Sunday, July 4, 1999

We miss much beauty, joy in pursuit of the ‘perfect’

By Paula Thomas

Guest Columnist

Once upon a time, right here in this town, lived a little girl named Anna. She had big blue eyes and a most sincere smile. She had a great personality and was smart as a whip. She should have been a star in her third-grade class, but she wasn’t. In fact, Anna had no friends at all. None of the other children would play with her.

You see, Anna had cancer.

She had battled the effects of chemotherapy and beaten back the cancer but had lost her hair, the only visible scar of her disease. Anna was different. She looked different. She didn’t have the energy of her classmates. And she couldn’t run quite as fast.

Because of their natural curiosity, the other children wanted to know more about Anna. However, their parents, even though they were educated people, feared Anna. Oh, they didn’t fear the little girl herself — they feared what she represented. She epitomized what could happen to their own children. They feared some incurable disease or the effects of a physically disfiguring accident. They feared their inability to cope with such a catastrophe and looked on in amazement when her parents treated her just like any “normal” child.

But Anna had other scars from her disease, scars that couldn’t be seen — scars on her heart from being made fun of and scars in her mind from being shown repeatedly that she was not acceptable to society.

Then one day Tess moved into the school district and came to Anna’s school. Tess was what you could call a “tomboy,” outgoing, excelled in all sports, and was a real crackerjack in her studies. One thing she was not was a bully, and she didn’t tolerate bullies, either. That’s where the trouble came in on her first day at school. She came to Anna’s aid when a group of other children were teasing Anna and soundly whipped them all. But defending her newfound friend cost Tess dearly for, you see, Tess, too, had an imperfection. She was deaf.

Two girls with problems trying to make their way in an unforgiving world speak volumes about our society. One girl had a visible blemish and was ostracized while the other’s defect was hidden, not visible to the naked eye. Our society places great emphasis on perfection — perfect bodies, perfect teeth, perfect job and social standing and so on.

One must live in the “perfect” house in the “perfect” neighborhood and lead a “perfect” life with a “perfect” mate and “perfect” children. One must drink the “perfect” cold drinks, drive the “perfect” cars and wear the “perfect” clothes. This is the visible side we show the world. Trying to live up to this image is a handicap in itself.

Those of us with concealed or uncommon problems are fighting equal battles. It may be an emotional problem that keeps us estranged from the world or maybe it’s that our education is not equal to the norm. Maybe a family crisis caused a loss of money, and we can no longer afford the “perfect.” Maybe we never could afford the “perfect.”

The fact is, we all fight inadequacies, either visible or hidden. Unfortunately, our society has lost all compassion for the blemished. They are labeled, isolated and shut out. Or are we doing these things to ourselves instead out of our fear? How many really good friendships have you lost because of blemishes that came on the package? How many people have passed through our lives unnoticed or, worse, very much noticed and dismissed based on the physical?

By the way, our story has a happy ending. Anna did overcome her cancer, is happily married and the mother of an adorable little girl. Tess, in her late teens, got hearing aids and has regained most of her hearing. Their roles in this little drama have switched — Anna’s wounds no longer show, but Tess’ do. That hasn’t affected their friendship, though. They are accepting of each other and their imperfections. Having been there, they don’t fear.

Sunday, May 23, 1999

Painting crew gives facelifts to AISD schools

By Paula Thomas

Staff Writer

Rayes Alvarado and Rachel Garcia, both Headstart teachers at Woodson, spent this summer just like they have spent many summers in the past — as part of the Abilene Independent School District’s painting crew.

Every year, the school district receives numerous applications for summer help.

Teachers, college students, and even high school students vie for the opportunity to join Ray Williams, paint crew supervisor, and the three other full-time maintenance personnel, to earn extra money maintaining the Abilene schools.

In addition to Alvarado and Garcia, the other members of the all-woman crew of extras hired this summer are Gloria Lara and Norma Rodriguez, teaching assistants at Locust; Becky Mendoza and Corina Resio, teaching assistants at Woodson; and Theresa Ramirez, a Hardin-Simmons student and daughter of Ruth Ramirez, Headstart teacher at Locust.

“I’ve been painting for 19 years,” said Alvarado. “I enjoy the work, and I feel blessed to be able to work with and for the students,” she continued.

Garcia has been working with the painting crew for nine years, only taking off one year during a pregnancy.

Starting the week after school is dismissed for the summer, the women will continue to work until Aug. 8, giving various schools a facelift.

“We are the first people in and the last people out on a remodeling project,” said Williams.

The crew of women may do anything from preparing the site for subcontractors, to putting up computer walls to major paint work.

This year, the painting crew has spruced up the girl’s training room at Abilene High School, and the computer room and the kitchen at Lincoln Middle School, among other projects.

“We generally are at every school every summer, even if it’s just to deliver paint to a custodian,” Williams explained.

Major facelifts for the schools occur on a rotating basis. Depending on the conditions, the exterior of a school is painted every five years and the interior every seven years.

Lee Elementary was one recipient of the ladies’ efforts this summer. They repainted the exterior of the school, and also repainted the cafeteria and some restrooms.

Although one member of the team had a little temporary trouble with height, the ladies find heat to be their worst enemy.

Water and thirst quenchers are always available, and their families bring by goodies like watermelon. When possible, the crew works inside during the afternoons.

One advantage to this type of work is the complete change from their normal classroom routine. Another, and completely unexpected, advantage is “getting to keep up with the students,” said Alvarado.

“Our former students will see us working on or around their neighborhood school and come talk with us,” said Garcia.

As the summer wraps up, the ladies look forward to returning to their classrooms. Alvarado is beginning her 26th year teaching, and Garcia is beginning her 20th year.

Williams found working with an all-woman crew to be rewarding.

“The ladies take care of everything around them, are particular and clean, and give a project the woman’s touch,” she said.