84 days since the Camp Fire, signs of warmheartedness still abound. This is not to say that we're fine. Scores of hearts and lives are broken beyond repair. The fallout is without end.
Yet strength, unity, and resilience continue to pervade. It's a beautiful thing! The most unsung of heroes are our youngsters.
I visit a local elementary school weekly, for work. That one school has seamlessly integrated a former Paradise elementary school. And I mean, seamlessly. 2 schools in 1! With almost no time to prepare for the expansion, the kids and staff readily posted murals and artistic creations to warmly welcome their new peers. When I'm there, I see smiling faces in all directions. There's no indication to me that any of the children are doing an "us" versus "them" thing that we adults so regularly devolve into.
While I was playing tetherball today, a girl approached to say "I'm in first grade." I believe her point was that she's in first grade and nearly my height. But she was too polite to expand on the sentiment.
Other kids who noticed my lack of tetherball savvy suggested that I hit the ball harder. (I tried. I really did. I still lost, 15 games to 0 games.)
By the way, did you know that a "cheap shot" amounts to one's opponent hitting the other's body with the ball, the result of which is that the person hit by the ball is out!? Perhaps dodge-ball is a less vicious option.
Excuse me, while I leave to ice on my rope burns.
Be well, my friends.
"There are heroes all around us doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways."
Kindness does indeed matter. There should be more of it, a heap more of it, but I am a tad misty-eyed at the support that Paradise elementary students are receiving.
ReplyDeleteIt's touchy. I appreciate it every week I'm there.
DeleteThank you, EC.
Children are amazing. When I quit work to stay home with mine, I had people tell me I'd go brain dead being stuck at home. But I found that children (our house was always full of them!) were way more fascinating and thought provoking than most adults.
ReplyDeleteThose people were ignorant of the powers and spunk of the Seckman crew.
DeleteDear Robyn, wherever we moved, over the past 49 years (age of our oldest kid), I installed a backyard tether ball pole. Our youngest is 34 and got to experience what she called "rope-wrist" too. She's in Chicago now but the tether ball pole still stands in our yard. You have tapped my history of admiration for tether ball and those who delight kids with it.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember it being so generous in imparting rope-wrist, Geo. That's likely because I could more easily duck under the ball - versus playing now against a same size opponent. Perhaps you'll lend me your backyard to hone my skills?
DeleteThanks for sharing sweet memories.
I don’t think that little girl was making any sort f statement other than that she was In first grade. It was hr way of making conversation.
ReplyDeleteYou're likely right, and I'm likely over-sensitive. But I think she may've given me the up and down eye gaze that indicated as much. If not, she's one in a million.
DeleteThat's great the kids have all melded together into one group.
ReplyDeleteTetherball is a mean sport.
Tell me about it, Alex.
DeleteSmiles.
glad the kids have melded and are carrying on. Hey, in first grade, they just say...and she could identify with you - no doubt you were smiling and she gravitated your way.
ReplyDeleteTether ball? No way am I near flying balls
It if keeps "my" kid happy, I keep stock of ice.
DeleteThanks, Joanne. Yeah, first graders are sweet and friendly.
Great they just carried on and came together, if only adults can do the same. You may need to up your tetherball skills a bit lol
ReplyDeleteYou might be right, Pat. But I plan to up my skills at dodging the ball - that's less painful.
DeleteI remember my first experience with dodge-ball. My earliest years were spent in a neighborhood that had very few neighbors. The first time I ever played dodge-ball was in school. I had absolutely no idea what the game was about. Some kid threw the ball at me. I stood there while it hit me. My teacher gave me a near-lecture while leading me out of the circle. "You're supposed to dodge the ball! Don't you know how to play dodge-ball?!?" Of course, my answer was a a simple, matter-of-fact "No." Bitch didn't even apologize.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I'm mad at your teacher. She's likely dead now, so karma got that bitch!
DeleteYou're a brave woman to play 15 games of tether ball. I personally hated that game. I just wasn't good at all and it hurt my wrist. I think its so great that you get to mingle with all the kiddos- I bet they love you!!
ReplyDeleteKids are so resilient to changes like schools moving in. We could learn a lot about mankind and kindness from first graders.
If only kids ruled the world, right?
DeleteTetherball is rather ruthless. They should make (metal) wrist guards for it.
Thank you, Holli.
So we won't see you soon at the Tetherball Olympics?
ReplyDeleteDwarf tetherball perhaps. Nah, never mind. You won't see me, Debra.
DeleteIt's great that the kids were so welcoming!!
ReplyDeleteIt's inspiring, Fishducky.
DeleteThank you.
Kids are so accepting.
ReplyDeleteI was just as bad at tetherball - too short.
It's even worse now that I have to make efforts to dodge the ball (sometimes). Thanks for commiserating, Diane.
DeleteI loved playing teeter ball as a kid--it got vicious when I was a teenager and then the pole rusted and broke which was good because sooner or later someone might have been hurt. That said, I'll challenge you to a game!
ReplyDeletewww.thepulpitandthepen.com
Sure, Sage, but I'll declare you the victor before the game starts. Okay?
DeleteI would suck at tetherball and height would not be the reason. I just suck at sports. I. Glad you still have a great memory to what recently happened
ReplyDeleteMe too. I suck at all sports, that is.
DeleteI'm decent at ping pong, but that's not an athletic sport.
Thanks, hon.
I played a lot of tetherball in elementary school. We didn't have the rule that you're out if the ball hits your body. I'm trying to visualize how the ball could hit one's body and I can't figure it out. We always had our hands out to hit the ball. Sometimes it got past us, but we never got hit. Maybe you're playing some newfangled version of tetherball that an old fogy like me doesn't understand.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Sweetie, you were never a shorty. Am I right?
DeleteLove ya.
Robyn, Short is not the problem. Napoleon was short. Keats was short. Tetherball is the problem. Give it up for Lent!
ReplyDeleteHaha! You are priceless, Margaret! Thank you, my sweet friend.
DeleteSorry about your game injuries, but love your story of the kids. That's awesome and we adults could learn a thing or two from them.
ReplyDeleteYes, we'd be so much wiser if we followed kids' lead. Thank you, Sandy.
DeleteIt's nice to hear that some goodness and kindness has come out of the tragedy of the fires. I've never played tetherball, and I'm OK with that. Sorry to hear about the rope burns. I hope you are healing.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually not so much the rope burns as the bonks in the head that jolted and hurt more.
DeleteBe well, Connie.
A good week to you.