If you are from my generation and lived in Orlando, you probably have seen these! In my quest to win over the paper war, I have been scanning stuff. All kinds of stuff.
Nani (Roger's mom) saved a lot of paper. I just filed it when it came my way. He would have tossed it. Ha! It makes me pretty happy today that Roger had me. I discovered some mighty interesting things about my man when reading through these things.
I discovered that as a child in school, he was not a lot unlike me. Or, since he was so much older, I was not a lot unlike him! Different ways, but oh so similar.
"Roger needs to stay focused on his work and stop visiting" (Mine said things like - "Judy needs to stop daydreaming and do her work")
Yet, his 2nd grade teacher called him a lonely child. And several commented that he needed to do better in math and practice his handwriting. (I am all with them on the handwriting part - he always printed, never did conquer cursive!)
What struck me though, was that here - decades later, still on the paper in proper cursive with fountain pen ink - are words that could have set the destiny for a young child. Some of the comments were pretty harsh - I might have stated them in a personal conference, but not in writing.
Somewhere along the line, I read my grade school comments and determined that as a teacher I would do my best to only put positive things in writing - and that if something hard to hear had to be said, it would be prefaced with something positive.
It also struck me that Roger did not give into what might have been written about him - and quite possibly his mother never showed it to him, but quite possibly both parents told him to grow into the man he was meant to be come. They believed in him. They only had one child, so they had the energy for him, for sure.
As our girls were growing up, I would stress more over 'wasted time' and lower grades than Roger ever did. We had polar opposites. Social butterfly. Studious one. Both perfect, of course, in our eyes! Roger would just laugh and say it would all work out and they would become who God intended for them to be, that other things were more important measures of a child than just grades. He was right.
I wonder though, how many people take a course in life that was determined by something that was said or written about their abilities. It breaks my heart to watch kids, after they graduate, go into this struggle to find themselves, because they never seemed to gain confidence in something while in high school. Sometimes the struggle takes years. Sometimes, they give it up and just settle.
Above most other things I ever did, I hope that I encouraged.
Roger's Lesson: The only written word you ought to take to heart is what is written in the Bible. It is the best life manual you could ever have, and leads you to the right answers. Don't settle for what man tells you - not bad, and not good either. Don't base your whole life on accolades from a long time ago. Do what you do for a higher purpose and you will always be happy. It is just one of those decisions you need to make in life.
Clearly Roger did not settle for what was written on his report cards. He was one of the most intelligent and interesting people I have ever met in my life. He knew more about history and politics than any professor I ever had. He knew the Space Center inside and out, or so we have been told. He studied things like building plans in case there was ever a need to know - which there was, and he knew. He was an amazing leader and mentor to many (we were told that as well) - yet to us, he was dad, and good ole Rog. He laughed a lot and enjoyed life to the fullest and always believed that happiness was a personal decision and not based on what was going on around you. And he believed in others and what they had the ability to achieve.And as for me and "Judy needs to stop daydreaming...." That comment used to annoy me.
Until Friday. TMA folks know what I mean.
Dreaming and having a vision for something wonderful turned into a surprise that never was on my radar. And the really neat thing is that the vision was for people I possibly would never even know.
And that is how you know God put those dreams in your heart and mind - because it isn't for you.
Dream, people...ask God to give you a vision....become more than what a report says that you are. Keep growing, keep believing, and when you write about someone, look for the positive.
But always remember that God is bigger than any report. Any report, negative or positive!
Every day is a new one, so do something important with it!
Wonderful post.
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