Secretary's Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
Department of Education
 Today
is the day
I am involved in a men’s group that meets once a week. The
group is a true source of fellowship and encouragement
for me. We discuss a variety of issues that impact our
daily lives. One topic that continues to surface is the
topic of “influence” – the opportunity that each of us
has to make a positive difference in the lives of those
people around us. When we begin to calculate the
opportunities, we realize that we all have many, many
opportunities to brighten someone’s day through our
actions and words.
About two weeks ago, one of the group members mentioned
a saying that he has tried to live by over the course of
the past few years. The saying was “Today is the day.”
It is a simple sentence with a powerful meaning. He
reminded us that each of us wakes up each day with a
choice to make. We can choose a variety of paths with
our words, actions and thoughts. He said that he tried,
each day, to make the most of each day and truly take to
heart the saying “Today is the day.”
As we begin yet another school year, I have reflected on
that sentence. First of all, I am reminded each year
that education is one of the few vocations that get to
start over each year. Secondly, all of us have the same
choice that my friend mentioned. We all can decide that
“Today is the day.” We can choose to make a positive
difference in the lives of those that we come in contact
with in our schools. This column will be read by a wide
group of people, so you’ll need to determine what you
can do with each day if you choose to adopt the “Today
is the day” motto. For me, I appreciate people that
choose to do one of the following things when they
interact with me:
* Encourage me in my work
* Ask me about my family
* Show honest and sincere appreciation in response to
something that I did
* Challenge me in an area where I can improve my
performance
* Provide diplomatic feedback on the work that I am
doing
Education is a vocation that hinges on relationships
with others. This year, we can all decide that “Today is
the day.” Better yet, we can decide that “This year is
the year” that I can make a difference in the lives of
the students, teachers, parents and administrators that
I come in contact with.
Our time in education is brief. Let’s make the most of
it. Today is the day!
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