The Audacity...
Moral of the story: I refuse to contribute to a future of silver platter holders with no appreciation of the silver in their hands. I refuse to yield to such behaviors.
So, once there was this lady - who I now consider a friend - who was not my friend yet at the time, because we were new to the area and did not know each other yet...
Almost a decade ago, one of my sons ran into my bedroom in the early morning hours of the day to tell me Mexicans were standing in his room taking water. I thought he was sleepwalking and dreaming. He was adamant that there were three Mexicans in his room trying to take his water. Mind you, I laugh now as I type this and recall the situation that unfolded in the next few minutes of that morning.
I went with my son down the hall to his bedroom. Sure enough, I could faintly here male voices speaking hurried Spanish coming from somewhere. They were not in his room. There were three Mexican men speaking Spanish and very poor English at my son's window. They were messing with the water hose and spiket trying to put water in a pail. So, there were Mexican men at my son's window and they were trying to get the water.
After many failed attempts at communication, I was finally able to ascertain they needed water for the pail to mix concrete, as they had no access to water. I allowed them to get water. This communication was achieved through my older son's somewhat limited knowledge of Spanish, my even more hindered Spanish knowledge, many hand gestures and facial contortions. Imagine charades with people who do not speak the same language.
Anyhow, the interaction with our early morning water borrowers prompted me to phone this lady...that in itself is a long story. The end result of the conversation was a response of me being told I cannot believe you have the audacity...
Years later, my husband and I often reflect upon the actions of others with the same statement. So, an awkward conversation and encounter almost a decade before has given me years of reflection - upon my own actions and those of others.
What bothers me presently is in my field of vocation. I busted my butt for my doctorate degree. My family worked their heineys off alongside me to support my efforts. I have never forgotten how tirelessly we all strived for this achievement to occur.
Now as a professor, I see students at times who expect to be handed a grade without the effort of thought or research to achieve the grade they expect to receive. Others work hard and it is evident. The few that do not bellow and moan. The expectancy is that the louder the bellow, the more of a mess they make, the more they will get their way...like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
I refuse to yield to such behaviors.
In postsecondary education, the students who come through the doors of the courses today will or WILL NOT support our country in the future. I refuse to contribute to a future of silver platter holders with no appreciation of the silver in their hands.
I do not hand my child grades in his homeschool education. Everything is a learning process. Everything is earned. He will do well, because I make sure he masters the skills: through instruction, exposure, and life application exercises and scenarios. I also make sure he experiences opportunities to transfer and generalize skill sets he learns to new settings and situations. Learning a skill in isolation means nothing if the skill is not transferable to other applications. For this, he will benefit in the future and become a contributing member of society capable of thinking for self and sustaining self, with a firm knowledge base that nothing in attainable without the grace of the Lord. Gimme attitudes do not exist in this household...never did for either of my sons.
I will not contribute to gimme society. Sustainability does not occur on gimme. Freedom is not achieved, gained, or kept through gimme. The Lord, knowledge, and strength in wisdom allows the growth of what is needed for sustainability.
In the end...I cannot fathom the audacity of some at the expense of others.
So, once there was this lady - who I now consider a friend - who was not my friend yet at the time, because we were new to the area and did not know each other yet...
Almost a decade ago, one of my sons ran into my bedroom in the early morning hours of the day to tell me Mexicans were standing in his room taking water. I thought he was sleepwalking and dreaming. He was adamant that there were three Mexicans in his room trying to take his water. Mind you, I laugh now as I type this and recall the situation that unfolded in the next few minutes of that morning.
I went with my son down the hall to his bedroom. Sure enough, I could faintly here male voices speaking hurried Spanish coming from somewhere. They were not in his room. There were three Mexican men speaking Spanish and very poor English at my son's window. They were messing with the water hose and spiket trying to put water in a pail. So, there were Mexican men at my son's window and they were trying to get the water.
After many failed attempts at communication, I was finally able to ascertain they needed water for the pail to mix concrete, as they had no access to water. I allowed them to get water. This communication was achieved through my older son's somewhat limited knowledge of Spanish, my even more hindered Spanish knowledge, many hand gestures and facial contortions. Imagine charades with people who do not speak the same language.
Anyhow, the interaction with our early morning water borrowers prompted me to phone this lady...that in itself is a long story. The end result of the conversation was a response of me being told I cannot believe you have the audacity...
Years later, my husband and I often reflect upon the actions of others with the same statement. So, an awkward conversation and encounter almost a decade before has given me years of reflection - upon my own actions and those of others.
What bothers me presently is in my field of vocation. I busted my butt for my doctorate degree. My family worked their heineys off alongside me to support my efforts. I have never forgotten how tirelessly we all strived for this achievement to occur.
Now as a professor, I see students at times who expect to be handed a grade without the effort of thought or research to achieve the grade they expect to receive. Others work hard and it is evident. The few that do not bellow and moan. The expectancy is that the louder the bellow, the more of a mess they make, the more they will get their way...like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
I refuse to yield to such behaviors.
In postsecondary education, the students who come through the doors of the courses today will or WILL NOT support our country in the future. I refuse to contribute to a future of silver platter holders with no appreciation of the silver in their hands.
I will not contribute to gimme society. Sustainability does not occur on gimme. Freedom is not achieved, gained, or kept through gimme. The Lord, knowledge, and strength in wisdom allows the growth of what is needed for sustainability.
In the end...I cannot fathom the audacity of some at the expense of others.
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