Well, it’s that time of year again. Another summer has come and gone, not in the “it’s so hot that my air conditioner needs an air conditioner” sense but the late nights and pool parties have been exchanged for early races to the bus in fresh new clothes and with books in hand. Yep, school is back in session.
I have fairly fond memories of school, especially my elementary and middle school years. The teachers, the students, the faculty, we all seemed to share a common purpose. Sure, we all had our differences but it’s hard for me to recall many times, if any at all, where it seemed as if we were against rather than for each other. Make no mistake, it wasn’t perfect, but (warning: old man incoming in 3… 2… 1) things seemed so much simpler back then and I’ve often found myself wondering why this seems to ring true for any aging generation. Sadly, I don’t have the answers and I’m not here to dig into the who, what, where, when and why, I’m simply here to remind us all of one key factor in all of this. One small gesture that can produce tremendous results.
The picture above was taken earlier this summer. It’s one of our pollinator fields that we’ve developed over the past few years. Some of you may see a field full of weeds, some of you may recognize one or two of the plants, but what I see is biodiversity. Within this field, there are over a dozen different types of plants that all work together to accomplish a common goal. Each of them benefit from each other in their own unique ways creating a thriving environment that benefits a purpose greater than themselves. The best part? They accomplish this together.
Some of these plants are really pretty, some taller than others, and some that may not look like much but play a vital role in this ecosystem. There are larger groups of similar plants but those plants still provide support for the smaller, less popular ones because they understand that, without them, the ecosystem wouldn’t thrive. The diversity within this ecosystem holds the key to its own success.
This same narrative applies to our schools. I shouldn’t have to remind us that the same applies in our society as a whole but that’s a conversation for another time. When it comes to our youth, our next generation of innovators, mothers, fathers, leaders, our future… It is imperative that we pass down the wisdom that lies within diversity. We must do so with our words, our intentions, and our actions. Do not sit back and think for one second that it is the school’s responsibility to instill these values into our children. Yes, they should echo these values but it all starts at home. Don’t just say it… Be it.
We’re all different in our own unique ways. We all have differing opinions from things of insignificance, like the clothes we wear, to things that hold a bit more sway, like politics or religion. These differences, when discussed from a standpoint of insight and understanding, provide the seeds that are sown into the soil of a generation, a generation of diverse minds that stand rooted in the same soil, ready to serve a purpose greater than themselves.