The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Last night I went with my sisters to  Harmony High School to see my niece, Cami Rose, play in the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The cast, and of course Cami Rose, did a wonderful job relaying the story of a mismatched group of spellers and their eventful day at the county bee, touching on the lives and times of young adolescents put in the spotlight. The play is based on a simple premise that flows deeply into the heart of the pressures and expectations we place on youth in our society.

Last year, I was the coordinator for our county spelling bee, playing the real live role of Cami Rose. I remember being on the stage and making the point often that everyone was a winner knowing that middle schoolers' don't often feel that way. I also remember trying to issue messages of comfort because tensions were evidently running high for the finalists. It was a tense, edge-of-your-seat culmination after several rounds of back and forth. Fortunately, it ran smoothly without an apparent hitch, unlike a bee I judged a  few years prior.

The ending of that bee felt triumphant. Tears of approval flowed shamelessly down my cheeks when a brave but scrawny little guy, who now has a chance because geeks are cool, won the bee. The look on his face was priceless, and his mom was beaming. However, after the bee a parent complained to a local news station about the outcome stating her daughter was not treated fairly due to the mispronunciation of a word, which as judges, we had thrown out because of that very fact. The determined anchor woman came to the district office seeking my boss for the story, but was sent away because she insisted on knowing the name and whereabouts of the complaining girl. She did not even ask about the winner. I think that whole episode was described in the Putnam County Bee in the words, "life is pandemonium." Pandemonium: n. Wild uproar or noise. [Pandaemonium, capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost]. The local news channel ran a brief story that night at 10:00PM on the disgruntled parent and child. They never mentioned the winner of the bee. No wonder our kids think life is pandemonium. We are addicted to it, but it is not hopeless. There is a cure for the addiction that takes only thirty days of reprogramming, but it works; my mama tried to teach it to her children all our lives with these three, simple words, "Think lovely thoughts."

Finally,beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Philippians 4:8

As for the unusual artwork. That was a collage made by my daughter, Nikky, during her teenage years. It seemed fitting. Find joy in this day and "think lovely thoughts."
Love, Linda