Shouldering Responsibility
Today I had my first Physical Therapy session. Before I went, I knew my shoulder was weak. What I found out was that my range of motion was also diminished a bit. Not a lot. Just enough to notice when run through some tests.
Can't wait to get to the finish line.
☆
Yesterday, I was
privileged to be asked by my friend, Paula Reed, to
volunteer to read Christmas stories to a group of
kids. You may have seen the founder of the non-profit
organization that provides children with a place to
go after school on Oprah some time ago. Bea Salazar.
The organization is Bea's Kids — quoting from
their website "provides educational and personal
development programs to children from low-income
families so they will stay in school and break the
cycle of poverty."
Today, after my PT session at Parkland, I headed to
the Richardson location of Bea's Kids again to
volunteer, doing whatever I could to help out.
I have to say, I'm both amazed at the children I met
and angry at the failure of the government school to
teach some of these kids adequate communication
skills. I won't get too political here on this blog
because this isn't the place for it. But, it is
sufficient it to say, I'm pissed. More than a couple
of the children I worked with could not write a
simple sentence. Yet they could speak two languages.
Their math skills were not that great either. I don't
blame the children. I blame the schools — their
teachers and the administrators — for failing to
teach them language skills that will provide the
basis for greater learning, greater success. In
school and in life.
I wanted you to know that I had originally intended
to volunteer to help in some small way to repay what
was given to me by the citizens of Dallas County
through Parkland Hospital— a surgery that surely has
saved my life. And all I got in return was a lesson
about how government schools are failing our kids.
Instead of feeling powerless to do anything, my voice
will rise, strong and confident, to be heard.
I may not have children of my own but the future of
our country — for all people in this country whether
they have children or not — is dependent on all
children being prepared for life. The fact that our
country's government schools are failing to
adequately prepare these and most children for the
needs of that future surely is an indication that
government should get out of the business of
education.
Okay. . . I'm off my soapbox. Once I get settled in
my new digs, I'll start my Off The Dime podcast once
again and get back to writing and voicing more of my
socio-political opinions there. As I said, this is
not the place for it. Thanks for indulging me.
More soon. The coffee shop is closing soon and my
free Wi-Fi is about to disappear. I need to upload so
I can go home and download.
Later. . . .