Category: Commentary

A long long time ago when  I was a student at the University of Houston one of my required classes was World Geography. I had never cared much about geography perhaps because my previous teachers had made it seem so dry. It appeared to be more about maps, climate and economics than people so it fascinated me about as much as learning about the composition of dust. So I went to my first World Geography class with a negative attitude. In addition to having little interest in the subject matter I had heard verifiable rumors  the professor who taught the course was hard nosed, all business and gave out low grades. The only bright spot I had was learning that one of my close high school friends would also be in the class and we had already decided to sit together and study together just to get the onerous task done. 

The professor was Dr. June Hyer, a retired military officer who walked with the bearing of someone who had spent years in the Army. Her assistant also had a military background and from the outset there was no nonsense allowed during the hour that Dr. Hyer delivered more information than my mind could categorize. I had to write notes so quickly that my hand cramped and then I would go home and review what I had heard just to make sense of it. I thought that surely this would be the one class that would destroy my GPA but I had to take it now or later so I ignored my desire to drop the class.

After the deadline for dropping a course there were decidedly fewer students in the room. It felt as though those of us who had remained had already passed some kind of unspoken test. Dr. Hyer still exhibited her unflinchingly rod straight bearing but her lectures changed from a machine gun recitation of facts to a consideration of the human element of geography. Suddenly I found my interest snapping to attention and as each week passed I knew that I was learning things about the world that were important to understand. Dr. Hyer was introducing me to information and ideas that were fascinating and I changed from fearing her class to looking forward to each session. My new found interest also translated into good grades on her tests and projects because I was soon seeking even more knowledge about the different countries and people out of a fascination that she had awakened in me. 

Dr. Hyer had traveled all over the world and I appreciated the depth of her experience but what influenced me most was her continual insistence that the very geography of an area often determined the thinking and actions of its people. She poked fun at individuals who insisted on overlaying the ways of western civilization on populations where our way of doing things was unlikely to work. She noted that our good intentions of helping people especially in third world countries often only made things worse. 

I recall one lecture in which she spoke of a religious group that travelled into the hinterland of a struggling South American country bringing baby bottles and formula. What initially appeared to be a lovely gesture turned into a disaster for the mothers who accepted the gift. They did not have a source of clean water for preparing the formula nor did they understand the need for sterilization of the nipples and bottles. Soon babies were critically ill with severe diarrhea when they would have been better off simply nursing from their mothers. Her point was to critique the kind of worldwide stereotyping of different cultures, countries and even areas of the United States that we too often are guilty of doing. 

On another occasion she proved the point that we were far too uneducated in the realities of the world by listing a number of places that grew large amounts of rice. She asked us to choose the place that we believed produced the largest crop of that grain. Among the candidates was Harris County, Texas which created a little titter of laughter around the classroom. Imagine our surprise when we learned that the greatest amount of the world’s rice was grown right in our own backyard in Houston, Texas. It was the kind of eye opening experience that she provided over and over again. 

I have never forgotten Dr. Hyer because perhaps more than anyone she taught me to be circumspect in my assessments of people and situations from around the world. I learned from her that things are not always as they seem and that our western ways of economics and politics are not a good fit in every situation. She helped me to appreciate the history and cultures of people who at first glance appear to be primitive and backward in their thinking. She often commented on the common sense of individuals and countries that those of us in industrialized countries often overlook.

Years later I would read the great novel Things Fall Apart that explored the beautiful culture and organization of an African tribe. With the coming of colonialism and missionaries who believed they were doing good the fabric that had held the community together began to fray and then collapse. I remembered Dr. Hyer as I read the poetically descriptive story and I wept to know that we so often misjudge communities because we have not taken the time to really know them. 

Our country and our world is large and diverse and yet we all too often consider the problems of a nation, a city or a neighborhood based on our individual experiences rather than taking the time to learn about and consider the actual history and cultures of the individuals who sometimes confound us. Perhaps if we spent more time getting to know and appreciate all of the people of the world instead of focusing only on what we see as problems we would learn to assist rather than dominate, compromise rather than judge. 

I suppose that if everyone had the privilege of meeting someone as extraordinary as Dr. June Hyer we might all live in greater harmony. More than anything she taught me the lesson of respect for differences and that with all of our economic success we are not all that different from anyone else in the world. In the end we are all using the resources and the talents that we have to get by from one day to the next. Somehow I have thought of all that I learned from her during this time of Covid-19 and worldwide economic and political upheaval. I realized that we are all in this collective horror together and our best hope of making it through is to share our concerns and ideas with compassion and a willingness to admit that boasting about being the best never really does much good for anyone.

I’m taking a little break from preparations for a potential hurricane or storm that may or may not come to my area. I let my guard down with hurricane Harvey believing that all of the dire predictions were little more than fear mongering. Then I watched for days as the rain continued to fall and the homes of friends and family were filled with water. I reached a point of sleeping only a few hours each day lest I awaken to a flooded home. I ended up moving my medications, books and important papers to the upstairs rooms just in case I became the next victim of the inundation. I developed a crazed fear that my husband would have a stroke because he had endured the first one only weeks before and his doctors had told him that a second one often followed within the first three months. 

I learned from that experience that it is far better to be safe than sorry. Because I know that hurricane season is always serendipitous I actually began gathering together supplies all the way back in March when we first hunkered down in the hopes of flattening the Covid-19 curve. It seemed to me that handling natural disasters during a time of pandemic and economic collapse might not be as easy as in other years. I wanted to be as self sufficient as possible so I asked my husband to purchase a generator, which he obligingly did. I took stock of my lanterns, flashlights and candles and made sure that I had plenty of batteries. I have made it a habit of listening to the national and local news during my hour of daily exercise so that I will be aware of any changes in either the virus or the weather. 

Now I am putting the final touches on my readiness. My home is filled with potted plants and lawn furniture. The various forms of lighting that I may have to use are set out on my countertop, including flashlights, lanterns and candles. I have gasoline in the truck in case we have to leave and I have downloaded various news apps on my phone. In a few days if Laura appears to be continuing on a path to my neck of the woods I will fill both of my bathtubs with water because I know that sometimes the water supply gets tainted and I want to have as much as I may need for cooking and drinking. I’ve even procured  a pour over coffee pot ready for making an old fashioned cup of brew if I don’t have enough power to run my Keurig. 

I hope more than anything that I will be laughing by this time next week as I work to store everything back in it’s usual place. It’s always nice to dodge a bullet. Still, I know that if we don’t bear the brunt here somebody else will in another locale. I do not wish the destruction on anyone, especially given the hardships that so many have already endured. I worry that the outpouring of help that we saw in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey and hurricane Ike will not be available because of everything else that is happening. I truly worry that people fleeing to shelters will be infected with the virus in new appalling numbers. There seems to be no real upside to these storms unless they lose their strength by some glorious miracle. 

I’ve had a family of baby frogs show up inside my home which tells me that Mother Nature is preparing for the worst just as I am. Friends have noticed that their pets are behaving skittishly. I don’t know if these are signs that something bad is coming our way but I am not willing to discount anything and so I just keep preparing. As I do I cannot help but notice how truly fortunate I am. I have both wind and flood insurance. I have that generator and an ample supply of food and bottled water. I have a phone that will keep me up to date and a truck that is built to move easily through high water if I need to leave. 

Covid-19 has disproportionately affected Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics. Some seem to believe there is no real explanation for that but I fully understand that it is mostly because so many of these people are the most economically underserved in our country. They too often have little access to good medical care and sometimes to things we take for granted like running water. They rarely have time to take off from work when they are sick or need check ups. They are the ones who have been the essential workers while so many like me have had the luxury of staying safely at home. When I order groceries or necessary items they are more often than not delivered by people from those groups. They work in the fields, pack the meat, stock the groceries, mow the lawns, and sometimes work for hours each day long after others are relaxing. They often live in the most flood prone neighborhoods that are the most likely to be devastated by natural disasters. They are the people trying to pull themselves up into the middle class who often seem unable to catch a break.

When a hurricane comes we learn about the faults in our homes and neighborhoods. So too has the year of 2020 shown us where we have great problems. While many people celebrate that they have been mostly untouched by virus or economic despair there are also those who are losing all hope as they watch family members die and lose income as jobs erode. They have not enjoyed the comfort of working from home and feeling safe. It is perhaps outrageous for those of us not in their shoes to judge them or lack compassion for their plight. I can think of no greater insult to them than insinuating that things are not as bad as some say. Now we must hope that they will be safe during the storms.

In the end the weather may not affect me personally but the storms have already come among us. I think it is long past time for all of us to acknowledge those who have borne the brunt. We need each other and always will. 

It does not seem remotely possible that our times might get even crazier, but here we go. Derecho winds have flattened crops and destroyed or damaged homes in Iowa. Lightning fires are raging across northern California. Now two storms will be entering the Gulf of Mexico to wreak some form of havoc. Two big storms at once are almost as unprecedented as Covid-19 and both our resources and our strength have already been stretched to the limit. Right now we have little that we might do other than to prepare for the worst and take a big sigh to hope for the best. 

As strange as it may sound I’ve been thinking about trees during all of this. Those magnificent redwoods in northern California have withstood centuries of assaults from nature and humans and yet somehow they still stand. Sadly they have been attacked by insects of late that have made them more vulnerable much like Covid-19 has done to humans. As the fires rage in redwood forests some of them are burning to the ground even as there is a fight to quench the flames and save as much as possible. Trees that were once thought invulnerable are succumbing the natures demands.

Here along the Gulf Coast it has long been known that the hardiest kind of trees in the event of a tropical storm or a hurricane are palm trees. With their feathered fronds the winds blow through them and around them. They flexibly bend and adapt to the conditions. Not even hurricane Katrina took down the palms that line the avenues in New Orleans. They were adaptable and so they survived.

I suppose that we humans sometimes attempt to exude a kind of false strength even as we are being eaten away by invisible cares and woes. Like those redwoods we were already in emotional trouble even before 2020. The events of this year have exposed our wounds and the fires raging around us are threatening to consume us. Instead we need to be like those palm trees swaying in unison with the winds that buffet us. We have to let go of our need to be totally in control. We have to be willing to adapt to whatever comes our way and change as needed. 

So far we have not handled the virus very well. It feels as though half of us are treating it seriously and the other half is convinced that all of our efforts are much ado about nothing. The numbers climb in spite of the naysayers and many medical experts now believe that we have created a kind of conundrum. Those who have conscientiously worn masks, socially distanced and refrained from a need to be one hundred percent normal have actually helped to keep the situation from being even worse than it now is. Those who still insist that it is all a hoax on the other hand keep the virus moving from one human to another so that we have never gained control. The medical community predicts that if we continue with this kind of behavior there may be 300,000 deaths by Christmas Day. For those who may think that their data analysis is fear mongering these same people accurately predicted at least 170,000 deaths by August when we were still hunkering down in April thinking that by the summer it would all be a distant memory. 

Storms and fires and destructive winds are a routine part of life and yet we have also been warned that their devastating forces will grow stronger and more frequent if we do not attempt to mend our ways with regard to how we mistreat the environment. At some point the landscape of the world may be drastically altered by our continued insistence on ignoring the data from experts who understand the negative effect we are having on the planet. Whether we agree to adapt to new ways now or wait until our selfishness has impacted us with untold damage it is rather certain that we can no longer insist on the habits that are slowly killing the wonderful world of nature around us. Like the virus that stalks us, so too does the warming of our planet lead to suffering and death.

We humans are rather brilliant, or at least we have brilliant souls among us. For the entirety of history there have been geniuses who explained how things work, creating methods for improving life. This is not the first time that some have chosen to ignore the very people who understand science best. Galileo was persecuted for speaking the truth about the heavens. There are still people who actually believe that the world is flat. For some it is difficult to accept ideas that are frightening or difficult. They prefer not to upset routines and long held beliefs. They are suspicious of anyone who expresses contrary theories that would change the course of how they live. 

Nature is speaking to us, not so gently. She is shouting that we must adapt and change our ways or suffer the consequences. She cares nothing about our freedoms. She is demanding that we hear her. We humans are still capable of healing her and healing ourselves as well. We have the skills. We have the people who know what to do. The question is whether or not we have the will. 

I’m back in the saddle again. Each Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I do a bit of remote teaching. I admittedly have the brightest most well behaved students imaginable. They are always ready for the challenges of mathematics and it is quite fun to be around them, especially in these days when I am still reluctant to take many chances of being infected by Covid-19. I give all the kudos to their devoted parents who dedicate their attention to homeschooling them. It is delightful to be able to help these delightful young people move forward with their education.

In many ways my students and their families  are ahead of the curve that Covid-19 has inflicted on so many learners accustomed to public school education. They already know how to operate from their homes and they do so quite efficiently and effectively. They already had dedicated classroom space with whiteboards, computers and school supplies long before I came along. The students belong to different coop programs that provide enrichment in art, languages, writing, problem solving as such. This is where they have contact with other kids their age and develop knowledge in their special interests. They often end up taking dual credit classes at one of the junior or community colleges when they reach the high school level. They lead emotionally healthy and busy lives while managing to get the acquisition of knowledge done far more quickly than would happen in a traditional classroom.

Right now I am teaching a variety of mathematics classes. My youngest students are at the fourth grade level and the older ones are now in Algebra II. They are so attentive that I am often able to cover what would be a week’s worth of curriculum in a large classroom in one or two hours each week. We have no interruptions or difficulties with classroom management. It is easy to keep moving forward while also checking regularly for understanding. We even have time for a bit of conversation to catch up on how everyone is doing and of course I try to bring laughter into the lessons as well. 

I used to hold my sessions in the homes of the students but due to the virus I now use Zoom to work with them remotely. It is definitely not as much fun but we were able to finish out the spring semester with no problems and now we are beginning a new school year with hardly a blip. One family even installed a big screen television in their home classroom and connected the computer to it so that I am bigger than life as I go through the lessons.

Preparation for remote teaching is far more time consuming that being face to face. I have to be certain that my students will have all of the supplies that they need and I still want to assess their work regularly to determine where any problems may be. For that reason I have developed a system of rotating baskets each week. One contains everything the students will need for the coming  lessons and  the other contains completed work from the students. I have provided each student with a white board and dry erase pens as a way to get rapid responses as we learn various concepts. Putting all of those things together and driving them back and forth actually provides me with an excuse for getting out of the house so I am not complaining at all.

I have learned to live with Covid-19. Like anyone else I would love to be free to do all of the traveling and enjoying retired life that was once my routine but I’m willing to hang loose until there is a green light alerting us to an all clear. I really can’t complain because my home is comfortable. I have been able to procure anything that I have needed. I’ve learned to travel at a social distance in my trailer. I still write each day and I am almost finished with a final edit of my book. I keep quite busy and now I have my students back to provide me with a worthy purpose during the interim.

I know that students are returning to school all over the country and I genuinely hope that they and their teachers will have a healthy and happy school year. I would hate to think that things will begin to fall apart because I sense that many are beginning to unravel from the stress of the pandemic so far. As a nation and even the world we are all anxious to resume our normal lives and our children are feeling the uneasiness no matter how much we attempt to hide it from them. I know that most of the kids will be okay because young people are quite flexible, but it’s up to each and everyone of us to communicate with them and be certain that their fears and disappointments are being addressed. Perhaps this is a great opportunity to slow things down for them instead of attempting to keep all of those appointments that they might otherwise have had. I think we all have to be good to ourselves and everyone around us. Self care is not just for adults. Children and teens need it as well.

I know how uncertain all of this is. It is not possible for everyone to have special classrooms in their houses or even to keep children home for schooling. We long to get our young people back to a semblance of normalcy but normal may look very different for a time. Be patient with the teachers. They are already exhausted from learning new ways of delivering lessons and planning them for them. They have an infinite number of worries for which they have designed plans B through Z. Their world is as upside down as yours with changes happening continually in real time. They want the best for your children as much as you do. Be ready to support them as they travel through shark laden waters. 

We may be psychologically done with Covid-19 and but I fear that it is not yet done with us. Be ready to help in the effort to keep our nation’s students moving forward with as much positivity as possible. Stay optimistic even if it is just an act. We’ve got this but it may end up looking a bit strange. That is alright. Flexibility is as important to learn as the three Rs. This our the modern day school house one way or another for now.

I have a gentle nature. I am not prone to anger or violence. I tend to be a quiet person who melts into a crowd. My level of empathy is so strong that I sometimes cry over the difficulties of strangers. I worry about people, and not just those that I know. I have a sixth sense when it comes to noticing someone who is in pain, either physically or mentally. I am an observer of human nature. People are always more important to me than money or things. I would gladly give away my possessions for the sake of helping someone in need. I have a strong relationship with God who has helped me through difficult challenges again and again. 

I grew up with only memories of a father and while they were pleasant I hid an internal sadness in knowing that I would never see him again. I watched my mother bravely struggle with finances. Somehow she always found ways to keep us housed and fed but we made untold sacrifices that we rarely mentioned. I know that we never had health insurance of any kind. I don’t think I visited our family physician at all from the time my father died when I was eight until I was a teen needing a physical exam for college. We got our vaccinations from the Canal Clinic for free. I recall sitting there on hard wooden chairs for hours waiting for our number to be called. 

I did not drive until I was married because my mother was unable to afford the insurance for me. I had to rely on the kindness of friends to get around and I often used my bicycle to travel rather long distances when none of them were available. My family led a rather spartan life but it was always filled with love and gratitude for what we had. My mother always told us to be thankful for our blessings. She reminded us that if we had a roof over our heads and a bed for sleeping that we were indeed fortunate. She often boasted that we had never missed a meal and that was certainly true. I learned to enjoy a big bowl of pinto beans for dinner and a fried egg sandwich for lunch. My closet looked almost bare with my five school blouses, two skirts, a blazer and the four dress up outfits that hung there. I had just what I needed and no more. 

I suppose that my childhood experiences prepared me well for teaching underserved minority populations. So many of my students lived in poverty and were often misunderstood by the middle class population. I knew what it was like to live on the edge, to worry as much about my family’s situation as my studies. I knew that many of my students were faking it from day to day much as I had. I opened my heart to them and somehow they realized that I would be an ally because I had once walked in their shoes. 

I suppose that my background explains my political leanings. My mother would speak of the Great Depression with a kind of reverence. She told me of the hardships that most of society endured. She described how her mother saved cardboard to put in the bottom of shoes when the leather soles became so thin that there was a hole. Mama was the queen of hand me downs. Everything she wore had once belonged to her three older sisters. It was not until she was a teen that she learned to sew and how to earn money for fabric that she ever wore a brand new outfit. 

Mama often spoke of the profound prejudice aimed and her and her family members. Neighbors and classmates threw rocks at her and her siblings as they walked to school. They cursed them with epithets and urged them to go back to wherever they had come from. They didn’t seem to realize that my mother and her brothers and sisters had all been born in the United States. On one occasion my mom’s best friend had to rescind an invitation to a sweet sixteen tea party because her parents feared that the “dirty immigrant girl” would be an embarrassment. That immigrant girl was my mother. 

Mama used to boast that her family had always been Democrats. It was not until Ronald Reagan that she ever changed from that affiliation. She like Reagan because she had idolized him in movies when she was young and because he seemed to be a truly nice individual. After that she went back and forth with her vote. 

I am disturbed by the nasty tone of the most recent elections. I do not like the references to minorities, immigrants, women that sound so much like the kind of abuse that my mother had to endure when she was a young girl. I am saddened by comments that assume that poverty is a result of ignorance and laziness. I cringe when I hear people telling those that they do not like to go back to wherever they came from. When I observe such things I remember the look of hurt in my sweet and guileless mother when she told me of the treatment she had received. I cannot imagine what drives people to accept such behavior in anyone much less a leader. 

I was taught that America’s greatness lies in the goodness of its people and I still believe that, but when I get attacked for simply stating my own beliefs I worry that we are going down a dangerous pathway. Each of us have differing backgrounds and needs that often color how we decide to vote. It’s important that we have those choices. A one size fits all way of thinking is the very last thing we need. Diversity of citizens and philosophies makes our nation vibrant, not an insistence that we must join a certain team or face rejection. 

In the coming months we will continue to deal with Covid-19 and we will be contemplating how to cast our votes in November. The most American and patriotic thing that we might do is embrace our differences. We should all insist that there is no place for insults or stereotyping. American democracy is not going to end one way or another when the votes are counted. Our nation has endured many trials and somehow comes out stronger each time, but that requires the realization that the vast majority of our 300,000,000 people have good hearts. I vote the way I do based on my personal experiences. Others choose based on theirs. We need to save our attacks for Covid-19 and not for political thoughts.