The human experience

Murry Jaros visited Parker yesterday and told his incredibly moving story of surviving during the Holocaust.  His wonderful gift to us was sharing his very personal and painful memories and also telling us about developing an iron will to survive at a young age.  Combined with hearing Francis Currey last week tell about his experiences leading to receiving the Medal of Honor, our middle school students have learned from these two people so much about life in 1944 and 1945 in Europe during World War II - and about what young people are capable of when faced with harrowing challenges. 

In an interview about his career as a history writer, author David McCullough says, "To write or understand history, you must try as best you can to put yourself in the shoes of those who lived in those other times... And in the end, it's the story that counts. I believe we need stories. They're an essential part of the human experience."

The stories told by Francis Currey and Murry Jaros brought the past to life at Parker.  It was our privilege to hear and is our responsibility to remember.