I went out the other pre-dawn morning on a three mile meditative walk,
once again
walking between the drops. This time it was drops of sweat. I tell you that
this South
Georgia heat and humidity is even driving the gnats nuts. Anyway, I was
still thinking
about Monica. That's her real name. I was thinking of her time of incessant
struggling
in class with little confidence and lower self-esteem and constantly fending
off an
unsupporting family. I was thinking of our innumerable conversations during
the semester
we were in class together, of our occasional contact over the years when she
needed
someone to just listen and believe in her. And now, she is graduating at the
top of her
class and has been given the high honor of being the School of Education flag
bearer at
graduation. I was thinking how she found within herself kind of self in whom
she can
trust and with whom she will be joyful to live. I was thinking how she
discovered what
she can achieve by using what she once denigratingly called her "ordinariness"
by applying
extraordinary persistence. To the kinesthetic rhythm of my feet, I was saying
to myself
over and over again, "Whatever it takes. However long it takes. Whatever it
takes.
However long it takes. Whatever....."
Answering her message, I wrote:
"I wish I was a fairy godfather who could wave his wand give as a gift
to each
student--and faculty member--what you have acquired over these seven years: a
sense of
wonder about themselves and each other that would be so indestructible that it
would last
throughout a career and all their lives; that would offer them the power of
purpose; that
would untie the "nots" in their cannots and kick them in their "can;" that
would tap and
allow to gush forth their pool of beautiful imagination and creativity; that
would let
them joyful see beautiful possibilities; that would push them beyond the
familiar, beyond
the comfortable, into a higher level of ability, and bring within reach the
supposed
unattainable; and that would allow them to feel the unique joy of breaking
through their
supposed limitations again and again and again. Like the lion in the Wizard of
Oz, you
now have the proverbial strong and courageous heart of a lion. You are about
to graduate
and become a teacher. Become a fairy godmother to each student. Don't let any
student go
alone or feel alone on her or his journey. Educate with a reverence for each
student.
Approach and treat each student with grace, dignity, gentleness, kindness. Do
whatever it
takes for however long it takes to help them acquire a sense of sacredness about
themselves. Help other 'loveable cowardly lions' find their strength and
heart."
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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