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Not a Wonderful Life: Education Writer’s Block
By Norm Scott
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Ahhhh, a chance to write an
end of the year column. I can sum up all that happened in education over the
past year and make predictions or a wish list for the future – class sizes of
15, retroactive pay raises for all. When you are involved in education, as I
was from the age of 5 until 57, when I retired, you think of a year ending in
June and beginning in September (my Jewish ancestors who established the New
Year over 5000 years ago were on to s omething). So from the view from School
Scope, this is not really an end-of- the-year column. Or maybe it is.
Kevin Boyle emailed the other
day suggesting a column name change from “School Scope” as a way to open up a
broader range of issues to write about. I did inherit the column from former
Wave editor (and teacher )Howard Schwach who showed a lot of faith by turning
his baby over to me when he became Wave editor. I am reluctant to see the franchise
totally disappear. Since Sandy I have been doing less writing in this column on
education issues. I do enough of that on my blog. So maybe the time is right to
use this space to broaden out. I started to throw possible column names out to
Kevin. “School Scope Plus” was one idea. After a few others Kevin wrote, “Stop
being a kvetch.” It does my heart good when an Irishman demonstrates his
knowledge of Yiddish – though I believe
Kevin thinks “Kvetch” means “pain in the ass.” How about calling the column “The Kvetch”?
But do I really want to
continue my usual kvetching if I break out of the education writing mold,
allowing my thoughts of dystopian doom to depress everyone? I want to do a column that will lead to world peace
and saving the human population from extinction. Eight hundred words every two
weeks should do it.
Well, when presented with
this opportunity to write about ANYTHING, I end up sitting here all morning
with writer’s block. Too many choices have led me nowhere. What should I write
about? The wonderful movie we saw Saturday night, “American Hustle”? Or the
equally wonderful novel “How Green Was My Valley” which I read after seeing the
1941 film on TCM? My landscaping project? Robotics? My house a year after
Sandy? Damn you, Kevin, you’ve opened up a Pandora’s box and I can’t think of
anything to write about.
Well, the good news is that I can spend 3 hours tonight watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the hundredth time, with commercials and all (we need those bathroom breaks now). One would think that an avowed atheist would not go for that “angel gets his wings” mumbo jumbo. But if you look at the movie from only a religious perspective you are missing key points about the movie’s critique of unfettered capitalism. Jimmie Kimmel did a hilarious riff with his FOX News version, “Mr. Potter and the Commies of Bedford Falls.”
The trailer says it all: This capitalist had a dream: to transform
Bedford Falls into a modern entertainment and business mecca, creating hundreds
of new jobs. But one man would stand in his way: Draft-dodger George Bailey and
his socialist Building and Loan. Will Henry Potter's common sense reforms win
the day, or will George Bailey succeed with his scheme to redistribute wealth?
How far will Bailey go to destroy free markets and economic progress? How low
will he sink? (See it at: tinyurl.com/nl2d8hw).
Hey, I know of one guy who
can reconcile the dual religious and socio-economic themes of “It’s a Wonderful
Life.” In the new version of the movie, playing the role of George Bailey: Pope Francis – except for that wives and kids
thing. (Sorry Zuzu).
Norm continues to blog about
education every day (sigh) at ednotesonline.com.
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