You know when was the last moment I was deeply moved? It was this morning when I went out for my walk, felt myself breathing, mindful of my inner self, and was aware of all around me. I was excited as if I had fallen in love, as if I was in my Susie's warm embrace. It was not "just another walk." It was "another special walk." There is a Zen story of a student who asked his master what was the Tao, the true way. The master answered, "The every-day mind is the true way." There is no need to be or do something special, unique, out-of-the-ordinary. The special is not special because it is touched by something special, but because it is ordinary in an ordinary moment. That is, the special should be the ordinary. We just have to be present in the present; we just have to live in and relish the "now."
I think the biggest struggles we have as academics and as people is with the question, "Who am I?" and with the answer, "I am becoming" rather than "I am." When I look at my face in the mirror, when others look at my face, I don't see some 72 year old geezer. I see and want them to see, as I was before my retirement and now being retired, my love with life and how I am fully living. I want people to know that when you live that way, you are less concerned with approval, you shed inhibitions, you awaken the fire, you go to the edge of convention and polite society, you become both passionate and calm, you become grounded and uplifted. Sure, you might have a touch of eccentricity doing that. And, you sure do turn off or scare a lot of judgmental people. In fact, some people would call you nutty, drifting from reality. But, I've found that it is a drift into reality, into discovering and utilizing personal strengths. Not being "normal" or "adjusted" or "prim and proper" has its rewards. You come out from the fearful shadows of a need to be accepted by others on their terms. You end the waiting line of thoughts and deeds you want to release. You get off the sideline and into the game of life. You stop dissonantly living two contending lives: outwardly the quiet academic type using what others might think as your guide, inwardly nurturing "interesting" tastes and passions as your roadmap. There's a muffling fear, containing, and weakness in the former and an assuring, unhesitating robustness in the latter. I tell you that your spirit shines brighter as you feel liberated; you soar higher as you break the chains; you let that inner imp make an appearance; you dance with an unrestrained joy in your life; you discover a delicious freedom; and, you discover unexpected discoveries, and what you thought was reality isn't. With that in mind, however unfashionable it may be in the intellectual and stodgy climate of academic, I say that I love people. I find them amazing. It's as if the sacredness, uniqueness, and nobility come into class clad in pajamas or pants hanging desperately onto butts, hair crazy colored, body pierced, skin tattooed. So, lately I've learned something about truth. Ah, to define "truth." In my book it is this: the more your truth about teaching leads you to authentic and sincere and unconditional and every-day embracing, appreciation, acceptance, warmth, empathy, compassion, care, serving, support, encouragement, kindness toward, belief in, hope for, faith in, and love of each student, the truer it is. The more your truth treats the classroom as holy ground, as an "inner sanctum," as the "Holy of Holies," the truer it is. The more you make room in the classroom for "every-day miracles," the truer it is. The more your teaching makes space for "heart spaces," the truer it is. The less it does, the less real truth there is in your teaching. Make it a good day -Louis- Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org 203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com Valdosta, Ga 31602 (C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__ / \ / \ / \/ \_ \/ / \/ /\/ / \ /\ \ //\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/ \_/__\ \ /\"If you want to climb mountains,\ /\ _ / \ don't practice on mole hills" - / \_ Make it a good day -Louis- Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org 203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com Valdosta, Ga 31602 (C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__ / \ / \ / \/ \_ \/ / \/ /\/ / \ /\ \ //\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/ \_/__\ \ /\"If you want to climb mountains,\ /\ _ / \ don't practice on mole hills" - / \_ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=28267 or send a blank email to leave-28267-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu