"All Summer in a Day" Day

It stormed today! A big one complete with downed trees, loss of electricity (lots of teenagers screaming), and that ominous green sky which is usually a red flag for tornadoes. It very much reminded me of Ray Bradbury's short story, "All Summer in a Day." I used to share this story with my seventh graders on especially stormy days since the inherent fear that comes with booming thunder, violent winds, and blazing lightning allows for the story to be more real and therefore effective. I still distribute the story to my seniors sometimes.

"All Summer in a Day" teaches a lesson about treating people with kindness. I think this is a good reminder for children of all ages, especially for those of us who "grow-up" and forget the lessons of our childhood. Needless to say, bullying doesn't stop in high school, and though sticks and stones can break bones, words, when we allow them, can crush our spirits and lock us in our own metaphorical closets, leaving us trapped underneath what seem to be never-ending storm clouds. The result of being injured in this way is what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. refers to as "internal violence of the spirit" which can be as damaging as external, physical violence.

I've been noticing a lot of 'meanie-bo-bellinis' in the grown-up world lately, even among friends. Maybe we should all step back on particularly stormy days and read Bradbury's short story by candlelight. Maybe that way, we can remind ourselves that occasionally we need to "awaken a sense of moral shame" in ourselves, especially that part of ourselves that knows right from wrong. We need to remind ourselves to be continually practicing "understanding good will" because in doing so we remember that these are the methods which build and rebuild true community - the only vehicle that will change the world for the better.