Curiosity
Did you ever have a time where you laid on the grass, watching a frog swim across a pond? You might have been waiting to see a largemouth bass come up out of the water and swallow that frog. You might have thought it would be great to swim like that frog. You might start looking for some stones and seeing if you could hit that frog. If you had a couple of your friends there, it would quickly morph into a competitive conversation of who could be the first to hit that frog and how many attempts it would take to hit that frog. You might be the person wondering how you could catch that frog and make it your pet.
Curiosity reminds me of the book Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Which was later made into a movie and a few years ago made into a Netflix series. My wife read these books to our children, we watched the movie, and have watched the Netflix series. Anne had to be the most curious young lady that I have ever seen. She was definitely very passionate about everything that came into her life.
My wife enjoyed Anne of Green Gables so much that she wanted to go there for our honeymoon but left it up to me where we would go. I did not realize at that time what type of impression that young lady in the books had on my young wife (at the time I was not much of a reader). So, I picked going out to Yellowstone (farm kid who seldom went anywhere, who did hear about Yellowstone and it had grizzly bears). She never once complained to me about going to Yellowstone. Once we were married, I became an avid reader due to my wife’s influence. I got to experience Anne with an E through her eyes. I found out what the draw was for her. So, for our 35th wedding anniversary we went to Prince Edward Island to see the birthplace of the Anne of Green Gables’ books. It was a great experience to see my wife's curiosity being piqued during our time on Prince Edward Island (I did also enjoy myself very much).
Albert Einstein once made the statement “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
That makes me think of how passionately curious our children were and seem to still be as they have grown into adulthood. Two of them are now raising their own children and spend a good amount of time helping their children meet their passionately curious adventures. Mary and I both enjoy hearing of their adventures and once in a while we get to experience it with them.
Our students at Wittenberg-Birnamwood are no different. They come into our school system passionately curious. (That is why as young children they are always asking why questions.) A large part of our passion should be helping them build on their passions. I believe that is also why the families of our school district supported their children by passing the referendum to improve our high school. We will be starting out the 2020 school year with great improvements in the areas of science, family and consumer science, agriculture, metals and woods technology, art, and a new stem lab. These are areas that our children can continue to allow their passionate curiosity grow into a profession or a hobby which will remain for their entire life.
Thank you for allowing our children to live out their passionate curiosity. It makes me smile to think of the faces of the students who will be gaining the chance because of your sacrifice.
