Average is OK

Being average is OK. I will say that again. Being average is OK.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

I recently started listening to the book “ e Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#@@.” I have to admit my husband recommended it a couple of years ago. However, the vulgar title turned me o a bit. en, recently, my brother recommended it after I was complaining about something that bugged me. He said I let too much bother me and this book might help get some perspective.

I started listening to it — and was impressed with how the author, Mark Manson, really pegs our society, our struggles and the unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves and each other.

But, as he teaches me how to maybe set realistic expectations and not care about so much that really does not matter in the big picture — the book is also great at putting in perspective how being average is OK because, frankly, the majority of us are just average.

As parents we want our children to be great at everything, have all the opportunities and succeed at everything they do. In reality, we are all good at what we are good at. We are all not great at everything we try.

I may be good at writing, but I am de nitely below average when it comes to trying to solve math problems when I help kids with homework. In college, getting a C in math was a blessing, really.

According to Manson, “Being ‘average’ has become the new standard of failure. e worst thing you can be is in the middle of the pack, the middle of the bell curve. When a culture’s standard of success is to “be extraordinary,” it then becomes better to be at the extreme low end of the bell curve than to be in the middle, because at least there you’re still special and deserve attention.” elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

When the expectations are set so high — How can anyone live up to them? at’s become part of society’s problem and probably a contributing factor to mental illness and depression rates skyrocketing. When we set these high expectations that we really cannot reach — We feel like failures.

When we see on Facebook and other social media how friends and family are living these amazing lives — We judge our own as failures. Never mind that in reality, people are only sharing their best days, their best moments on these social outlets. at does not matter. It only means we do not measure up.

As a society, imagine what would happen if we started being realistic in our goals and expectations. My son loves hockey. He’s not the best at it — he’s average. For me, that is OK.

My daughter is never going to be great at school. She is average. at is OK.

I am the poster child for setting too many expectations for myself. With each thing I fail at — I only work harder, set more goals and try more.

For my children, however, I have started working toward setting realistic goals. Play hockey if you love it. Who cares if you are great at it as long as you are doing your best and trying?

Try out for the school play. Who knows, you may be great at it, but just have fun.

If, as a society, we start realizing the majority of us are average — We might start feeling a lot more OK with ourselves and the world around us.

Letters To The Editor

Equality, equity both needed

Intercultural competence is the capability to shift perspective and adapt behavior e ectively across cultures. Including learning how to think, act, communicate and work with people from di erent cultural backgrounds. is means you can re ect on cultural di erences, commonalities in values, expectations, beliefs, practices and build an inclusive environment. A mutual adaptation perspective environment is created, all have opportunity meet their full potential.

According to the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, intercultural competence functionality ranges from denial to adaptation. When a person pushes equality over equity without recognizing the di erence in terms, they often highlight commonality and universal values but lack recognition and appreciation for cultural di erences. What our K-12 schools need in this model is to move to an orientation of acceptance and adaptation where our schools function with understanding and recognizing cultural di erences and commonality.

Reviewing the most recent graduation rates in DCSD we see a decrease in graduation rates and a more signi cant decrease for our culturally diverse students. is highlights a continued problem and the desperate need for equity.

Equity is crucial for success and learning to work in a global economy. ose charged with developing an equity policy cannot develop it from a political agenda rooted in minimalizing di erences.

Both equality and equity are needed for success. Equality to assure all students have the same quality of resources and opportunities. Equity takes into consideration their baseline assessment, background, and any unique challenges they face. is means teachers need to be trained in how to consider each student’s situation and background. Although the terms are thrown around as the same, they have vastly di erent implications when developing policy and educational practices. Both equality and equity are needed to yield the best outcomes for students.

Our pediatric professional organizations have jointly declared a national emergency in mental health. With this declaration, they pointed to inequities in systems that contribute to a disproportionate impact on children from diverse backgrounds, these inequities exist in DCSD.

Common ground exists, parents want best outcomes academically, socially and emotionally. For that to happen we cannot root our decisions in political agendas. We must root our actions in creating an equal and equitable K-12 learning environment. Remove politics in policymaking and use research-based evidence to develop policy. If we do not, our children lose.

Jenny Allert Highlands Ranch

Claims were misleading is letter is in response to Laureen Boll’s recent misleading letter claiming that critical race theory (CRT) and “social justice activism” was at the “doorstep” of Douglas County schools until a change in leadership.

It should be noted that Laureen Boll is the Douglas County chapter leader and state coordinator of an organization called the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR). e name of the organization is incredibly misleading as the organization is rooted in Christopher Rufo ideology, one of their founding advisory members. Christopher Rufo is well-known for his consistent and lucrative moral panic campaigns, most notably attacking critical race theory.

FAIR’s actions fall in line with Rufo’s ideology attacking equity policies in school districts and higher education and spreading misinformation about gender a rming care, cultivating the hate machine against trans and non-binary folks. FAIR uses the ruse of “parent rights” under the 14th Amendment and consistently misappropriates the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to suit these purposes.

e use of the 14th Amendment, intended to create civil liberties and justice after the horrors of centuries of slavery, and the misappropriation of Dr. King’s words is absolutely exploitative.

Dr. King’s life and legacy is about justice, which is in direct opposition with the actions of an organization like FAIR. Boll simultaneously rallying against critical race theory and “social justice activism” while working for FAIR who consistently misappropriates the words of Dr. King is completely disingenuous. It has the same note of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeting a “Happy MLK Day” within the same week of attempting to ban AP African American Studies. e reality is that FAIR would accuse Dr. King of “social justice activism” and “woke indoctrination.”

Bernice King, one of Dr. King’s children, has been vocal of people and organizations who use false narratives about CRT while co-opting her father’s words. She has noted that this country needs a shift that “helps us understand we can’t commemorate my father on the one hand while also promoting false narratives under the banner of critical race theory.” She has added “CRT is not the problem. Racism is the problem, poverty or extreme materialism is the problem and militarism, war is the problem.”

It seems that Boll might want to study the life and work of Dr. King before perpetuating a false moral panic about critical race theory and “social justice activism.”

Constance Ingram Highlands Ranch

School taxes are worth it

I received my property tax bill Jan. 21 and was pleased that my portion to fund Douglas County Schools only re ected a modest increase from last year. My pleasure was quickly diminished when I read the lengthy letter from Dave Gill, Douglas County treasurer. It read more like postelection “sour grapes” than the informative letter it was meant to be.

When my late wife and I moved to Douglas County in January 1976, our daughter was a senior at Littleton HS. She refused to go to Douglas County HS so we bought her a car and she graduated with honors at Littleton. Two houses and 47 years later my property tax has helped educate a lot of other people’s kids. From next door kids, Mike and Michelle to Kaitlin and Allie, and a bunch of other siblings in between, it has been a pleasure to know, and watch, these kids grow up. If I’m still here to see my property tax nearly double next year, I’ll just close my 90-year-old eyes and see the smiling faces of kids instead of dollar signs.

Roy Legg Highlands Ranch

Moderation needed e World Economic Forum’s main excuse for all the world’s ills is climate change — tied to the lack of energy supply diversi cation, food shortages, and cost-ofliving increases. e pandemic and Ukrainian war are also named as contributing factors

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