Unless and Until-Education

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Posted by on in children, Education, impediments, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Spiritual

October 4, 2016, Prescott- 

As our little classroom was not the right fit for a troubled child, I have to voice a few thoughts.

Unless and until:

Adult educators consistently place the well-being of children first;

People on a team eschew oneupmanship;

Children are empowered, according to their developmental levels;

Communication across hierarchical levels, and between colleagues, becomes and remains clear and consistent;

Downtime is minimized to almost nothing;

Spiritual (not sectarian) principles are infused into education, so as to strengthen character;

Cooperative learning becomes the norm;

Children are seen as a valid constituency, by elected officials;

Society places education at the highest priority;

We will continue to face repeated and familiar issues, in our collective mirror.

 

Octane

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Posted by on in Personal Values, Poetry, Striving

October 3, 2016, Prescott-

The once powerful octogenarian,

having survived and beaten cancer,

shuffles and gingerly steps his way

across the floor.

He will be around, for his family

and others who revere him,

for quite some time yet.

Another elder,

in a place far from here,

left this earthly plane,

this morning,

after an extended time

of palliative care.

He leaves a legacy

of civic pride and

overcoming disability,

in his midlife.

My blessed son,

in late youth,

is facing,

and overcoming,

an injury that

has him somewhat

laid up.

He is setting up a

a network,

that will see him

through these six weeks

of sedentariness.

Each of us survives

until its time

for a different setting.

More than Useful

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, Family, Poetry, Social, Striving

October 1, 2016, Flagstaff-

A Jill of all trades has been

working tirelessly,

for nearly a decade,

to keep her children on track.

A long-lost friend

surfaced today, to give

a scholarly presentation.

He and I will be

at another location,

tomorrow.

Feast or famine,

with certain friends.

What seemed like

a rivalry between

two institutions

for which I care deeply,

is more a matter

of systemic transition.

These are things I learned, today.

No Control

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Posted by on in Education, Striving

September 30, 2016, Prescott-

My immediate supervisor relishes the moments

when she can squash me like an insect.

There is no kind way to say that.

This, but for the children,

the unsettled, often problematic,

confounding, wonderful little souls,

is something of a headache.

It’s for them, alone,

that I will stand my ground.

Those who see only a struggle

to be in control,

have none of their own.

That’s the conundrum.

The children and I,

looking towards the light,

grabbing life with both hands,

have a sense of honour.

I will not let them down.

Gnosis and Gnus

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Posted by on in animal and plant life, Inner Struggles, Poetry, Striving

September 28, 2016, Prescott-

I work with whimsical people,

including a child who thinks

playing tag in a church would be a trip.

Another, believes the Universe

is seeking his destruction.

I am trying to impart self-knowledge

as a goal, to my students,

so that, when they reach their teen years,

they will be less likely to self-medicate-

or otherwise engage in self-harm.

Animals in the wild

engage in self-preservation.

Why should we humans

be any less  vigilant?

Isn’t it odd,

that someone capable of gnosis,

should be less self-preserving,

than a praying mantis, electric eel

or gnu?

Charlie Brown’s Teacher

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Posted by on in Education, Personal Values

September 27, 2016, Prescott- I was handed an ad hoc lesson, on Newton’s First 3 Laws of Physics, and told to teach it, just after lunch today.  We watched two videos on the topic, one a simple cartoon and the other, a more detailed, but still well-illustrated, presentation.

Afterward, the discussion portion revealed that the students had grasped the basic points, but had not internalized the sequence of the Laws.  We arrived at the order in which the Laws are considered, by considering Cause and Effect.

Another aspect which was noted was the way that people are resistant to change, the same way that living things tend to seek familiarity and conservation of energy.  In other words,  Sir Isaac Newton viewed us as essentially lazy.

I am waiting for the first kid to cite Newton’s First Law of Physics as a reason for his/her laziness.  My answer, of course, would be that the resulting grades would be subject to the Law of Gravity.

I was struck by the way, though, that the students paid closer attention to my presentation than they often do to the lead teacher, who has herself raised the whole “WAA, WAA. WAA”, heard by the kids in the “Peanuts” series of feature-length cartoons.

It occurs to me that people rise to expectations- something Newton never addressed, but Charles Schulz did.

Two for the Ages

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Posted by on in Spiritual, Striving

September 26, 2016, Prescott- Sunday took two bookends from our midst: Arnold Palmer, with his “army” of fans from Fort Gordon, GA, near his beloved Augusta National Country Club, and his popularizing golf as a sport for Everyman; Jose Fernandez, an exemplary pitcher, at the top of his game and on the verge of winning 30 games in a regular Major League Baseball season.

Arnold was an elder, had lived a full, astonishingly varied life.  He lived it for his beloved first wife, and threw his reputation and his well-gotten wealth into a hospital, named for her and dedicated to the well-being of women and infants.  He lived it for his two daughters, letting them realize their own dreams and never abandoning them to a de facto celebrity orphanhood.  He lived it for his children’s children and for their offspring, and saw one of his grandsons excel at their shared beloved sport.  Most importantly, he lived it for the city, state and nation that he loved so much.  Pittsburgh returned the favour, during “The King of the Fairways’ ” last few days, taking loving care of him, as he prepared to take his final tee-off.

Jose was up-and-coming, in Major League Baseball.  He threw himself, with Little League style abandon, into every game he pitched for the Miami Marlins.This was a good thing,and he became the toast of the town. Here was a man on the verge of winning 30 regular season games, a feat not seen in the big leagues since Denny McLain won 31 games, in 1968.  The other 13 men who won 30 or more regular season games, all did so between 1900-1934.  Jose was due to pitch on Sunday.  He was, instead, moved back a day, in the pitching rotation.  He went boating, off Miami Beach, as a way of relaxing on his off-day.  The boat was speeding, due to circumstances still being investigated, and hit the dock at Miami Beach.  Jose died instantly, in the crash.

Although far from proficient in either sport, I feel both losses.  Many of my relatives are golfers.  My brother, living in Georgia, has attended the Masters PGA Tournament, several times and has often been on the links, in courses across the country- and around the globe. The passing of Arnold Palmer brings to the forefront all the triumphs and troubles which the Masters, and Augusta National, have endured, over the past five decades.

The death of Jose Fernandez brings to mind the tragic loss, albeit over several years of suffering, of another great young player, Tony Conigliaro, hit in the head by a pitch and never able to resume his march to destiny.  “Conig” was a hero, to my above-mentioned brother, and to me, as he and the great Carl Yastrzemski led the Boston Red Sox into the 1967 World Series.  Jose’s Marlins are a long-shot to reach that lofty height, this year.  With him, they might have surprised everyone. and done so.  In his honour, they may yet be inspired to do so, anyway.

Life has a rough way of marching on, regardless of who, young or old, drops off its awesome and beautiful chain.  It is, though, hard to imagine two more wondrous links in that line.  Rest in peace, Arnie and Jose, and look through the veil at us, with messages of hope and strength.

 

Love is Clarity

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Posted by on in Spiritual

September 25, 2016, Phoenix-

It’s cool here, today,

meaning it’s under 100 F.

There is a lot of love at the meeting

I am attending.

We are onto the notion

that love means communicating clearly.

Without hidden agendas,

such a thing is easy.

I have been, and am,

what I say I am,

feel what I claim to feel,

and no more.

Love is transparent.

Someday, When You Understand Me Better

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Posted by on in children, Education, Inner Struggles, Spiritual

September 23, 2016, Prescott- 

My Christian friends,

who are convinced that my belief that all Faiths emanate from One God,

makes me an idolator, a Luciferian:

Someday, when you understand me better,

you will know the love I have for you,

for Jesus the Christ,

and for all who bring God’s Holy Word.

My fellow educators,

content in your small circles:

Someday, when you understand me better,

you will know the regard with which I look upon your work.

School administrators:

Someday, when you understand me better,

you will know that I AM dedicated to the well-being of children,

and recognize that I am not the enemy.

Word Press readers:

Someday, when you understand me better,

you will no longer disdain my spiritual writings,

and will realize that I am not out to “convert” anyone,

to my point of view.

The precious children,

who understand me better than do most adults,

already know these things.

They just know.

 

Equinox

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Posted by on in collaborating, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

September 22, 2016, Prescott- 

The Moon keeps us on our toes.

Calendar dates change,

based on its phases,

year to year,

for equinoxes and solstices;

for Baha’i Holy Days;

for Ramadan and Eid;

for Lent and Easter;

for the Jewish High Holy Days

and Passover.

The hearts who celebrate

do not change,

with the phases of the Moon,

or even with the climate’s fickleness.

We remain connected,

even across thousands of miles

and hectares of fenced-in fields.

We remain unified,

soul to soul,

in the face of contrived divisions,

of walls which no one really wants.

Walls and fences,

that delude us.

The only real safety

lies in connection.

Blessed be Charlotte,

Tulsa, Milwaukee,

St. Louis, Manhattan,

Elizabeth, Seaside Park.

God, be watchful,

over Pakistan, Syria,

Afghanistan, Iraq,

Yemen, South Sudan.

Stay the hands of the dividers,

wherever they may be.