Today’s card reminds me of all the teachers in my life. The good and the bad have all affected my life. Even at 51, I can vividly remember moments where a teacher figured. Of course my teachers have not all held certificates or been in traditional classrooms. Still, each one has mattered to me. As Henry Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
One of my most interesting teachers was a little praying mantis. That was back in 1998. I wrote a piece on it that I wanted to share with you.
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I do my own dishes. I like doing my own dishes for many reasons. I can wash my sorrows and my pains and my angst down the drain with the other crud on the plates. I can remind myself that my plate has only those things I put on it so if I don’t like the way something tastes, then I should get rid of it. I spend a great deal of time staring out my kitchen window to see what is there. Sometimes a bird…one morning a small grasshopper…it is always something interesting to me.
My husband (at that time) woke me up the other morning to come look out the kitchen window. I did somewhat grumpily and saw nothing but the grass that needs cutting, the pump house that needs tearing down or rebuilding and the magnificent oak tree. He tapped on the pane to draw my attention closer and I saw a young praying mantis there. Wow! You don’t always have to look at the big picture to see something really neat! That mantis and I played for half an hour. I would move my finger and she would follow it. I was captivated by the way she turned her head to watch my movement.
Then I grabbed a tag that has been lying in that window for two weeks waiting for me to throw it away. It was yellow and orange …one of those Scrubbies(tm). I held it up and it scared the mantis greatly! Enough for it to hustle away.
At first I was sad, then I realized that I had learned something again. You don’t always know what the other person’s fears are.
You can glean what you wish from this little story.
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(NOTE: Now I have a dishwasher but I still do some dishes by hand.)
So who have some of your teachers been? Tell teh Arwen. I want to know.
Seek joy, y’all. Pass it on.
Child of Earth, Gaian Tarot
P.S. Zazzle is having a 50% off sale on mugs and bags. It’s only until 4pm PST today. Check my store out and use FFHSMUGSBAGS for the discount.
Where do I start, I’ve had so many teachers good and bad in my life; even if I hadn’t seen them as such at that time. I remember a few names from my actual school days or were those daze, cause yeah, there were times when I was in a daze from substances and life. But I turned out ok in the end.
Thanks, Gryph. 😀