Social · 3 minute read
Teach 'Til 40 and Run for Office 'Til 50
By Ray Coppola
On Marriage
Our first 20 years of life belong to our parents and teachers. Along with these major influences usually come a few minor ones, such as scout leaders, religious individuals, and even close aunts and uncles.
Then we are supposed to be ready to spread our wings to find out who we are! But too many of us don't, and because we don't, we wind up getting divorced 15 years later. What should we get to know about ourselves during our twenties? The latest findings of DNA researchers, like Dr. Brazelton and infant care specialist, have imploded the archaic theories that have been held for centuries, that we are all born 'tabula rasa,' meaning a clean slate without any knowledge or impressions for or against anything in life.
If you have siblings, you can easily recognize your differences. For example, you may love nature, and your sibling may love the city. Our magnetic force influences even the colors we like and the flavor of ice cream we prefer.
We need to apply ourselves to answering questions such as:
- Do I want to marry now, or later in life, or not at all?
- Do I prefer city living, mountains, country, or ocean life?
- Do I want children? If yes, how many?
- What would be my perfect job?
Keep a diary as you ask yourself these and more questions. If you can, go live in a big city for a year. Then try out living in the suburbs and then in a small town. Be creative; get books on what you are doing, and you will enhance your life immensely by making the right decisions now.
Fifty percent of first marriages and sixty percent of second marriages end in divorce. Pre-marital counseling should be mandatory for all. Couples should live together before marrying to be sure of their compatibility. This would reduce the rate of divorces significantly.
On Teaching
Now let's move on. Why no one should teach until age 40!
Book learning without life experience no matter what grade one is teaching from pre-k through post-graduate is like feeling without thinking, or even worse, thinking without feeling. Every teacher should get a job in the field they will be teaching, even if you start in the mail room, or in a retail store, like Sherwin Williams, if you are planning to study art. You get the picture. I know you do. Just be OUTRAGEOUS! LOL!
But first, read the following question and then close your eyes and think of the answer before you read mine. NO CHEATING!!
What's the most important lesson any teacher, from Pre-K through post-graduate, could teach his/her students?
My answer is The Love of Learning. If you send in a better answer, and the committee judges it to be better, I will send you a $100 reward.
On Politicians
Why should anyone running for office be at least fifty years old? So they could be constantly interacting with people with REAL problems regarding their health, drugs, deaths in the family, financial difficulties, job loss, and family members with disabilities, to have a solid foundation to make laws that would truly help their constituents in the future. And term limits should be mandatory for ALL elected and appointed individuals, including the judges on the Supreme Court.
By establishing such rules, laws and traditions regarding marriage, teaching and running for office, surely we will be strengthening basic structural foundations for creating successful marriages, competent teachers and politicians with life experience.
And along with following these three guidelines, we should study other countries who have a good track record in these areas and learn to improve ourselves.
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