海角大神

It鈥檚 October, but it鈥檚 still a new school year for us all: teachers, parents, and students. For some of us it鈥檚 also a new year in a new school 鈥� or the very first school year ever, if you鈥檙e just getting started in kindergarten or preschool.

At any rate, we鈥檙e all driving 鈥渢his year鈥檚 model鈥� off the show room floor! As we stand here, let鈥檚 think about this next chapter in our relationship with school. Here鈥檚 a School Principal鈥檚 metaphor that might help.

Thank you for making [Insert your school name here] Motors your family鈥檚 car company. Yes, we are听测辞耻谤 new car. However, we are actually an old car, with millions of road-tested safe miles and thousands of (mostly) satisfied customers. But for you, we are brand new.

We smell great. We鈥檙e still under factory warranty: tuned up, driving every bit like the car you imagined, getting the gas mileage you hoped for. You haven鈥檛 even checked the owner鈥檚 manual (at least the guys haven鈥檛), nor filled up your second tank of gas. Your kids have not yet put their muddy feet on the back of the seat. You haven鈥檛 changed the oil 鈥� yet. You look marvelous in your new car!

But I must prepare you for the following fact: there is going to come a day when you will get your first ding in your new car. Someone in the proverbial parking lot will let a shopping cart hit your driver鈥檚 side door and chip the paint. A bird is going to poop on the hood. You are going to park under a tree that drops sticky sap on it. You are going to hit a bump in the road and jostle the passengers. You are going to spill on the front seat, and lose gummy bears down the defroster vent. Your children are going to change the preset radio station buttons.

Try as we might to control your total driving experience, here at Your School Motors, there are many, many factors of this ride that are actually forces beyond our control, or that we will have to analyze together to understanding and mitigate. And appreciate. Mostly appreciate, because the fuel and momentum here is the mojo of childhood and learning. And a sense of joy for the ride. This is a driving experience, after all. We are going somewhere.

I expect that you are going to suddenly realize that maintenance, steering, navigating, washing, vacuuming are required to keep this car looking shiny and new. Your new car is going to get dirty. Don鈥檛 be disappointed. Be prepared. Don鈥檛 despair. This is normal. And hopefully your friends will say, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 a great car! You鈥檙e going to get 250,000 miles out of it 鈥� easy.鈥� Call up Click and Clack with a Puzzler question. You鈥檒l hear: 鈥淵ou drive a What? That鈥檚 a great car. Stick with it. And you鈥檝e actually found an honest dealership mechanic? Way to go, man!鈥�

Fact of life and law of thermo-dynamics caveat: there鈥檚 a break-in period for anything new. The time and distance between being smitten in the show room, kicking the tires, or starting the real driving relationship under actual road conditions will vary for each driver. Don鈥檛 worry if you are unaccustomed to manual transmission 鈥� it鈥檚 standard with this package鈥�you don鈥檛 want automatic. You have made an informed and intelligent purchase and are paying a fair price for your new education vehicle. Your new school experience can give you years of trustworthy, loyal, wise service. And hopefully you and your children or students will come to feel like the luckiest of passengers and drivers; that your new school will get you where you want to go! Life offers very few such commitments to product and process. The break-in process should be concluded by the time your car is, say, 25 years old, and miles away from school. So it goes.

Did I mention that you got the model with the turbo-charged 6.0 litre V-8, chrome rims, sunroof, moon roof, leather upholstery, Satellite radio, mini-fridge, sound proofing between front and rear seats, seat warmers, deluxe racing paint job 鈥� at no additional cost 鈥� and million-mile warranty? And a trailer hitch! But please remember that it鈥檚 really about the drive train: the power plant, transmission, gearing ratios, torque for all of life鈥檚 experiences 鈥� the open road ahead. You will be 鈥済ood to go鈥� on any road!

Full speed ahead! Well, not full speed 鈥� actually, watch the speed bumps, stay alert, do not attempt to drive when tired and cranky. Keep it under 15 MPH on our road during school hours. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. Look both ways twice when you turn left out the driveway. See you further on down the road. You all have a complimentary road service protection policy 鈥� call if you get stuck. We鈥檒l send the tow truck. There is no E-Z Pass. Beware oncoming extended metaphors. Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. 鈥淜eep your eyes on the road; your hands upon the wheel.鈥� 10-4, good buddies.

Todd R. Nelson is Head of School at The School in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania.聽