Summer and Such

"I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense."

-Harold Kushner, Rabbi and Author

Harold Kushner is about 80 years old now, and is known all over the world as a rabbi, minister, author, and theologian.  I've read two of his books: When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1980) and The Lord is my Shepherd (2003). If you haven't read either of these books, I strongly encourage you to do so. They will help you to form your belief system, if you haven't already, and they will help you ask the right questions about life. In 2003, my friend, Allison, and I had the opportunity to meet Harold Kushner in Raleigh, NC, only a few minutes from my home. He spoke at a bookstore there, answered a few questions, and signed our books, especially his newest book, The Lord is My Shepherd. Allison and I were the first people in the line to get Kushner's autograph. It was so special to see him in person and to hear his voice. He is a Jew and I am a Christian, but we have a lot in common as we seek to worship and serve the same God. His insights into scripture are very thought-provoking for those of us who place our hope in God. People are hungry to hope and meaning in life, and Kushner's books do not disappoint. The popularity of his books shows that people do care about their souls, they do care about spiritual matters, and they do want to understand their own purpose. When Bad Things Happen to Good People has been translated into many different languages and has been sold all over the world, thus demonstrating that people of all cultures experience struggles and hardships, and many are looking for peace and hope.

I realized today that summer is here! As an ESL teacher, I have one more week of work this school year, and I'm looking forward to being on a more relaxed schedule. Will I miss my students? Yes, I actually will. Will I miss leaving the house at 7:10 in the morning? Definitely not!  I've been working in the same public school for 9 years now, and I've come to genuinely care about these kids. All of the ESL students at my school are Hispanic children, so I've had the opportunity to improve my Spanish over the years as I speak with parents. Most of our children from these homes know English when they enter Kindergarten, but their parents often do not. Our job is to teach the children in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. On June 11, these students will go home for two months. I often wonder what they will do during this free time, and honestly, I worry about what they will be like in August. Will they do any reading this summer? Will they have opportunities to speak English often? Will they have enrichment opportunities such as trips or museum visits? Two of my students told me that they are going to Honduras or Mexico this summer, so I'm glad for them. Having a variety of experiences is helpful to the whole education process, but these "enrichment opportunities" may not demonstrate their usefulness on standardized tests. Still, I think the summer can be a wonderful time of learning when the families make the effort to stretch the minds of their children. At the very least,  I hope that my students are taken to their nearest public libraries every week this summer. I do hope that my students will be able to enhance their learning this summer.

This week I sent an email to William Allard, a photographer who works for National Geographic magazine. I told him that my students would like to send him some letters and he agreed to read them. One of his very emotional photographs was published in our ESL REACH textbook, and my students had some questions that they wanted to ask. The photo was published in Allard's story called "Giving Back" about a Peruvian shepherd boy. Half of the boy's sheep were killed by a careless car driver who didn't even stop and make amends. I wasn't planning to read this story with the children, but one of them, Jesus, asked why the boy in the picture was crying. I then felt like we needed to read the story. The students wrote letters and I retyped three of the best ones and sent them to Mr. Allard. Today I received a reply from him, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with the kids next week.

So, what are you reading? I'm in between books right now. I started a very, very thick book, but I'm not sure that I really want to read it. I hope I've decided on a book soon. I don't want to be in a "bookless funk" for very long. I just haven't found that magical book yet.

Have you been reading my "Next Ten" list every week? I hope you've enjoyed this feature of my blog. I know that I definitely enjoy hearing what others have read, so I hope you feel the same. Here are my next ten books that I've read since 1984:

1. Alaska by James Michenor
2. Caribbean by James Michenor
3. The Novel by James Michenor (I must like Michenor!)
4. Our Search for Identity by Marianne Micks
5. While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
6. Kingdom Principles for Church Growth by Gene Mims
7. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
8. Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard
9. The Good, Good Pig by Sy Montgomery
10. Boone by Robert Morgan (I do love my historical books!)

I hope you have something fun to do this summer. Have a great weekend!


Melissa Hill
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