I decided I'd not post yesterday for two reasons...1. I had not done enough to show you any real progress...this was because 2. I was exhausted and also has to prepare for my Art Club at school. I find it increasingly harder to engage the class I'm working with. Mind you , they are all around 6 years old!..be that as it may. For reasons I will not go into here , my assistant Judy had to leave the room to accompany a particularly disruptive pupil ( who was placed in my group for convenience sake whilst the head chatted to his mother) out of the room ...the class dissolved into chaos..I shouted and banged a tin of pencils down onto the table..skewering my hand on top of a particularly sharp pencil.I felt such a fool...and also a lot of pain. The person to ease that pain was far away. It's funny, but there is no lonelier place than in a room full of people.I would like to highlight something close to my heart at present. As my horizon widens giving my outlook on the world a more colourful view than I've ever had, I am acutely aware of my failings..our failings as compassionate and proactive champions of peace and reconciliation. One particular aspect is the sadness and indeed shame I feel when I consider the sins of the past that were perpetuated by my fellow countrymen...with reference to the richly vibrant and
Beautiful India, the evil of the slave trade and the dire evil which were the crusades.
I wish to here and now dedicate my actions to being a 'champion' of humanity..of Love, Peace and understanding.
with this in mind and the festival of Thanks Giving celebrated by our American friends, Id like you to view the following link to my dear and special friend Julie who writes so forcefully and with eloquent panache. Her heart is full of beauty and peace, sometimes dark and humorous..always magnificent and inspiring. she paints with vision and magic. Today you should read the poignant words by William S Burroughs inn the poem : Thanksgiving Day .
Sometimes we can only stop and weep.
NB This text has been corrected due to my poor wording which suggested Julie wrote 'Thanksgiving Day' so please take this into account if the comments appear a little odd.
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8 comments:
That's what I call a wider view, feeling guilty about what past generations did. I think it's important to have a social and historical conscience in our day-to-day life...but that may be a little bit extreme, no?
You're too hard on yourself, Niall..
Please! I must correct you. The words are not mine, but I've cut and pasted a bit of William S. Burroughs, a very famous beat poet and author of Naked Lunch, The Place of Dead Roads, The Ticket that Exploded, etc. I would advise everyone to give him a read!
You have been involved with so many things that what you've been doing in art, is so beautiful and touching..don't know if I would have had the energy to do what you have been doing.
** wish to here and now dedicate my actions to being a 'champion' of humanity..of Love, Peace and understanding.** I applaud you on that effort and Happy thanksgiving
Peace is not easy to accomplish. I believe we should all start close to home. If we can achieve peace and understanding within our own families, the rest of the world would be easy.
Beautiful thoughts and dedication. Good luck.
Merry Belated Turkey Holiday. Come see my gobbler.
DM..You're right , I am too hard on myself!
Julie.. oooopps!...It was not my intention to attribute the words to you..It's my failing as a writer that caused that and I assumed I gues that people would see the credit to William Burroughs at the bottom...I'll correct the post
Prats..That makes two of us!
Nessa..you're right..start with the one your looking at!
How I wish i was there to help you manage your class.(I'm naturally good with children) Sometimes, one has to be a 'performer' to engage a group of 6 year olds.I find it really irritating that the head placed a child in your class, just because she wanted to chat with the mother.This is more like 'baby-sitting'.
I also find it really sweet that you are apologising for the deeds of your ancestors.
In India, there does run an undercurrent of loathing towards 'Angrez' (The Hindi word for English) because of centuries of rule.Many times I ahve wondered about how history took its course--and what lessons we can learn from it.
Life is like that.We learn from our pain--we grow.
Happy thanksgiving!
Excuse the typos in my previuos comment if any.I clicked 'submit' instead of previewing it.
hey niall...come on...chill...go easy on urself...
pls dont feel responsible for the sins of the fathers...we all as nations have our shameful moments in history...the idea is to learn the lessons and move on as a wiser, kinder humanity...
atleast u r thinking abt all this...tht in itself is beautiful and inspiring...
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