I need to go to confession. What is my sin? It is the sin of pride, which is one of the seven deadly sins. You see, I feel the occasional twinge of contempt for people I feel are beneath me. It's horrible, I know, but when some people speak, I cringe at their obvious lack of education.
I am not perfect, but in my opinion, a person should try to be eloquent and well-spoken when writing or opening their mouths. Nothing grates me more than seeing a person on television, usually on the news, who speaks with incorrect grammar to the point where it is on par with the broken English of foreigners. Sometimes, on Facebook, a person may write they're or there, when the needed word is their. Do we no longer teach English in schools? Does the average person know what a pronoun is? Or the proper use of an adverb?
I remember, when I was growing up, there was Schoolhouse Rock. It came on during the Saturday morning cartoons. Those short programs were fun, easy to understand, and taught me a lot. Who remembers Conjunction Junction? Lolly, lolly, lolly Get Your Adverbs Here? Interjections? Those songs still ring in my brain.
I think we should bring back Schoolhouse Rock. It can help both kids and adults, who live in areas where getting a quality education is difficult. I realize that things have changed in schools over the years, but I truly believe in my heart that kids are still kids, and that learning can be fun. Instead of video games and iPhones, kids need to get outside and play, explore their imaginations, and be encouraged to read. Need someplace to take your kids for a couple of hours? Go to the library, for goodness sake!! Let your child find something that peaks her interest. Let them discover the joys of books; the look, the feel, the smell. Help them learn to retreat into those places in their brains where dreams do come true, and new worlds are discovered.
Teachers today are under a lot of pressure to get good performance scores instead of educating. So many kids are being passed along, and cannot even put together a proper sentence. When I hear that, it makes my skin crawl. This is our future, America. A generation that can't spell, write cursive, or speak in public. We our sending our children to college, if they can even get in, ill-equipped in basic skills.
I must confess, I was raised in a neighborhood that has a very long history of being one of the best school districts in the country. So, I guess I am prejudiced. I realize that not everyone is so fortunate. I feel bad for those who live in areas where a proper education is not possible. Hence, my sin of pride. I have prayed for forgiveness and asked for the grace of humility whenever I pray the Rosary.
So far, my pride has not been tempered. I have little tolerance for the ill-bred, ill-mannered, and poorly educated. I must purge myself of this sin, if I wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Lord judges our hearts, as wells as our deeds.
I need to do better on both accounts. I need to look at people with compassion instead of contempt. I am sometimes ashamed for them, when I ought to be ashamed of myself. If I had more patience, something I pray for, I could be a learning aid. I have no valid excuse as to why I do not do more to help my fellow man. I am so afraid of people, and have difficulty trusting. However, that does not give me a free pass to not help. There are so many things I could do to make a difference. I just need to swallow my pride and do them.
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