Life and Random Thinking

Cover via Amazon

I watched the news yesterday. It was full of images of fighting in Libya, rifles, blood on rocks, tanks, and anticipation of more while the world worries and decides their response. I know it isn’t just Libya, many countries in Africa have dictators who viciously respond to any unrest with violent putdowns. It was sad television.

Then I received an email from my friend who is an ESL  (English Second Language) teacher and she told me of her inspiring students.

My friend’s email [Quote] – I just finished a class in which we were wrapping up our discussion of a novel, The War Between the Classes.  Quite a powerful story about a class of grade 12 students who engage in an experiment where randomly assigned armbands represent staus, power, wealth, “whiteness”….you get the idea.  Some have all of these assets; some don’t.  This experiment actually was done in a social studies class in the U.S.  At any rate, my students loved the book.  At the very end, I gave out the lyrics to “Imagine“…..with a few words missing so it’s a listening/fill in the blanks exercise.  They listened to the “Glee” version of “Imagine” a few times, wrote in the missing words then wrote what they thought about the concept of imagining that the “world will be as one“.  So here’s the visual…In my class I have kids from Iran, Afghanistan, Argentina, Taiwan, China, The Bhutan, Russia, Korea, Mexico, El Salvador, Hong Kong….and more.  They were totally in the moment.  Some started to sing.  Some days I can’t believe I get paid to do something this much fun!”

Imagine sung by John Lennon is below – there is a long silent walk at the beginning before the song starts.  Symbolic?

What inspires you?

What inspires you? Comments welcome.