The Wild Green Yonder

In the last year I've raised the blade of my mowers a bit because I've discovered that it's healthier for the grass to be a bit longer. I've also become less of a grass nazi when I'm trimming around things with the whacker. Why? Because grass likes to be grass. Grass likes to grow and express itself. And the result is my lawn actually looks better. I'm even going to extend that and say that it is healthier.

So while these thoughts are churning through my mind while I'm on the riding mower out in my wild green yonder, I can't help thinking that it applies to kids as well. I wonder how we can let them do more of what comes naturally to them, and to turn it into some kind of advantage for eveyone involved. It doesn't mean that we have to nurture a Lord of the Flies culture; That would be stupid and dangerous for everyone involved. I'm just wondering, that's all.

In the meantime, I am trying to come to grips with all the disorders that are slapped on kids today. (I was listening to a radio ad describing the symptoms of a stroke and I thought, I have that everday! I'm having a stroke teaching school!) In fact, I listen to the "interventionists" describe the disorders that they saddle the kids with, and I show 80% of the symptoms that the kids have. They could care less about me, though. They think I'm joking.

And then I think about this: why is it called attention deficit disorder? Kids don't have attention deficit disorder. They have attention surplus disorder. Everything that comes across their field of vision needs attended to. I do this often, too. Wouldn't attention deficit disorder look more like a catatonic stupor? That's what they look like after they've been given the meds. This seems wardback to me. It's just something to think about.

Our schools spend a respectful amount of energy trying to get kids' behaviors and classroom characteristics to look and be the same, and at the same time we "celebrate diversity". I'm really slow with this. Maybe I am learning disabled too. I need to get back to the wild green yonder to think this one through.