Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world and the third owned many buildings in the centre of New York. The reporter was talking to them about being important.

“How do we know if someone is really important?” The reporter asked the banker.

The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the White House to meet the President of the United States is really important.”

The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” She asked.

The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the President of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”

The reporter then turned to the third man, “Do you think so?”

“No, I don’t,” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important. “

“Then what would make the visitor important?” The reporter and the other two men asked.

“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, “It is for you.”

When the sand began kicking up and hitting our faces, I started to worry that maybe we had made a mistake.

That afternoon, my dad had stood on the deck (露台) of our home and laughed as our neighbors packed up their cars and headed inland. They left to spend the night in motels or at friends’ homes that were out of range of approaching summer storm.

Challenging the weather that threatened to damping our spirits, we lit a fire on the beach. Dad told jokes and we had a good time. When it was 6:30 p.m., all laughter disappeared. Our eyes were drawn to the sky. A tornado (龙卷风) was headed straight for us! In a flash, we were all on our feet. The wind started screaming and now we were running to the cottage. My mom stopped next to the front door. “Where can we go?” She shouted at my dad.

Most cottages on this part of Lake Michigan had been built without basements. Ours was no exception. The huge windows and the cottage itself wouldn’t offer safety from high wind.

“Follow me!” my dad yelled. We crawled (爬) beneath the deck, pressing ourselves against the foundation of the cottage. Between the deck supports, we watched the approaching storm in silent terror.

My dad shouted, “Hold on!” and something else I couldn’t hear over the screaming wind. I think he was praying. By the time it reached our cottage, it was nothing more than a strong wind. The rest of the storm lasted for an hour and then simply blew away.

“Next time, we’ll stay inland at Grandma’s. Okay?” my dad said.

Four Famous Educators

John Dewey

Birthplace: Burlington, Vermont, United States

A faithful advocate of progressive education and liberalism, the American philosopher was the founder of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. John Dewey’s famous writings included The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology and Human Nature and Conduct. According to him, passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were central to a teacher.

Savitribai Phule

Birthplace: Naigaon, India

Savitribai Phule was a revolutionary social reformer who devoted her life to educating girls and bringing about gender (性别) equality in the face of resistance from the conservative Indian society. Phule, who was illiterate (文盲) until her marriage, went on to become a teacher, an achievement accomplished first by an Indian woman. With her husband, she established schools for girls in Maharashtra.

Maria Montessori

Birthplace: Chiaravalle, Italy

Maria Montessori was an Italian educator and physician best known for developing the Montessori method of education, a student-friendly method, which is being used in several public and private schools around the world. In 2020, she was nominated (提名) by Time magazine as one of their Top 100 Women of the Year.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, composer, and writer. His political philosophy influenced aspects of the French Revolution. He also helped develop modern economic, political, and educational thought. His writing inspired a complete change in French drama and poetry. His works also influenced such writers around the world as Tolstoy.