A silver lining

Rabbit rabbit rabbit! Evil spirits begone! Happy March, everyone!

I'm in a very quiet mood today. I wonder if it's the calm before the storm? I think I might be catching Ken's cold from last week. Bummer.

Like many of you in cooler climes have mentioned lately, it's time for winter to be over. I'm with ya. I commented elsewhere today that what really irritates me is when the high temperature doesn't even get up to the average high. I'm not asking for excellence, just for average, okay? [sigh]

Ken is putting together some DVD cabinets, and it will be nice to corral all the DVDs instead of stacking them up. We also got some more wine racks, so we're getting a nice little wine cellar going! I'm getting caught up on blogs, and then I'll read a bit on my book club book. I'm so behind, but it feels good to get back into books. I have to say, though, that the one I'm reading, Loving by Henry Green, has got to be one of the most God-awful boring books I've ever read. And yes, I used the word boring! About the only thing exciting that has happened so far has been one of the servants catching the young daughter-in-law in bed with the Captain (not her husband). It seems to be all about life during wartime (Talking Heads, anyone?) of an English family in Ireland, and the everyday lives of the servants of the house. Maybe things will pick up eventually, but so far...yawwwwwn.

Since I'm the eternal optimist, this morning I focused on one particular story in our local newspaper. I read about the bad economy, the ambitious budget of our President, watched the pompous arrogance of that asshat Limbaugh, and saw Rahm on "Face the Nation." (Thanks for the heads-up, Dan!) But it was a nice surprise to see an article about the local increase in the demand for GED classes and diplomas. In Elkhart, they added three additional classes, and there is still a waiting list. Elkhart apparently has a great program that includes vocational training along with classes, including teaching computer skills.

The article quoted one 50-year-old woman who recently lost her job at an RV manufacturing company. After a fruitless job search, she decided to get her GED. "It's time I got out of a trailer factory. It's time I do something that I want to do. I'm doing something for myself. I have to, I have to." A recent letter to the editor chastised those who refuse to learn new trades, citing their excuses that they are too old to learn, or that they've never done anything but [insert job here]. I have to say that I think the letter writer was correct. John McCain was also correct when he stated in Michigan that a lot of lost auto jobs just aren't coming back. The paradigm has changed, and people might have to rethink their positions and life pathways. I applaud the woman in the article who decided, even though she was scared, to go back to school.

I also applaud the President's position that dropping out of high school is no longer an option. The higher goal is that everyone get a college education if they choose, but the minimum has got to be that high school diploma. For too long we've watched the dumbing down of America, an attitude that it was okay to not focus on education, and I've even witnessed some ridicule of anyone who had a bunch of that fancy book-learnin'. Please. An education is something to be cherished and pursued and fostered, and even continued beyond the day the diploma or degree is granted. Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly out of reach for too many, and the attitude that it's really not that big of a deal anyway has prevailed for far too long.

The attitude change begins at home, with parents who set a good example by reading, intellectual curiosity, and fostering a love of learning. It continues in the schools, with teachers who understand how important their jobs are and who are appreciated and compensated for the vital service that they provide. It involves a collective belief of the populace that an education is a very good thing to have when it comes to global competition, a feeling that learning is more than necessary...it's actually a lot of fun. And it is reinforced by a President who believes strongly in the value of an education and wants to help more people get one.

It's time to set the bar higher. Circumstances dictate it, and if I can find a silver lining in this Incredible Shrinking Economy, it's that we'll be dragged kicking and screaming into a more highly educated state.