No More Turning Away

 

If you’ve read any of my posts, you’ve been subjected to more than one trip down memory lane via music of the classic rock variety.  Most classic rock entertains me.  It can also “get me going.”  It is, as some would say, “my jam.”  Yes, even at my age.

 

And then there’s Pink Floyd rock.  Just when I’m having a little fun, just when I’m getting a visceral charge from my rock, here comes Pink Floyd to make me think.  And so it is with a song from their 1987 album, “A Momentary Lapse of Reason.”  That song is, “On the Turning Away.”

 

I remember hearing, “On the Turning Away” one Monday morning while on my two hour drive from Cedar Rapids to our office in Boone.  And as I often do with music, I listened closely to the lyrics and thought about how they might relate to my life.  Where I landed is that Pink Floyd, through their lead singer David Gilmour, was challenging me (and quite frankly all of us) to think about the times we ignore those who need help. I remember thinking that these words were not letting me off the hook.  If the words asked me to avoid hurting others, I could rationalize that, as long as I didn’t intentionally bring harm to others, I was a good guy.  But the music of Pink Floyd was not created to let us off the hook.  It was written to challenge us.  In this case, I heard the words challenge us to rise above indifference and instead truly recognize those in need and work to improve their situation:

 

On the turning away, from the pale and downtrodden.

And the words which we won’t understand. 

Don’t accept that what’s happening is just a case of others’ suffering

Or you’ll find that you’re joining in

The turning away.

 

And so, I reflected on how often and when I’ve been indifferent.  How many times have I been face to face with those in need, those who are struggling, those who suffer, yet I’ve ignored them or their condition?  As a teacher and coach, how many opportunities did I have to engage with students and athletes who just needed someone to acknowledge them?  To take an interest in them?  To talk to them?  Most importantly to listen to them?  As an administrator, how many opportunities did I have to help a teacher, a coach, a staff member?  And what of my community?  When did I engage with the sick, the poor, the suffering.  Reach out to struggling families in the community.  Spend time with them.  Talk to them.  Get to know them.  See them for who they are – human and part of our community.

And here’s where I pose the question, “What does this have to do with us as administrators?”  I am honored this year to serve as the president of the NFHS Board of Directors.  Someone asked me if I have anything in particular I want to focus on.  And here is where the lyrics of Pink Floyd and real world opportunity intersect.  My focus this year is to challenge and collaborate with state associations, school districts, administrators, coaches, and directors to dig deep into the reasons some of our students do not participate in activities their schools offer.  More importantly, once we unpack those factors, I want us to develop meaningful strategies to increase that participation.  Whether the factors are financial, time, language, fear, or any other reason, we simply can’t shrug our shoulders and as those of us from Philly say, “Whattya gonna do?”  And this, my friends, needs to start in Iowa.  With all of us.  It will not be easy.  But nothing worth much has ever been easy.  It will take looking at the man and woman in the mirror and asking, “What can I do?”  It may take a new way of thinking.  It will definitely take a new way of doing things.  We just may have to realize that the “systems” we have in place are serving some of our young people, but not all. 

Every day we have a choice to be better or worse.  We have a choice to go about our business or to truly serve those we lead.  Instead of joining the indifference, let’s work on making a difference.  It all starts with noticing.

 

As I drop the needle on my Pink Floyd album, I am challenged with their simple yet compelling lyrics.

 

No more turning away from the weak and the weary

No more turning away from the coldness inside

Just a world that we all must share

It's not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that there'll be no more turning away?

 

Only we, those who have what we need and those who have the potential to change circumstances, know the answer.  Let’s resist the “out of sight, out of mind” approach.  Let’s instead build a world where there’s “No more turning away.”