Detroit Lions, Reality, and a kick in the seat of my pants. Oh My!
I was told I have to accept reality that the Detroit Lions football team are just a bunch of heart-breakers. Really? Reality stinks! If I accepted “reality” I sure couldn’t teach. Reality says that half of the 5th graders don’t like to read. They won’t be able - capable of doing term papers. I sure wouldn’t have 23 current and former students grades 5-8 volunteer to try to write a 30,000 word novel in 30 days, just because they want to see if they can. I wouldn’t have had so many students published. I wouldn’t push the student who has seen more D’s and F’s than A’s and B’s to try so hard they are going home with only one D and no F’s on their grade card.
OK, so the Lion’s have only made one playoff game in your lifetime, but finish that statement. -- SO FAR! This season’s not over and neither is your lifetime. They are my underdog team, just like some students are the underdog. Those who need just a little more love, a little more of a push, and someone to just believe in them.
Does my heart still get broken when on my birthday, they lose to Buffalo (really Buffalo?) in the last few minutes? Just like when the student I have worked with all quarter, doesn’t turn in the assignment on the last day of the quarter when there’s nothing more I can do, and it causes their B to go to a C.
But I know you, my friend, you root for the underdog too. If you didn’t Sir Hugh would prevail. The terrorists would win. Patrick and Teddy would be lost. - Into the Killing Seas, available in January.
I refuse to accept reality. I change reality every day, one tiny step at a time. Some days I win, some days reality wins. My students don’t need reality, but someone to believe in them and their dreams. But I have hope, faith, and dreams, BIG dreams, I am not going to accept reality for me or my students. The Detroit Lions will show you one day. The Red Sox won. The Seahawks won. The Buccaneers won. The Lion’s Day will come, and when it does, I’ll be in search of another underdog to root for.