Back to School, January 2021

Happy New Year!

My family and I discovered Forged in Fire on Netflix over the break. It is like Project Runway or Top Chef, but for bladesmiths. In the first round, the bladesmiths are given pieces of metal, which could be anything from cylinders of steel to an old pickup truck, and asked to forge a blade from that steel within certain parameters. In the second round, they are asked to create a handle for the blade and the blades are tested for strength and sharpness. For the last round, the finalists are asked to recreate a blade from history and those blades are tested for strength, endurance and sharpness.

My favorite judge is the guy who tests sharpness. He takes the blades and slashes through bamboo, pig carcasses, rugs, or parachute straps. No matter what damage the cutting does to the blade or how weak the cut is, if the blade cuts at all, he turns to the smiths with a smile on his face and says, “This blade will cut.”

This school year, we weren’t handed beautiful cylinders of steel. We were given the old pickup truck. But I have learned two things from Forged in Fire — first, the blade does not have to look pretty to made it through. It just has to cut. Second, even old pickup trucks can be forged into something useful and even beautiful.

Something beautiful can be forged this school year in our kids. But, even if it isn’t beautiful, we can forge a blade that cuts.

As we come back together, allow me to offer friendly advice to keep us all healthy and safe.

• Let your hugs be more of the air variety than the bear variety.
• Let your high fives be more representational than literal.
• Like the wrestlers (or rasslers) of my youth, let your masks be your trademark more than your body slams or figure fours.
• Let your smiles be seen through your eyes.

Have a great first week back!