21, 2005 – 7 victims

West Nickel Mines School – Oct. 2, 2006 – 5 victims

Virginia Tech – April 16, 2007 – 32 victims

Northern Illinois University – Feb. 14, 2008 – 5 victims

Oikos University – April 2, 2012 – 7 victims

Sandy Hook Elementary School – Dec. 14, 2012 – 26 victims

Santa Monica College – June 7, 2013 – 5 victims

Marysville Pilchuck High School – Oct. 24, 2014 – 4 victims

Umpqua Community College – Oct. 1, 2015 – 9 victims

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School – Feb. 14, 2018 – 17 victims

Santa Fe High School – May 18, 2018 – 10 victims

I would encourage you to find a safe spot free of observers and review this PSA (Public Service Announcement) from the Sandy Hook ambassadors – afford yourself the privacy to watch the clip multiple times.

Sandy Hook Promise

I cried like a baby when I first saw this clip because it reinforced everything I tried to dismiss. Sometimes it’s the preparation that creates the most fear, as silly as that might sound.  Because by action and address, you are acknowledging something is real and not to be dismissed.  Preparation, in effect, can serve to validate why you have reason to be afraid.  The question then, as sage (really old) philosophers might reason, is if you plan for something, does that mean you expect it to happen?

I’m really just paused and pressed by the answer.  School violence in larger scale will continue to happen – it just will.  I wish I could wave that wand to end it.  And when you try to identify that one thing that’s remarkably different that alters the typical trajectory for any one individual, I suspect you will be forever stumped in your attempt.

So, here’s the deal. If you read my blog and you have conversations with others, be nice.  If you could care less about the person you get paired with on any given day, fake it and be nice.  If you’re not modeling that behavior for our kids, who is?  And I would contend despite all the bad behavior adults might exhibit, we more likely hope our kids are our best reflection.  My plea for this post and essentially all others is we find a way to clean up our acts and show our kids how to be thoughtful, kind, and supportive adults.  They deserve nothing less…

If you’re still reading, find a new avenue to connect with those needing a connection.  I for one have been humbled as I’ve made my rounds and visited our most diverse campuses and watched the dialogues.  I relate it to family and the time-tested rule – you can talk smack about your family but when you encroach on mine then it’s game over. The quick and fierce defense I’ve observed within our own principals for their communities follows suit.  Without fail, each principal postures when their respective community is mentioned because they’re ready to go to bat for whatever is needed.  Sounds like a family response to me.  They don’t feel obligated; they feel obliged and grateful.  I hope you are fortunate enough to share in their company one day.

I launched this site exactly one year ago today.  At the time I wrote that my goal for this blog was to present topics of interest and through audience participation extend the discussion.  My catch phrase that followed was that maybe this exchange would lead to a new “what if” or “why not” that would make the current day more informed than those before it.

Since then I’ve written on a variety of topics ranging from marshmallows to memorials to movie theaters.  We explored stories of persistence and character in victory and defeat.  This is a K-12 blog but politics, poverty, pro sports, and natural disasters all made their way into the conversation.  Because our state legislators were in session this past year we spent time discussing school finance and property tax reform.  We followed change agents in different industries, technology as a global topic (particularly its impact on today’s youth), and the will of individual communities both near and far.  We tackled human capital and the spirit of entrepreneurship, and what that means for school leaders and teachers.  And most discussions were framed around kids, all kids, even my own from time to time.

So, what have I learned as a novice narrator to online journaling?  People don’t care nearly as much about your written word as you do.  If you’re writing for immediate affirmation then you will be sorely disappointed.  I admit at first the online space can tinge on self-aggrandizing but you get over yourself pretty quickly when you monitor the slow-drip statistics on site views.  Once I realized I was writing for me (though I hoped others would find some value) I really enjoyed this medium.  I found the independence of it all reconnected and recommitted me to advocating for public education.  This business is certainly imperfect and rightly and wrongly criticized, but for many students it is their best option for long-term quality of life opportunities.          

Having said that, words matter.  This isn’t a new concept and has been covered extensively in areas such as psychology and religion, among other disciplines.  But I’ve always been of the opinion there are no absolute take-backs so we should always be mindful of what we say (and write).  This lesson proves to be especially difficult for children and adolescents, and they can blame physiology to some extent.  Adults not so much and because of the permanence of today’s modern advancements we all need to think twice and act once.  I found blogging gave me the opportunity to argue with myself and debate with myself before posting (and my staff will attest that I often talk out loud when no one is in the room – and ironically talk less when people are in the room).  If you don’t mean something, don’t say it (or write it) – nothing good will come of it.

Finally, Aesop paved the way for blogs back in the 6^th century.  Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch but for those that know a little bit about his fables (or whomever was the real author if there was such), words can inspire.  If you are not familiar with the lesser known The Astrologer, I would encourage you to check it out.  I’m not a fabulist (albeit what a really cool job title) but I was struck by the randomness in which folks would share we me that they followed my site.  The idea when I began all this was to broaden discussions of importance and that is what has been the most encouraging.  I’ve always related more to the tortoise in self-discipline and deliberateness and believed quick wins were low-hanging fruit.  After a year of writing with less than 10 comments, I’m pretty excited about year 2!