Lately, I have felt an overwhelming sense of amazement at several little things. Every day there is something that impresses me, however small. I have been reading Annie Dillard and she has a way of appreciating the tiniest, beautiful things and I think it has been rubbing off on me. This is a gift, I want to be sure to remember these moments.
The other day, I watched a boy who was about 6 or 7 years old, lean into the office to check the time on our clock. I realized that it is quite incredible that such a young person can look at the cryptic clock and know how to interpret the placement of those rotating hands. There are so many people in this world to whom a clock would hold no meaning. Many humans sharing the globe with us live in societies where ticking time holds little relevance; others may be our own neighbors, children and adults who simply do not know how to read. The confluence of this child's awareness of time, ability to read and understand numbers conceptually, and his interpretation of our western device which measures seconds and minutes and hours - if one is thinking about it in a certain mindset, this really is a miracle.
11/18/07
these are the days of miracle and wonder
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1 comment:
Absolutely true. It's one of my favorite things about teaching children, and seeing how they grow and change and do things for the first time. Clapping your hands can be a miracle.
And on a lighter note (maybe not), regarding your title: a certain Tuesday night coworker of mine doesn't know that album. It's a crime and a shame. I played it for him once and he said it sounded kind of dated. Growing up with the tape always playing in my parents' car, I can't imagine not knowing Graceland. But I think that every lyric-loving songwriter has to rock some Paul Simon.
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