Appreciation:
I think if we start out with the spirit of appreciation we can enter a world full of much to appreciate.
Even more than highlighting the genus insight of Jon Stewart and his lusty writers about congress practicing autassassinophilia, one of the few dirty sexy things that we really should never try, I want to mention the newfound joy of editing a magazine type blog.
It’s not that I never thought that editing a magazine would be fun I’ve wanted to do that ever since a visiting art instructor visited my first grade class in Lincoln School. Looking at a picture I had made of a milk wagon pulled by a horse which I knew had turned out really well, the visiting instructor hesitatingly praised the effort but immediately pointed out that milk was spelled wrong on the wagon. I had given myself permission without even thinking about it to put the writing where it should be on the cart without worrying enough about the spelling which didn’t look right to me. I was so shocked that after consulting with the teacher, he told me that the spelling of milk was definitely an issue which should override my delight in my good result.
Given my sensibilities at the time I’m sure that this created point of division in whatever efforts to learn spelling, which was a really big deal in first grade and my feeling of righteousness about the weird trait I had of loving to draw. I knew anyone in the class would like the wagon picture and I knew better than at least two people, my teacher and the visiting critic, how to make a pleasing thing.
After I became a teacher myself, having overcome my negative feelings about school in my thirties, enough to enjoy earning a masters in the art of educating human beings at a young age and having the honor of teaching them for a job. This transformation is something I know was made possible by my Buddhist practice and my Buddhist mentor in life. I have been able to have a happy marriage to another human being and for us to raise two such beings ourselves.
I have overcome debilitating depression In this lifetime and now experience life as a treasure, one I deserve and one which allows me the time and energy bask in the joy of wonderful friendships and time to edit photos and writing something which gives me joy to work on and perhaps much more than when I was a child, an opportunity to share.
