A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Ready or not, the official start of summer is about to arrive. Graduation and Memorial Day are our annual signal to set routine aside, get outside and enjoy life. I’m thinking that this year there will be more celebrations than usual as the pandemic has reached a point where we can venture out safely. And gather in groups. And go to American Players Theatre. And do all the things we’ve so badly missed. It’s exciting to think of all the things we can do, all the places we can go, all that we have to look forward to. In many ways, none of us has more to look forward to than the kids who are graduating. They have not just the back-to-normal things to look forward but life things. Growing up things. Getting the heck out of Dodge and moving on with life things. So very many things that it’s a little overwhelming for some but it is a joyous kind of overwhelmed.  I remember so clearly that complete and utter bliss of high school graduation. We lined up, we marched up to the stage, got our diplomas and after all the pomp and circumstance went to stand in front of the school for our class picture. Five seconds later we were gone, all of us ripping off our caps and gowns and headed for adventure. Most of us had to blow by our homes to make an appearance and hug grandma and grandpas who came to celebrate but it didn’t take long before we were out the door, ready to start out on the next step of life. We didn’t get far that first night and we didn’t really get all the crazy but we could feel in our hearts that life was waiting to embrace us and carry us away.  Students today have that same sense but they have had to learn, at a very early age, to be brave in ways we never dreamed of. Fire and tornado drills remain a standard. Beyond those moments that most of us viewed as an escape from the classroom, instead of being trained to crouch under desks in case of an atomic attack as boomers were, kids today have to learn how to respond to an active shooter situation. And now, the graduates have had to cope with the unthinkable – a global pandemic. So many day to day parts of school, and life, were upended that it’s hard to imagine what they went through. For the graduates today, going out into the world means going out into a really scary place. Learning in-person, masks in place and all the new routines they learned. It’s been tough. Thankfully, the River Valley administration, teachers and staff have gone above and beyond their call of duty to make sure school was safe and learning could take place. For many students, virtual learning on days when in-person class wasn’t possible was even harder. But they made it. Doors are quite literally opening for our graduates. Not quite adults, no longer really children, they are putting high school behind them to spread their wings and fly. Graduates and veterans who are recognized on Memorial Day have bravery in common. Bravery to put it all the line for their and our future. Veterans lost their lives for the sake of our freedom and our future. Graduates are moving forward with their lives into the future. I’m not sure the kind of bravery they share is teachable but I know that however they came by it, it’s important to recognize and honor.  This Memorial Day weekend, remember the sacrifices and hard work graduates and veterans have made. The future of our world is in trouble in so many ways. The graduates give us hope for tomorrow even as we grieve for those veterans we’ve lost.   Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays but we’ll have an early deadline at noon on Friday, May 28, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. All deadlines are moved up 24 business hours. Visit our website at homenewsrv.com for information about the Home News and our e-edition.  Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.