"Like the study of science and art, accounts of historical events can be intrinsically fascinating. But they have a wider significance. I believe that people are better able to chart their life course and make life decisions when they know how others have dealt with pressures and dilemmas---historically, contemporaneously, and in works of art. And only equipped with such understanding can we participate knowledgeably in contemporary discussions (and decisions) about the culpability of various individuals and countries in the Second World War. Only with such understanding can we ponder the responsibilty of human beings everywhere to counter current efforts at genocide in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia to bring the perpetrators to justice."
"...we humans are the kinds of animals who learn chiefly by observing others---what they value, what they spurn, how they conduct themselves from day to day, and especially, what they do when they believe that no one is looking."
----Howard Gardner, from The Disciplined Mind, published in 1999

Sunday, December 2, 2007

No News Is Good News?; or, The Importance of Being Earnest Redux

Dear reader, dear friend, thank you for stopping by. I'm always glad to see you, I truly am. Your kindness is a very good thing. I hope you are doing well!

I've been away from blogging longer than I had anticipated. The end of the semester, with all its density of work (the end of the semester marking one year of graduate work, dear reader-who would have thought it?!?); the sisyphean feat of arranging with the very large and removed and oftimes disorganized main campus of my university for student teaching placement in my current classroom after the new year; the concurrent application process for the possible teaching position I've written about in my last post; and a bout of head and sinus cold followed in quick sucession by a virulent stomach virus first visited upon LG, BG, and then myself: all of these things have made the days go by very quickly. And of course, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry...

It seems, in some aspect, as if we've just visited together yesterday; it seems, in yet another, that it's been a great long while.

Truthfully, dear reader, I'm tired. I feel as if the past battered-girl-slut-bitch-nobody and the future happy-girl-boddhisattva-somebody are coming together in some confluence: high and low pressures creating one terrific storm.

There has been no news of the position. No news is good news, as they say.
I've always practiced the thinking and belief that the classroom that is meant to be will present itself to me. I'll continue to think about that.

Today was Rosegold's birthday party. It was a very nice party. R's parents are gracious and convivial hosts. It was a lovely thing to go and laugh and not worry about having to take care of anyone or anything.
R's parents grew up in a different country. As I was leaving their home, R's mother made certain to approach the door and open it in a certain way.
A custom in our country, she said, to make certain that you return again.

Thank you again for stopping by, dear reader. I'll do my best to follow my dear friends' example. I may be Rosegold's teacher, but I am also a student: R and family are most excellent teachers.
Take good care. I'll talk with you soon.


http://www.thefrontdoor.com/ppe/Images/173/ProdGrfx/189030mn.jpg

15 comments:

Anita said...

Yes, no news is usually good news...another thing - whatever happens, happens for the best!

I stand by that statement - if not at that moment, later we find it really was for the best! Hang in there...(as I feel a neck and shoulder freezing bout of flu hitting me...)

AfKaP said...

Yes, I hope it is good news - andin the mean time this waiting gives you time to spend on the end of your semester and the end of your semester gives a chance to distract you from the waiting for news!!
Congratulations! Graduate school is a real stressful thing and you have finished a whole year!!

neroli said...

Dear Anita, I love that smile!---just as I imagined it to be, but even more so :)
Thank you for reinforcing my practice of thinking about the matter; it is a good reminder that such practice has served well to this point.
This whole situation is giving me opportunity to practice non-attachment as well ;)
Take care of yourself---plenty of good, hot cuppas.
If I lived close, I'd show up on your doorstep with a kheer in one hand and soup in the other :-D!

Dear Artist, you've described the circularity of my thoughts almost exactly: yet, the thought of the end of the semester brings me to wonder *which* classroom I'll be teaching in...which brings me back to the waiting :)
I like your version much better!
I'm certain the stress of grad school + work school + domestic responsibilites is aggravating my round-and-round thoughts.
I've really been trying to think more consciously of the present. The Buddha would find me exceedingly funny!

Anonymous said...

To My Dear Writer Friend:
Whew! Glad to see a new post here. Although I've been away from blogging,too, just happy to see you back-at-it. Our family also has the "no news is good news" policy. (Except when it comes to my girls and I...see SwampSpawn's comment on Dec. 2 post.)
I'll leave you with a song from Helen Reddy (I think it was her):
"I Am Woman...I Am Tired."
Or something to that effect.

neroli said...

Oh, Swampy, thank you!---*that's* the music that keeps playing in my head ;)!

I have lots of neckties said...

I hear what you're saying about the grad school stuff. As you know, you and I are pretty much in the same boat: dealing with the classes...AND the school's red tape!

neroli said...

Dear Neckties, I just thought of something...red tape, big red dogs...any connection?
Which came first: the tape or the dog?
a veritable chicken or egg question, for certain ;)!
Of one thing I am certain: you will prevail!

Anonymous said...

Sorry you're feeling emotionally "braided" and physically not so hot.

I hope your world untangles soon!

Anonymous said...

I left that last comment trying to see if I could get blogger to link with my site.
It won't.
I've been experimenting with this ever since they changed the comment format.

neroli said...

Dear Min, today is The Interview---hopefully, the denouement :)
Blogger?
Oy!

KayKat said...

Just stumbled upon your blog, the timing of this post seems remarkably coincidental. I read about that terrific storm and I can't help but nod knowingly, feel like I'm in one of those.

Good luck with the position!

AfKaP said...

Happy Nikolaus day - Hope the interview went great! Surely it did!!

neroli said...

Kaykat, welcome. Stumbling is one of my favorite things...you never know what you will see or do next...and that's when good stuff happens, right?
Thanks for you kind words! Keep moving through that storm. Come back anytime. We'll all be here :).

Artist, same to you, thank you!
Please do check your email if you haven't already done so :-D

Diane O'Connor said...

Neroli, I am also waiting to hear about whether or not I will be transitioning from one job to another. Change is so uncomfortable and yet it's kind of exciting. That whole mixed bag of emotions thing! I like the non-attachment idea.

Some part of me wishes I could bring you some chicken soup, and vitamin supplements!!!!!

Diane

neroli said...

Dear Diane, I will be thinking about you, and sending all good thoughts your way---even more than usual :) You are so right about change; and when I began to practice thinking in a non-attached way about the situation, it really did help.
Soup and supplements!---with your intent, it is as good as done. Thank you!