Rainy day in Georgia. My son, a Blackhawk pilot in training at Fort Rucker, Alabama has a long weekend and I have winter break and an urge to see him. He picks me up in Atlanta and we drive to Dahlonega, GA, a delightful place. After a good lunch nature calls so here we are, in adjacent stalls in the public convenience. My son says he forgot the camera and will go back to the car to get it then meet me out front.
Time passes, apparently enough that my son expected me to be out front. Uncertain, he opens the door to the public convenience and says "Pa, are you still doing your thing"? My spur of the moment response isn't as clever as I would have liked but he gets the idea.
Moments later I'm washing up in the company of a fellow who finished about the same time as I did. He's a helpful sort, and says I should have answered "No, now I'm waiting for the bus".
A good laugh is a wonderful gift to a complete stranger, and I didn't get a chance to say "thank you".
Sunday, February 17, 2008
No wonder we are in the mess we are.
So here I am doing something dumb. I'm in the Subway at the Granby YMCA at about 3:30 pm eating chocolate chip cookies before working out. I do a fair amount of cancelling out in my life.
In come two lads, perhaps 9 and they are having a good natured argument about who should be served first. Fun is being had. In comes a well dressed fellow in a suit wearing stylish sunglasses and a tailored overcoat. Looks like a successful, athletic fellow. He's apparently the father of one of the boys (about the right age) and wants to be part of the fun. He suggests a way to settle the friendly argument. His exact words: "Tell you how we'll settle this. Each of you will take turns punching the other in the stomach as hard as you can until one of you cries, then he's the loser. If nobody cries then you take turns kicking each other as hard as he can in the 'nads until one of you cries." Offered with smile on face and good natured tone of voice.
I lost my appetite. I'm sure the quote is exact because it was so glaring in its stupidity as to be impossible to forget, although I'd like to try. What was he thinking, and how did he get to think that way?
My bride and I raised three capable sons through Scouts and school and I've taught for about 8 years. I've seen some colossally inadequate parenting. This guy is on the list and were I more wealthy I would have offered him a complimentary vasectomy on the spot.
In come two lads, perhaps 9 and they are having a good natured argument about who should be served first. Fun is being had. In comes a well dressed fellow in a suit wearing stylish sunglasses and a tailored overcoat. Looks like a successful, athletic fellow. He's apparently the father of one of the boys (about the right age) and wants to be part of the fun. He suggests a way to settle the friendly argument. His exact words: "Tell you how we'll settle this. Each of you will take turns punching the other in the stomach as hard as you can until one of you cries, then he's the loser. If nobody cries then you take turns kicking each other as hard as he can in the 'nads until one of you cries." Offered with smile on face and good natured tone of voice.
I lost my appetite. I'm sure the quote is exact because it was so glaring in its stupidity as to be impossible to forget, although I'd like to try. What was he thinking, and how did he get to think that way?
My bride and I raised three capable sons through Scouts and school and I've taught for about 8 years. I've seen some colossally inadequate parenting. This guy is on the list and were I more wealthy I would have offered him a complimentary vasectomy on the spot.
Why "teacherwillappear"?
The universe is full of very interesting things and beings. I plead guilty to wanting to know what all this stuff does, how it does it and why. Some folks call this being nosy, some get annoyed at my questions, and some just go along. Things are another matter; they just are and leave the observer to figure them out. Come to think of it, a few folks are like that.
Having a very modest understanding of basic science and mathematics, I am able to observe what things do, figure out how a few things work and why. I take as much pleasure in understanding the natural frequencies of the strings and harmonics of the body of a violin as I do of the fiddle music it can produce.
People are another matter, and the body of knowledge on how they work and why is growing but still inadequate for complete understanding. What people do is observable and may or may not be uplifting.
So here I am trying to work the old what, how and why on everything I run across, and sometimes this is easier than others. I often need help on the harder puzzles and that can arrive in the form of a teacher. I have accidentally or purposfully ignored some of these teachers and been an eager student of others. That is when the teacher appears. For people the teacher might be the person or group themselves, a book or story, or an unrelated observation For things it might again be the thing itself, writing on like things, youtube, or by a failure of the thing.
So for me when I become ready to learn something, some method of learning becomes available if I keep my eyes open. That is how the teacher appears.
Having a very modest understanding of basic science and mathematics, I am able to observe what things do, figure out how a few things work and why. I take as much pleasure in understanding the natural frequencies of the strings and harmonics of the body of a violin as I do of the fiddle music it can produce.
People are another matter, and the body of knowledge on how they work and why is growing but still inadequate for complete understanding. What people do is observable and may or may not be uplifting.
So here I am trying to work the old what, how and why on everything I run across, and sometimes this is easier than others. I often need help on the harder puzzles and that can arrive in the form of a teacher. I have accidentally or purposfully ignored some of these teachers and been an eager student of others. That is when the teacher appears. For people the teacher might be the person or group themselves, a book or story, or an unrelated observation For things it might again be the thing itself, writing on like things, youtube, or by a failure of the thing.
So for me when I become ready to learn something, some method of learning becomes available if I keep my eyes open. That is how the teacher appears.
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