.. saviors ..

There is a columnist, Wendi Thomas, who writes a weekly column for our local paper. Her typical topics are things going on in the city. Politics, fundraising efforts by the local inner city groups and from time to time she'll write about her know life. She is very much a Memphian.

And I can honestly say, I almost always agree with what she's writing about. This week is no exception. She wrote of how we're looking for someone to save our Memphis City School system. The Superintendent of our school system left a while ago to take a position up North somewhere. ...side note...I think she left under suspicious circumstances...Anyway, since then we've had a interim Superintendent. I forget his name. Older gentleman, African American. Seems like a nice enough man, very very quiet. Which in Memphis is unusual. (I'm getting to it, hold on.)

Anyhoo, this week Wendi wrote a great column about how the community is looking for a savior to come in and "transform" our schools. She goes on to say that neither of the candidates for Superintendent can do this task. Until I continued reading I thought Wendi had suddenly switched to "crazy" for a minute. But what she continued on to say was that this "change" would have to come from home. And until parents take responsibility for their children, then things will never change. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jun/01/looking-for-a-school-savior-check-mirror/

I agree. The actions of the students in the schools are a reflection of what's going on at home. I think of it as cancer. It's genetic. If the parents act a certain way, the child will mimic that behavior. It goes back to the old tired saying, "children having children."

BUT... I also think, I mean know!, that even if your young and have children, you can raise them to be responsible well behaved contributors to society. Examples are my best friend Helen and my own mother.

Helen had two children before she graduated from high school. Raised them, with support of her family only. No active father in the picture. No consistent child support. Working a job at Krystal's restaurant... yep at minimum wage. She found a better job and went to college...yep...and graduated, all while raising her two girls. And they have since graduated from high school. One's a student here in Memphis at one of the local colleges and the other is enrolled at a school in Denver. Active members of society.

Another, very good example, is my own mother. Raised dirt poor in Mississippi, "rescued" by the guy from Memphis (my Dad) at 17, divorced by 26 (or so). Growing up...while raising a 2 and 7 year old. Working, working, working. Doing her best. Working her way up the world, gaining respect. Providing for us. Some minimal assistance from my Dad... he did the best he could, I have believe. All the while keeping her eye on us, guiding us to become active, good members of society. I just think, how in the world did she do it. Latchkey kids we were, but we knew right from wrong. Average students, some college. But contributors. She has always been supportive of any of good and bad ideas I've thought of. Caught me when I realized the bad ones were bad. She was an excellent example. I'm sure she's not perfect, there are bad decisions of course, but she recovered from those and so did I. She has always been there for me. My "savior."

So in my mind, anything is possible. And as Wendi says, check the mirror for that savior Memphis. We're the only one who can make that kind of change happen.