Bird Droppings September 13, 2012

You can wait a moment

 

            Far too often we tend to jump to conclusions and reading the news this morning evidently on an international scale one of the presidential candidates did just that. Rather than waiting to see through the smoke and know what exactly happened took a political jump and made a statement which turned out not only to be false but could have jeopardized Americans overseas. It is sad in our greed and eagerness to win at any cost we have gotten to this point in our society. The major religions and philosophical viewpoints acknowledge and promote the virtues of patience. I think back over a hundred years ago to the Dakotas and an eager young army officer trying to prove a point and having his entire company wiped out. He could not wait for backup and or new intelligence. He thought he was attacking a small force of women and children and a few braves. Unaware that nearly four thousand warriors were ready to die for their lands and way of life.

 

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have for instance.” Franklin P. Jones

 

I have yet to understand impatience as I experienced a situation yesterday with a teacher that made little sense. I understood what was going on yet within that moment also saw why so many students get frustrated with education. A teacher gave a zero for a paper being after the bell by five minutes and a major paper at that. The student was ready to quit since their grade dropped from a 98 to a 44 in one swoop. So was this teaching a lesson in responsibility, as I sat back and tried to grasp the significance of this moment?

 

“Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience.” George-Louis de Buffon

 

I have watched this same student deal with inept teachers in several classes and patience ruled yet what signal are we sending when a student is so destroyed. When you get in the work force things have to be on time or else. Also in the work place printers go down, paper is run out of, or ink, and or so many other situations as well.

 

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

As I thought and pondered this morning it hit me why we have so much stress we learn it from teachers. I recall many years ago in fourth grade I was sitting looking at my test paper and the one next to me. I had two wrong and a C and my neighbor had three wrong and an A. I asked what was going on and was told I could do better. My mother questioned the teacher and found I was being graded harder since I was supposed to be smarter. Guess what it back fired my grades in school never recovered. How do we learn patience learn to wait

 

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” John Quincy Adams

 

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” St. Augustine

 

So often references to patience are references to monastic orders and famous monks sitting in silence for many hours or in the case of a holy man from India for 27 years he held his hand aloft without moving in honor of Vishnu. For 27 years then a bird nested in his hand he felt he had reached Nirvana however his arm was atrophied and useless other than for a bird nest but he was happy.

 

“How poor are they that have not patience!” “What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” William Shakespeare, Othello, 1604

 

Wait a minute perhaps over used within our society is the statement, give me a second I’ll be right with you. Several days ago as I was doing bus duty a parent came up the side of the buses and wanted to turn between moving buses to get their child to school. I do believe several state and federal laws were in jeopardy passing unloading school busses and dodging between and honking at a teacher who is in place instead of a traffic officer the person in charge. Patience is a powerful word and a powerful teaching tool if only we could bottle it and market it.

 

“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster.  One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” Chinese Proverb

 

Why can’t we wait at times when appropriate there are times when immediacy is needed but each moment is different as well as each child. How we deal with and handle is different as well this is where patience becomes so critical in each individual moment and each child.

 

“Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health.” Michel de Montaigne

 

“The man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.” Chief Luther Standing Bear

 

I am starting the day a few minutes later than normal with a quote from Chief Luther Standing Bear. I have found his words often very profound and current though spoken well over a hundred years ago. As I reviewed the news today and saw story after story of people doing harm to others I am reminded why I have ended this morning muse in this way for so many years, please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and remember to always give thanks namaste.

 

Wa de (Skee)

bird