Tiger Woods was Not in the Drama Club and Twisting Your Hair Won’t Make It Grow Faster
Being a Billionaire Can Be So Stressful at Times!
When my older brother was a senior in high school, he played Billis in the play South Pacific. I remember in the play that he wore coconuts and sang the song Honey Bun. It was hysterical – yet now that I am thinking about it, I am not sure that 2023 would allow such things. But that is not what this blog post is about. You see when he was in twelfth grade, I was in eighth. And at the time, I thought my big brother was cool. So, when he went out and got a crew cut for his part in the play – just a couple of days later, I did, too. I was 13 years old – and I remember leaving the barber shop thinking I was “too cool for school.”
… A hundred and one pounds of fun, that's my little honey bun
—South Pacific
Well, that was until I got home. It started with the adults, who yelled at me for it. Then Billis (without the coconuts on), my older brother, got in on the act. By the end of the night, I felt so ashamed. And, other than wearing a hat – there was no mulligan for this one. Plus, we weren’t allowed to wear hats in school, and I wasn’t allowed to wear my hat in the house. My only saving grace was my brother’s girlfriend, who took pity on me, insisting that I could make it grow back faster by continuously twisting the little hair I had left.
The one that got away…
Ironically, my brother and that very same girlfriend of his got a mulligan when they paired up later in life. For those two, the one that got away – didn’t go too far. And my hair eventually grew back. Life is peppered with moments we wish we could replay. Ever drive home from work after being completely dissed by some workday jerk? Were you sitting in your car thinking about what you should or will say next time? We’ve all fumbled the proverbial ball in one way or another. And when it is not too late to make up for it, that’s just great. Because the desire to reset is universally shared, and it was good that Atari had a reset switch. Yes, you read that right — Atari. That little switch allowed us to rectify a mistake and restart the game as if it never occurred. However, the pressure of second chances and the luxury of do-overs isn’t distributed evenly in all aspects of life.
I think that one of the reasons people comeback stories is because somewhere deep in our chromosomes, there are things we’d like the opportunity to get a second chance at. It worked for Rocky, Seabiscuit, Cinderella Man, Marshall, and of course, Mohammad Ali (not the movie – the real boxer). Michael Corleone in The Godfather is also a comeback, of sorts. These stories inspire many, fueling the belief in the power of resilience and second chances.
Of Cinema: The Most Famous Comeback Kid
Yet, for every comeback story we celebrate, there's also a tinge of melancholy for "the one that got away." It's a nostalgic reflection on missed opportunities, be it a lost love, a missed career break, or a dream unfulfilled. These are the moments where the window for a do-over has firmly shut, reminding us of the fleeting nature of our opportunities.
This brings us to an arena where the stakes are high, and second chances are scarce — early childhood education.
A child's formative years, especially in the early education phase, are akin to laying the foundation of a building. If this foundation is shaky, the entire structure may wobble. While adults may have the privilege of do-overs in many aspects of their lives, children, sadly, do not get a second chance regarding their developmental years. Research has consistently shown that the earliest years of a child's life are crucial for cognitive, social, and emotional development. Depriving a child of quality early education doesn't just rob them of knowledge, but it stunts potential growth, limits future opportunities, and can perpetuate cycles of poverty and disadvantage.
This is not to say that those who miss out on early education are condemned to a life of setbacks. People can always be resilient, and many can overcome such challenges. But why should they have to? Why, in a world that celebrates mulligans and comeback stories, do we not extend the same grace and second chances to our youngest, most vulnerable members of society?
Some things are just more serious than movies, golf shots, and haircuts
A lousy golf shot isn’t that costly unless you are Tiger Woods. But Tiger will be fine, I’m pretty sure. Bad haircuts grow back. Sometimes, the lost love returns. If you lost a wrestling match to some chump, get over it. The two of you were on the mat punishing one another, while everyone else watched - and that should feel good enough. The littlest of kids, though?
Unrepairable damage is done by minimizing their opportunities to learn and grow. Incredible harm is done by forcing unnecessary transitions, and we must recognize this. We know the impact of early childhood education - and we must prioritize it in quality programs. This takes resources - and actual investments in those who will eventually constitute the future for everyone.