As students and teachers begin another school year, and as all of us continue to be educated every day, let us pray that we will never throw in the towel when situations become difficult, as illustrated in this poem, by Sister Pat Ryan:
I nearly threw in the towel
It was May, my first year teaching
After Algebra class, Carleen whispered in my ear
Sister, when are you going to learn what X is?
O Carleen, so many years later
I cannot tell you a lot more about X
It not only marks the spot
It symbolizes every unknown, every mystery
It’s the letter that everyone is looking for
I’ve learned so much
Since you stunned me with that question
My answer right now would be “Never”
We are never going to learn what X is
It is the nameless essence of the eternal search
The magnet pulling the evolutionary process
It is totally available and open to any brain
That needs a marker to hold on to
The infinite reality passing through
We are never going to learn what X is
But we will never stop trying.—AMEN.