On errors, Larry Button, and voc-ed voting

For athletes, unforced errors are horrible. Giving up the ball - making a mistake of your own creation without the direct influence of an opposing player - is not a fun experience.

It's humiliating - and humbling.

Those feelings have been far too prevalent in the past few weeks, not on the field of play but for the person banging away at the keyboard - I've been in a slump, so to speak, committing way too many unforced errors. The litany of miscues includes everything from belated arrivals for photo assignments to stupid mistakes in story content - nothing huge, but certainly embarrassing.

Just like the ballplayer who botches a catch, the reason for my errors probably stems from a variety of sources: physical and mental fatigue related to a spring cold that just won’t quit, too many end-of-the-school-year stories, personal issues, and - most important - the weather.

Mother Nature just didn't provide the best of times during the month of May. There were glimmers of hope - brief glimpses of a yellow orb in the sky that promised warm temperatures, but usually failed to deliver for any sustained amount of time. It's been a pretty depressing spring, that's for sure.

Sadly, June hasn't gotten off to the best start either. Of course, I know what will happen next. After complaining and blaming my unforced errors on unseasonably cold weather, the balance of the summer season will be hot and humid - bringing about another column probably around mid-July filled with whining about the blistering heat.

Some people are just never satisfied.

* * * * *

One of the school stories that occupied my time during the past month - and, as a matter of fact, contained an unforced error - is the series that concludes this week on the vocational educational millage proposal that is on the June 10 School Election ballot. Various aspects of the 1 mill proposal that would generate slightly more than $1 million for districts within the RESA service area have been covered each week in the four-part series.

Providing information on important issues is a responsibility of a local news publication like ours, and we sincerely hope that the articles will be helpful to our readers when they make a trip to the polls this Monday.

While I could use the space here to offer a personal opinion on the millage proposal, an individual who has more hands-on knowledge about vocational education than anyone I know expresses my viewpoint very well in the 'Career Profile' segment of the voc-ed story that appears elsewhere in this edition.

Larry Button, the undisputed local 'Dean of Vocational Education', clearly defines the importance of career training for students in his comments. I encourage you to read - and heed - his words.

Especially noteworthy are Larry's closing remarks - which I know he won't mind my 'stealing' to end this column as well.

"Who is going to build your next house, take care of your medical needs, repair and maintain all your computers, protect your property and repair your very technical automobile? For all the people who have said to me over the past 30 some years, 'I wish they would have had a program like this when I was in school - my life might be different today,' this is your opportunity to make a difference for our future work force."

That says it all, Larry. Thanks.

Please exercise your civic responsibility June 10 - go to the polls and vote.