We are a nation of followers. We latch onto an idea, a person, a group, and no matter what information is out th
ere to clarify or dispute the reason that it is there, we follow. We follow those that love us. We follow those that lead us. We follow those that deceive us. We follow.
When I was a teacher and part of a union, it was always us against them. We, the union, were in the right. The administration and the Board were in the wrong. So a lot of us bought into the words that were told to us and we followed, blinded to the goals of the district and any commonalities that we might have shared.
There’s not much I can say about our present political climate that hasn’t been said, except it remains, us against them. We’re right, they’re wrong, no matter whose side you are on. And based on those principles we do not progress.
When I started in the teaching profession, I was placed as a student teacher in a Middle School on Long Island. I had three mentors that taught me most of the things that I needed to know about becoming a well-rounded person and teacher. Dennis Littky, my college supervisor and future principal, who taught me to think outside the box and even though the community might disagree with me to try new things. Liala Strotman, my cooperating teacher and future colleague, who taught me to persevere, to believe in what I was doing and to share with others. And Barry Luna, another teacher in the school, who taught me a crucial message: When you are in a debate or a disagreement, before you make a decision or judge, make sure you see the issue from the other person’s point of view.
Those 3 people that I met early in my life, taught me to believe in myself. They taught me to see that everything is not black or white. Within those black and white colors, lie a number of shades of colors that can work with both black and white.
So I choose to believe in me. I choose to look at all perspectives of issues and people when I decide what I want to follow. I choose to believe that a majority of the people want similar things that I want and between both sides of an issue there is a common ground to show that things can progress. I choose to follow my beliefs. And those beliefs often cross lines. I will continue to disagree with people, but I will try to understand how they got to where they are, and accept that that is where they are. I will use whatever support I need to help guide me and hope, optimistically, that at some point in my future we will reach a point where we all can believe in ourselves and not just follow blindly.
In the words of the chorus of a song I wrote:
I believe in me.
I know I can do it.
I can be anything that I dream to be.
And you can help me do it.
I believe in me
I just keep on trying.
I will do my best to have great success
‘Cause I believe in me.
If you’re interested, here’s the whole song:
A to Z Blog Challenge