SCHOOL OF TWO THOUSAND SMILES CHALLENGED - Chapter Thirty Seven

SCHOOL OF TWO THOUSAND SMILES CHALLENGED

SAM

On Tuesday morning, I learned that our principal had tentatively agreed to allow my cohort to enter an academic contest with 5th-grade students from another school, provided our chosen students also agreed. I told her I would ask my students, and learned that the contest was requested by the state Superintendent of Schools and that it would offer a sizable donation if we participated. It would be held next Saturday at San Marcus State University. I told her that I would also ask my ‘students’ to ask their parents. I learned that it would take about five hours, was planned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and that there was no need for any special preparation. 

When I told my scholars, they looked a bit worried, and I said, “There is nothing to worry about. I believe in you all, and I want you to enjoy it and have fun with it. Now give me a smile if you are a ‘go’ and a frown if you don’t want to participate.” I looked carefully at each one and saw that all were smiling except for Olivia. “I see a bit of a question on your face, Olivia.” I smiled and gently asked, “What is your concern?” 

“Ah, well, will, ah,  the other school have cr., cripp, crippled, ah, students too?”

“You know, Olivia, I don’t know, and I don’t care because I know you are smart and will do as well as any of them, whoever they are. So, do I see a smile?” She gave me her awkward smile and nodded. I added, “I don’t know who our competitors are, but we’ll all do fine. Let’s just have some fun!”

I requested a school bus to take us to the university. Patria Oreala, the tator of the other 5^th-grade cohort, and our principal joined us on the bus. Our fellow students from Bayshore Elementary school in LaJolla had just arrived and were easily recognized by their uniforms – maroon jackets with gold piping and cream-colored pants for the boys and skirts for the girls. They lined up in a row and standing in a neat row, they reminded me of ten electric tooth brushes. My kids all looked clean and a bit ragged in the torn jeans fore girls and plain jeans for the boys and various kinds of shirts, jackets, sweater tops. We all headed for the university library. Our principal knew the woman principal of Bayshore Elementary, and she introduced Patria and me to her 5th grade teacher and her assistant teacher who came with their ten 5^th graders. And the six of us went into a smaller room to confer with the four Cal State Education Graduate School professors who had volunteered to plan and execute what they called ‘contest’.  

The obvious leader of the evaluators was, surprisingly, the Chairman of the Education department at SMSU, gray-haired Joe Davis, Ed.D. He told us that they had spent several hours putting the contest together and that it had been a rather pleasant undertaking, and they hoped it would fulfill the expectations of the State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Davis wasn’t sure what they were, but hoped for the best. He said, “We believe that we are to ascertain which program - Bayshore’s more traditional method or Two Thousand Smiles’ more experimental method- would do the best job of preparing students for middle school, high school, and life. So, we will be looking at the way the students conduct themselves and get along with each other, as well as how they approach and handle the questions we give them. We will pair up the students, and each pair – a girl and a boy – will be chosen randomly - not based on any grade point, age, or anything else." He looked at the principals of the two schools and added, " We thank you principals for your list of student names. We would like to give the students about 15 minutes to mill around and get to know one another, and with you six. I hope that is okay with you.” We all nodded, and he led us into the library.

I didn’t have to say anything to my cohort students, as they were all interacting with the Bayshore kids on the side of the library room that the Bayshore bunch occupied. My kids seemed to be enjoying themselves and quickly invited the adults into their crowd. The Bayshore bunch seemed to want to stay together or near one another and looked quite serious, even a bit fearful. Dr. Joe Davis loudly asked us to take our seats in our designated areas and to find our names on the desks and chairs around the room. Before we began moving, my cohort’s Joe, who was standing near Dr. Davis, said. “Dr. Davis, it’s really nice to hear a Dr. with the first name Joe.” He held out his hand and added, “My name is Joe, too. I’m Joe Jackson, and I’m glad to meet you.” Dr. Joe Davis rather hesitantly took Jackson’s hand, then quickly looked around as if he had done something wrong by taking Joe's hand..

Lucy Ma motioned for me to join her and Olivia and said, "Sam, Olivia would like for me to sit next to her and as you know, she thinks I am the one who most easily understands me."

"I'll see what I can do." I went over to tell Joe Davis about Olivia's concern and see if we can break the boy-girl, boy-girl pattern, and put Lucy next to her. Davis understood and asked Joe Jackson to exchange seats with Lucy. Of course our Joe complied. 

Dr. Joe Davis, seeing some students still milling around, said, “Please find your names and seats as quickly as possible.

ARE WE WORSHIPING WORDS? - Chapter Thirty Six

ARE WE WORSHIPING WORDS?

SAM

I had said to my fellow scholars, "I asked you to think about what Ella had brought up about words not being the things or the experiences, and I did that too. Now, it is Monday morning, and you all look eager to share. I'll go first. My thoughts have been about the word ‘enemy’. Who would we Americans consider an enemy?

My first thought was Russians. And I’m pretty sure Russians, or at least those in government, would say ‘Americans’. So, the meaning of enemy would be different in the two countries.”

Joe Johnson volunteered, “I was thinking of the word ‘fuck’”. Several students giggled or laughed, and Joe went on. “My grandpa told me that when he was a kid, he said fuck, and his mom heard him and tried to wash his mouth out with soap. It became a big deal because he bit his mom’s finger, and it started to bleed. Now.."

Gordo interrupted him, "And just last week my mom told my dad, and he really balled me out and said if I ever heard that I said that word again he'd  beat the hell out of me."

Joe ignored Gordo and continued. "...we hear the word fuck all over the place, and it seems like just a word everybody is using for almost anything. So, it’s a powerfully bad word for my mom, and Gordo's mom and dad and lots of other people, and most people just use it as a throw-away word like 'oh damn' for everybody else.”

I commented, “And that demonstrates how we can give words power even when there is no obvious reason.”

Evie said, “My dad said that religions were built on words that only reflected some historical person or bunch of people’s thoughts rather than on some living event or experience. He said Jesus was probably a wonderfully gifted person, an honored and respected fellow..."

"Oh my goodness," Lucy interjected, "please don't tell me the bible is wrong. My parents would be horrified. I hope they don't hear that we are even discussing this in school."

Evie went on, "Lucy, my dad is a really kind, caring, and hopeful guy, and I think he's a lot better person than a lot of so-called 'Christian' men I know. Anyway, my dad said, and then. Years after he was murdered, St. Paul said he was a son of God. And a few more years later, several people grabbed onto the words " Son of God," and finally, a whole bunch of people declared that Jesus was the one and only Son of God..." 

Three or four in the cohorts moaned a bit and shook their heads, and Evie went on, "And dad said a Roman Emperor made Jesus, the Christ, the official religion of the Roman Empire. And my mother, who teaches history in high school, says that more doctrines and moral edicts were added. And some popes even said that people had to believe, without doubt, that all of these doctrines were absolutely true, and if we violated any of them, we would commit serious sins that could send us to hell. Sam, do you believe this?”

I simply said, “That does reflect that such a development did seem to be based on the religious history of those who believed that Jesus was the one and only Son of God,  especially in Europe, but it does not reflect the words and life of Jesus.”

Maria said that she did not bring up the idea that religion was not absolutely true because her parents would yank her right out of Smiles school.  So, she had no discussion to report.

I told her I understood her position. I added that only a small number of people before 1900 could read, and most of those who did were preachers and priests of various religious sects. Unfortunately, they even went to war believing that their enemy was non-believing heretics who were leading people to sin. 

Ella spoke up again, “Dr._Fuller, our history teacher, says that now that nearly everyone over seven years old knows how to read, we have lots of people who no longer believe in any religion at all. She says we can divide ourselves into the Absolute True Believers and the Free Progressive Thinkers. She likes the free-thinking idea and says that our school is promoting that. Do you agree with her?” Ella paused a moment and then went on, “And also said that in the seventeenth century, a war lasting thirty years got started as a war between Catholics and Protestants, and that couldn’t have been based on any kind of words or actions of Jesus of Nazareth.” 

Several students wanted to know what I thought about all this religion “stuff”. I replied, “I think that we need to be free thinking and grow into mature, fully alive, creative, and authentic persons. And that we go beyond ego and become deeply concerned with humanity and the whole world. Now, how’s that for a bunch of words?”

Chris whistled and said, “Yes, that is a bunch of words, and, kind sir, are they based on experience and solid facts?”

“Yes, my fellow sir, they are based on a solid bunch of studies led by free thinkers. And it demonstrates our need for words. I agree with Dr. Fuller that we are divided among absolutists, free thinkers, and non-thinkers, and that we need to be respectful of those who disagree with us. 

For next week, please consider whether Smiles School is educating you to be thoughtful and respectful people. 

IS OUR UNIVERSE ALSO OUR GOD? - Chapter Thirty Five

IS OUR UNIVERSE ALSO OUR GOD? 

ELLA

I asked Sam if I could conduct the first part of our cohort meeting, and after a bit of explaining, he said I could.  So, after everyone was seated, Sam nodded to me, and we both stood up. I went over to his seat in front of the whiteboard, and Sam took my seat. I began, “You all look a bit puzzled. I asked Sam if I could take over for him at the start of our Monday morning cohort meeting to talk to you all about an experience and discussion we had in our family, and get your feedback.

Here goes. I hope you will go along with me. This is a very slow and quiet experience, so please be patient.“

“First, sit back, relax, and close your eyes. Now imagine it’s a dark night, and you see nothing but a dark blue sky. Just slowly and quietly take in this vision in your darkened experience of blue. Focus on that blue for quite a while. Take your time and feel every part of your body as you continue gazing into your dark, night-blue vision. Now notice that there are little points of light twinkling in the darkness, and notice a slight feeling in your body, kind of like shivering, but a good feeling of vibrations in your body, like a cat purring. Imagine that it has always been there, but just now, for the first time, you notice and feel it. Now, gradually open your eyes and see a bunch of people around you. Quietly look at each of these people.”

I was relieved that everyone seemed quite relaxed, had a smile on their faces, and still looked a bit puzzled.  Some glanced at Sam to see if he was going along with all this. He was. “It looks like you all had some kind of experience that was different from when you are normally sitting there. Would any of you like to tell us what this was like for you?”

Joe Jackson started, “Wow, Ella, you really got to me. I liked being in that nighttime and seeing, no, not seeing, but being in that blueness and feeling myself vibrating. I feel very uh, alive and calm, uh good.” I nodded to Joe.

Chris, “I’m guessing that you knew you had a very soothing voice, huh, Ella? Anyway, you lulled me almost to sleep, but I ended up floating into that great dark blue picture. I am radiantly alive. Thank you.” I folded my hands in front of me and bowed to Chris

Maria hesitantly chimed in, “I feel really good and even better than most of the times when I’m in church. All I can say is ‘Wow’.” 

Olivia added, “El..el., can I, I take ya, you home wi, with me”. I thanked her and all the rest for their reports and cooperation.” Now I’ll tell you a bit more about our family’s discussion.”

“Ever since we got that Einstein letter over the Christmas vacation, our family has been discussing its possible meaning, and last night, Dad said he had a vision. He began telling us about his vision, which was very much like the one you all just had, and he interpreted it as our universe being a living, radiant, intelligent being in which we live. The universe is God – it is all that is and is alive and radiant and intelligent in a way that is more intelligent than we are or any other beings we can think of. It is a different kind of intelligence from ours, so we cannot figure it out and only waste energy trying. We can meditate and experience life and love more meaningfully, but we are incapable of completely understanding it.” All ten of my cohort fellows, including Sam, looked like they wanted more, so I said, “That was my dad’s reflection on his ‘vision’.” I used the quotation marks and added that his vision was just his reflection on his visionary experience. I told him I really liked his explanation better than the biblical one. But that is another story. Now, I’d like to hear your reflections on your experience. Who wants to go first?” 

Evie volunteered, “I believe it is a great way to relax and be aware of my body and open my mind – something I need to do especially when I’m feeling uptight. I like it, and I plan to use the guided imagery repeatedly. Did you record it?” I told him that Sam had recorded it and that if it was okay with him if I wanted to share it, so I said okay to Evie.

Chris looked very serious as he said. “Ella, I really like your dad’s reflection on it. If it somehow became an easily accepted alternative to the traditional one, I think it would be an easily accepted new Christian set of beliefs. I want to hear what everyone thinks.” 

Maria wanted to know if my dad’s interpretation would just reduce Jesus to just a nice man. I told her that Dad thought it enhanced Jesus’s message and encouraged everyone to nurture their own ability of love as Jesus himself loved – with the very power of god’s love within us. Several others joined Chris’s interpretation. 

Danny said that he heard a lot of talk back in Mississippi about how Jesus really was God, and he added, “That if I wanted to go to heaven, I must declare that  Jesus was my personal savior. I didn’t believe any of it because my dad, that is my PITA. believed it, and if that was being saved, I didn’t want any part of it. So, I’m glad that I can hear  about another possible interpretation of who Jesus was and maybe even create my own story. So I didn’t experience anything like your dad, Ella, but I like what your dad came up with. 

Sam interrupted me and pointed at his watch, “Ella, I am enjoying your class (he used the quote gestures), but you have gone a long way past the first part of our cohort meeting, and we will have to stop now. You all think about what Ella has brought up, and we’ll talk about it next time.”