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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (85237)	8/11/2000 10:52:00 AM
From: Frederick Smart	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

X...... >>I've got no brothers or sisters either. As for your views on the educational system- I disagree. Music is great, all my kinds play an instrument as do I- but it's not enough. Being able to read, know geography, basic science, math and history are crucial. As a former home schooler I've found it can't all be fun. Lots of it can be, but a certain amount of drill is beneficial (and maybe even character building). Our schools here do a fairly fabulous job- imo. The kids are bright, and the teachers are (for the most part) very competent. I've got all my kids in public school now and I am very pleased with the job the school is doing. As I volunteer in all my kids classes and see what is going on, I know what is going on more than most parents- who just drop the kids off and never check in to see what is going on. Funny thing- those are usually the parents with all the complaints. I wonder why. Your wife sounds interesting. Please put her on line.>> Perhaps I overlooked this level of detail, but I have three siblings - two older sisters and one younger brother. We are all cut from "different cloth" - I'm the only one that graduated from college - my other two sisters went and simply "left." There's a "different beat" that permeates our family which comes from, perhaps, the cross-cultural mix of my mother's Montana pioneers evangelistic born-again Christian roots and my father's - an only child - self-oriented kill-or-be-killed entrepreneurially creative and positive NYC born-with-silver-spoon but father and grandfather lost all in '29 as stock exchange traders/member/operators "you go in with and always leave with your shirt" heritage of risk. I love people. I love personal and family and oral histories. I love the music of conversation, stories, kids and play. I am very aware of the fact that my statements are interpreted in the negative and that can come across as condescending and arrogant. But you know what, I forgive myself and others for any feelings of negativity. I can't control how others feel about me. The only thing I can do is ask for their forgiveness and forgive myself anytime I have an frustrated/angry thought over something outside of myself. We are all human. And this forgiveness stuff is the only thing I have personally found that brings people together. But back to the school system. I don't think it's fair to define/label/compare/separate and fragment "the system" into groups and pieces. If we aren't all here to help and serve the kids - and I don't care what or how anyone describes "the system", we have a responsibility to lead with love which requires that practice the art of "getting out of the way." Earlier this century, Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian scientist/philosopher and founder of the Waldorf Schools, got a cigarette manufacturing company (Waldorph Astoria) in Stuttgart Germany, to support a more spiritual and energy-based view towards educating our children. "One of the chief tasks of Waldorf education is to bring life to knowledge" - teaching would never be "boring" if it was directly related to life. Traditional subjects are taught, but the way and method of how they are taught target more the heart and soul of the child's sense of energy, play and risk. We tried to enter our son in the Waldorf program here in Chicago but the school lost it's lease and was operating out of different family homes. So we went with Montessori and have been very impressed. Our son has been in the Montessori pre-school and kindergarden program for the past 4 years - he entered the 2 day/wk program a few months prior to turning 3. Our other son is much more active and it looks like we'll be entering the Montessori program in another year after he turns 4. We have a Russian babysitting couple who we use 3 days each week and he's much more advanced and active thanks to following his older brother around, etc. At 2 he was hitting, catching and playing baseball. He can hit 10+ pitches in a row and just loves activity - has that Greek competitive streak and supporting temper but is extremely happy, joyful and very thoughtful like his mom. And please bear in mind that we live in this Evanston, IL school district of the North Shore of Chicago we have a very strong public school system. I think we are going to have them attend public schools later on, but then this could change depending on what we may consider on the home schooling front with other families, etc. There are close to 200 families here in Evanston who home school their kids. And they have full access and use of ALL public school facilities. It's really quite an amazing story and I think this "open" model will eventually be discovered and shared with other communities around the nation. I am very actively involved with building commmunity on the internet. I've had my own company for the past 2 1/2 years and am involved with several complimentary projects and companies which are moving "higher" with this connect/communicate/collaborate/cooperate vision/mission. Evanston is one of the leading communities in the world for a ground breaking initiative refered to as "the electronic city." And as a resident/entrepreneur & NU Alum I am terribly excited about the potential of what's going on here. But getting back to one of my main points, the joy and energy of life begins and extends through a personal song or voice which we pick up and have a natural desire to share with others. I am sharing "my" voice and energy by writing this now. And I learn from each and every person who responds back - positive or negative. For I don't place myself on a pedestal. I am placing myself "on the street" and humbly looking up and around at the who/what/when/where/how and why of this incredible story called life, filled as it is with the wealth of all these wonderful personal and collective blessings. So that's it X. Sorry for rambling. You'd like my wife, Maribeth. She's a Saint. God love her! Can you imagine what she puts up with with me??!! Peace. .