Beech Tree News Network

MISPLACED

Not too long ago we were having a discussion with the youngest member of our clan about the importance of keeping his grades up (once again) and getting just a little frustrated that our well-intentioned and experienced wisdom seems to be so easily dismissed at times. During this time, my wife thought she would also check on our eldest child's academic progress and went looking for her name among the students in our particular county whom had made the Dean's list at her particular school. My wife could not locate our daughters name anywhere and began to become suspicious that her grade average had not met the standards to be included, even though she had been assured it should. It turned out that her name was included but it was not where it should have been, it was listed among students of a different county, the one where the school our daughter attends is located but not the county in which her family resides. In other words, her name had been misplaced.

Having to look for things that have been misplaced is not a lot of fun is it? Feeling misplaced yourself is not just tedious and bothersome but downright soul-draining. I heard a fellow the other day explain that one of the reasons he is so passionate about an issue which involves children is because he could see himself when he looked at these particular children or rather remember himself, in very similar circumstances. That is the key to it all right there, isn't it? Having the ability to see ourselves in others; that singular capacity has the potential to change the world.

I see myself when I look at children who do not learn well or at least to their full capacity, in conservative, structured, score-oriented, learning environments. That is why I am so passionate about progressive education (nothing to do with progressive politics.) I started off in a somewhat progressive school, even though I did not know it at the time and then was suddenly thrust into a very conservative, educational model, midway through my education. I should have been placed in an even more progressive model but instead, I was really misplaced; in a framework that just did not work for me and it soured me on the whole process.

I see myself when I look at people who have no access to quality health-care and that is why I become so passionate when others rail against universal health care, it makes my (infected) blood boil! I am passionate about several issues, these are just a couple where I can most readily identify because these seem an injustice, against the child and man I use to be, fighting in a world where you always feel misunderstood and out of place, with only glimpses of hope to keep you going.

I have really always felt kind of out of place at most of the jobs I ended up at, just trying to earn a living. Here is a list of careers, in order, to which I was probably more suited to, they are not related to training or experience but just a feeling of belonging. 1- fiddle player/songwriter 2-novelist 3-syndicated columnist 4-college professor 5- - doctor/nutritionist. You'll notice not one involves factories, or machines, or mechanical skill, I am not suited for that but somehow, seemed to have gotten myself misplaced in to those situations anyway.

We all have seemed to have gotten a lot of things misplaced. A wise Lord once said “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Listen closely to those words, they apply to a lot of situations. I love a home that is neat, tidy, and organized (I just don't possess those skills in abundance,) but a home is made to bring a family comfort, we were not made to serve it, to the point of o.c.d. Schools are meant to serve us, to make learning an adventure, we are not meant to serve the call of “common core” knowledge. Work was made to serve us and give a sense of purpose, not just something to get through, in order to get a paycheck. Most importantly is a place in your heart where you are at peace; never, ever, let that be misplaced.