Having been privileged these last ten years to interact with a thousand or more children transitioning into their school years, I‘ve seen up-close what R. Fulghum observed.
From social behavior (playing fairly, keeping one’s hands to oneself, etc.), to personal growth (living a balanced life, being aware of wonder etc.), Kindergarten really does give us an opportunity to learn everything we need to know to be healthy, happy individuals and community members—lifelong learners.
Lame duck librarian or not, I still think (and nightmare) about something I’ve inadvertently left undone, a la Fulghum’s reminder that kindergarteners learn, among many other valuable lessons, to clean up their own messes.
Yesterday, I did some of that cleaning up myself, albeit remotely, with the assistance of someone who helped me get started as a library media specialist. Seemed only fitting that she would be there to help me wrap things up–cleaning up an online account in preparation for its roll over to my replacement.
When the stroke of midnight September 1st signals my retirement, I admit I probably won’t stop fretting about the social behavior aspect of kindergarten lessons vis a vis my former employment. With lucky thirteen days till retirement, I’m pretty sure I will continue to wonder if there’s some inadvertent mess I haven’t cleaned up.
Hopefully, though, the pendulum will swing and I will be more able to focus on the personal growth aspects of Fulghum’s insights, in as much as retirement offers a full-time- work-free second childhood (not child-ish-hood), practicing lessons learned in kindergarten, enjoying the spontaneous joys inherent in the learning journey.
In that spirit, I suspect I will continue revisiting R. Fulghum’s words of wisdom, as well as posting some reflections.
Meanwhile, I hope that as I continue on my retirement journey, those of us on a like journey will engage as Fulghum reminds we did back in Kindergarten: sticking together; holding hands. What a blessing that would be, wouldn’t it?
If you would like to revisit Fulghum’s words to see if they speak to you, here is one link you might use: Fulghum’s quotes from Goodreads
Retiremint 
I had not read these in a long while. Thanks for the reminder (and the link!). My favorite number is #11… and that one so speaks to me (more than clean up your messes). 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. If you replace “draw some and paint some” with “read some and write some”, this might be my new life vision statement. Oh, and, forget about the messes you might have left behind; they are probably not really there, just a fear in your own mind!
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You always leave me smiling:)
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