People are the Worst!

Those are the four uplifting words I left with the students before they headed off for Spring Break. I can already hear the voice inside your head saying “He did what?!”.  Before we get too far, let me explain. Humans constantly oscillate between being extremely selfish and being incredibly kind. Some examples I shared are below. People are the WORST

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a mass of floating debris the size of BC and Alberta floating in the Pacific.

The Syrian Civil War – the barbaric use of chemical weapons on civilians, including children.

The Florida School Shooting – the recent tragedy that left 17 people dead.

Greek Soccer Owner – a recent soccer match had to be abandoned when, after a controversial disallowed goal, the football team’s owner marched onto the field to confront the referee – he was carrying a holstered gun!

People are the BEST

Garbage Pick Up – as part of this year’s Kindness Week, student leaders organized a campus-wide clean up that netted over 25 bags of refuse.

The White Helmets – a group of Syrian volunteers that have rescued more than 70,000 civilians and, sadly, lost 140 volunteers.

#NeverAgain – American youth from across the country created a movement that will hopefully keep their schools safer.

Japanese Speed Skater’s Sportsmanship – after winning the gold medal at the recent Winter Olympics, instead of celebrating, the victor consoled the silver medal winning South Korean who felt that she had let her country down.

These stories remind us of the challenge and responsibility of the human experience. The potent mixture of emotion, fear, and hope can drive us to incredible places – both bad and good. It is up to us to keep our heads and strive to make our world, our community, our school, our family, and ourselves the best it/they can be. I encourage you to share with me uplifting stories of human good that I can share with our students. De Manu In Manum