I met my neighbor a few years ago when he was walking Gandolph. Gandolph was the second Greyhound that he had adopted and the dog was a regal creature. In the winter, the very thin dog sported a fine looking winter coat. The dog was a very popular resident and according to his friend, it allowed him to meet most of the folks who live on our very long and winding road. Gandolph loved people and if you called him by name you could count on him waiting patiently for a pet and he would return a friendly nuzzle. Gandolph is gone, but that loving and kind spirit of his owner carries on today.
As I drove back from dropping Hank off for his second grade class, my neighbor was in his yard. I stopped and asked him why the inflatable luck dragon with the heart in the yard. ‘These are challenging times for children, the intent is to bring a bit of joy to the kids on the way to school.’ His wife has carefully placed Teddy Bears in the window looking down over the street and two miniature bears hide in the bushes by the street. A bit too much? I am sure in these days of cynics, conspiracy theorists, and counter culture such a human as my neighbor is suspicious-thoughtful, kind, vaccinated, and considerate.
Fangorn inhabits the tree in the neighbor’s yard. What is that symbol? My neighbor reminded me of Lord of the Rings and the powerful Ents who lived in the forest. Tree beard or Fangorn as he was also known is the “oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-Earth”, according to the wizard Gandolph. I was advised that another Ent watches over the herb garden in the back yard. We could all use a good spirit watching over us in these turbulent and disrespectful times.
All of this leads me to the West Ada School district, bullied into a mask mandate with opt out capitulation, a 5 hour session ended in a weakened decision to protect the students and the community. I appreciated Board member Ozuno who recalled the behavior of many of the parents who interrupted, made hand gestures and showed no respect for those who testified in favor of the mask mandate. She reminded those in attendance that they were the roll models for our students and disrespectful behavior is often emulated by our kids. I will leave us with a quote from James Baldwin, “children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they never failed to imitate them.”
May the force be with us, we need a bit of magic as we face our future. Mike