Little fish, big pond

And not because of the president’s talking dinglie-doo, unless you are a believer in The Cult which has brought us to a place in history where bad is good and profits are far superior to people. And not because of a skewering of the return of Jesus, unless you are a believer and cannot accept that other people are not.

Southpark wants to offend you because it’s satire, and when things are bleak, humor provides the exit sign out of the dark room. BTW, the reason I have never really liked the show is one, it’s a cartoon, and two, it uses phrases like “retarded faggot”, two words which should have gone the way on the n-word years ago.

I mean, don’t we have more important things to work on? Like, I don’t even know if I’ll have any students in 2 weeks because of fear of ICE. Like, why can’t I find any Lululemon golf skirts in the right sizes for my golf team this season? Like, why can’t I fold a fitted sheet the way my wife does? Like, how will I accomplish my cross-curricular, PBL teaching agenda in a new environment where resources and innovative leadership are limited?

And, most importantly, how can I power-rest in the next week so that I can thrive for another year, doing what I love but keeping my homeostasis in a time of Koyaanisqatsi?

The simple answer is Stoner Dan. Let me bore you for a minute with the email I received two days ago.

How’s it going Walter,

I hope you are well. Great to hear that you’re still holding it down at Creekside.

As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that it’s mid summer. So I’m assuming that there’s no school in session. In any case, I’ll be in Sonoma County on Monday, August 4th during the daytime, and I could potentially slide through.

What are the dates for the upcoming semester? I’ll aim to make an appearance for this Fall semester. Much to catch up on! You’ll never believe that I grabbed a master’s degree and I’m actually teaching in a university here in Jersey!

-Dan

Dan was a Creekside student way back, he always danced to the beat of his own drum, smoked a lot of weed (thus the nickname), made funny instruments in art class (a pan flute created from empty plastic pen containers), made incredible burritos which he sold for two bucks back when we could do that kind of thing.

And now he’s Dan Neville, Jazz Vibraphonist (yes, I had to Google it too), Composer, Educator, touring the world and inspiring others.

Now, I don’t bring this up just to humble brag, I bring it up for perspective and how if we are going to survive and even thrive during this time of life-out-of-balance, we have to prioritize the things which will move us forward. Creativity, compassion, humor, innovation, that kind of stuff. And don’t just type those words into Chat GPT and see what comes out, think deep about what you can offer and then Do The Work. Because we all have something to offer.

I am starting this school year with a unit called, “Self: Who you are, what you do and where you are going.” Cells, bodies, neurodiversity, aces scores, mental health, nutrition, exercise, goals, that kind of thing. The final project is a trip to the Ropes Course in Glen Ellen thanks to Dianna Rhoten who has given us free access for years.

Will it change lives? Doubt it. Will it plant seeds? Maybe, and that’s all I can hope for.