Gratings, and Sour-utations

Posted by on

January 25, 2020-

The comment was unmistakable- I had crossed a line of political correctness, by stating that my colleagues at the school where I worked, the past two weeks, were going to wipe the school’s laptops clean, with a view towards safety.  This struck the commenter as borderline illegal.  Such is not the case:  Those computers are the property of the school district, and by extension, the State of Arizona.  No one advocates state control of personal computers.  It is the duty of educators to safeguard students from identity thieves and predators-period.

This has been the mood today- both online and here in town-sour, formal and hypercritical.  I was raised to walk through such environments and look to a brighter day.  So, here I am, having focused on positive aspects of life.

While it’s true that I am not returning to Peach Springs, next week, that does not mean, as some seem to think, that I dropped the ball, yet again.  My view is always to look for the most competent instructor for a group of children, and she will take the reins on Monday.

While it’s true that I spent two weeks helping that school, it doesn’t mean, as others have suggested, that I ignored the needs of Yavapai County, just to bring in more money. If that were true, I would not have come back here, signed on for more hours and added more schools in the county to my availability list.

While it’s true that I reserve the right to block people who make derogatory remarks about my late wife, and family, on social media, it does not-as one person is telling anyone who will listen, that I care nothing for the welfare of the mentally ill.  It is simply a matter of common decency-and pandering to a person’s baser instincts is doing nothing to help improve their state of being.

So, I hope people in Prescott and vicinity, and readers of this blog, feel better as the days in the northern hemisphere get longer, and as conditions in Australia and elsewhere improve.   May we not grate on one another, or give in to sour moods.

8 thoughts on “Gratings, and Sour-utations”

  1. I go to a clinic called, “Behavioral Health” and not “Crazy Health.” Adults who don’t act properly, and you can’t beat them, so you drug them. People use mental illness to get out of things or to behave badly. I’ve done it on a few occasions. And, like I told you, being on the internet for so long has messed with my moral reasoning a bit, which you’re trying to prevent from happening to the minors you’re caring for. I will also say, to regress to an earlier point, that there have been times I was compromised like when I attacked my grandma (I was out of it), cussed her out on a different occasion, and accidentally hit my other grandma who didn’t announce she was coming into the room. I felt horrible for the latter. Well, I felt bad for all of them. I was attacked in Virginia and was edgy for a while, but I’m back to normal now and people can touch me without being assaulted. She was more worried than anything. I guess I’m a grandma abuser, which is sad because I love my grandparents more than my parents. They’ve always cared for me. I’ll be alone with my aunt when they die.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Here’s hoping the critics get a grip. Cleaning the computers has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with maintaining a good learning environment. No need to apologize or even explain. Wherever you go you give that job/community your best self. You should be applauded not criticized!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Hi Traveler

    I don’t think you crossed the political correctness line. My question was a valid question, about legality, not assuming that indeed the laptops were the property of the school system. had that been stated from the get go, then my question would have been moot.

    It wasn’t asked in a critical manner, or being critical for that matter either. It was the first thought that came to mind when I read your passage. Because I know what kind of uproar something like that would cause if attempted here, in our indigenous classrooms province wide.

    I hope it did not keep you up all night ruminating. I guess it was a good question because you enlightened the subject of keeping kids safe in the classroom.

    Jeremy

    Liked by 1 person

    • No thought which results in clarity is wasted. I know, from my visits to disaffected First Nations, in Nevada and Alaska, how raw the feelings of ownership are. No one with a pulse would take personal possessions away from Native people here, either. Keep thoughts coming; the growth is good for all of us.

      Like

  4. Why are people judging you? #1 wiping computers to remove materials the kids shouldn’t have access to makes perfect sense. And I’m not just saying that because I’ve done it. (Wiped the waste of space Prodigy from a class’s iPads over the weekend last spring.) #2 substitute teachers are at the whim of school districts. Carry on, doing what you do.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.