I'm trying to read engage the students into poetry.
But they are talking about their jobs, and paying for insurance, and their friend (a classmate) who drinks too much, and their dad who took their car even though it's not his.
And I'm trying to engage them in poetry.
"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." - Aristotle
We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn away. - Walter Percy
Some of the things that "God did" in the Bible can be explained by natural processes. An entire army dying overnight before the battle... some disease or poison could have overtaken them.
But some things cannot be explained with reason. Things like the separation of languages at the Tower of Babel. There is no natural explanation for languages changing overnight. There is however, the possibility of languages evolving within groups of people so that, over time, the groups could not understand each other.
Why can't I believe? If my reality depends on my thoughts, then everything is up to only me. And what do I do when I'm truly depressed? My negative thoughts must be creating my reality, so depression is self-perpetuating and, as such, how does a person escape.
After all the error rests in the mistaken idea that the subject of a [photograph] is the object [photographed]. Robert Henri
(My idea: photography is capturing a timeless moment... not any old moment. A snapshot captures your daughters birthday, a photograph captures all children's birthdays.)
I don't think there is any such thing as detachment when you're photographing. You have a point of view and if you haven't, your pictures don't show anything about the people you are working with. Eve Arnold
In the end, the relationships we form with each other and with the people we photograph are much more important than stories or pictures. Erich Lessin
Life isn't made of stories that you cut into slices like an apple pie. There's no standard way of approaching a story. We have to evoke a situation, a truth. This is the poetry of life's reality. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Labels: photography
Our daughter was born a fighter. What a difficult child she has been. We comfort / console / calm ourselves by saying that she will surely become something great--she will surely grow up to use her great strength for something good--she will fight for something good. But, of course, that won't happen. You grow no further than the circle you were born into. She will grow to lead a life just like all those in our circle of family and friends. The exceptions to this rule are so rare that they are mythological--the stuff of fairy tales and inspirational stories.
God does not talk to you through the songs on the radio. A God as great as the Bible claims cannot heal people or talk to those you claim he deeply loves. The best he can do is manipulate what is playing on the radio and when you happen to turn it on?
But then, of course, he did just that. Sunday, at 11:41am, driving to school, pressed "Seek", the radio passed four or five popular stations and stopped at 101.9 KINK. "Anything's Possible" by Jonny Lang was playing. Uh, is that you, God? 'Cuz I'm not sure I believe you talk to people.
All the joy is gone. And I am empty. The only happiness comes in the early, early morning when I am lying in bed, having yet to fall asleep, and I think about not living anymore. A shadow of happiness falls across my heart. I relax and hope I fall asleep and dream of such happiness.
People are forever expecting to suddenly explode. But no one does. People hold to the belief that all the suffering from childhood to adulthood / a life of suffering only means that one day they will have a sudden chrysalis. But the long-awaited explosion never comes. No one ever experiences a sudden chrysalis. What we do get, however, is more suffering; more time struggling against the bonds of the cocoon.
How to Practice The Way to a Meaningful Life - Dalai Lama
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - Deepak Chopra
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life - Wayne Dyer
http://www.youcanhealyourlifemovie.com/
Every thought we think and every word we speak is creating our future. If you change your thinking, you can change your life.
If affecting change were as simply as the innumerous books claim, would we need so many books? If Wayne Dyer has answers, why does he need to continually write books?
Stop and ask yourself, "What am I thinking? Would I like this thought to create my life?"
I am willing to change.
I am willing to forgive.
GRATITUDE:
The healing power of gratitude.
http://www.juniorattractors.com/index.php (gratitude dance)
GIVING, KINDNESS:
Giving, receiving, seeing Kindness releases seratonin.
FINDING PURPOSE:
http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/defining_the_work_you_are_meant_to_do/index.html
http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2007/05/takeaways_from_.html
What do you love, love, love? Think of the photographers: Ansel Adams, Chase Jarvis, Sergio (http://www.sergiophotographer.com/). They absolutely love what they do. They it so much, they love every part. They get up early to do it. They do it when it doesn't pay. They are (perhaps inadvertently) practicing the principles (see: http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/defining_the_work_you_are_meant_to_do/index.html) that bring success.
Photographers I love:
http://www.sergiophotographer.com
** Henri Cartier-Bresson
** Sebastiao Salgado
** Richard Avedon
Robert Capa "If your photos aren't good enough, you're not close enough"
*** James Nachtwey (put self in danger, won more awards)
* Mary Ellen Mark
Rebekka G
Didier Massard
Kathleen Connally
eric meola
Steve Highfield
Galen Rowell
http://chasejarvis.com/blog/
PHOTO CONTESTS:
http://www.prophotosupply.com/events/contests.htm
Labels: photography
then I gave in and gave up and took up mindless domestic activities.
I know my purpose... well, my vocation.
It came to me Saturday night.
Sell subscriptions to my website. $1-a-month. On the site are all my thoughts. Thinking is what I am best at. That is how I should make my living.
Next Action:
detail what is required and the plan
(My brother's birthday. More on birthdays later.)
Yes, you can be a teacher with purpose... easily. You can have a purpose to the class, which means, a specific direction the class is heading.
A man of purpose is one who does not dabble in whatever distraction crosses his path.
A man of purpose knows the one direction he is heading, and focusing, therefore, is easy.
Stand up, fathers. Stand up.
The appeal of video games is PURPOSE. In the game, you have a specific, significant purpose (albeit a virtual one).
The man of purpose is simply a person who is heading in a specific direction.
I am washed out to sea, and I don't care.
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Where are the men? Where are the boys who will become men? Where are the boys who are charming, confident, kind, and purposeful? That is what the world needs, has always needed, and will always most need.
Where are the boys who can laugh, but never at someone's expense? I guess the underlining question here is: where are the boys who Know Themselves? Who are working hard at maturing? Who sweat in their effort to be kind, strong, wise, and better than they were before? Where are the boys who see that this is the real task?
And where, oh where, are their models?
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Well... how do I wish my classes looked?: