My linguist friends might be slightly disappointed, however I feel there is a difference between playing with words for amusementification and educating without qualification. My teacher friends might think that would be unfair, since that could be just boring people (or being ignored) without pay, and all forbid I should do it for free!
That does take me along to another SoCk Moment, however... not just a SoCk, but a SoCk that carries us across a bridge to the concept more along the lines of my original intention! If I can remember my original intention now that I typed that out... typing is much slower on this phone's keyboard and this is being composed at 5:00am as I try to get to sleep, so... oh look I tangented on my tangent!
~*The School of Hard Knocks may have no formal degree, nor formal educational structure, but it sure has a high tuition. Try not to make other people pay for it.*~
That is what I've tried to base my life around. I have believed, from my childhood even, that I might be much more willing to accept the tests and trials of my life if it meant helping someone or allowing them to benefit somehow. I know it was that long ago, because I found a journal I kept back then that states it, and it has haunted me, ever since I read those words in my own handwriting from so many years ago.
There are days I raise my eyebrow at that young, naïve girl I once was, thinking... Good grief what were you thinking saying that?! No wonder Irony has followed me, snipping at my heels like a bully dog all these years! That kind of thing is like inviting every Power-That-Be in the cosmos to throw whatever bowling ball of adversity at me and anyone standing near enough! Let's just invite them all together and let them have a game to see what comes of me in the interest of self-sacrifice for the good of Humanity! *rolls eyes*
And then... I wonder... if I might have misunderstood her point. I have to think back to that girl living the life she was living when she wrote those words, and frankly, give the girl some credit. She had no idea what Life, the Universe and Everything would throw at her. She was scared to admit it, but that only makes her all the more brave for doing it anyway, don't you think?
This girl was like 12 or 13 years old, ready to embrace whatever her life continued to throw at her, even in the midst of the things she was already having thrown at her... hoping with all her heart that she would have the chance to have it account for at least *something* positive! Just to have learned something that could be shared with someone who might benefit someday from the education she paid for, herself. That really is the spirit of teaching, is it not? The spirit of community? Of culture?
Human beings are social, cultural creatures for a reason. We learn and grow best through positive interactions with other humans, added to other experiences we have, ourselves. We meet others, share things we know, learn from them and our experiences with them, then move on with hope to leave an impact in the Sands of Time that is more lasting than the ones around it being washed away by breeze and wave. We have children, hoping to teach and train them to do more and better than we and those before us accomplished. We care and worry what kind of future they'll meet and if they'll be fit to rise up to overcome and thrive and other inspirational stuff like that. You get the idea I hope.
Anyway, point being that the girl who wrote that journal might have really been onto something. I certainly hope I've not been a disappointment to her. I do know that if I could, I'd give her a hug and tell her what I've learned, so that she might perhaps have better chances and greater courage than I have had since. But since I can't literally do that (my future self hasn't yet appeared to teach me time travel yet), I can only try to reach out to those around me now, love them and hope that something I know might help them as much as possible.
~ Me
~ Me
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