If an alien landed in our country during the past year or two and began following the news, he or she might conclude that American is a nation at war with itself, based on the ugly level of public discourse that too often goes unchallenged. As I think back to my time as a teacher, principal and school superintendent, I would have never accepted the kind of rude and disrespectful behavior we’ve become accustomed to these days, without an intervention. As an educator, however, I also realize that … [Read more...]
Mental Health Awareness Month
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, I have spent the past few days reading recent articles about the state of mental health in America. Many of them focus on issues related to children and how we, as adults, can step up to provide support in addressing their problems. It got me to thinking about how far we’ve come in some ways. In looking back on my own life, when I was a young person, the conventional wisdom was that children did not experience depression. Sad, lonely or withdrawn were … [Read more...]
What Difference Does It Make?
If you’re a parent, grandparent or caretaker, you know how important the first day of school is. Regardless of if your child is enrolling kindergarten or beginning their senior year in high school, having a good start to the academic year makes all the difference. Take a kindergarten classroom, for instance. An ambiance on the first day that invites exploration, excitement and a feeling of safety can erase the difficulty of a parental good bye. When I was a superintendent, I marveled at the … [Read more...]
Music Magic
Music has the power to transform an average day into something magical. And, if you are lucky enough to experience it in a live performance venue, it’s even more special. Fortunately, I’ve lived close to live performance spaces throughout most of my life. My musical taste is eclectic, ranging from traditional classical music to a deep and abiding love for the country music I grew up with. During the 1980s, I fell in love with Ravinia Festival when my daughter, Laura, and I lived in Highland … [Read more...]
Feeling Gratitude Makes Us Healthier
Yesterday, I wrote about a Beatles’ song, “Eleanor Rigby,” which I’ve always connected with, at a visceral level, for the way it describes how I felt during a difficult period of my life. The lyrics of that poignant song so eloquently describe the secret world of isolation and hopelessness that many people who suffer from mental illness experience every day. They go about their day living lives of quiet desperation, invisible to the rest of us, their inner pain cloistered away from public … [Read more...]
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