Ebbs and flows
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="Small">Small</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="ebbs">ebbs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flows">flows</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="athletics">athletics</span>.” <span word="Ebbs">Ebbs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flows">flows</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="athletes">athletes</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="schools">schools</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="consequence">consequence</span>, <span word="outstanding">outstanding</span> <span word="athletic">athletic</span> <span word="achievements">achievements</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="between">between</span>.</p><p><span word="Ebbs">Ebbs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flows">flows</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="describes">describes</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="comings">comings</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="goings">goings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tides">tides</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sea">sea</span>. <span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="likened">likened</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="athletics">athletics</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="schools">schools</span>, <span word="which">which</span>, <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sea">sea</span>, <span word="sees">sees</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="share">share</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ups">ups</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="downs">downs</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="downs">downs</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="ups">ups</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="by">by</span>.</p><p><span word="First">First</span>, <span word="ebb">ebb</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flow">flow</span>. <span word="Flow">Flow</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="descriptive">descriptive</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="floating">floating</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="supply">supply</span>. <span word="In">In</span> “<span word="ebb">ebb</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flow">flow</span>”, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="tides">tides</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="in">in</span>. <span word="Ebb">Ebb</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="describes">describes</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="decreases">decreases</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="quantity">quantity</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="volume">volume</span>, <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tide">tide</span> <span word="retreating">retreating</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shores">shores</span>.</p><p><span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ebb">ebb</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flow">flow</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sea">sea</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nature">nature</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span>, <span word="now">now</span> <span word="roaring">roaring</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="waves">waves</span> <span word="lashing">lashing</span> <span word="rocks">rocks</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shores">shores</span>, <span word="now">now</span> <span word="receding">receding</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="gentleness">gentleness</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Pacific">Pacific</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="unmistakable">unmistakable</span> <span word="regularity">regularity</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="begin">begin</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> “<span word="ebb">ebb</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="flow">flow</span>” <span word="to">to</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="aspects">aspects</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="similarly">similarly</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="cycles">cycles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="low">low</span>, <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="down">down</span>, <span word="great">great</span> <span word="prosperity">prosperity</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="times">times</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="athletics">athletics</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="likened">likened</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="comings">comings</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="goings">goings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tide">tide</span>.</p>
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