Observe, Reason, Plan, Create
What’s the difference between people and fish? This should have a snappier punch-line than I can offer but in short, the difference is instinct. Fish live their lives according to instinct and fate but humans must be taught to observe, reason, plan and create.
At the Craig Brook Fish Hatchery recently the I Know ME cohort 1 learned about the lives of Atlantic Salmon from birth in the hatchery to release in the wild and then returning to the hatchery to deposit their eggs. I Know ME Cohort 1 visited a cohort of salmon that have been in the hatchery since 2018, the year the kids entered the I Know ME program. The salmon will be released later this year, but our kids have one more year with the program. While the fish have spent the last five years just swimming and eating the kids have traveled around the state, seen sights, met people, and learned about themselves and their environment.
Cohort 5, who entered the I Know ME program in February 2022 are just beginning their journey to self-realization. Last month they and their mentors went to the State House to meet their elected representatives and to see the state house and senate in session. They began the process of observation, discernment, and appreciation. Looking into the capitol rotunda they observed the beauty of the building and got an inkling of the dedication and service our elected officials bring to bear.
Cohort 5 met with Nate Wadsworth, Ray’s cousin and supporter of the Game Loft who once played his ancestor, General Peleg Wadsworth, in a Game Loft historical re-creation. They also met Paige Zieglaar and Chip Curry, the senator from Waldo County, who challenged them to follow a bill going through the legislature. As 7th graders these students are teetering at the edge of childhood but beginning to see their adult lives ahead.
After a long morning of observing, considering, and learning it was important for the kids to cut loose. You can become a better adult if you have fully explored childhood so we took them to the playground to let off some steam. I Know ME stands for knowledge of the state and knowledge of self, because both are important. Because we don’t operate on instinct it is crucial to have this knowledge. Because unlike salmon who run on instinct, we believe that for humans “If you know who you are and where you’re from, you can find where you’re going.”