On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 17:37:05 -0500, " JimH" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:05:26 GMT, "Bryan" wrote:


The Golden Rule.

But, I think more and more it's going by the wayside.
--

I know what you mean, but I think it's still alive and well.

I've raised my son on the values I was raised on: 10 commandments; golden
rule; scout oath, etc. As a teen he questions why I go the extra mile to
help others when there's no obvious and tangible reward, especially when
the
media has him convinced that no one does anything good for anyone else
without expecting something in return (fallout from the 80's and 90's?).

I worry that he'll hold back on being helpful, but his teachers are always
sending praises our way and folks in the community always have something
good to say about him in terms of being helpful ....

His challenge to me about always being the one to take the extra step and
the community praise for his taking the extra step, make me think we're
doing alright. Words are loud, but we've got to keep our eyes open to
actions as well.

We're good at heart; I refuse to believe otherwise.


Actually, most of us teachers do a lot of bitching about kids that make up
less than
10% of the kid population. There are some spectacular kids out there.
There was one
family who had three kids come through my 8th grade class. Wonderful kids!
My advice
to them was always the same, "Make more kids!"

Sounds like your son is in the same ballpark. Good job!
--
John H

**** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!*****

My wife always found that the involvement of the parents in their children's
educations, including attending parent/teacher conferences, directly
correlated to the students success in the classroom. She taught elementary
education.


She's right. Parent orientation (meet the teacher) night is usually during the first
couple weeks of school. Making a list of the parents who don't bother to come is the
first indication of where trouble may arise.
--
John H

**** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!*****

On 21 Dec 2005 15:42:33 -0800, wrote:


Reggie Smithers ( is my first name) wrote:
Chuck,
Why have we lost our sense of community in normal times? It sure would be
nice if NYC could continue this strong sense of community. Heck it is
possible that it could spread from city to city.

Before you knew it would could have a movement....


We have lost our sense of community in normal times because there is an
active industry endlessly dividing us against one another. Voices for
several sides consistently preach that all other sides are totally
without merit. The people who promote this at the very highest level
don't even really care which side we're individually on- the only
important thing to them is that the people are divided (and therefore
less of a threat).

Even those rare calls for "unity" are disingenuous. "Y'all need to
adopt my standards and values, ya hearh, so we can come together and be
united." In fact, we will truly be united when we stick up for one
another *in spite* of differences of opinion- and we will never be
united as long as we perceive people with different values or opinions
as defective in some sense or another.

It's difficult to maintain that perspective in the modern culture of
non-stop propaganda (of one persuasion or another) in almost every
medium.

Borderline...
--
John H

**** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!*****

Reggie Smithers wrote:
The current situation in NYC with everyone pulling together made me think
about boaters and the Good Samaritan Rule. Everyone from pleasure boaters
on a small lake to tankers in the middle of the ocean will go out of their
way to help others.

Whenever I see someone who appears stalled, I will go over to see if I can
help. I have towed people to the marina and have had to be towed before.
What is it that brings people together on the water or together in an
emergency, such as the transit strike in NYC?

Wish I could say the same.

I have never left anyone stranded even when they deserved it. ie a guy
told me his started had been showing signs of failing for almost a year
and now it was cah-put and I towed him almost 5 miles on a inland lake.

I had my first failure in 30 plus years of boating last summer. It
happened at night and three boats went by less them 30 yards away,
Signaled with a spotlight (not directly at them as not to blind anyone)
and they had to see me considering the width of the channel but they
just kept going on their way. (shouted too)

I was only about half mile from our lake weekend place. We called the
guy that lives next door on the cell. He happened to be returning home
and gave us a tow a couple of hours later.


Capt Jack R..

JohnH wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:03:29 -0500, "Reggie Smithers" Reggie( is my first name)
Smithers wrote:


The current situation in NYC with everyone pulling together made me think
about boaters and the Good Samaritan Rule. Everyone from pleasure boaters
on a small lake to tankers in the middle of the ocean will go out of their
way to help others.

Whenever I see someone who appears stalled, I will go over to see if I can
help. I have towed people to the marina and have had to be towed before.
What is it that brings people together on the water or together in an
emergency, such as the transit strike in NYC?




The Golden Rule.

But, I think more and more it's going by the wayside.
--
John H

**** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!*****

Agreeded:

Capt Jack R..