I suppose teaching is turning me into something of an activist.
Here are some choice quotes from the book (title above) by Paul Roget Loeb, which I think resonate particularly well with the cynicism, frustrations, and daily grind of teaching, as well as that persistent need to keep showing up, keep trying, and keep believing every day. This is probably true of any job whose difficulty is somehow mitigated by how much we believe in the cause.
"We live in a culture that took often rewards cynicism and mocks idealism."
"The ability to recognize and embrace life's pleasures helps one face its cruelties and disappointments."
"History shows that even seemingly miraculous advances are in fact the result of many people taking small steps together over a long period of time."
"Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change."
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Old Quotes from Visionary Art Museum in B-More
Just found these notes from a trip in 2009. The exhibit, I believe, was about freedom, patriotism, Americana...
They strangely have a much deeper resonance after the first, and most discouraging and arduous, months in Teach for America, where the world did seem to be over, I did seem to be going through hell, and happiness did indeed require a great deal of bravery. Maybe I found this old paper now for a reason. Enjoy a good dose of optimism!
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" Neale Donald Watsch
"If you're going through hell, keep going" Churchill
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly" proverb
"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning" Louis L'Amour
"Love is a cosmic phenomenon" PD Ouspensky
"Barn's burnt down...now I can see the moon" Masahido
"Man's trend should be unity, not uniformity" Dorothy Maclean
"A valid index by which to evaluate the influence other people have on us is by how much they increase or diminish our benevolence toward our fellow beings" Eric Hoffer
"Misery has no color"
"Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you" Sartre
"Happiness is a form of courage" Hobbrook Jackson
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy" Guillaume Appollinaire
"All paths are the same, leading nowhere. Therefore, pick a path with heart!" Carlos Castaneda
They strangely have a much deeper resonance after the first, and most discouraging and arduous, months in Teach for America, where the world did seem to be over, I did seem to be going through hell, and happiness did indeed require a great deal of bravery. Maybe I found this old paper now for a reason. Enjoy a good dose of optimism!
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" Neale Donald Watsch
"If you're going through hell, keep going" Churchill
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly" proverb
"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning" Louis L'Amour
"Love is a cosmic phenomenon" PD Ouspensky
"Barn's burnt down...now I can see the moon" Masahido
"Man's trend should be unity, not uniformity" Dorothy Maclean
"A valid index by which to evaluate the influence other people have on us is by how much they increase or diminish our benevolence toward our fellow beings" Eric Hoffer
"Misery has no color"
"Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you" Sartre
"Happiness is a form of courage" Hobbrook Jackson
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy" Guillaume Appollinaire
"All paths are the same, leading nowhere. Therefore, pick a path with heart!" Carlos Castaneda
New ideas
Ideas to consider:
Bravery vs stupidity
Weightlessness
Stop motion
Bending of time
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