Jim Kurz
A Valuable Lesson From My Fifth Grade Teacher
George “Sonny” Lawson of Rhinebeck (NY) Central Grade School
I have a photo album of pictures taken during my Army service from 1969 to 1972. They bring back memories of my time in basic training, the Intelligence School and the Korean Language School as well as of the guys with whom I served while in Korea and elsewhere.
But, sometimes when I look at those old photos, another memory comes to mind, a memory clear and sharp like the photos in my album. It’s a buried memory and not of my Army days, but of the Army days of another soldier from another time. It’s a memory of photos in a slide presentation that my fifth grade teacher George “Sonny” Lawson gave in class.
The photos were of him when he was in the Army, serving in Korea, which at that time was also known as “The Land of the Morning Calm." However, when Mr. Lawson was there, the country was far from calm because war raged between North and South Korea and their allies. Despite the fighting, Mr. Lawson’s photos were not of battle scenes but pictures of him and his fellow soldiers having a good time.
Another memory I have of my time in Mr. Lawson’s class was when he assigned us to memorize William Henley’s poem “Invictus.” I was a slow learner who was more than a pace or two behind my classmates, so memorizing the poem was tough sledding. However, today I can still recite a good portion of Henley’s verses.
Over the years, I have developed a deep and abiding appreciation for what Henley’s poem has to say about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme difficulties. The poet encourages us to accept that we cannot control the difficulties we face in life but that we can control our response to those difficulties. Or, as Henley wrote, “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
I always wondered what Mr. Lawson’s reason was for having us 12-year-olds learn such a sad poem. Recently, I found the answer in his obituary. He was inspired by the incidents in his life. His online obituary reads in part, “He worked hard all of his life, beginning as a grave digger to pay for college, a tour guide for (President) Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s home and the (nearby) Vanderbilt Estate...” Mr. Lawson died in Lewes, DE, on May 18, 2011. He was 81 years old.
Thank you, Mr. Lawson, for giving me something helpful to carry into adulthood.
Jim Kurz
Lexington, Kentucky