Saturday, February 19, 2011

The curse of an unquiet mind: questions for a non god

What is the meaning we all strive for?

What differences do we intend to make?

What impact can we have?

What worth is there in doing it all?

This cycle?

This day in, day out sameness, which we say is not similar to yesterday, or last month, or years ago when we first noticed this feeling?

How is it not the same as our parents, and theirs before them?

Why do we have blind faith in a bigger picture; a masterpiece which is, in reality, a cylindrical never-ending fresco that repeats and regurgitates ideas, problems and people?

We want better for the next generation, just as the one preceding us had wanted.

They gave up so much, sure in the knowledge that their sacrifice would improve our potential.

Do they regret this now?

And we look at our offspring with the same hopes and plan a sacrifice of our own.

Is that what those before us sacrificed themselves for? For us to also give ourselves away?

Do they look with disappointment or do they see the mirage we've created; mimicry of repeated success?

We allow this sacrifice because we believe that there must be a greater purpose, an unseen meaning.

What if our parents felt the same, and worse, what if there is no hidden meaning, no greater purpose?

Having faith that the questions will be answered means having hope that there is meaning in everything we strive for. It means listening to the voice inside and telling ourselves that we're not crazy.

But what if we are?

Happiness is not having faith in a higher purpose. Happiness is never being aware that there are questions that could be asked of a non god.

Optimism.

Waiting.

Faith.

Synonyms of the damned.

And yet this struggle is touted as proof of a god and we are expected to wait for a benevolent hand to offer signs of affection to the masses.

We ask our non god if it is because we don't believe that the air around us is hard to wade through, and worry that it is because there is no non god to ask at all.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Twelve

Ounces

Standard drinks

Months of the year

Addiction

Hours

Self medication

Years of age

The greatest gift in the world is teaching someone to read

I was a lucky one. I can't even remember being taught how to read, as far as I can recall, it was something that I could 'just' always do. It was and still is the most ultimate of all experiences. I am positive that I do not have to go into detail about the virtues of reading, I would be preaching to the converted.

Today I don't want you to get all worked up about how good reading is, I want you to recognise all the opportunities that reading has afforded you, and then imagine your life without them.

That is the life that so many children I work with will have. They just can't read. I was examining the data for the year level I am in charge of, they are year 7, and some of them have a reading age of a six year old. In fact, an awful lot of them have a reading age of a six year old.

Often when 'society' finds out that teenagers can't read, the blame session starts. Maybe the parents should have read more books ... why didn't anyone notice before? ... surely someone has done something about this before now, and so the cycle continues.

It is a parent's responsibility. It is a teacher's responsibility. It is also a 'village' responsibility. We have to show that we value reading, we have to exchange gifts of reading, and thus increase readings value. We have to do it together - one child at a time - one book at a time.