Meme: Passion Quilt
I was recently tagged for another blogging meme by Chas Clifton. This one I like, however. It has produced a lovely post by AD, another by Cat Chapin-Bishop, and undoubtedly more that I have yet to spot. And in spite of my crusty exterior and propensity of late to blog about cars, it has captured my imagination so here I go. The rules of the meme are thus:
- Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures what YOU are most passionate for students to learn about.
- Give your picture a short title.
- Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt.”
- Link back to this blog entry.
- Include links to 5 (or more) educators.
After thinking about it for a few days, I realized that the assignment is harder than it looks. How do you say something that is true, and inspiring, and doesn’t end up sounding like a commencement address? My
choice of subjects was also limited by my photography skills. In the end, I settled for this close-up of the part of my herb garden that is in flower now. Here is what I have to say about life, learning, and things that grow in the night:
You will often feel that you are going through the hardest years of your life. It will always be true. Accepting that life involves lots of hard work allows you the opportunity to do it anyway, and find ways to enjoy it. This will put you at a tremendous advantage over nearly everyone else. It will make the rest of us happy too, because there is nothing more inspiring than seeing someone thrive.
Somewhere along the line things will start getting easier, but you’ll be enjoying life so much you will forget to notice. Don’t take the easy times for granted, and don’t assume that a life of leisure is your birthright. Cultivate friends who can call you on the carpet if you become hubristic. There is nothing quite so unattractive as the fall of the arrogant—and they do fall.
Finally, no matter how hard things get, beauty appears. It comes unexpectedly, with breathtaking color and clarity. You don’t have to earn these moments, or deserve them, or even pray for them; they happen all on their own. The lesson here: you don’t have to do everything yourself.
Work diligently, but don’t deprive yourself of a good night’s sleep. Slow down enough to notice the blooming things. And even though you may be planting teeny little starter plants, space them far enough apart so that they have plenty of room to grow. The same goes for you.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Um, I sorta did it, mostly because I was in the middle of something anyway and realized it was really about passion. Didn’t follow the rules, including the title, but here ’tis:
http://yezida.livejournal.com/151676.html
April 10th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Excellent!
April 11th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Lovely! And true! Lovely and true.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:35 am
That was some of the best advice I have read/heard in a long time. I’m glad you picked up the meme.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:46 am
This will be at the top of my To Do List when I get back home from England a week from to day.