Why We Do What We Do
Have you ever had a young child ask you why? This is a question that sometimes can haunt parents. It can almost be never ending. This is a powerful question though. It is like we are prewired to need to know WHY. Maybe it has to do with God putting something in our spirit to want to know what the bigger purpose is. It seems to calm us down a bit when we can just understand WHY something is, even if we do not like the answer.
Knowing why we do something centers us and can re-focus us on the important things. Sometimes as parents we can get so busy that we forget to realize why we do what we do. I was reminded of this recently with the start of school. The months leading up to the first day of school are filled with the details of planning, but when the students arrive we all remember WHY we are here. This has been so apparent to me as we have gone through our first several weeks.
I have taken some intentional time away from details to just be a part of what is going on at Parkview. My spirit is always revived and my commitment to Parkview’s students is renewed each time I observe students doing what students do. I have already seen student’s worshiping in chapel, working extra hard to excel in competitions such as robotics and athletics, and volunteering their time to help the community or younger students.
I was able to travel up to the eighth grade boys retreat and see first hand that Parkview is more than an academic school day. Watching the boys interact with one another and our other male staff members reminded me of WHY we do what we do. Being outside in the south Louisiana heat is not the most pleasant thing this time of year, but watching these future leaders having a good time more than made up for it.
As I watched a group of boys playing football in a muddy volleyball pit, I was filled with pride for America and the families that make up Parkview Baptist. It was something right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. These were students who were growing closer together and learning how to be men. Yes, we all need to play football in a mud puddle at some point or have a similar experience with our buddies. Occasionally, a group of three or four guys would run out of the pit and jump into the lake because they have mud in their eyes. It was great (and well supervised I might add)!
Next to the volleyball pit was a lake (with a lifeguard) and our students would take turns in groups (with lifejackets, moms) and swim out to a big floating platform where they could jump around and have fun in the lake. I thought to myself,”This is why we do what we do.” It was nice to see them having a good time and just tiring themselves out. It was nice to hear the adults giving encouragement to the students in little side conversations. It was nice to know that Pastor Cole and Pastor Mayfield would be speaking to the students and encouraging them about the most important things in life.
We do what we do to provide an experience for the students. Yes, it is busy, yes it can be tiring, yes, it can be expensive, but it is really priceless. As you work long hours as a parent to send your child to a school like Parkview Baptist, just remember that there is a good reason for it. You are not just investing in credits for a diploma, you are investing in an experience and I could not be more proud of the staff we have here to provide that experience for your student. I love being a part of that here at Parkview and I hope all of you who have a student in the school or who support the programs at the school will be renewed in your passion for what we do. It is worth it!
By the way, if you hear a story from Coach Barham or Coach Duplessis about me screaming and over-reacting to being in a HUGE spider web, it is most likely very exaggerated.
Don R. Mayes, Ed.D.
Superintendent