I’m assuming many are as exhausted by the political season as I am. One thing I am struck by is how easily we are ensnared in political promises, rather than paying attention to the practical advances which may be happening locally. For example, I am consulting with school districts working diligently to provide effective instruction to students with executive dysfunction. To me, this is the frontier of social change for the better. It is an intention founded on care and empathy. The effects are observable and measurable. School districts, and the special education leaders within those districts are the people I most want to “vote” for. In the midst of acrimony and divisiveness, a few true leaders have remained focused on a relatively small group of individuals, like the kids that make up a school district. That’s one, important definition of character. On whole, we take such efforts for granted, and instead pay attention to those who give speeches, and make promises. I find this to be cold comfort, and cannot accept that the best we can do is to cling to abstractions and ideas without traction. In a country whose politics and stewardship are as broken as our own, acting locally seems like the best option for real and meaningful results.
