I was dismayed by something I experienced yesterday. A professor, her
eyes
looking inattentively ahead, without a by-your-leave brusquely and impolitely
brushed by
and slightly pushed pass two of the custodial crew with whom I was talking as
if they
didn't exist and as if she had the unchallenged right of way in the hall. One
of the
custodians turned her head, her smile gone, and gave that professor one of
those "if looks
could kill" piercing stares, saying loudly in her body language, "Who the hell
does 'Miss
High and Mighty Queenie Ph.D.' think she is?" Then, she turned to me, slumped
her
shoulders, took a deep breath, and then with a sadness in her lowered voice
said, "People
like her and everyone around here act as if we are no matter, not having any
education and
all."
"Don't believe that for a second," I assured her firmly. "You are
important.
Without you, that professor wouldn't have any place to run to. You keep this
place
running. For what its worth, 'Let me thank you for doing that.'"
Claretha (not her real name) smiled and the slight roundness in her
shoulders
disappeared. She and her co-workers do matter! I wonder how many of us
realize how we
are completely and utterly intertwined with those supposed inconsequential
persons, whom
she ignored as if they were made of cellophane, who vacuum and straighten up the
classrooms in which we teach, who mop and polish the hallways we walk, who keep
spotless
the bathrooms we use, and who clean our offices? And what too many of us
apparently
don't know is that the illumination of our campuses with unconditional mutual
respect and
appreciation is so powerful that it can ignite an inner flame that lights up
each one of
us and creates community among us.
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis
Schmier http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/
Department of
History http://www.newforums.com/Auth_L_Schmier.asp
Valdosta State University www. halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\
/ \/ \_ \/ /
\/ /\_/
\ /\
//\/\/ /\
\__/__/_/\_\__ \ /__\
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" -
---
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