Training Jedis - That is the Call of K-12 Educators and Yesterday Was a Celebration of Many Communities Supporting the Profession

My sister sent me a photo of my nephew and God Son while he participated in a Jedi training exercise at Disney. I will always remember the scene when the Dark Force swept into the training camp for young Jedis and wiped out "the force" because it was a threat to their nefarious desires (which is a metaphor for the larger democracy that the United States has been allowed to experience in its experimental, yet fruitful, mission in global politics).

Teaching. It's preparing Jedis for the future through offering them the superpower of mind, body, and soul. It is offering them all the force that we can so that they are prepared to face any violence, any evil, any hate, any discrimination, and any cruel darkness that might want to persuade them to turn from the light. The point of the Star Wars films are to remind us that in all of our hearts, darkness also exists. We hope we fight for the good...the light. In Star Wars terms, it is the unification of many: Ewoks, androids, Wookies and even humans. It is a unification of those who believe in a safe Empire for all....a unification of diversity.

Same is true for Lord of the Rings as many unite against the Orks and Sauron. We are stronger together. Divided by fear, we are weakened and wiped out.

I was thinking about this yesterday as I participated in the

Vicki Soto 5K to provide support and scholarship to school aged children and their teachers. In total, over 4,200 runners participated in the race and stood in memory of a classroom teacher and the young children who lost their lives during the Newtown tragedy. It was an event to stand up against hate and violence.

Similarly, I attended the the Daniel Trust Foundation fundraiser for offering mentorship, scholarship, and academic assistance to hardworking, dedicated youth who happen to live in impoverished communities where the resources are few. Daniel Trust and Vicki Soto Foundations are investing in teachers and youth to make the world a better place. They are, in this sense, investing in Jedi training and offering support for the youngest warriors to be able to fight the ugliness likely to be experienced in a world of human beings. We are not at a place of interacting with other planets, but if that day comes, teachers will be just as important. We teach tolerance and civility, not the ugliness of division and hatred.

I am entering my Sunday feeling hopeful that good triumphs...I have to remember this from yesterday's experience. I'm hoping the force will be with us. I want the force to be with tomorrow's children, too.