“There is a season for everything under the sun.” It has been brought to my attention that I am now the matriarch of our family since we have four generations alive now, and the possibility exists for a fifth generation to appear out of my grandson’s marriage in September. Although my mother is being cared for in a skilled care home at this time, she is in fairly good health for 97 years.
Even though I am in the autumn years of my life (71), I still am able to put in twelve hour work days as superintendent, teacher, and co-owner of Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences, a PreK-3 through 12th grade private school for gifted and talented students.
My life experiences have been flavored by a mother-in-law who entered Oklahoma in a horse and wagon, a mother who shared adventures of a Model T Ford in the Ozarks of Missouri, my childhood in the “new” atomic age and space race to the moon, and now the age of virtual realities via the internet. Throughout the 47 years I have taught children in school and youth in church groups, I have witnessed many changes or swings of the pendulum. Rather than let these “epiphany” experiences go with me to the grave, I choose to share them with anyone willing to read this blog.
To make my point, let me share the following example of “change” which occurred last week in my first/second grade classroom. I used a picture of a mop to elicit the beginning sound of “m”, only to find that no child in my class knew what a mop was. After I carefully explained how mothers used a mop to clean tile floors, I was brought to 21st century reality! “We don’t have one of those in our house. We have a Swifter!” The vote was unanimous: “mops” are out of today’s lexicon! Welcome to my world.