Of beauty.

I think human beings have a penchant for the beautiful.

Shopping for wedding dresses and surfing websites provided me with an insight to the work of the tailors, the designers, the composers, the photographers, the techies..

While it may be with rose-tinted glasses that I gained privy into a world so full of fluff,gossamer,elegance, gold, poise...I realise that at the heart of it all, I envy their ability to create something beautiful, a masterpiece, a transformation at the end of what must be a very inspirational and arduous journey.

This same story of inspiration-transformation unfolds as a manifestation of Passion. And Passion drives us to the attainment of Beauty, the perceived perfection; the chef and the pastry, the architect and the tower, the tattooist and his tattoos, the sweeper and the cobbled-street, the king and his land, the teacher and the pupil.

What varies, is the time it takes for the story to unfold. Take the teacher and the pupil. It could well take a life-time. This begs the question: Can Passion be the sustenance thus far?

But back to the tailors, the designer, the composers, the photographers, the techies...

In this long journey of moulding and transforming young minds, I do have cravings to create things with more immediate and tangible beauty just because it gives me a quick sense of accomplishment and some brightness. (Dear indulges me in my wild castle-building of bnb, tailoring and just being Nigella Lawson).

More realistically, for my work in school today, I cherish the forthcoming looks of understanding and smiles on my pupil's faces. I am also cheered by the baby-steps of macromedia flash. Like the picture that captured a moment; the gown that took a life of its own.

I saw this posted on Myforums. Very interesting chap Taylor Mali. He's really a teacher, can check out his bio here.



He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

Be Thou my vision...

In Christ alone,
I place my trust
to claim my glory by the power of the cross...

In every victory,
let it be said of me:
my source of strength,
my source of hope
is Christ alone.

As the days just whiz by with never-ending obligations (reflected by sparse blog entries =)),
this song reflects the quiet trust that if I abide by His will, He will
guide me to the end.

It took awhile for me to appreciate that "glory" does not refer to a promotion, wealth or affirmations, or
even something that i desire. But it refers to the sucess in persevering to abide by His words.
Maybe it is to hold my tongue against joining the gossip of a slanderous colleague or to persevere
in teaching a class of seeming ingrates...

Because he said "seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all this will be given unto you."
It speaks to me not to fret over politics and what-nots but to just keep going on what He wants me to do.

So that in every victory, I may truly bear testimony to the verse "Come to me, all ye who labour and are weary", where Christ alone is sufficient as our source of strength and hope.
Indeed, the last refrain reminds me that we are victorious by not by strength nor might, but by the spirit of the cross.