You Can't Go Back

LOWNDES HIGH SCHOOL - VALDOSTA, GA

Good Saturday morning to ya'll. It is the beginning of a beautiful, fall day in South Georgia and I look forward to enjoying every minute of it. Ya'll know I had foot surgery about 8 weeks ago and it is getting better every day and soon I will be able to walk the sod farm next to us and lose some weight. Since I retired I have rediscovered my love of cooking and because there is just the 2 of us at home, I eat too much of the good food. I am getting beyond fluffy and getting to fat. Got to stop eating more than just a little bit.

One good thing though, since Roy is working at the church a couple of days during the week, I can always send the pastors most of the sweets to enjoy. Our church staff is all young and slim so they can use a little fattening up and it gives me an opportunity to try new recipes, keep a little, and then get it out of the house. Out of sight, out of mind, maybe. There is always something good to eat at our house for I always have a jar of peanut butter!

You know the old saying, "You can't go back?" Well I think that is so true. I went back to Lowndes High Media center for 3 days this week to sub for the media specialists. They were gone to our state tech conference in "Hot-lanta" and I helped out at the school. I wish I could have gone with them for I REALLY enjoyed our yearly trips to Atlanta - Cheesecake Factory, the malls, the partying, and oh yes the conference was good also. I would learn a lot and have a great time.

But because those days are gone, I helped keep the home fires burning in the media center. My foot and back kept me from walking all over the school but many came by to see and speak to me. It was always amusing to be sitting behind the circulation desk and friends walk in, say hello and begin to tell me what they wanted and then a look of surprise would come over their faces. The general response was, "Oh, it's you, what are you doing here? It just looked so normal I forgot you were not here anymore." Then I would get a great, big hug, laughter and catching up on their children and lives since I left a year ago.

What was extra special were the kids who came by and would give me a big hug and begin telling me about the books they were reading. One came each day just to give me a hug and tell me how much she missed me. She is a talented writer and I look forward to seeing her works in print some day.

Many of the students asked me for help remembering my help on the Internet and PowerPoint from the past years. It was great to be able to solve some of their problems and interact with them. You do know there are some really, great, smart, and polite young people out there don't you? If not, you need to volunteer somewhere and get to know them for most of them are good kids at least down here where we live.

However, there are some who have no respect for themselves or adults or for that matter, anyone. I was instructing one on the website which is approved for the project she was doing, and it is a great site, but she wanted to use Google. Her question of why can't I use Google was rude, disrespectful and about got my panties in a hug wad. I know how to look them straight in the eye and without flinching say, "Because, that is the policy and that is the way it's going to be." Now this ticked her off and she spun around on her feet, tossed that fake, blond hair, sniffed loudly, and marched to a computer and begrudgingly did what I said. I'm sure the names she was calling me under her breath were not, "She sure is a nice lady and I appreciate her help." This was a big reminder of why I am no longer a school media specialist.

It's a shame some of our young people and children are not being taught to respect adults or for that matter, their peers. I see teens being disrespectful and unfeeling to most people if they are not being treated as little gods with all their wants catered to. I have a theory about this and it's that their parents don't know how to respect others and do not know how to teach their children this trait. The other scenario is they have abandoned their responsibilities as a parent. If you look around, there are lots of adults with the same problem.

My other theory is that the music blasting into their heads through those little ear bud things has permanently damaged their eardrums and they can only hear themselves. Or, constant texting on their phones has erased all their abilities to communicate verbally. If you could text the instructions to them, they might understand what you are saying. Of course there are many ways to be rude in texting also and I bet these same kids know all of them.

The hair could be the problem. Many have been using various and sundry dyes, rinses, sprays, gels, and hairsprays most of their lives so maybe some of it has leached the "respect" and "manners" area of their brains right out. Oh my, maybe permanent damage to the "niceness" section of the brain. Some of that stuff is pretty potent. There are many with extensions and weaves and that could have pulled out sections of the brain over time. Where did "natural" go?

The only other theory I have is the "boob job" theory. Lots of our high school age girls cannot wait until adulthood to have large boobs so they get implants. Some get them as young as 15 and I wonder if some of that stuff inside the implants has leaked to their brains. If they can't get the plastic surgery they buy these bras with the extra, extra padding in them to push them up under their chins, so maybe they got pushed too close to the nose and caused oxygen deprivation and brain damage.

Whatever the cause, they need to stop it for soon many more of our adults will have all manners and niceness removed from their brains. What a mess we'll be in then.

It was a good experience though and I enjoyed my three days with my former paraprofessional, looking at all the new books, reading some of them and having great conversations with old friends. It did reinforce my decision of 2 years ago - it was time for me to leave the building. I am enjoying life too much to go back to that invigorating but tiring life style.

I love the school environment and it's good to go back sometimes and be reminded of just how good it can be, but I have put down the responsibility of trying to teach our children how to live well in their future. It is a huge joy, gift and responsibility our teachers have so thank them when you see them for in many situations they are not only your children's teachers but their friend, mentor and substitute parent. It's a hard job but I loved most every minute of it.

I am glad to be home though for 5:30 came way too early.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

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