Rising

Every morning before the sun
    at work before others wake
    mosquitos sizzle in the still moist air
    roosters
    dawnlight slips over the mist-covered fields
    All is dull grey.

        Rising

Bus
   books
      notes
          blue pens
             chalk.
  Mats on the floor, woven in the colors of their lives.
     curiosity
        wondering
            experimenting with a language that is not their own
 Speaking, reading, writing
                       new worlds open

      Rising

Forbidden
   alien
     no role models.
The first
    the leaders
        What do the younger ones think?

      Rising

The world is waiting
  so much to do
  so much to offer
  so far to go
  stuck in place

    Rising

Loneliness

Too young to understand
     but not too young to feel
       left alone in the dark.
           short hair
           small face, her eyes don't match
  a girl in a boys-only world.

Old enough to balance
   the pot on her beautiful round head
         fetch water
         sweep
         cook
         wash the clothes in a pool of dirty rainwater
all the others go to school

Married to a man
   who doesn't see her
                       hear her
                       love her
                       want her
   water, cook, sweep, wash, repeat
surrounded by women living in their loneliness

Old, weary, bent
    wisdom fading
      no one comes anymore
  where are they?
     dying
       alone
         hungry
           tired
             spirit lost
alone.

Beautiful but sad....India a land of contradictions

The Monkey Temple or Galtaji is a perfect symbol of the beauty that was India and the confusing contradiction that it has become.

Before coming to India to live last year I read extensively, watched documentaries and studied Hinduism for my masters. I thought there would be an inherent spiritualism here. I have found, however, that the idea of India is not the reality, and I am faced once again with the effects of colonial ruins and poverty.

Rather than spirituality, I have encountered practice and ritual with no connection to faith or belief. Women who are required to constantly fast and pray for men and boys while they themselves remain invisible. The most confusing is the inability of Hindus to explain their practice beyond knowing the names of some gods and a limited knowledge of festivals. In Hutup, they worship Hinduism as nature and yet pollute the air burning plastic, and throw garbage everywhere.

I thought that maybe it was because I am living in a very rural area among a large population of illiterate people.

But now having traveled to some of the main tourist sites the contradictions have widened. People who worship in the morning are trying to rip us off in the afternoon. Kindness is overdone and artificial, hospitality is not part of the culture and rules never apply to men.

Back to the monkey temple. It was clearly a beautiful, colorful small city set in the canyon, once upon a time. Two "priests", young men I doubt have any real training sit at the entrance collecting money for us the take photos. What was once amazing is now crumbling and lacks care. Pilgrims come, we saw many, but it seems they leave behind garbage that no one bothers to pick up. The pool, filled by a natural spring, is covered with floating filth. The beautiful frescos are faded, cracked, and dirty. The images of gods lay within piles of garbage. Could the priests spend less time harassing tourist over 5 cents to use the toilet and more time picking up rubbish? Could art students not come to repaint and repair the artwork. This is a holy temple, falling into ruin. Spiritual...nope....beautiful...in a very very sad way, yes.

Post Script: The temple is not nicknamed for the god Hanuman, but for the over 300 monkeys that live in the rocks of the surrounding hills.

Our Children Have No Value

Our Children Have No Value

If they did we would not traffic them

If they did we would not leave guns in places they could reach

If they did we would spend more on education than war

If they did we would practice safe sex

If they did we would make sure they have free health care from birth to 18

If they did we would make sure they are fed only healthy food

If they did we would not medicate them because they don’t behave the way we want them to

If they did we would not use them for slave labor

If they did we would put books in their hands instead of phones

If they did parks would be full
If they did we would not make them play year round multi sports

If they did we would not have the highest infant mortality rate in the developed world

If they did we would care for the planet that will be their home

If they did we would not leave them in hot cars

If they did we would see every child as our child, a small human being to be loved, protected, cherished and guided.

Equity not Equality

May 11, 2017

Today's words of concern are selfish, selfless, insecurity, jealousy, entitlement, empowerment, equality.

Equality implies that we are all alike- to be equal we cannot be unique- when in fact, that is exactly what we are. Each of us is absolutely unique, on this planet to fulfill something no one else can. Sure, we have things in common- we are women, or men, or married, or single, educated or not, parents or not. We might have the same job, or live in the same town or come from the same country, but those commonalities do not make us equal. Each of our individual characteristics and life experiences play a part in the choices we make and eventually the people we become.

Let me try to illustrate: Two women with the same education (let’s just say coincidentally they went to the same university and obtained the same degree) were hired on the exact same day for the exact same job and starting pay- maybe, bank teller. Are they equal? Let’s layer it a bit more. One comes to work exactly on time every day and the other is always 10 min late. Are they equal? One dresses professionally, has a smile on her face when greeting customers and treats each one with courtesy. The other dresses in casual clothes better suited for the weekend and is rude. Are they equal? One looks for opportunities to learn, asks for additional work, initiates projects while the other comes to work, does her work and goes home. Are they equal?

Let’s look at it like this- Professional woman 1- comes to work on time, dresses professionally, is rude to customers and leaves the second her eight hours is up. Professional woman 2- Is 10 min. late, dresses casually, smiles and is courteous to customers, takes on tasks outside her exact job description and takes initiative.

Are they equal?

Should one be paid more than the other? Should one expect more than the other? Let me throw another curve ball into the mix.

Professional 1- leaves exactly on time every day because she cares for her father with dementia and her homecare worker leaves a ½ hour before she gets off work. So, for the last half hour of every day she is worried her father might have come to harm. Worried, distracted, maybe even rude. She dresses nicely because by living with her father she has extra money.

Professional 2- Is late every day because her daughter’s daycare doesn’t open until the exact time she has to be at work and it is 10 min. away. She doesn’t have enough money to buy lots of clothes because daycare eats most of her pay.

Again, let’s just say that they don’t know these things about each other, but their supervisor knows. Not only does this supervisor know, but bases pay increase on their individual circumstances, work, etc. Are they equal, put another way, is this fair?

Fair- so tired of hearing this word. It is for a two-year-old who has not developed the capacity to reason. I take a half hour lunch and she takes 40 min- it’s not fair. She has a messy desk and mine is clean, it’s not fair. Someone said something mean to her, it’s not fair. I am doing more work- it’s not fair. I won’t even get into the “it’s not fairs” coming down from the government right now.

What have we taught our children? That they can be and do anything...with no effort? Life really isn’t fair. Some people don’t get an education simply because of where they were born. Belief systems are persecuted simply because of where they are practiced. Women are without healthcare because men decide who gets it. None of this is fair.  So, what do we do with the unfairness?

Instead of creating little beings who never get dirty, or sick, or struggle because we protect them from unfairness, pain, and challenges, maybe we could teach them about the world. Introduce them to injustice, poverty, discrimination, fear. Guide them through it. Not because we are better or have the answer or can fix it, but rather so that they can develop compassion and empathy and a sense of wonder. Differences are what make the world both beautiful and unfair. We should not strive for equality, but for equity, understanding, and empathy.

Confusion of Thoughts, Selfishness and Generosity

May 1, 2017 

Something has been brewing and took shape today. Some of it I have written about before some coming from recent events, here, abroad. The opposite of generosity is selfishness. While that is fairly obvious, these are the words for today.

I saw a kind of generosity in Uganda that I had never seen before. Not here, or anywhere else I have traveled. It is born from being thankful, truly thankful for what one has. The saying “there but for the grace of God” is realized in a place that has known suffering- true poverty, war, injustice, and a kind of violence we see glimpses of. Each person there knows that today things are good for them, but tomorrow I could be in want. The, like us, can choose selfishness- and don’t think it doesn’t happen. I heard more times than I would have liked the phrase “I rose above it on my own, why can’t they”. I heard these same words from my father, my whole life. I was brought up to believe that you get from life only what you earn- or can bargain out of someone. I did not learn about service or helping those in need. Those ideas are in some way at war with the American dream.

I also found this to be true in my church. The words were there and some action, but no empathy. It was all “we are right and everyone else is wrong” …to tolerance, no connection. Service in the Church was more like something that must be done- not something that hurts not to do.

I grew up selfish. I wanted money because that is what my culture taught me was important. I looked at the homeless and said: “get a job, I have one." I judged others, not even thinking or caring about their story.

I changed. When I went to Uganda five years ago, it was mostly for me. I was curious, it was an adventure, it was brave. When I came back, “I” didn’t exist anymore. My life became about the children- children who had lost parents, siblings- been abducted and forced to do unspeakable things- children who with every fiber of their being just wanted to go to school. I was recently in a conference when Lisa Ling said: “Once you have seen it, you can’t do nothing.” I couldn’t do nothing.

Jump ahead to the story of a woman who embodies generosity. I have written about Anna before, my shero. She contracted Polio shortly after birth- because she was no lucky enough to have access to the vaccine…she grew up sitting in a corn of a hut, not allowed to go to school, no access to wheelchairs or medicine…a burden to her family. At 14 her father found a way for her to contribute- he sold her to men. They came, took her away and brought her back…used, abused and three times pregnant. She lost all the babies. The fourth pregnancy was successful and Anna gave birth to a son, her father died and she was free- well as free as a woman with no education, no money and a child could be. Did I mention the war? One day the rebel army found Anna in the hut. They sliced her across the head with a machete and left her to die while stealing everything she had.

She didn’t die- this amazing woman- shortly after, she and her son were moved to a displacement camp, that’s what they called it. Really it was a containment camp. The government made them leave the land and move to a camp of huts with no way to grow food or make a living or go to school. They lived there for seven years. The war ended and by a twist of fate, Anna survived all eleven of her siblings and because she had a son, her father's portion of land now belonged to her- well him. She took her son home, built a hut, farmed the land on her hands and knees with a hoe- and put her son in school. Every shilling she made selling her crops she spent on her son’s education. She met a woman- a nun who ran a school in town. This woman offered to let the boy study for free. Anna sent him away at the age of 12 to learn. The next day her uncles burned down the hut she lived in. You see there is a law in Uganda that says as long as a disabled person is working the land, it cannot be taken from them. Her uncles wanted the land…and torment her still today. She moved to the hut her son had built and she lives there still today. She works her land on her hands and knees, alone, with a hoe. 2-3 acres. She crawls the 1.5 km to a little outpost to find a boy to fetch water for her- the closest being 1.5 km in the opposite direction.

I met her son when he was in Primary 6. A big boy, humble, quiet and hardworking. I didn’t know his story- or the story of his mother until a few years later. I met her in town- she had come to get her wheelchair fixed. She was staying outside the Catholic Church- on a mat. She had gotten a ride to town in the back of a truck, - they left her at the Church. She crawled the ½ mile to the Disabled Center where she was told they couldn’t help her. You see she already had a wheelchair. So, she crawled back to the church. We had been told, I don’t know by who, that one of our boy’s moms was in town. I sent our mentor to go meet with her. A short time later he came to the office and said Laura you need to come with me, you need to meet Anna.

And because it is ingrained in us to see only the outside of a person- when I first saw Anna sitting on the ground with her shrunken twisted legs tucked under her was “Holy crap she’s buff and look at that smile!”

Sacrifice, sorrow, poverty, pain and generosity- selflessness- toward a son- is beyond inspiring.

There are many, many more stories of hospitality and generosity from people with nothing to give, nothing in their hut but a mat, a pot and a bag of beans.

Selfishness- cutting aid to people we have never met, cutting health care to women who will die- along with their children. Saying “why doesn’t their own government take care of them” turning away refugees- like Anna displaced from their homes by selfish men fighting a selfish war.

Generosity- “What you do to the least of my brothers you do to me” Giving what you can afford to give. Believing that the success of each one of us is dependent on the success of all of us.

Education is....part 2

I like quotes. I have always found them more fascinating than just reading history. Real people saying real things that hold so much meaning in very few words. They make me think. They make me want to learn more: about the person, the situation, why they are timeless. The words above are by our students. The words below...well read for yourself.

So I have started this second blog about education with some quotes by old guys, dead guys, American, British, Indian, Greek, black and white guys. I saved the women for last, don’t worry. Please take a moment to read and ingest their words, then my words, then more words by others.

 “The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” Carl Rogers was a humanistic psychologist believed that for a person to "grow", they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood).

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”. Aristotle- Greek philosopher

“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” Herbert Spencer- British philosopher and sociologist

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” Sydney J. Harris -American journalist

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King, Jr.-activist, pastor, Nobel Peace Prize winner.

“Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” Malcolm Forbes- American entrepreneur

“The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” John F. Kennedy- politician

“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth”. Diogenes- Greek philosopher and cynic

The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence. Rabindranath Tagore- polymath (look it up…I did), poet Nobel Peace Prize winner

“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”  Robert Frost-poet 

“The mere imparting of information is not education.” Carter G. Woodson- African-American author, journalist and historian

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” Robert M. Hutchins- American educational philosopher

“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” Gilbert K. Chesterton- English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic…hmmm pretty sure that’s not covered by a test.

Right education should help the student, not only to develop his capacities, but to understand his own highest interest. J. Krishnamurti- philosopher, speaker, writer

My turn: As with all my writing, I started in one direction and wound up here instead. I was going to talk about schools that are harming students and schools that are doing some amazingly innovative things…next time.

Education is about inspiring young people to take chances, be innovative, inclusive, supportive and collaborative and become compassionate human beings. Education is about allowing people to identify and develop their skills and talents in a safe, loving environment. It is not about memorizing facts and figures. It is not about performing on tests created to judge what you don’t know, not what you do know. It does not happen with standardized curriculum, in large classes, or small classroom or with punishments and shame.

It happens with high expectations, flexibility, structure, and consequences. The sharing of information and the tools of discovery. At the end of the day is it more important for a student to recite the names of presidents, or states and capitals or multiplication tables? Or is it more important to observe and discuss the actions of those leaders, the tactics, and strategies that led to the development of state systems and how numbers exist and play a role in the existence of life itself? Tools to find answers, creativity to form their own questions, thinking outside the classroom or the exam.

Standard curriculum should include community service, social justice, human rights, practicing art, music, dance, and drama from around the world, second language fluency, book clubs, science exploration, technology applications for global solutions, land use and conservation, mechanics, and business practices. These would give our young people all the basics we have relied on and believe to be important: math, language, history, science, tech, but through creative, problem solving, question based, thought-provoking, hands-on collaborations that have the capacity to open their minds, focus their actions toward others, and create solutions to real-world problems, while appreciating the beauty of the world around them – outside their door, outside the classroom, outside their state, outside their country.

A few quotes from some amazing women. Please if inspired by any of these words, look up the speaker. Read more about them. Open your mind to their ideas…some are quite old and some are new and courageous and bold.

“My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.” Maya Angelou amazing human being, Nobel Peace Prize winner.

“…education deserves emphatically to be termed cultivation of mind which teaches young people how to begin to think.” Mary Wollstonecraft, 18^th century author, feminist

“The highest result of education is tolerance.” -Helen Keller, American deaf & blind lecturer, winner Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Computers can do all the left hemisphere processing better and faster than the human brain. So what's left for the human brain is global thinking, creative thinking, intuitive-problem solving, seeing the whole picture. All of that cannot be done by the computer. And yet the school system goes on, churning out reading, writing, and arithmetic, spelling, grammar.” -Betty Edwards, American author, researcher, artist

“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.” -Audrey Hepburn, humanitarian, actress

"The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered." - Jean Piaget, Swiss philosopher and scientist

Oops the last one is a man…and wow he thinks just like me- found the quote after I wrote the blog…let’s all embrace this idea and create a new way to educate. Let’s Educate to Change.