Circle School ad 2012
In the week since Donald Trump’s inauguration, I’ve been musing about democracy, kids, and our roller-coaster world—the ups and downs and twists and turns. I’m comparing America with The Circle School. At two very different scales, both are democratic entities that have undergone substantial change in recent years and continuing now.
The parallels run deep. In both America and The Circle School, participants are empowered as voters, bound by laws, immersed in opportunity, supported by community, and free to choose. In both settings, none of these five ideals are fully realized. In both settings, we’re working on it, sometimes making “progress” and sometimes sliding “backwards.” Is that human destiny? Or some kind of cultural bungee jumping? In the long run, is it net positive?
Disruptive change comes at us from all directions. As each generation enters school or comes of age and enters adulthood, we see new values, priorities, opportunities, and problems. New technology, like video games in generations past, brings change fast or slow. Now it’s social media and AI that have us in a twist. Among other things.
Leadership change brings other sorts of disruption, too. In American politics, sudden regime change is jolting—upended values, shifting norms, and systemic shocks. At The Circle School, staff turnover has accelerated in recent years, bringing fresh energy and new perspectives, much like other organizations grappling with change. Semiannual elections of students to positions of authority in school government can also bring surprising impacts.
Maybe you sense that I’m not tilting much in any political direction. That’s not me being coy or diplomatic, or even centrist. And it’s not not-caring. I care very much. Many years ago, I registered as an Independent voter, not wanting to lend my name to either major political party. Their unhelpful stridency and stuckness didn’t sit well with me, and still doesn’t. Maybe with age I’ve come to abide the tides and keep my faith in evolution, as this blog post portrays it.
Each new headline or turn of events can startle and disrupt. But if contemplated long enough, many point to both pain and promise, in various proportions. If we’re humble, honest, or wise, the longer term outlook remains obscure. It can be hard to take that long view, but as a Circle School ad put it back in 2012, “Life is ups and downs, joys and burdens. Happiness is loving the ride.”
Jim Rietmulder
