Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's Back to School We Go

     What does a new school year mean to you?  You may be a student, teacher, staff person, parent/caregiver, or a once-upon-a-time student.  Unless you're like one of the Seven Dwarfs and living deep in the forest, there is no way to not notice the buzz in the air when a new school year rolls around.
                                                                   

     My kids are both out of school now, but we all recall the excitement and happy energy of many a first-day-back.  From my own childhood, I have only one clear memory of a first day of school.  It was the year my family moved from California to Argentina for my dad's sabbatical year.  At age 11, I, along with my brother and sister were deposited by our mom at our new school where not a single soul spoke English.  It was "sink-or-swim", and we all eventually got the hang of things, including wearing the all-white uniforms.                                                                              

We looked just like these children.  How did we keep them so white??

        This week, my friend Maggie reflected on her daughter's starting senior year of high school: "Today is the last first day of school. Carrie zoomed out the door but the sweet smell of her shampoo and excitement are still in the air."  Wherever you are, I wish you happy new beginnings.

Just for fun, watch those seven famous little men on this vintage Disney clip. "Heigh-ho!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0x0KYChq4

Rejection

"Definitely an optimist" is how most would describe me. Looking for the positive, staying on the sunny side of the street, and praising all that's good...This is how I've programmed myself to be---because after all, what's the alternative? And this upbeat attitude works for me most of the time.

But rejection of one's creative endeavors---so hard! Today I got news that a company I'd been "wooing" for months has decided not to include my CDs. How deflating. What a let down.

My choices for how to react? 1. Get so discouraged I give up, throw in the towel, become bitter, etc. or

2. Get back up, dust myself off, give thanks that there may be something even better than this, and try, try, try again.

Giving up? Not an option. Persistence? Yes---The more I try it, the more it really does seem to work.