This morning I watched Lunch with Bokara, a show Joy introduced me to some time ago. Kind of hard to find episodes but caught today's "What is our place in the Cosmos" in which Ms Bokara had more success with the Chinese chicken salad than she did the discussion this time. I'm afraid it just got too obtuse and they really tackled way too much for a half hour show. The woman herself is a character, but nobody's fool.She really has profound scholars and in spite of being almost a caricature of little old health food ladies, is no slouch herself. She slices through the philosophizing with very poignant remarks and down to earth questions.
Speaking of pedantic, I had a dream last night that I was attending a class on Chaucer. We watched a film where someone was reading excerpts. In the dream I was astounded by the professor's lack of appreciation and kept trying to bring up "who would think to emphasize these particular words in the selection and recite them in a high pitched voice unless they had been educated and coached for it? It's just brilliant." The professor was annoyed that I brought it up though he allowed it was probably beyond the students in this class.. "Well that's why I wanted to bring it up and discuss it" I pushed. When I woke up I was ashamed of myself for being so presumptuous and pedantic.
It reminded me that Ed used to tell me that every thought I have doesn't need to be expresssed. Some insights are just for ourselves and I shouldn't be disappointed that other people didn't have the same appreciation for them that I did. It also made me think that Debbie used to say about my comments at meetings " You have a way of saying what we are all thinking" and rethought what she meant about that. Maybe she was really trying to tell me that I wasn't the only one with the insight and that sometimes it is better to keep my mouth shut. She was too nice to say it directly. This led to my hesitancy about blogging lately that Tina on her post Sunday, July 5th,kind of brought out with her hesitancy about blogging. I have been working hard to be into people and not so much myself. Learning to listen as opposed to being thedominant in any conversation. I thought exactly what Joy said about her own comment on her post aouat M.J. that she took a neutral stand. but did raise the questionm, put it out there, and enjoyed the variety of responses.
Hence I have had a long dry spell with my blog posting.
I am delighted with the sun this morning. Weatherperons promise us a week of it..not completely dry but not to stop our plans- to go ahead and do them, being ready to duck inside for the occasional showers but we would have mostly sunshine.I can't remember a spring/summer with so many cloudy, rainy days.
7 comments:
Or maybe Debbie was saying that you have a way uf articulating a point better than most people.
I am one of many opinions [really] and yet I am alos a great listener. I actually like people who don't agree with me becxause I seem to enjoy the discussion more.
I too stuggle with the listening end of conversations. So I understand. And I agree with what Bob above me said. Debbie probably ment you had a better way of expressing your opinon than most people. I would take that complement at face value. If she had wanted you to remain quite i'm sure eventually she would have said it :) Hopefully when we get together we can both practice our listening skills or we'll just rail road right over Bob (my husband, not the commentor above me :) )
From this side of the computer I think you probably are a good listener. I think any good teacher is. And you were, and are, a good teacher. I know any time I get off track with my students, and own kids, is when I stopped listening.
We are having 80ish degree days, a break from our 100 days. We are so enjoying them.
I have not blogged for so long I was delighted at the quick responses. Thank you so much.
Debbie is my role model for listening. I've seen her time and again put someone off for just a minute or so, find a resting spot for what she was doing, put everything down, and totally devote herself to what that person wanted to say. 100% respect and undivided attention. It floors me how she can do this in the middle of a teaching day. she never ever does two things when she is talking with someone-student, teacher, parent or admin. It amazes me how she disciplines herself to do that.
I didn't recommend that show because I've never heard of it. One of your other women must have done it.
See? I told you that Debbie probably meant that you were brave enough to speak out about what they were thinking, too. I hope you feel better about that.
That dream is interesting, isn't it? Wonder why Chaucer?
Joy_ when I was working outside on my degree I hatede educstion courses/ as a result it took longer to get the degree because I overloaded myself with literature courses. Y'know MEAT courses. I took quite a bit of Chaucer which we always had to translate and recite aloud in class just like Latin classes. that may be my dream reference. Like Latin, years later I don't remember that much.
I guess I tributed you, Joy, for Bokara because I get so many worthwhle things from you, I just assumed.
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