Every morning upon traveling to work, I see a gentleman picking up trash left by litterers. This gentleman has been out in the elements, rain or shine, cleaning up his neighborhood in an effort to do his part in making the city of Jackson beautiful. In life, most people don’t slow down to appreciate the small things. Society has modeled most of us to align with the constant pace of rapidness that forces us to miss the beauty of humanity. In the midst of COVID-19, I have realized that I am grateful to work amongst some of the most talented, skillful, and caring people, both here at MPB and through other ventures.
I know most posts should be about how education ties into making our schools and students better through academics. But, I believe that if we have compassion and take time for the small things, the latter will undoubtedly be applied. The gentleman that I mentioned earlier has persistence. He displays compassion and care. He is an older gentleman, but that doesn’t stop him from bending and walking to make the road traveled by his neighbors, the best that it could be.
In one’s matriculation through education, you must have persistence. You must study diligently on the subjects you have difficulty with just as much as the subjects you enjoy. Those who teach must display compassion. I believe a compassionate teacher is one who draws more students. A compassionate educator can reach more and teach more. This gentleman allowed me to think, if we were more concerned with compassionate work ethics, more things could get accomplished. Rewards would come unexpected.
My viewpoint may not mean anything to most but to someone, it just might allow them to understand that education is not only within a book, it’s in every teachable lesson in life. One should be educated in all facets of life to better the whole person. An uncaring CEO is not a great CEO. A CEO that displays compassion for his or her employees has longevity within a company and is appreciated by staff. This gentleman’s everyday routine led me to think these thoughts. What has someone done that you’ve noticed that makes a difference?