We live in an age of excessive information and fragmented communication, vagrants in the so-called "knowledge economy". The sheer volume of information, increasing exponentially and streaming twenty-four-seven, inundates our minds with a consuming white noise that obscures what is really worth knowing and valuing. Biased reporting by professionals and experts, assumed to be gate-keepers of truth, exacerbates the distortion of content, making fact and fiction indiscernible. Legions of well-intended, and not so well-intended, social media entrepreneurs and mavens issue forth competing narratives that clamor for our attention, subvert our knowing, and color our opinions. Certainty, in any meaningful sense, is a casualty in a world where truths and untruths compete on equal terms. I offer up as evidence our current electoral season.
Given the aforementioned, and what many of us perceive as a deteriorating economic and political climate, it is easy to become cynical and intellectually insular. We are prone to seek out all that is wrong while overlooking what is right in our world. We can lose sight of those things most worthy of our attention. We cannot forget to take stock of our lives.
Children are our greatest blessing, the defining worth of our lives, the measure against which all others pale. They are the embodiment of hope, of what they and we might someday become. They are the plot in our stories and the wellspring of our most selfless and deserving dreams.
Children love us always, deeply, unconditionally, even when we are undeserving. They know us, our true face, instinctively, no matter the mask we wear. They complete us, lift us, carry us, define and defy us. One good giggle lights an otherwise lifeless room; one good hug transforms an otherwise awful day. They may look up and we down, for a time, but make no mistake, we need them as much as they need us, likely more.
We live on a remarkably beautiful island, warmed by a tropical sun and cooled by gentle breezes. Winter never really comes, and summer never truly leaves. We participate in a dynamic and rich culture, a legacy of European, African, and Caribbean influences that culminate in the power of family and joy. Our company are quick to laugh, happy to share, and show up in droves in tragedy and triumph. We keep hugs and kisses well stocked. It's not all about the rice and beans, but thank God for the rice and beans.
What of Baldwin? Our reputation is earned the old fashioned way, through hard work, discipline, effective stewardship, and strategic visioning. We provide an education and campus equivalent to the best day schools in North America and Europe at a tuition that is 40-60% of what it would be in the U.S. We are the first authorized IB school, and soon the first IB continuum school, in the history of Puerto Rico. This is a big deal. Our influence is reshaping conversations about teaching and learning well beyond our campus. Our kids spend their days with loving adults, surrounded by lots of other good kids, and they are working in substantive ways to make a better Puerto Rico for all.
In summation, no matter how bad the day, how frustrating the circumstance, how disappointing the outcome, how dreary the forecast, some things just matter more, others less. A positive outlook begins with a clear understanding of the blessings in our lives, and we are indeed blessed. Hug your kids, enjoy the warm breeze, and linger after school. I dare you.
See you around campus!