Better for everyone

Arriving at LAX last week before the baggage counter was open, we joined the line where a lone gentleman was tagging bags so check-in would move quickly once his colleagues arrived. While my suitcase was on the scale, an alarm rang on his phone. 3:45 a.m. “Time to go to work,” he said and proceeded to explain that he had been coming in early during the holiday season — before he could get on the clock — to help make things easier for travelers. He was not getting paid for this time — it just seemed like the right thing to do because it was better for everyone.

The world of education has been flooded with books and experts who extol the virtue of carefully curated “actionable items” that will ensure our success. I will admit that some of these recommendations are beneficial: to-do lists, prioritizing, and the rigorous definition of what you really want to accomplish — all worthy bulwarks against the myriad distractions of the digital age and life. However, what can get lost in this efficiency and razor focus on ourselves is what makes our lives meaningful ... a sense of community.

A community like ours thrives when our actions are driven by a culture of generosity and inclusion, and we stumble when we embrace the concept of success as a zero-sum game. Is it possible to teach the difference? I believe so, but it takes work and trust — work because it’s not easy and trust because the rewards are not always readily apparent and measurable. Carole Babcock, who passed away recently, was a perfect example of what I mean. For years, she read to our kindergartners her favorite stories and theirs. A highly accomplished artist, Carole knew that the power of wonder would kindle their imagination and open fabulous worlds to them. Generations of our students will always remember Miss Carole not for how many books she read or even what she read; instead, it will be that she read, to all of them. And it was better for everyone.

JWB
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