A dear friend is a school librarian, a position she loves.

Over the summer, she had to take most of the biographies and encyclopedias off the shelves.

Not because the printed information was outdated but because students seldom use hard-cover books for research.

The internet took the place of the encyclopedias. People no longer want to trudge to the library to find out how many home runs Babe Ruth hit in his career.

They want Google or Siri to instantly and easily give them the answer.

Contrary to popular belief, reading isn’t dead. In fact, people are reading more than ever. They’re just doing so on an electronic tablet or their cell phone.

Many are watching a movie or playing a video game on their devices, but many are discovering the joy in exploring what authors have to say.

One such writer is my great-niece Camryn Jones. Camryn is 10 years old and is a voracious reader. She gets that from her mom, Hope, who usually has a couple of books going and loves to share reviews through her Instagram account.

She passed that love of reading on to her two children, Landon and Camryn, and they’d much rather curl up with a good book instead of a video game. I also credit Hope’s husband, Benji, with loving to read as much as his family.

Hope and Benji also have a Little Red Library in front of their home in North Carolina where they willingly share the books they’ve read with their community.

Most of the books earn a written review by Camryn, and her critiques are as down to earth as this marvelous young lady is.

Camryn has also written over a dozen books. This summer, Camryn attended a writer’s camp, and I was thrilled to read one of the chapters in her book “Unknown.”

The story is about a young knight who’s also an “Unknown,” a mutant that’s rare in the year 8014.

The introduction instantly draws the reader in:

“As the dragon draws nearer, the smoke flies out of his nostrils. One by one by one. It’s a few yards away now. That was my cue. I draw my sword from my belt. It is shining silver.”

I could recap the story of the young knight and the battle, but Camryn tells the tale much more eloquently:

“I am an Unknown. An unknown is a mutant. We are very, very rare. We all have different powers. Mine is healing. I have another. It is really special. My other power is killing.”

She describes the battle between a dragon and this special mutant and how the young knight wants to protect the village from the dragon.

“I stood up and ran towards him. He looked at me with eyes of fear. He knew me. I was Unknown.”

Remember, these words come from a 10-year-old author who knows how to stack suspense, grab the reader and not let go.

I can’t wait to read more of Camryn’s writings. I know she’s going to set the literary world on fire, just like her special Unknown lit up the countryside protecting the village.

This wonderful story blossomed in the mind of a young girl where the ideas were sewn from the pages of books, nurtured by parents and then penned by a smart, independent young lady named Camryn Jones.

Unlike her hero, Camryn will never be an “Unknown.”

She knows right where she’s headed and that’s as far as her imagination will take her.

You go my darling girl.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.

 

I was driving the speed limit on the way home, taking my time after a fast-paced day. Suddenly, a decked-out truck came zooming past, smoke blasting from the dual exhausts.

The young male driver was in a hurry to not only zip past me but also the two cars in front of me. He scared the daylights out of everyone, judging from the row of brake lights in front of me.

At first, I was aggravated, but then I sat back and wished him a safe trip on the speedy journey the young feel compelled to travel.

When first learning to drive, the get-out-of-my-way journey was the only way to travel. I remember thinking the roads would be a lot better off if all those old people let the younger, smarter drivers – like me – have the roadways.

But age has a way of imparting sense, so there’s a few things I’ve learned along the way.

That teenage driver might get to his destination five minutes faster than I will, but he’s spent a lot more money on gas because he was hot dogging it.

His expensive tires won’t last long and any speeding tickets he gets will be reflected in higher insurance rates and a hefty money order to the court to pay off that speeding ticket.

In the work place, older workers are overlooked and undervalued. The young ‘uns believe the company was lost before they entered the door and all the “old fogeys” couldn’t possibly possess the skill sets they have.

I thought the same thing at the age of 19. I couldn’t understand why the older turned their noses up at the new word processing machines.

Back then, I loved any new equipment they installed in the building. I still feel that way but there’s a stipulation.

I’ve come to understand we don’t need to spend a lot of money to get something just because it’s new and shiny. Sometimes, the tried-and-true method works fine.

A $700 Smart Board might be able to call up Internet sites with the touch of a stylus, but that old black chalkboard works when the power goes off and the server quits.

My cell phone is about five years old, but it still makes calls, sends and receives text messages and takes pictures of where I parked so I can remember how to find my car when I’m done shopping.

Don’t get the wrong idea – I’m not sitting in a rocking chair with a shawl around my shoulders, sporting fuzzy pink slippers while I mutter under my breath about the high price of prescription meds.

This baby boomer plays board games but streams movies and Photoshops pictures on the computer. I talk to the TV remote control when looking for my favorite shows, and I can’t imagine life without the microwave and air conditioning.

More importantly, fads come and go, reusing and recycling are a lot better for the planet and eating at home is healthier and cheaper than hitting trendy restaurants every night.

Maybe I’ve grown into practicality.

I want to race down Highway 36 just like the younger ones, but I don’t want to pay for a speeding ticket or endanger others on the road.

Occasionally I want a new computer or the latest cell phone, but I don’t want to shell out a couple of thousand dollars to replace what works perfectly fine.

The younger generation might have a fire in their belly but I’ve got money in my checking account, contentment in my soul and the sense to know that one day the young fella in that truck will realize he’s the one paying for the gas he spent saving himself 30 seconds.

He’ll wise up to the fact that he’s replacing the tires on his vehicle hundreds of miles before they’d wear out naturally if he’d act his age.

When that day comes, welcome to my world, kid.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. 

 

In stores, yellow school bus signs have shoved flip flops and beach balls out of the way. In their place are pens, pencils and loose-leaf paper.

It’s full-on back-to-school time for retailers and a signal to educators, custodians, administrators and support staff to get ready – the kids are coming.

I’d say 99 percent of the teachers are happy to be returning to their classrooms. Their heads are brimming with ideas and they’re excited about getting to teach a new crop of eager students.

That last one percent, however, needs to seriously consider turning in their letter of resignation.

These are the teachers who describe their school building as a prison, whine about overwhelming paperwork and complain that kids today can’t learn.

They grumble about hovering or absentee parents. They think corporal punishment should be brought back and kids are lazy. They’re walking in the door five minutes before the first bell rings and racing to the parking lot after the last bell rings.

In August, they drag out the same lesson plans they’ve used since they started teaching or ones they copied off the Internet, and they refuse to try or do anything new or innovative.

In short, they’re burned out.

If that’s the case, get out.

The educational field is unique because teachers are the ones who have a direct, day-to-day impact on young people. We all remember our favorite teachers – they were the ones who pushed us to go beyond ourselves. They smiled, encouraged and told us we could accomplish whatever we could dream.

When things didn’t go right, they quickly reorganized and tried something different. If that didn’t work, they kept trying instead of giving up. They knew their student’s names and nicknames, their home circumstances and how to read their eyes to make sure they understood the concept.

They knew if the child had undergone a divorce in the home, had recently moved to the district or had health problems. Not because those details were written in a folder but because they took the time to find out what made that child tick.

Most teachers have these super powers. But if you’re only there for the paycheck and benefits, go find another career because attitude and commitment count in the educational field.

In some professions, attitude doesn’t matter.

If you’re a mechanic and you have a brusque attitude with customers, they’ll forgive that if their vehicle runs smoothly.

If you’re a dentist or doctor, most patients forgive a poor bedside manner if you make the pain stop.

Not teachers. They must nurture, care and be willing to invest themselves in their students. They have to risk having their hearts broken when a student moves, gets hurt or brings home problems in the door.

For nine months, a child spends the majority of their day with someone outside of the family. That person should be dedicated to providing the best educational experience for children. That experience not only involves knowing how to use an iPad or writing a term paper, it also encompasses associating learning with passion, fun and a desire to know more.

If you are in the classroom, you deserve all the copy paper, Kleenex, glue sticks and monetary compensation society can bestow on you.

If you’re not willing to commit, then get out before your negativity infects the entire classroom.

To those of you who make the decision to take on this superhuman job, society and families owe you a huge debt because what’s really required isn’t written in the job description. It’s written in the heart.

Never forget – the next generation is counting on you to bring your “A” game.

You should expect nothing less of yourself.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.