MMeM, Vol.12 Issue 20 – Max Effort

CLIFFS TO AND FROM SCHOOL

Remember when your parents or grandparents used to use the phrase that they “walked to and from school, uphill, both ways”? It was their way of telling you how they used to have it rougher than you and they went through more work for simple things that we take for granted.

Now, be honest, did some of your most fervent prayer as a child concern weather and the possibility that school would be cancelled due to heat, sleet, snow, ice, wind, or rain?

And, after high school, perhaps in college, a tech school or maybe even in your profession, have you witnessed your fellow Americans saying things about how smart some Asian students and people seem to be? Yeah, let me answer that for you, yes, you have. Don’t deny it.

Now, did you see this story about children in southwest China who CLIMB CLIFFS TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

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Look at that. These kids are GOING TO SCHOOL! They have their little backpacks on and they are climbing log ladders!

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I wonder what she’s thinking there? Is it, “Did I remember my geography assignment or do I have a tight enough grip on that limb?”

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Pi is tired. They had to run the kilometer today in gym.

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This climb happens every day of school and not just on this day when they are serving Fiestadas for lunch in the cafeteria.

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“I dropped my homework”, probably trumps “the dog ate it” don’t you think?

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If I were her, I would be contemplating ways to get lengthy in-school suspensions for which I would volunteer to make 24 hour in-school suspensions.

Look, in my humble opinion the point is that sometimes a culture’s academic superiority is obviously ingrained and is that way for a reason. IT IS EARNED and passed down as an important aspect of life to be valued.

“We walked to and from school uphill both ways…”. Please.

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Blogger, in search of humor, always. Writer of MidwesternMeditations.com, formerly hosted on Blogger.