ASHES ON THE FLY
Just saw a television news piece about Ash Wednesday. There was a local priest who was dispensing ashes to parishioners on the street as they drove by in their cars. The priest was acting like a worker at a fast food drive through window. Parishioners drove up, rolled down their window, the priest placed the ashes on their foreheads and blessed them, and off they drove. Ashes on the fly! What next ? And what does this have to do with education ?
This might be a stretch, but the above incident reminds me of what has taken place in our schools and with a whole generation of parents when it comes to the area of self-esteem for children. Our parents and schools have been dishing out endless praise and rewards for our children in the hopes of instilling self-esteem in them. It’s as if the children ride by on their bikes while the teachers and parents hand out doses of self-esteem. The children