School Daze 👩🏽‍🏫 👨🏼‍🏫

     While Fall hasn’t hit the air just yet, school’s already back in session. Kids are trudging the familiar pathways through the neighborhood to catch the bus. I watch them, bent forward at the waist under the weight of their heavy backpacks full of schoolbooks and supplies. I don’t remember school starting this early when I was a kid. September was our magic month. We started shortly before Labor Day, had Labor Day weekend off, then back on Monday. It was weird, actually. Three month summer vacation, a few days of school, then another short vacation and back in class until Thanksgiving break. (It was before global warming, the days were cool and crisp. Today’s kids are roasting in 90+ degree heat, fans oscillating rapidly trying to provide even a little bit of cooler air. Still summer-type weather, must be hard to get motivated.)

     At lunch today, my husband told me he read teachers have to come up with an average of $450 to pay for school supplies out of their own pockets each year. I knew teachers had to pay for supplies, I just didn’t realize it was so much money. And that doesn’t include money spent setting  up their rooms or money they freely spend to help their under-privileged students. Or extra money they spend for special projects for the classroom. So not only are they underpaid in the first place but they then need to provide additional funds to make the learning experience the best it can be for their students.

     I have a difficult time understanding why this is happening. Walmart’s net worth is $386.3 Billion, Target – $62.6 Billion, Office Depot – $6 Billion, Staples – $6.9 Billion (give or take). These are Billions of dollars, with a B, all of them. Grocery stores, drug stores and so many other stores sell school supplies, as well. I don’t understanding why no one makes the obvious connections or conclusions. Why don’t these Billion dollar companies donate supplies to either schools or, at the very least, teachers? I think with a massive net worth, one pallet of supplies donated to local schools can’t possibly bankrupt a corporation that measures their assets in the Billions of dollars. As a consumer, if I knew a store was donating supplies, I would be more inclined to shop at those stores. I want to believe I’m not the only person who would do so either. Is it just possible the amount in dollars  these companies donate would be compensated for through increased sales because of that generosity? I believe we should all help whenever and wherever we can.

     And while I’m on the subject; Walmart, Safeway, Kroger/King Soopers, Albertsons, Vons, Cub, Foodland, Homeland, Meijer, Natural Grocers, Sprouts and Whole Foods, et al, are worth millions, if not Billions of dollars as well. Why don’t they donate a pallet of non-perishable food to local food banks every month or even every other month? If they did, maybe children would’t be going to school hungry. They’d be better prepared to learn and thrive in school. Every child deserves a chance. Deserves to become the best person they can be. Children shouldn’t be the focus of judgement about their worthiness because their parents struggle with life. Struggle to keep a job(s), struggle with sobriety, struggle to have a place to live. If I’ve learned nothing in 70 years, I have learned you never know what someone’s story is, how life has or hasn’t worked out. The difficulties a person has had to face is as unique as they are. No one knows if or whether they even know where to go for help. Everyone is entitled to have their dignity, no matter what their circumstances.

     I know my husband and I may be only one major illness away from becoming homeless. We are smart people but there are things that can’t be controlled, managed or fixed. I hope we would find compassionate help if we found ourselves in a difficult situation. My experience lately is judgement and divisiveness, not compassion or benevolence. “There but for the grace of God go I.” A Proverb meaning, our fate is not entirely in our own hands. While I subscribe to “God helps those who help themselves”, not everyone is equipped to do so. There have been times in my own life when a helping hand has meant everything to me. I try to “pay it forward” whenever I am able. Maybe it is because I know how grateful I was to get that help, without judgement or condemnation. I believe we should all strive to help, whenever we can. Perhaps God put me on this planet to provide the help that someone needs. At least, I like to think it’s part of why I’m here.

    And if any or all of the companies I’ve mentioned above do donate, do help however they can, I humbly apologize for calling them out. Maybe they should make their compassionate acts more publicly known.