Fourth Grade Closing Exercises
May 27, 2011
I enjoy the news. On my drive to work, I like getting caught up with the latest local, national and global events and being generally aware of what’s happening in politics, the weather, and so on. I specifically like listening to NPR. It’s generally been the only station I’ve tuned into on my short commutes to school for the past decade or so. But something changed this year and my radio horizons have been broadened, despite my best efforts to resist such broadening.
Over the course of this year, as I’ve taken turns driving my 4th grader to school, guitar lessons, baseball practice, and various other places around the city, he has slowly gained control over the tuner, and, as a result, I’ve, once again, 35 years later, become fluent in top-40 radio - specifically “KJ103-ese”.
In my life, I have had many goals, one of the most important is that I will be a life-long learner, be curious about the world and try to make a difference. What is absent from my long list of goals, however, is to learn, by heart, most of the Bruno Mars, Keisha, and Black-Eyed Peas songs, including instrumental breaks. Also absent is the desire to have those songs constantly in my head, all day long.
That probably wasn’t the case when I was in 4th grade in 1976. Back then, I did want to know all the words to “Afternoon Delight” by the Starland Vocal Band, “Don’t Go Breakin’ my Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee, and “Play that Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. I’m fairly sure my parents fought the impulse to hum those tunes during quiet times in their days back then, but I’m also certain that they were just as powerless over them as I am today. As a ten-year-old, it was one of the first times I realized that I had my own music, separate from my parents - it was empowering to know that those songs were mine. Independence was just over the horizon…
Fourth Graders: Whether you know it or not, you are educating your parents not only in the language of top-40 music, Ryan Seacrest and the cultural realities of pre-adolescence in the year 2011, you’re also teaching them (and your teachers) about patience, compassion, and humility.
We adults sometimes think we have all the answers, but we don’t. Lucky for us, you’ve been teaching us for a long time. And while we may not always enjoy the lessons, believe me, we’re learning them because of the amazing and wonderful things you do and are interested in. Because of who you are, how you live your lives, and what you want to become, you remind us every day how important it is to be curious, to work hard, to be kind to one another, and to try our best.
In school, while we have a set curriculum and a well-planned sequence of what gets taught when, we also know that there are countless other problems that need solutions that are outside the walls of the school. We hope that your musical tastes evolve appropriately, but it’s inevitable that you’ll like what you like despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise. You need to become your own person with your own peculiarities – those are the things that make you who you are and will become. We need to understand that and guide you with an open and flexible heart and the belief that you will, in the end, do something to make your world a better place.
This beginning has ended. Next year you’ll take on more responsibilities and you’ll have more freedom. You’ve shown us that you’re ready for those changes and we know you’ll rise to the challenge. As your taste in music evolves I hope you’ll never waver from your work to become the best person you can become and to make a difference. We know you can do it…
Congratulations!
No comments:
Post a Comment