DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE SINCE 1982...

On the last day of school, we had a rally for all of our students, parents, & teachers. As I thanked our wonderful art instructors for the incredible job they do of encouraging creativity in our students, I handed my 8th grade report card to our lead teacher and asked her to read for everyone my grade in creativity. She looked at it and refused. "That's impossible," she said. And she was right. That letter on that piece of paper did not reflect the truth about me but when I was 13, it was hard to keep in perspective. What I wanted my students to know was that being made in the image of the most Creative being imaginable gave them access to unlimited creativity as well. There are plenty of things you can lack - knowledge, skill, talent - but you have an infinite supply of creativity. You will never run out. A single letter on a piece of paper written 34 years ago by a man who was young and stupid, unqualified and inexperienced, yet it still floats around in my memory, and yes, my files (don't judge me), all these years later. It is a solemn reminder to me of the power of a single letter, a single word, a single exhortation to a child or adolescent who so easily believes the worst about themselves. It is an awesome responsibility. God help me get it right.