I tutored today at the Chagrin Falls Park as I do every
week, and I spent the first few minutes of the session talking to my student, a
fourth-grader, about his work this past semester and his goals for this
semester. After a few seconds of thought about his plans to improve
academically, he concluded that he will act kindly to his friends. “Really?” I
asked him, “Being nice is wonderful, but it will not get you an A.” He shrugged
and decided to turn in more of his assignments. As I drove home today,
remembering I had a blog to write, I spent time contemplating this past
semester and my experiences as a blogger. I thought back to my first post, my
personal favorite, “An Unlikely Pilgrimage.” As I drove, I imagined a critic,
sitting in front of his/her computer and suddenly stumbling upon
meghanjudge.blogspot.com. I could see how he clicked on the post with
such interest. He then raved over the descriptive writing, the strength of the
voice. What a great idea, a quote wall!
How intriguing that quotes can bring her closer to herself, reaffirm her
interests, and help her understand her personality! No person other than Meghan
Judge could have written that post, he typed away at his computer, it truly expresses her individuality! What
can I say? I like to embellish. I continued driving a bit, and to my right, a
forest ended and opened into a little clearing where a person walked his dog. As
I distanced myself from him, he shrunk to the size of a child. How interesting
that he looked so happy to have reached the clearing, just like a pygmy who has
escaped in the mist, the subject of my most quirky
blog post, “Pygmies in the Mist: Part Deux.” Perhaps the post interests me
because it makes me wonder about my family, especially its sanity. Reading that
blog helps me to understand why my ideas seem abstract and strange and “too
creative for appreciation” (as my family would call them); I inherited the
gift. I suppose I value this post most because it expresses the importance of
following my passions, even if I never achieve recognition and success. Recognition does not matter to my uncle, aunt,
grandmother, and the man who walked his dog, only the escape creativity and the
pursuit of one’s passions provides. So, as I finally passed the retirement home
across from the cemetery and pulled into my driveway, I thought back to Claire
Kampman’s comment on my latest post about taking risks and discovering myself, “Crossing
Bridges.” She had reflected on her recent admission into her choice college and
the new fears she faced and the answers to new questions that lay beyond her
reach. Taking the risk to cross new obstacles and gaining the confidence to
cross them without fear leads to fulfillment, she claims, and I agree. I must
understand my character and have the determination to not waver in my passions.
I must have the confidence to follow my dreams, whether or not they will bring
me success. So, maybe the child I tutor outsmarted me. He may have read my blog
and seen past the embellishment, the metaphors, the similes, and understood my messages
better than I do. Perhaps kindness provides him with the passion and confidence
to continue on in his life, to escape the mist, to cross the bridge, to
complete that pilgrimage to self-discovery. But still, I beg him to turn in his
assignments.
