It’s a great day to be a Dillo! Independence Day is fast upon on us. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about everything in our country, especially education.
In 1980, I graduated high school. That year, we were on the verge of war with Iran. The Selective Service Act had not been mandatory for five years. When I turned 18, as a graduation present, I had to register for the military draft. If we went to war and my number was called, I would be conscripted to serve in the military. It was an uncertain and uneasy time. We were another group of seniors starting a new decade with uncertainty.
Four decades later, we still face uncertainty. The graduation present for the class of 2020 was uncertainty. The path I took then is the path I suggest today. We keep on with our plans the best we can until Uncle Sam tells us differently. If we keep doing the next right thing, we will be fine.
The decisions we make for children are not always the easiest for adults. I would like to tell a story of an adult decision that had a huge impact on my life.
On July 3rd, 2020, my dad will turn eighty. We have a big party planned, and I am very blessed that he is healthy, active and ornery as ever. My dad was a captain in the
My dad was a captain in the army, and I spent the first few years of my life in Italy. My dad had completed his mandatory four years of service and was given the choice to continue his military career or opt out. He had a high security clearance and a college education, so he was a top choice for promotion. The FBI was also courting him to become an agent because of his background. He had two boys now, and a decision to make. After much thought, he chose neither. Both the army and the FBI came with big promotions, but also big responsibilities involving a great amount of time away from home.
There was a third option. He could take a job that would allow him to spend time with his sons. I am grateful he took option three. I am not saying that every
I am not saying that everyone who extends a career in the military made a bad decision, but that was what was right for my dad at the time. If my dad had taken the promotion with the military, he would have arrived in Saigon Vietnam the day the Tet offensive attacked the city.
My brother and I are grateful that our dad did not have the glamour of a military officer or an FBI agent, but a dad who could provide for our family and be at our ball games, scouting, hunting and fishing trips.
I never knew this about my dad until I had kids of my own. We seldom know the sacrifices that people make for their kids. Much of why I am in education is because of the role model my dad was for me.
Many of our students do not have positive male role models in their lives. I hope I am a good role model. I have no excuse not to be.
San Saba ISD has an incredible staff of role models for our students. None of us are perfect. We can all have a bad day where people do not see the best version of “us.” We all need some extra grace from time to time.
Our SSISD team makes sacrifices for our kids during the best of times but even more so during this pandemic. Hang in there parents. Circumstances are still changing but no matter what, we have a great team of educators that are eager to do what they do best, educate.
Oh, and a happy 80th birthday to Jere Wayne Kelly. Go Dillos!