Making The Honor Roll
The young man speaking only had four minutes for summing up all his years of education. His words weren't flowery or particularly memorable, but they stuck a harmonious chord. Why? Because he used his time to name people who had influenced him in precise ways.
I expected him to put parents and teachers at the top of his honor roll. And he did. Their years of purposeful sacrifices, vision and dedication were indeed praiseworthy.
But I was surprised to find out who else made the list. The parts that they had played may have sounded incidental to some--even trivial. But not to those who heard their own names mentioned. With tears in his eyes, one man responded, "Thank you for remembering me."
High on his list was a sister with multiple handicaps. She had taught him something that he wouldn't learn in any classroom: tenderness. And that's a vital lesson for a future husband and father.
Conventional wisdom tells us that youthful follies are unavoidable. But an almost-forty friend had constantly challenged him with a sterling example of moral uprightness that proved otherwise. You wouldn't have heard that message in a classroom of peers.
At a crucial time in his life, there was a group who really cared about him. They were grown men in his church who took the time to talk to a kid. They enticed him and his father into outdoor extravaganzas of hiking, camping, and skiing. With wholesome family fun like that, he wouldn't have to seek thrills elsewhere.
Astute businessmen always had time to share their own tips and secrets. He could learn from their mistakes and ride the coattails of their successes in learning to develop his own part-time business.
From certain peers came not only acceptance, but also physical labor to help him when he was in a bind with his jobs. And there were frequent challenges to do better and to be all that he could be.
Some expanded his horizons with their artistic flairs and poetical bents to add new dimensions and exquisite flavor to his life. And a special few had planted and watered the seeds for spiritual growth and fulfillment.
His grandfather had helped him buy equipment for his business. Others had believed in him enough to hire him. Still others had noticed his work and had referred jobs his way.
He seemed to recognize that his education was far more than an accumulation of classroom facts. Facts would be forgotten, but the investments of others would linger for a lifetime. And those who had participated "informally" were probably the most influential. That's probably why I took notice, wondering if I would ever make anyone's honor roll.
Copyright 1999 James McAlister
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