It Will Be "Unity"

“Unity” by Shinedown

They say it's never too late

To stop being afraid

And there is no one else here

So why should I wait?

And in the blink of an eye the past begins to fade

So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair?

And your moment of truth

Is the day that you say "I'm not scared"

Put your hands in the air

If you hear me out there

I've been looking for you day and night

Shine a light in the dark

Let me see where you are

'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone

And I show you this is where you belong

Put your hands in the air

One more time

I fell in love with my husband the first time I got in his F-150 pick-up truck. No, it wasn’t the truck, though the stereo system was quite impressive and the bass from his subwoofer under the seat made it feel like you were getting a back massage.... It was the music, or rather the conversations we had through and as a result of the music. The lyrics acted as an intimacy and conversational lubricant, which allowed us to more freely divulge our hopes and dreams.  The melodies and beats inspired us to share memories and speak about our futures.  The music did such a good job, in fact that we had been driving for about an hour, and had listened to Brad Paisley, Lindsey Stirling, David Guetta, Tchaikovsky, Bubba Sparxxx, Kelly Rowland (just to name a few) when what everyone had always told me would happen, happened. I knew. I knew I could drive around in this truck, with this funny, bearded man for the rest of my life.  

Three months later we were moving in together, and Jeff had made me, not a mixtape, but a “mixflashdrive.”  It was full of music to listen to as we made trips back and forth between our houses, and he had told me repeatedly NOT to skip the first song.  

What came out of my speakers, as I drove down his old, steep driveway, and turned onto the hilly country road lined by lush green trees and farmlands, that led to our future, was “Unity” by Shinedown.

What I heard was the song I would turn to again and again whenever I was feeling scared or alone, energized and inspired, momentarily defeated or on top of the world. It spoke to me about the power of finding those people who truly believe in you, and who you, in turn, would reach out to in even the darkest of times without blinking an eye because you “are not going to leave them behind.”  That together we are never alone and can achieve anything, and it is each of our jobs to make sure no one is ever left feeling afraid or abandoned.    

So when Sean and I first started talking about #OneSong, the very first song that came briefly to my mind was “Unity,” but I swiftly pushed it aside. “Most people probably haven’t heard of it,” I thought, and my default mode to make people stop and say, “Wow! That is the best idea ever!” kicked in. This is the same default mode that puts me into a state of almost panic when someone asks you to choose one word that describes who you are. The search, therefore, continued, and I became more and more stressed out.

Thankfully my friend and partner, Sean Gaillard (@smgaillard) is FEARLESS and wrote a truly inspiring and honest post, which, as I read it, brought me to tears.  I immediately voxed Sean my feedback, and as I cried like a baby, had the epiphany that “Unity” is in fact my #OneSong, and not only my #OneSong, but my #OneWord for 2016.

To me “unity” signifies peace, harmony and balance. A lack of conflict or misgiving. It is about connecting with others and building a team striving for the same goal.  

It will be “unity” that inspires me to find peace within myself as I continue to take risks and inevitably fail in the classroom. To come to terms with the fact I will never please everyone, but will continue to do what I believe is best for my students.  

It will be “unity” that reminds me to find time for all the people in my life because balance is the key to truly achieving your goals. It is not enough to find success in one area at the expense of another.   

It will be “unity” that encourages me to continue to build and foster relationships with the families of my students because those bonds are vital to their success.

It will be “unity” that drives me to continue to pound the Twitter pavement and cultivate my PLN and the PLN’s of others.  To build up the profession of Education through those all-important connections and celebrate all we achieve every day.   

It will be “unity” that aids me in conducting a classroom full of independent thinkers, creative learners, and moving us all at the same tempo and in the same direction.

It will be “unity” that will help me to create an environment where every child knows they are loved, seen, heard, encouraged, and part of the team.  Where empathy is revered and my learners understand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves and aspire to create a world in which they are proud to live.

It will be “unity” that will forbid me to give up on my dreams of inspiring our faculty to get connected and go outside of their comfort zones in order to meet our learners needs and be the best we can be as a school.  

And it will be my steadfast and outstanding team of Jennifer Priddy (@jnpriddy) and Diana Koska (@Koska4th) who, along with Shinedown and Sean, will be the motivating and supportive force that will help me in attaining my goal of achieving unity in 2016. They are my rocks and the refrain of my educational ballad.

And so if you hear me out there, put your hands in the air. I am not about to leave you behind.