“I would rather be ashes than dust.”
Jack London
There’s probably a trail of ash following me but I haven’t had time to look behind. The dust we raise on our county road hasn’t had time to catch up either. Within four days, our vehicles have been in Valentine, Rapid City, Cheyenne, and Kearney. Just got new tires for winter, but I’m wondering if they’ll wear out before winter is officially here.
We were looking forward to a more normal schedule until Bruce made two commitments for next week; both involve travel. Already today, I agreed to two business meetings for that time frame. Just when we long to slow down and relish each moment, there are more demands on our days. Some of this is age related; more medical appointments, even though we are healthier than many of our generation. Some of it is self-imposed; commitments to worthy organizations and groups that help us grow spiritually, and some is simply because our “NO” button is broken.
A nearby small town decided to explore options for a four-day school week, and invited input from patrons. I gained a wider perspective on the issue from reading public comment at school board meetings and noticed that all who offered feedback expressed respect for differing opinions, and for the faculty and board. Each person made it clear that they trust the process and will accept, and support, the result. Where can you find that attitude these days?
One common concern was sports schedules. With a shorter school week, unless some activities are cut, education will suffer. Even the coaches admit it, but some people said they didn’t want junior high or elementary sports shortened. Wait, what? Aren’t those the ages when the three R’s should be firmly implanted? Isn’t this when kids need free time to make up their own games without organized schedules? Aren’t these the years when family values and connections need to be built and strengthened?
My youngsters felt deprived when we limited them to two sports in high school and didn’t allow any spring activities because they were needed at home for calving. What do you know, they all turned out to be responsible workers and dedicated to helping their communities. And they had plenty of fun along the way. Other than holiday tournaments, there were no sports scheduled on weekends. The school offered music, art, industrial arts, and drama, along with sports, but fewer choices for sports. Many more activities are offered now, but each demands an increasing amount of the student’s out of school hours, not to mention travel that’s burdensome to parents and students alike. And each sport has multiple games in a week. Science shows teens need more sleep than adults, but neither they nor the parents are getting it. It’s time we all stopped long enough to gather some dust before we burn to the ground.
I know the state associations have control here, and it’s mostly about money. I know that cuts will cause wailing and gnashing of teeth, but I wonder how long we’re willing to continue sacrificing the sanity and safety of our youth for adult egos. I admire the patrons of that community for having these honest discussions about priorities, and hope some positive change comes of it. We are victims of a common virus that spreads insidiously. Our collective ‘’NO” buttons are broken.
Meet me here next week and meanwhile do your best. Somebody might like it.