1. The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day and night.
We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn
These two quotes are from Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I was leafing through bits of Walden today and came across these quotes that had special relevance for me. There is no feeling quite like the one I get from watching a sunrise – I love the morning. I feel cleansed, refreshed– it’s a spiritual moment for me (this is why I go hiking every other weekend and listen to Mahler at the top – it’s a cleansing ritual for me). new beginning for the world, and I’m part of that. The moon does a great job of making me feel tiny and insignificant, but the sun makes me feel large, heroic, and connected to the world around me.
Unfortunately I have very poor sleeping habits and it’s rare that I get to witness perhaps the most important moment of the day.
2. With only little over two months left in Korea, thoughts of home and plans for my next adventure in Georgia have dominated my thoughts. I’m so anxious to revisit my home and friends, and everything familiar. In the long run, time moves quickly, but from moment to moment, it moves so slowly.
3. I gave my younger students (my problem class) a group activity today. The task was to draw a new planet using several of the geographic features we had been discussing in class, then write a small paragraph describing your planet. This class is a rowdy one, mostly 10 year old boys, and they have enormous problems with attention, manners, and respect. But I couldn’t believe my eyes today –they took real interest in the activity, discussing with each other, brainstorming, respecting each others' suggestions, then making an attempt on the paragraph that made me feel proud. All it took was a creative activity, group work, some background vocabulary, and the expectations. Good work today.
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