As I’ve been thinking about world events and the craziness on the campaign trail, it occurred to me that what we all need right now is a big ol’ TIME OUT. Just STOP. Take a minute to breathe. And then consider – and follow – the wisdom of Robert Fulghum from his book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Some may scoff at this. Kindergarten? Really? But given the behavior we’ve seen demonstrated pretty much daily from some of the POTUS hopefuls, I think the average kindergartener is a lot better behaved. With appreciation to Robert Fulghum, here are some lessons to live by.
“All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life – Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick and Jane books, and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.
Everything you need to know is there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and sane living.”
Let’s stop the madness and get back to basics. It’s time for some cookies and milk.
Till next time,
Karen
