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The Waking
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I cannot go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree, but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
--Theodore Roethke
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Joy's Updates - Straight from the Horse's Mouth.
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Friday, February 07, 2003
Community
I read today that there will be 24-hour coverage of the Athens Olympics on NBC and its affiliates MSNBC, CNBC, and Bravo (I wondered if they would mess up Bravo - I like the Olympics but on Bravo?). I get caught up in the Olympics and enjoy watching the events and stories of the athletes - especially when Bob Costas does them, but my lech for him is another tangent. Now that I'm still on sick leave, already watch too much TV, and always watch the Olympics, I'll try to figure out when to sleep. Some coverage of the Olympics has been excellent but in more recent years has focused too much only on the events the US has entered. I like to know what's going on overall and to learn about athletes from other countries as well. I used to really enjoy the stories of the villages, towns, and cities where athletes grew up, trained, and lived. Knowing about their families, struggles, sacrifices, triumphs, rivalries, and all that personalizes what it takes to rise to the level they've achieved takes it beyond borders and differences.
Something else that joins us in a world community is the internet. Lately I've been following links, reading blogs, and following more links to explore and experience some fascinating writing. When I first got a computer and discovered cyberspace, we had bulletin boards, chat rooms, and instant messages which enabled us to meet people from all over the place. A few of the ones I met 9 years ago are still in touch and are friends. Conversations over the years have been interesting and have kept some of us informed about how things are outside our own geography. Teachers always discuss our salaries, benefits, and conditions with other teachers. There used to be an NEA (National Education Association) section of AOL where we had unlimited time as long as we stayed in that area. It was like a nation-wide teacher's lounge in the chat room, and the bulletin boards had helpful information on them according to subject area and interest. That disappeared when AOL gave the option of unlimited time online.
Blog writing gives people a forum to express ourselves. Some of it borders on reality TV, but overall it gives us a chance to get to know other people and find common ground wherever they are. I've heard it said that many of us know people online better than we do our neighbors. It's easier to avoid anyone online more than someone next door! That also has to do with how private people are and how they choose to socialize. We let people know us as well as we want them to, so when we don't like what we read, we quit reading it. As an aside, I think there are people online who forget there's an actual person on the other side of the computer screen and don't show them the same courtesy and consideration they would if they met in person. We get to know some people better this way because we meet their writing which reveals a lot about them. There are no gestures, facial expressions, tones of voice, and other cues that help curtail misunderstandings in communication. I think my impressions have been accurate about the people I've met in person after getting to know them online and the phone when they have been honest and authentic. Just like in "real life."
1:09:00 AM
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