News from Mr Grady
Hello Everyone!
When I was at school, one of the phrases my parents used if I were ever to have a day off through illness (and I essentially had to have visibly broken limbs in order for my parents to accept the faint possibility that I might not be well) was "you don't want to fall behind."
This mythical state of "being behind" was used as both threat and encouragement - a sense of "keep going, you don't want to be behind..." and if you work hard you'll "keep up or even move into the lead!". I know I'm not averse to using a sporting metaphor, but I always took the falling behind phrase with a pinch of salt. Falling behind in relation to who/what? What measure was being used? Yes - I understood that not completing work would cause it to pile up, and I would have "catch up" with completing it, but I didn't think that was the inherent meaning of falling behind.
In the current climate, you can see the "not wanting to fall behind" syndrome in everything - we don't want to fall behind other countries in our response to the current crisis. Schools don't want to fall behind in comparison to other schools, staff don't want to fall behind in the curriculum, parents don't want to fall behind in supporting students with the work teachers are setting, or indeed their own work. I'm sure students have either had the phrase used at them, or used it on themselves in the past few weeks.
But we have to remember that this year is now very, very different to last year, so any meaningful comparison is completely out of the window. The normally level playing field on which you might be able to judge such a thing as falling behind simply does not exist. All we do in telling ourselves not to fall behind is give ourselves an invented stick with which to beat ourselves.
There are some very simple things to remember: Everyone is having very different experiences of our current situation. We can ONLY do the work and deal with the things that are in front of us. What next week and next month might bring is not something that we can predict or control, but we can, today, get up and get on with the tasks we've got to do today.
We can't worry about falling behind, because nobody knows the length of the pitch, or the game, or indeed the rules! But I DO know that if I don't get on with today's task, and then tomorrow, get on with that day's task, that when things are more normal, I won't have done the preparation I needed to know that I can't be behind, as I've done everything that I could in the time available to me.
The key thing I always have as my measure is: Can I look myself in the mirror and say "today, given whatever challenges were put in front of me, I set heights in my heart, and I did my best? I got up, and I got on." If we can do that everyday, then behind, in front, or equalising doesn't matter a jot!
Best wishes and I hope you're all staying well and safe!
Mr Grady
National Theatre at Home
Following two sell-out runs at the National Theatre, a world tour, and a hugely successful summer residency at London's Roundhouse, Inua Ellams’ acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles is now available to watch through National Theatre at Home.
A British boy narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. After days alone at sea in a tiny rowing boat Bill rescues a girl clinging for her life to a barrel. Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe, was escaping to Europe when her migrant ship was destroyed in the same storm. Through endless days and star-spangled nights, they drift – mere specks on the vast, empty ocean – weakened by fear, hunger, and burned by the unforgiving sun. Aya tells Bill about The Arabian Nights, and Shahrazad, who told 1001 stories to save her life. As hope of rescue begins to fade, they find strength in these tales of magic, brave heroes, wily thieves, greedy sultans, and courageous girls.
