(between my brother and sister).
The year was 1965. In the news . . .
*Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov of the Soviet Union becomes the first person to walk in space on March 18.
*Canada adopts the red and white maple leaf design as its national flag.
*Tokyo overtakes New York City as the most populated city in the world.
*President Lyndon Johnson orders a build up of U.S. military presence in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000 troops, the U.S. begins regular bombing of cities in North Vietnam, and the first march against the Vietnam War brings out 25,000 protestors in the nation’s capital.
*Watts and Selma become household names in the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
*Gateway Arch, the symbol of St. Louis, Missouri, is completed on October 28. (This is for Bernie and his Missouri roots.)
*Winston Churchill dies at 90 years old on January 24 and Shania Twain is born on August 28. (This is also for my country music-loving man.)
*On August 15, the Beatles perform the first major stadium concert in rock and roll history at New York’s Shea Stadium and release their sixth album in early December.
Frankly, I remember few, if any, of these major events. I wasn’t into world events or the Beatles very much—not yet. Vietnam was to become big in my mind and I eventually wore a POW bracelet faithfully, but that wasn’t until I was in junior and senior high school. In 1965, I was only a sixth grader at Elmer Wood Elementary School in Atwater, California. I prided myself on being a good student in a class where the teacher rewarded those of us who were by seating us in the order of our academic standing. I was always number one or two. While I was thrilled, it must have been horrible for those on the other side of the classroom, but I didn’t think about that then.
I think about it now. My now-adult children are both teachers and my husband is a junior and senior high school principal. What I hadn’t taken time to notice—that school just might be a very difficult place for some kids—is something my son, daughter, and husband deal with daily. Ben has a child who cannot control his anger; Stephanie has a very defiant student; and Bernie sees girls regularly in his office for all sorts of things.
And then there’s 10-year-old Shohei—the reason I've been contemplating what it was like when I was his age. Shohei is not an angry, defiant, always-into-trouble kid. On the contrary, he is mild-mannered, on the serious side, and has a cute, shy smile. But Shohei is unhappy and doesn’t want to go to school. (This phenomenon is not unusual at all in Japan where some children linger on the fringes of school for months and years.) Is it bullying? Boredom? Fear? I don’t know, but I’m troubled for Shohei. I met him in May and prayed with him after he told me God is calling him to become a pastor. And I feel compelled to continue praying for him today.
Even if right now circumstances were perfect, it would be as many years as he is old (and more) before Shohei can realize this goal and actually become a pastor. In the meantime, something is wrong. Will you please join me in praying for Shohei?
*Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov of the Soviet Union becomes the first person to walk in space on March 18.
*Canada adopts the red and white maple leaf design as its national flag.
*Tokyo overtakes New York City as the most populated city in the world.
*President Lyndon Johnson orders a build up of U.S. military presence in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000 troops, the U.S. begins regular bombing of cities in North Vietnam, and the first march against the Vietnam War brings out 25,000 protestors in the nation’s capital.
*Watts and Selma become household names in the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
*Gateway Arch, the symbol of St. Louis, Missouri, is completed on October 28. (This is for Bernie and his Missouri roots.)
*Winston Churchill dies at 90 years old on January 24 and Shania Twain is born on August 28. (This is also for my country music-loving man.)
*On August 15, the Beatles perform the first major stadium concert in rock and roll history at New York’s Shea Stadium and release their sixth album in early December.
Frankly, I remember few, if any, of these major events. I wasn’t into world events or the Beatles very much—not yet. Vietnam was to become big in my mind and I eventually wore a POW bracelet faithfully, but that wasn’t until I was in junior and senior high school. In 1965, I was only a sixth grader at Elmer Wood Elementary School in Atwater, California. I prided myself on being a good student in a class where the teacher rewarded those of us who were by seating us in the order of our academic standing. I was always number one or two. While I was thrilled, it must have been horrible for those on the other side of the classroom, but I didn’t think about that then.
I think about it now. My now-adult children are both teachers and my husband is a junior and senior high school principal. What I hadn’t taken time to notice—that school just might be a very difficult place for some kids—is something my son, daughter, and husband deal with daily. Ben has a child who cannot control his anger; Stephanie has a very defiant student; and Bernie sees girls regularly in his office for all sorts of things.
And then there’s 10-year-old Shohei—the reason I've been contemplating what it was like when I was his age. Shohei is not an angry, defiant, always-into-trouble kid. On the contrary, he is mild-mannered, on the serious side, and has a cute, shy smile. But Shohei is unhappy and doesn’t want to go to school. (This phenomenon is not unusual at all in Japan where some children linger on the fringes of school for months and years.) Is it bullying? Boredom? Fear? I don’t know, but I’m troubled for Shohei. I met him in May and prayed with him after he told me God is calling him to become a pastor. And I feel compelled to continue praying for him today.
Even if right now circumstances were perfect, it would be as many years as he is old (and more) before Shohei can realize this goal and actually become a pastor. In the meantime, something is wrong. Will you please join me in praying for Shohei?
