Happy National School Day, as
well as a Happy National Umbrella Day! Oddly enough, neither of these apply
today, as a) it’s a Sunday, therefore we have no school, and b) it’s the middle
of winter, and we’ve just survived a snowstorm, so we have no snow! Never the
less, I think we should celebrate these two important things.
Let’s get school out of the way! A
school is a place where
individuals, known as students, come to learn. There are different levels of
learning depending on what time of institution one is attending. It is unknown
when the first school appeared, but there certainly is evidence that schools
were in existence in ancient Greece, Rome, India, and China. While most take a
basic education for granted, there are still many areas of the world where
school is not a mandatory thing. Based on a report by Unicef, there are
an estimated 101 million children without access to education, most of which
are girls.
Fun school fact: Wikipedia lists the physical
components that make up a school as:
·
Classrooms
·
A cafeteria
·
Recreational facilities, such as a gym,
playground, sports fields, etc.
·
An auditorium (not in any public school I ever
attended!)
·
The office
·
A library
·
Lab rooms for science or computer related
education
One thing we are seeing a lot of
lately are issues within school systems concerning violence, bullying,
vandalism, etc. Perhaps these things have always occurred, but it seems they
have become more extreme. I know for certain that they were present when I was
in the public school system, but I can’t imagine what kids are experiencing
now. Is it a result of not enabling teachers to discipline? Not enabling
parents to discipline? The unhealthy access to social media and the Internet? The
current trend of teaching our children they don’t need to be accountable, and
that no one is a failure…EVER? I don’t know. What I do know is that things need
to change, because these years are hard enough when you’re trying to figure out
who you are and where you fit in! When did it become acceptable to let our
children become so sexualized or have cell phones at the age of 6? And why is
no one questioning this? We’ve been witness to far too many devastating
outcomes from these behaviors, such as school shootings, premature deaths due
to suicide, drinking and drug related incidents, etc. A child should never be
contemplating whether or not they have worth in this world! When 15 year old
kids are killing themselves because they are gay or don’t dress the same as
“everyone else,” its time to wake up! This can’t happen anymore! It’s hard
being yourself, and life isn’t fair, but you know what, when you accept who you
are and see how amazing you truly are, life is wonderful! You appreciate every
laugh, every friendship, everyday you have to LIVE YOUR LIFE! …Wow! This is not where I saw this post going at
all…
Here are a few inspiring kids,
that give me hope for a positive change, and a positive future:
…and a little inspiration from
home! These kids show what a little creativity and a lot of dedication and hard
work are all about! Best of luck on the 16th for your Dragon’s Den
audition!
So, umbrellas…easily the most
terrifying and difficult to master creations EVER! Why umbrella companies
continue to insist on making umbrellas with the little clipy thing that closes
the umbrella so that it pinches your finger, thus causing you to both curse and
be frightened at the same time is beyond me. Why can’t the umbrella just be
smart enough to know, when its not longer needed? End rant. Let’s get back to
business…
Umbrellas are described as a
canopy or covering that provides protection from inclement weather, such as
rain. They may also be used as a shaded covering from the sunlight. Umbrellas
are a Chinese creation, although the word “umbrella” is of Latin origin meaning
“shade or shadow.” Today umbrellas are a fashion accessory, with a wide range
of colors, shapes, and designs! This is a $348 million (US) dollar industry in
the United States alone, based on statistics from 2008! That’s about 33 million
umbrellas, meaning 33 million opportunities for pinched fingers…
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