gardening update

the seeds proved to be still potent, the first ones were lettuce seeds to show up. my students seem to be excited about the progress, I believe it’s my first attempt at gardening so you can imagine my optimism growing every day due to this new beginning. one student asked if we could eat what we grow, and i said, Yes, when they grow a bit bigger…

in a couple of weeks we will plant them outside, the weather seems to be getting warmer and warmer. my only concern is who will harvest them when students and teachers are gone over the summer break? i hope someone will.

summer is the time to be brave and do what you’ve been waiting to do all year long. i don’t know what i am going to get done this warm season but i have plans to be out and about, fingers crossed life will let me get closer to my dreams. national parks are calling and art in the park is as great as ever. i can’t wait to be free.

this week we started the fourth quarter, growing more and more confident with language skills we practice here in class. we are going to talk about family and friends today making family trees and presenting them to peers. seems like this may take more than just one day, good news we still have time to do it. we are going to dream big and grow slow, this is the main thing we are trying to achieve with newcomers.

what is your plan for the spring season?

changes

Daily writing prompt

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

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change is a very important aspect of development and growth, it can be painful sometimes but in the long run it’s great to shake things up for a new perspective and a new beginning. every fall the nature dies and every spring life starts all over again, sometimes it feels this way with accepting and welcoming change.

one change I made was very hard for me, and if you never talk to me again, I will understand. I decided to be an optimist, it feels so strange, trust me, it’s just too weird to be viewing the world thru this lens. if something awful happens I choose to see it as a way for a better reality. things happen all the time but it’s not supposed to shake your world to the core. optimism is the lens that distorts the reality making it look okay, acceptable at least.

it’s kind of the filter you use to look at your own pictures. realistic views don’t really matter because they aren’t making anyone happy. in the midst of the war and depression you choose to be okay, it’s not like you don’t care about those in need, you just realize that life goes on and leave it all in God’s hands.

it may seen selfish at first, and also oblivious in a way yet it might be the only way to keep sane any more. You know what I’m talking about? sanity is a luxury these days, but we have to be able to afford it. change is good, change is healthy.

the hardest thing ever is to try and resist change, as if it could help anything. say in the fall you go, no, keep blooming my little tree, I will provide for you throughout the winter. believe it or not, this is what we do often times trying to go back in time and be twenty again, or fix the relationships that are long gone, time to move on, no looking back…

dwelling on the past is stagnation, soon you get yourself in the funk and feel lethargic. I’m sure you’ve been there and done that, not fun. moving forward is what you need to consider here and now. the world is your oyster.

what i learned in my teens

Daily writing prompt

Describe something you learned in high school.

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in high school i learned that i hated chemistry, maybe because there was no chemistry with any boys who liked me or with those who i liked. it was so heart breaking.

in tenth grade i learned i was so uncool that we would get together with my friend, same first name, two nerdy A students, and lament the fact that we were single and smart. we both lived in a bad part of town and had difficult relationship with controlling mom. she would come stay at my place when her mom went ballistic, and when my mom was going nuts i would come with my little sister to hang out with her. often times we would stay longer after school and cry at the bus stop, where we always split ways to go home. it was so touching and so real.

in eleventh grade i learned that i didn’t have to stay lonely and miserable because i entered college in March while still finishing high school. it was so liberating to know i will break free, life will not be the same. it was the best thing ever.

in high school i learned that you don’t have to be smart or beautiful to reach the stars, you just have to be lucky. i was so lucky, i didn’t fully realize it then. i learned that i loved English and this love guided me for years, even today 25 years later … perfect love…

goals

Daily writing prompt

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

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my goals are very fluid, they change faster than I know it. I say no to things because I don’t feel like it’s the right thing for me right now since my goal is to go with the flow, what if life has something else for me I haven’t even thought about. timing is probably the most important factor ever, like you want certain things in a certain order in the perfect world. but in reality it’s not always the case, in reality you do what’s in front of you instead of saying no hoping something better comes up. in other words, when life gives you lemons you don’t just throw them out saying I was only in the mood for oranges. no, you find the way to make best lemonade ever and enjoy every single bit of it. God gives you exactly what you need, well, not what you want maybe…

the hardest challenge for us people is to open our minds to something new, completely unexpected. this is why my goals are flexible, I am trying to open my mind and be grateful for apples when all I wanted was lemons or oranges. cider is good for you as well even if all you ever wanted was lemonade. admitting all that, it’s a good skill to be able to say no when necessary. I have no problem saying no, but I have a problem when people say no to me, lol so much more to learn on the way to paradise. and this brings me to my next question, if your goal is to be humble, can you ever say no to things in an attempt to achieve enlightenment?

goals are tricky and sometimes treacherous. they seem like something totally worth it but in the end of the day, are they?

education

Daily writing prompt

What’s something most people don’t understand?

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education is something most people don’t understand, it’s especially true about professionals who tend to work in this field in other capacities, such as managers, hr people, big bosses, directors and principles. as a teacher it’s really hard to deal with those folks who think they know how to be effective and efficient…

sometimes it’s not true for those who know what they are doing and doing it right looks easy and fun. I was lucky to deal with those rare folks on multiple occasions, yet they are an exception. the toughest situation is when a teacher can’t explain to other teachers what needs to be done. honestly the ability to explain things is somewhat similar to the ability to fly or see thru the walls.

education is like food, it’s often free and therefore valued pretty low. if you pay for your education it suddenly increases the value and motivation to get the most out of it. yet there is always a chance to get free education and appreciate it no less than the paid one. I worked in both private and public schools, the difference is not huge but there is a noticable difference. sometimes people don’t understand the purpose and so don’t see the value in getting high quality schooling. other times they seek the opportunity to get it and therefore value it very highly.