Against the Grain
Yesterday, I was on the road, driving back from edu-Grandma's 94th birthday party. Such drives are usually the ideal time for Eduflack to reflect, plan, and think through those "big ideas." It also gives me the time listen to some of those personal theme songs that litter my iPod.
Folks call me a maverick
Guess I ain't too diplomatic
I just never been the kind to go along
Just avoidin' confrontation
For the sake of conformation
And I'll admit I tend to sing a different song
But sometimes you just can't be afraid
To wear a different hat
If Columbus had complied
This old world might still be flat
Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained
Sometimes you've got to go against the grain
Well, I have been accused
Of makin' my own rules
There must be rebel blood
Just a-runnin' through my veins
But I ain't no hypocrite
What you see is what you get
And that's the only way I know
To play the game
Old Noah took much ridicule
For building his great ark
But after forty days and forty nights
He was lookin' pretty smart
Sometimes it's best to brave the wind and rain
By havin' strength to go against the grain
Well, there's more folks than a few
Who share my point of view
But they're worried
If they're gonna sink or swiim
They'd like to buck the system
But the deck is stacked against 'em
And they're a little scared
To go out on a limb
But if you're gonna make a difference
If you're gonna leave your mark
You can't follow like a bunch of sheep
You got to listen to your heart
Go bustin' in like old John Wayne
Sometimes you got to go against the grain
Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained
Every year or so, I like to repost the lyrics to my favorite — Garth Brooks' "Against the Grain." The song is from Brooks' 1991 album, Ropin' the Wind. Unfortunately, it doesn't get nearly the attention it should. But it seemed appropriate this day, this week, this year ...
Guess I ain't too diplomatic
I just never been the kind to go along
Just avoidin' confrontation
For the sake of conformation
And I'll admit I tend to sing a different song
But sometimes you just can't be afraid
To wear a different hat
If Columbus had complied
This old world might still be flat
Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained
Sometimes you've got to go against the grain
Well, I have been accused
Of makin' my own rules
There must be rebel blood
Just a-runnin' through my veins
But I ain't no hypocrite
What you see is what you get
And that's the only way I know
To play the game
Old Noah took much ridicule
For building his great ark
But after forty days and forty nights
He was lookin' pretty smart
Sometimes it's best to brave the wind and rain
By havin' strength to go against the grain
Well, there's more folks than a few
Who share my point of view
But they're worried
If they're gonna sink or swiim
They'd like to buck the system
But the deck is stacked against 'em
And they're a little scared
To go out on a limb
But if you're gonna make a difference
If you're gonna leave your mark
You can't follow like a bunch of sheep
You got to listen to your heart
Go bustin' in like old John Wayne
Sometimes you got to go against the grain
Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained
Sometimes you've got to go against the grain
Happy Monday!
AMEN,Patrick!
The lyrics of Garth Brooks' "Against the Grain" bring out a truth that we're forgetting as a nation of lost educators." Journalists and teachers have to say things to remind the leaders, policy-makers, and reformers of education (and many of my past administrators) that "we" have a purpose on the planet: to remind them that we are here, too, and we are going to make them to think twice about thinking only once about what they are doing and implementing in the murky worlds of education. I don't like the feeling of ropin' the educational winds blowin' these days...
Happy Monday to you, Patrick!
Jeff Pflaum
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