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I Kind of Hate Day-lilies

When you are on the business end of a spade or on the ground wrangling a trowel removing a colony of old growth day-lilies. you have time to think. A lot of time to think.

Day-lilies are cantankerous little flowers. They come from a bulb and root themselves squarely in the hardest to reach places in the soil. Day-lilies spread and propagate all over a space if they are allowed to. What I have learned about daylilies is that in order to prevent them from coming back year after year, their bulb must be removed. This is no small order.

I kind of hate day-lilies. They have been a source of a lot of time and energy in my family the past few weeks. While they served a purpose in our backyard at one point, they are a cautionary tale of something that once was wonderful, but has been left unattended and spread and took on a line of its own.

I think a lot about life when I’m digging in the dirt. Day lilies remind me that everything good came from good intentions, hard work when everything is right there is beauty. Like anything else the day-lilies remind us that we must tend our own garden or those things that we hold dear will quickly spread and possibly get away from us. What was what beauty could become something unmanageable, stressful, and in many cases really hard to undo.

This is the time of year that we all must reflect and think to ourselves, “Is what we are doing what we have done?”

“Ia what we are planning to do still important, pertinent and accomplishing what we was set out for it to do!”

Or, has the world shifted, the needs changed, and what once was something really important or something really valuable now be what it was was?

If we leave these pieces untended the day lily reminds us that not only can we quickly have our gardens overrun, but we can have a large amount of backbreaking effort ahead of us to undo our lack of focus and attention to detail.

Exact Cash or Card Only

I feel like I did about a decade ago when numerous educational mandates implemented including technology standards and yet we still spent time teaching cursive writing. The cursive debate rages on, with valid points supporting both sides regarding its benefit. However, the fact remains: the world shifted away from cursive and final ink copies toward typed work or electronic documents. It's not shifting back. Is cursive an important skill? There are many reasons it is. However, in a world constantly broadcasting that schools and teachers aren't doing enough to prepare students for the real world, it's hard to justify spending time in this fashion. I think to myself, "Which way do you want it?" In many ways, the answer is, "We want it all."

I was in a kindergarten classroom the other day when the teacher was presenting about coins. She said, "This is something that isn't being made anymore...." It was a penny. She's right. She's also stuck. She has to teach about pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars. She has to talk about change and adding coins. All of this is part of her expectation, but then the other day, I saw a sign walking into the gas station that read, "Exact Cash or Card Only". However, the world is quickly moving away from pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. The world of "Rounding Up" to the nearest nickel is upon us.

We will have to count change, but the world is different from what it was just two years ago. It's interesting to watch trends shift, seeing what was once very important become less so. It's also important to ask ourselves, "What do we (society) want?"Cash is no longer king. It's now more burdensome and often unwelcome. Will counting change be the next cursive? Time will only tell.

You Know What You Know

You know what you know. Five simple words that fit nicely in your back pocket. We gather knowledge far and wide. Sometimes we second-guess ourselves. We think, "Am I on solid ground?"We can always learn new things and be reminded of our blind spots, but we also have a world of knowledge from experience and time to draw upon." Sometimes it's okay to step back in those moments of questioning and simply say, "I know what I know," then move on.

Collection of Impact

People in your life come and go. What truly constitutes one's life journey is the collection of people we meet who impact who we are and how we approach the world. I have been very blessed throughout my life to collect many such relationships. Today, I think about the individuals, both present and in my past who have become part of my "Collection of Impact." I appreciate these individuals for who they are and what they have brought and still bring to me. The nice piece about life is that this collection isn't finite. It will grow over time. I encourage you today to pause a moment and think about your "Collection of Impact" and reflect with gratitude on what they bring your way.

The Power of the Lull

There is power in a lull. A lull is a temporary pause or calm in normal activity. We go through life following a certain path and what we see each day becomes routine and sometimes expected. At times, it is important to draw from the power of the lull. It is important for us all to slow down and look around. It is important for us to see what we have and to look at what that translates to for others. Sometimes we move so rapidly that we fail to see the benefits of what we have. Sometimes we also don't find the good even when we are surrounded by it. Other times we expect something because it has been present for a long time and think everyone else has it when they don't. There is a certain power in a lull. There is power is stopping and looking around and noticing all that we have and recognizing that our normal, while it may be stressful at times, is so much better than it could be. It is important that we force ourselves not to overlook what we have during this lull. Rather, the power of the Lull comes from the opposite: The intentional acknowledgement of all that we have. Tap the brakes. Slow down. Don't do so just to coast and ignore your good fortunes. Use the tapped brakes as a reminder that you have many good pieces comprising your world. The slower moment can actually be used to reset your focus on how far you have traveled, not how far you have yet to go.

Community Baseball and Softball - A Permanent Pivot Away From “Home”

This time of year there is a reoccurring trend. A plea by local summer rec leagues for players and coaches - a desperate call for a lifeline - for survival.

This time of year there is also a flurry of excitement as children find spots on teams that travel to and fro playing games in faraway places. Travel ball is here to stay and there are many elements of good about it.

I was fortunate, I realize, to have grown up in a time and then coached in a time where each little town had a league and talent was cultivated and cheered as children aged. These little towns had teams that played each other and maybe a few from places that combine to form middle schools and some into high schools. First and foremost, you played for your home town and you did so with pride

I played and coached in a time where trophies were rare and rings were unheard of and multiple uniforms didn’t happen until one reached the high school level. These were the times when team equipment bags were old Army duffels and moms and dads took their spot in the concession stand when it was their turn to give back.

I played and coached in a time when rain sometimes meant burning the field (yes, they did that) and coaches umpired the game before or after theirs. I played in a time when coaching meant you understood the business end of a rake and knew how to chalk a straight baseline.

I learned something in the dugouts, on those ag lime fields dragged by dads on pick ups before each game, and when wearing the umpire mask. I learned community and giving back and doing one’s part. I learned it because of the examples I saw from moms and dads coming together to help. I learned it watching community members flip pancakes and turn hot dogs and grill steaks at fundraisers. I learned it from $50 pies bought at raffles to be turned around and sold again.

I realize as I see summer recreation groups struggle for air that unfortunately in the not-too-distant future, these fields may be overrun by weeds as local organizations fold up shop. That’s the way of progress, I guess, but it makes me a bit sad. It also makes me realize how fortunate I was to be a part of something special that had such tremendous impact on who I am as an educator and who I am as a person.

Paddle Ball of Kindness

Most of you have seen the paddle ball game - the one with the paddle with a rubber string through its center attached to a rubber ball. The object of the game is to hit the ball with the paddle until it outstretches to its rubbery length then pulls back toward the center of the paddle to be struck once again. If you find your rhythm, you can strike the ball repeatedly and develop a flow.

Acts of kindness sometimes remind me of the paddle ball game. An act of kindness is an outstretching of the ball to its length. It's an offer extended toward someone else. The paddle ball game is not easy to master. It requires some practice and proper execution of the paddle. If not done correctly, the ball wobbles off path and there is simply a messy string with a ball dangling from its end. It requires the focus of a return hit to keep the flow going. Kindnesses are the same way. When someone offers you kindness, accept it. The person wants to help. However, recognize as well that the offer to lift a burden or the gift of time extended to you by someone else cannot be just one person hitting the ball. It requires the follow up hit with equal intention to continue to move forward on the path.

If we only accept an offering and never reciprocate, after a while, the person offering will lose focus, desire, and faith. It's never fun to be only the person who gives. That soul, who may be wired toward others, also needs a return volley. Consider that this week in your interactions with others. Has someone taken a burden from you or given you the gift of time or space? If they have, have you returned it, or at least considered when you could? If not, the offering becomes cattywampus and the back and forth rhythm never quite takes hold.

Patience

Today begins the Holy Month of Ramadan. I don't share this with you for any religious purposes, rather because it is often referred to as "The Month of Patience" where individuals choose to fast from sun up to sun down with both food and drink. It takes patience to withhold. Patience is something that I have been giving a lot of thought to lately.

Patience is something that needs to be learned. It is not an easy skill to acquire and it is something that can easily drain away. We've all been there - saying to ourselves, "I need to be more patient". Patience isn't something we can just fix overnight. It requires a slow roll and focused intentionality.

Patience. Waiting. Self-control. Regulation. These skills are not born within a person and can wither away if not practiced. Take time with those in your care to slow down and also to expect patience. It will require a withholding of frustration on your part when working with others around you as they acquire the skill themselves, but it is time well-spent and something we all can use to spend a little more time with.

How Many Families Do You Have?

In a conversation recently a friend spoke with gratitude about the many 'families' he has. He counts his biological family as one, but also recounted several 'families' including his current job, former job, and volunteer pursuits. These 'families' are all important and are part of the fabric of his being. He also spoke about how these 'families' are always there if he needs some support or guidance. It made me begin to count my 'families'. These personal connections that last, stick, and have purpose and meaning are important to tally and to appreciate. How many 'families' do you have?

Nib-nose

I like to collect words. I learned one the other day: Nib-nose. It's an Applachian word meaning 'nosy' to go around nib-nosing at an estate sale or in someone's house or business. It's one of those words that adds a little flavor to your day. I thought about nib-nosing and how in my life I'm not that curious about other people's homes or other people's possessions. But then I thought, can you nib-nose around a carry-in lunch? If I'm walking up and down the counter looking at the cheeseballs and the deviled eggs before I plan my attack, is that being strategic or nib-nosing? I'm not sure. But I like the word. I will try to add this to my vocabulary more frequently because these little sayings have a distinct meaning once you know them and they add flavor to one's day. Nib-nose - who knew? What a great word to add to your collection as well. Do you have a favorite unique word that you like to use?

Chef's Toque

The traditional tall, white, pleated chef’s hat is officially referred to as a toque, which is the Arabic word for hat. While this word has been used for thousands of years to refer to any brimless hat, the French popularized using “toque” or “toque blanche” to refer to a white chef’s hat. Its 100 pleats are said to represent the 100 ways a chef can prepare eggs. 100 ways - Wow. If you look up the ways, you will become lost in different French explanations about egg preparation. Kind of cool.

We don't wear a toque as educators. In some ways it might be nice if we did because like an egg, there are so many ways we can approach a child and his/her learning. We must learn each way when needed because our task is the growth of kind, literate citizens. I have often marveled watching a chef work his/her magic in the kitchen on television shows. The beauty they can create from a carrot or a radish or an egg is impressive. The idea of mixing this ingredient with that ingredient to create a 'flavor profile' that is memorable is astonishing. You are no less masters at your craft. When you are in the presence of an individual who can teach something to someone else - who can mix the 'flavor profile' of patience, expertise, kindness, expectation, and rigor - you feel it just like you do when you see a chef wearing a toque creating culinary magic. You are creating instructional magic each day. Like the 100 egg profile, you are masters and deserve all the respect for doing a job well and doing it with such excellence. My gratitude.

Shaping the Osage

Osage Orange (Hedge Apple or Horse Apple) wood is a very hard wood. It is heavy, dense, and hard to cut, nail, and shape. That is why the bowl that walked in my office with the wood crafter is so special. This wood was cut and worked by a brother pair. One cuts the wood into workable sizes. The other shapes the wood with a lathe. The result - astonishing.

Sometimes the hardest pieces we have in front of us to turn and to shape require something extra. Something more than we have given in the past. This is the first bowl that was shaped by this wood crafter from Osage Orange wood. The result was spectacular. Why? Because the individuals cutting and shaping it have two characteristics like the wood itself - they have hard and fast skills and they also hold their shape with determination of purpose.

In life we will have moments similar to the shaping of an Osage Orange log into a bowl. The moment will require dedication of purpose, time, and also great skill. But what happens often is that the end result is as spectacular as the bowl we see shaped with the lathe. It didn't just happen. It required so much to accomplish, but the end result offers both pride and a sense of awe.

Belongingness

The human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group. Whether it is family, friends, co-workers, a religion, or something else, people tend to have an 'inherent' need to be an important part of something GREATER than themselves.

We all want to be welcome and we all want to feel like we belong. There is a struggle this time of year to find footing when the days are long but short. The days drag on but the sun is not plentiful and warmth is a scarce commodity. It is hard to find your footing and easy to feel adrift. Do what you can for yourself in these cold days of winter. Seek moments of calm and moments of joy. Reach out to someone and say, "Come, sit a while. Let's chat" or "Tell me about your day". And if offered that invitation, take someone up on the opportunity - if only for a brief moment in time to connect. The human touch is so very important. We all belong in many arenas of our lives, but some days it may feel more lonely than others. If I can offer you five minutes of worth, wander in and sit down. I've got a comfy chair that has your name on it and two ears that are pretty good at listening.

Surviving the Dip

In the course of a school year there are moments of rise and moments of dip. The year begins with momentum then slows down and at some point it bottoms out. In these moments of dip the parents are more vocal, the children are less attentive, the days are longer, and the tasks seem so much more monumental. When we are in the dip, there is a tendency to feel exasperated. Will it ever get better? It will. The dip happens so the rise can follow. We are in the midst of the dip in terms of the school year. Ride it out. There will be brighter, longer days in the future where smiles are more prevalent and hope will once again rise. The hardest part of the dip is surviving it. Stay the course.

Our Internal Barometer

Right now there is a lot about the world that appears off. Formalities are fleeting, protocols of common decency feel abandoned, and the blisters on your hands from what feels like you are in a six-foot hole shoveling sand trying to get out are hurting. Your gut tells you what is right and what is wrong. Your gut tells you the appropriate way to act and what constitutes being a decent human being. Trust your gut. When your gut tells you something is off, listen. But then be patient and sit in the moment and do something many skip - think.

Then listen to your gut once again and see what it’s telling you. After you have looked around for different angles and varied solutions, choose decency, kindness, honesty, and manners as the course moving forward.

We all have internal barometers that have been built over time into the fiber of our being through both experience and example. This barometer can guide us forward and while doing so, help create a necessary reset. This reset will allow a foothold in the sand on our way out of the hole we sometimes desperately are shoveling our way out from when life seems off-putting, frustrating, and out of sorts.

The day was sunny at Wrigley Field. The pitcher delivered the pitch. The batter swung. The baseball fouled off the bat and soared upward into foul territory. It bounced on the concrete walkway nine rows in front of our seats.

The ball arced high into the air - its path heading straight toward our seats. The anticipation of the ball - an authentic Major League foul ball - was as close as it ever had been in my lifetime. My heart pitter-pattered with excitement.

I stood, my hands at my side. Those around me stood as well, but with outstretched arms. My arms seemed heavy, unable to raise. As the ball passed those in front of me and headed directly in my path, I desperately stabbed both hands outward toward the prize, not wanting to miss this chance.

I heard myself grunt and felt my hands thrust forward - directly into the back of my wife sleeping to my right. There was an instant of panic where my mind thought, “Did I catch the ball?” followed by an equal panic after realizing ,“I’ve just shoved my wife in her back as she slept” - my actions, the offshoot of a too-realistic dream.

Then the shame of realization set in - no ball, your hands froze in the one moment of glory, and you just made a fool of yourself while asleep.

Thankfully my wife remained in a slumber, or she realized I had awoken from a dream and she offered me grace by not stirring. Either way, that moment remained in my mind - my one shot at glory and I’m not even sure how it ended. Then I rolled over and cleared my mind hoping that sleep would come quickly and that dreams with achieved glory would somehow follow.

Hopefully your day is off to a good start. If it isn’t, realize it could be worse. You could have had that one moment, before you even rose to start your day, to realize a childhood dream only to let that pesky thing called consciousness steal the glory of the day. So take heed - the day ahead will be terrific. I’ve taken the fall for all of us. Until tonight. Tonight - just maybe - the dream just might become a part of my subconscious reality once again. Have no fear - I am ready - if the Gods of Foul Balls and Friendly Bounces choose once again to give me my shot, I’ll be ready.

The Gift of Applesauce

There is a young boy who loves applesauce. He loves it like no other and lunch is always filled with delight when he has it on the menu. It is a simple joy.

We love children in this school and the people who walk the halls in support of children model that each day. I know this many times over but I see it in the form of applesauce that gets kept back by adults from their meals and each day, mysteriously resurrects itself on this little boy's lunch tray. Like the tooth fairy each night making her rounds, these kind souls share their love in the most simple way - through a container of applesauce left on a tray for a little boy's delight.

Thank you all.

Mike Pinto

Principal

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