As my freewrite, I want to talk about my abilities. I am not particularly good at anything. I can't sing, can't dance, not an athlete or a nobel prize quality writer and most definitely not a poet. I'm just me and I'm okay with that. I don't have to be a world-class anything.
People always say, "the sky is the limit! You can do/be whatever you want!" Yes, these are great words of encouragement but when you reach a certain age and have explored so many different fields, hobbies, and extracurriculars, you begin to know your limits. Face it, you cannot do everything! And people need to learn to accept that. I accept my limits and that there are certain things I cannot do. This post may seem a bit out of line to some people but I feel like I should be able to write about whatever I want in a freewrite.
MTC staff, administrators, team teachers, and second years constantly tell us that MTC teachers are not going to change the world and will not change Mississippi overnight. So they drill into first year teachers that they need to realize this and know thier limits. There it goes again! "Know you're limits!" "You cannot be these children's knights in shining armor," they tell them. "Don't get mad if you don't see change," they say. So in this grand attempt to save their teachers from spiraling into depression, they make sure that they know their limits from the beginning.
With all that said, I think it is unreasonable to require me to write a poem, when I cannot. To me, it's like making someone swim across a pool when they clearly can't swim (Gerald Penny, Amherst College Class of 1977). Yes, I'm being a little drastic when I make that comparison but all the same, poetry is a unique form of expression like art or music and everyone is not good at it. The Sky is the Limit when you are young. They sky is the limit when you're finding yourself. Once you've become who youe are, there's a plate glass ceiling.
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Couldn't agree with you more Asia. Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with admitting and embracing your limitations. Often times, people get caught up in the hype of having to be good at things that they cannot or refuse to admit their weaknesses. Isn't that what makes you stronger? Admitting your weaknesses so that you 1) you become stronger at the things you're good at 2) try and work at your weaknesses 3) it makes you seem more like a real, down to earth person when your filling out an application (provided that you note, after mentioning your weaknesses, that you are working to improve.)
ReplyDeleteI found your end quote to be right on the money..."Once you've become who you are, there's a plate glass ceiling." Not to offend you but did you come up with that all on your own? Was it inspired by something? I guess I want to make sure I credit the write person when I put it in my next paper...or facebook/aim statuses.
Moreover, way to stick it to the man (Ben Guest) ;). We're all different and our blogs should reflect that, not in just the actual words they contain, but the actual formats, topics, etc of the blogs.
I can tell you something I'm not good at. Keeping things in one place. I'm always leaving things in places I shouldn't. Like my cell phone (I hope its in Holly Springs otherwise I'm screwed). I realize that I need to work on being present and attentive to detail. I can't be spacing out and forgetting things. It's not a good look.
Your parallel to MTC is very legitimate. The teachers shouldn't expect to change the kids of the MS Delta over night. However, over time they might...and that might is crucial. Although, I agree with you in accepting the fact that you cant' do it all. I also commend those who attempt to try despite the odds. Those people, most of the time, are very brave....or very stupid. Depends on how you look at it.
Thanks for the post. Awesome read. :)
Thanks for your comment Shanika. And yes, I did come up with the last line myself. Honestly, it was inspired by my rage at Ben. He keeps saying, "yes you can write a poem Asia." and you can do this and you can do that. To an outsider standing beside you, it may seem like the sky is the limit (just to go along with the metaphor) but you may have already reached up once before and know that if you reach your hand up again, you are going to hit a glass. (That may be a little confusing). So in English, what I mean is that no one can tell me what I can and can't do. I may have tried something out already and know that I am not particularly good at it. So you may think you're helping by insisting that I can do something, but you should just respect that I am aware of my limits and would rather not attempt what I suck at.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, I do commend those who keep trying to raise that ceiling. They are strong and persistent.