Sunday, February 17, 2008

Most of the Real Heroes Are Unsung

Let's see, what's on the syllabus for tomorrow's class? Hahaha, who cares.

We're going to talk about acronyms, analogies, context clues (one of the most useful reading skills anyone can EVER LEARN!!!!!) and, once again, Madame C.J. Walker.

Is there anyone else out there who can flip through a history book and wonder where everybody is?

So many unsung heroes. Too many.

Far too many genuinely important people get no mention whatsoever, or maybe just a brief mention, in passing. So many people who really ain't all that get whole chapters dedicated to them; don't even get me started on General Custer - the man was a complete and total loser.

But. . . where is Madame Walker? Where's Denmark Vesey? Clara Barton? Laura Bridgeman? Maria Mitchell? Amelia Bloomer? (Guess what got named after her?) Where is Elizabeth Blackwell? Marie Curie? Ira Hayes? Thomas H. Perkins? Joseph Lister? Louis Pasteur? Albert I,II,III,IV, & V? And so many more. . . .

Our children don't know who these people are. Some of their parents don't, either.

Most of the time, in any kind of drama, the most important participants are not the ones in the limelight. The most important participants are standing in the wings, or behind the curtains, actually DOING something. They understand that it's the "DOING something" that's important, not the"being seen in the vicinity of people who are doing something".

Erma Bombeck was right spot-on: "Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other.

And by the way, the Alberts count as people. How many real people had the courage to do what they did?