Insight - Practicing what we teach - By Michelle Libby

When I was in college a book came out titled “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum. What I remember is a great life list of rules that we should all follow whether were are in kindergarten or in Washington DC. 

The political realm is getting exhausting. I’m accepting Facebook friends based on if I can stand to see what they post all day, every day. If their feed is full of political rants, I can’t accept them and take on any more of the political rhetoric. 

When I read about the things we learned in kindergarten I automatically relax. If we all just did this on a daily basis, the country might be able to heal itself. 

1.     Share everything.

2.     Play fair.

3.     Don’t hit (shoot, drug, bully) people.

4.     Put things back where you found them.

5.     Clean up your own mess

6.     Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody

7.     Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.

8.     Take a nap every afternoon.

9.     When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

10.  Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we. 

These were just a few of the lessons we learned and many are applicable today. If we are nice to one another, share and look out for what’s best, why, oh, why do we have to get into the mudslinging and name calling, he said, she said, and I’m moving to Canada garbage. No one is really moving to Canada.

From the book: “Think what a better world it would be if we all-the whole world-had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are-when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.” 

― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Sometimes we need to get advice from kids. We try to teach them right from wrong, but the examples that are set for them on television aren’t always model citizens. 

I know we all want what’s best for the United States of America, so how come it’s so hard to play nice?