The Wilderness Downtown

Write a postcard of advice to the younger you that lived there then....
 How much time do you have?

 So I was evaluating a TED Talk to show my students, and it led into a life examination.  The TED Talk went over technology patterns in humanity and how artistic it can be.

I recommend everybody to participate: thewildernessdowntown.com 

You put in the address of where you grew up and it creates a movie.

The movie is a great audiovisual experience.   At the end however, it post a writing prompt for the participant: Write a postcard of advice to the younger you that live there yet.

Here is what I wrote

Oscar,
You were in a rush to grow up, now you want thing to slow down to stay put.

I wrote this because of something I've addressed earlier.  This is that I always enjoyed the company of adults more than those of children my own age.  The exception were classmates because of the magnet schools I went to and being able to have equals and betters in order to exchange ideas and be teenagers at the same time, a nice mix.  But outside of that school atmosphere, I really enjoyed being around adults.  I wanted to be an adult, or at least being acknowledged as one. This was not in the typical "I can't wait to be 18 and get out of here" in the hormonal teenage fashion. I wanted to be an intellectual equal.  Now that I am an adult, with some degrees and experiences, I want things to stop.  I'm comfortable and happy.  Although I always love a good challenge, don't you just want things to pause sometimes?  I do.  Probably because so many things will once again be changing soon.  But yeah child Oscar, funny, isn't it?

Keep Calm and Teach On

As Teacher Appreciation Day comes around in a few hours, I think it is a perfect time to reflect on what I do.

I teach, and as a student of life and citizen of the planet, it is something I love to do.  I know what I was made for and what I was physically born to do.  It feels right and I love it.

Recently, changes have been made to my career, confirmed and known to everyone at my school at this point.  I have gotten really great feedback.  I feel I'll get the best of both worlds.  I get to work where I am comfortable with the students I have grown to care for, and get the adrenaline and nerves that come with starting a new job.

How blessed I am that the opportunities that are coming have come my way.  I always think that things could easily go differently, so I know how lucky I am.

Appreciate your educators, and they work hard, live hard, and love hard.