I can't believe that 2017 is already 1/4 of the way over. It doesn't seem possible, but it has happened. I can't remember a stranger year. Just the other day, I read a Twitter feed from Jon Meacham - recognizing the 36th anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Reagan.
Moments like that are forever stamped in my mind. I remember our fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Larson, sitting down and telling us. She was nearly in tears. We were all in utter disbelief. I remember while teaching US History, telling my students there are certain moments in all of our lives that we will always remember. For my grandparents generation, it was, "Where were you when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor." For my parents, it was, "Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated." Strangely enough, my generation and my children's generation seem to have a lot of these moments; mine: Reagan's assassination attempt, space shuttle blowing up, the OJ Simpson saga, Obama getting elected, and finally the election of 2016.
Today during the show Face The Nation, Meacham was interviewed about the similarities between Andrew Jackson as President and the 70+ days of the Trump administration. Both of these people were political outsiders. Both had a mean streak. When the anchor asked Meacham what Trump could do at this point to get on the right track, Meacham was simple and clear: Start leading. Stop with the tweeting and diversions. Get out there and lead.
This makes incredible sense, not only with the presidency, but with life in general. I think about dynamics in the school district I work as well as individual departments - stop with the games and remember what we are here for: to educate all students to the best of our ability. Hopefully Trump will take Meacham's advice (if he's at all capable) and we can have some positive memories stamped in our minds forever - not of tragedy, but of unity and the American spirit.
Wow... first post in two months.... and I'm still all over the map.
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