Saturday, June 6, 2009
Most Likely to Succeed
Today is one of those days I wish we'd chosen a less affluent school district, so my kids could maybe have a chance to excel in the arena of their choice, without private lessons, weekend competitions, or steroids (and if steroids helped my kid get into the choir, God help my decision-making ability). I've gotten used to having the school tell me my kid isn't as gifted as I'd thought (since the competition for being gifted was already fierce in third grade), and that she's in fact rather average (heard again as the second kid goes through the system). Fine. Neither will get to spend a week at Virginia Beach or watch an open-heart surgery (two actual perks of being in the gifted program). (Of course, I do have the name of the psychologist who administers IQ tests for $150 and seems to only test students who turn out to have IQs over 130). But to think they'll never act a part in a play or sing a musical duet or have a chance to find out they love volleyball because they didn't devote years to practice before the age of 14 to get the opportunity...and, okay, I don't know that private volleyball lessons are actually offered....makes me wish we'd chosen school district Pretty Good instead of school district Deep Pockets.
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I think there is something to be said for being average, mainstreamed and normal. Life isn't about reaching the top of the mountain. It's about getting the chance to climb, and enjoying the challenge of doing it. And you always get a chance to climb something and it is your choice about whether you enjoy it. And I can't think of how many times being gifted and advantaged has made being happy, contented, satisfied and self-loving harder.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be community theaters, community volleyball games and many other activities(although if these people are really related to you, chances are they wouldn't be caught dead trying a sport). I'm personally trying to raise average kids, myself. Because average is really a blessing. Their life is really up to them.