Stay the Course
Looking upon the times we live in, I know that many of us are faced with many challenges, tragedy, and stress. My children who are working, living, and having a bright future (in my proud parent opinion) do not seem as happy as I would think. Facing important decisions about life partners, careers, and finances, they need to be courageous every day. Newton teachers were on strike for two weeks in spite of heavy fines being imposed on their union, yet they had the courage to continue to stand behind their beliefs. City officials and private citizens are fighting to create more housing and shelters for the homeless and for immigrants. They need to be courageous against rising demands. Activists are courageously working at creating more diversity in classical music, helping as volunteers for low income families, advocating for the fight against climate change. Our musicians and teachers are nurturing our children to believe in the positive, believe in themselves, and care about others.
We all need courage when times are tough. One would think that when times are so uncertain, we should take important measures quickly and aggressively. This may not be the best way to make decisions. Yes, the conditions that are present must be observed, acknowledged and analyzed. Nevertheless, we must not lose sight of our vision for our families' lives, for our society, and for our world. We must adhere to our core values and find strength to be courageously moving step by step in the right direction. We must not shut down and seek short term remedies, but reflect on the longer range goals. We all need courage and must stay the course even in turbulent waters.
It is this belief that we can all work together to make the world better that drives Suzuki teachers to be dedicated to the pedagogy and philosophy of Dr. Suzuki. His influence on so many teachers and children helped to spread this optimism and belief to "save the world" in a war-devastated country. Without resorting to violence, we must fight the war on poverty, homelessness, and lack of a good education and opportunity for many less fortunate. Our upcoming Playathon is dedicated to encouraging students to practice with deeper purpose for ten days before participating in a "musical marathon" of six hours of continuous music at the Shops at Chestnut Hill on Sunday, March 17th from noon to 6 pm. They will be working hard, sharing their music with the community, and raising funds for need-based music scholarships. Our goal to raise $10,000 at this event and is part of our larger goal of providing over $40,000 per year in financial aid.
Being courageous is not having the absence of fear but rather still being able to act in the presence of fear. In troubled times, we are fearful. Let us all be courageous together.