Last weekend Lynnda and I drove to Maryland to see our children and most of our grandchildren. Our daughter, Dannielle works with special behavioral needs children in grades 3-5 who are expelled from their home school. Her job is to educate them and get them back to their home school. They have a variety of psychological issues. Most can’t just sit quietly They have short attention spans so Dannielle has them do a lot of hands on activities.

On Friday we were privileged to watch Dannielle do a presentation at a local college to other educators on how to incorporate STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) with subjects like social studies and history. In teaching them about the Boston Tea Party she had the students design a container that would protect a tea bag and keep it dry when thrown into water like the Colonists did in Boston Harbor. The kids learned the history so they could do the hands-on project they enjoy. They have fun while learning important skills. We had no idea this was how she teaches.

The students’ designs didn’t always work initially. Some broke open or leaked. They learn it is common to fail. It’s even okay to fail at first. Dannielle teaches them not to get stressed out and instead learn from their failures, then do something different to succeed. For these challenged students it is an essential skill to learn. Eliminating frustration can avoid behavior problems. We are proud of Dannielle and the difference she is making in the lives of young students. We are also proud she is sharing her knowledge with other educators so they can help their own students have fun while they are learning.

Sunday, I learned how Tiger Woods might have felt at the Masters. Dannielle and I ran the Gettysburg Half-Marathon. This was my 4th half-marathon since the October 2019 injury. The first three were flat easy courses. In April 2019 we ran Gettysburg. It was challenging and hilly. Sunday, like Tiger, I finished. It was painful. My time was over 30 minutes slower than 2019. But by finishing I know I can run tough races again. Tiger will be back stronger at his next golf tournament. I plan to come back faster and stronger in my next race. It will take some hard work. I share this to encourage you. People can come back after serious injuries. Even older folks.

The opening reading on Palm Sunday was Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem. People cheered, spread their cloaks on the ground and waved palm branches. On Friday the crowd was screaming to crucify Jesus and release a murderer, Barabbas. As children we were told the same people who were cheering for Jesus on Sunday were screaming for his crucifixion five days later. Having experienced a lot of real-life situations and public meetings, I now have a different opinion.

After Jesusá arrest on Thursday night, Peter, Jesus’ chosen leader for his church, denied three times he even knew Jesus. Peter spent three years with Jesus and at a critical moment he denied him out of fear. Fear is a powerful emotion. In those days, punishments for people who disagreed with authority could be severe and painful. I might have done the same. Very few people waving palms on Sunday probably had the courage to show up on Friday morning to support Jesus, who religious leaders of the time wanted to crucify. Pilate was looking for an excuse to release Jesus. Had Sunday’s crowd of supporters showed up Friday and shouted for Jesus’ release, Barabbas would have been crucified instead of an innocent man. Good people remaining silent when they know the truth can have bad, even deadly results.

I have attended public meetings where the ‘anti-fossil fuel’ people showed up in large numbers. They were loud and intimidating. They succeed in getting some knowledgeable engineers to leave without sharing their engineering facts. One young man said, ‘I’m sorry, if they start laughing and making rude comments when I’m speaking I’ll say something stupid, embarrass myself and look like a fool.’ Fear is powerful and can keep us from doing what is right. My friend wasn’t even going to get scourged or crucified. Fortunately, enough other engineers had the courage to stand up and tell the truth. Math and basic engineering principals don’t lie. The truth made the ‘antis’ look foolish.

Maybe because of COVID and virtual learning parents have taken new interest in what their children are being taught in school. It has been eye-opening. Parents around the country are getting off the couch and attending school board meetings to protest and, in some cases, have non-responsive School Board Members removed. They chose not to be silent.

Have we been silent to injustice or situations when we should have said something? A smile and a kind encouraging word can change someone’s day. After 9-11 we heard, ‘See something. Say something.’ In industry employees are encouraged to report hazards to keep others from getting hurt. I was leaving a building in January when what was water had frozen because it was now shaded and temperature had dropped. I put my foot on the now ice and slipped but caught myself. I took two more steps and my industry safety training took over. I went back into the building and told the receptionist about the ice. Before I left the parking lot, someone was spreading salt.

Dannielle overcame discomfort with public speaking to share information to help other educators. Professional engineers have an ethical responsibility to speak up in their area of expertise. A small noisy group can intimidate good people into silence. If we allow that to happen we get bad public policy or worse, power outages like California and expensive energy like Europe and New England hurting families and others who can least afford it. People need encouraged. We can’t stay silent. Share the truth. Happy