I spent yesterday afternoon at my brother
Mike's camp at
Worthley Pond in Peru. It was a very relaxed afternoon of swimming, kite-flying-on-the-lake, scrumptious ribs, liquid refreshment, and good conversation.
My brother,
Dave, is an evangelist for perfect BBQ. You can see his popular website for detailed recipes of his best work
here. Dave's key advice is to be patient and give the smoker plenty of time to do its thing in order create the most mouth-watering ribs. He says to double the times that any recipe suggests. Believe me, he knows what he is doing!
Perhaps we all have to be reminded to slow down, to be patient, and to gently persevere. We can try to force our will on just about anything and perhaps actually be temporarily successful, but in the end, the Universe will have its way. You just can't force good ribs . . . or just about anything else, for that matter.
Flying kites offers similar lessons. You just have to be patient and allow nature to offer its opportunities. Be prepared, but be patient. Be ready to take advantage of the currents as they present themselves.
See any application to how we approach schooling?I'm struggling to learn these lessons. Our digital world and consumer world conspire to make us impatient. We want it and want it now! Our egos soar and we relish our power. But like Icarus, we risk flying too close to the sun. Somehow we need to remain grounded just as the kite is tethered by its string.
Thoughts?
Maine teacher, Richard Byrne, shares the availability of online mapping tools on his recent podcast, "Maps, Not Just for Social Studies Anymore."
