Our new superintendent of the Newburyport school system, Kevin Lyons appears to me as someone who is “wise.”

I’ve never met the man, I’ve just read the papers and heard people speak of him, but he strikes me as a “wise” man.

It’s my own opinion that “wisdom” is a much overlooked quality in our society today and to find it in a leader is rare.

I toddled off to Google (I know, Google might not be equated with “wisdom”) for a definition of “wisdom” and these are a few of the things that I found.

1) “Having experience, knowledge and understanding together with the power of applying all three with prudence, practicality, discretion and common sense;”

2) ” “It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things” (Henry David Thoreau).”

3) “Knowledge with information so thoroughly assimilated as to have produced sagacity, judgment, and insight.”

Wisdom requires experience and yes, time. It is why the young are rarely “wise.” They are many, many other things , thank goodness, but “wise,” is rare.

And it is not enough to have knowledge, it is the application and assimilation of that knowledge that produces “wisdom.”

And it is my experience that “wise” people are often “trusted” people. And it is my impression is that Superintendent Kevin Lyons is already “trusted” by many who have come in contact with him.

Not something to be sneezed at.

One of the dilemmas I see in Newburyport, MA, is that young families feel pitted against the community, and that there is a great deal of resentment towards the young families because of the possibility of raised taxes for all sorts of things, including a huge proposed elementary school building extravaganza.

But Mr. Lyons appears to be “wise,” using his experience to defuse that growing tension and applying his knowledge to better teaching and innate problem solving within (at least at this point) the existing educational structure. Showing, in my mind, incredible “wisdom.”

May this man continue to be the “gem” that he appears to be. “Wise gems,” in my experience, are often few and far between.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport