The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings July 15, 2022 Pondering and thinking, wiping away a tear or two I was up early today, wishing I could have started my laps in the pool. I have several errands to run for my wife first and hope to avoid afternoon thunder and lightning. As I stood on my back porch, a…

Bird Droppings July 13, 2022 Should we consider ignorance a part of the journey? “If I want to justify my existence and continue to be obsessed with the notion that I’ve got to do something for humanity — well, teaching ought to quell that obsession — and if I can ever get around to an…

Bird Droppings July 12, 2022 How capable do we need to be? An idea inspired by a student. What a contrast to only a week or so ago, listening to the Atlantic Ocean, the moon is coming back smiling at me as I went out in the wee hours with a crystal-clear sky. There was…

Bird Droppings July 11, 2022Are we missing Creativity? Today was another quiet morning; as I wandered out and about, already birds hiding from view were calling. The crickets and frogs as always a beautiful chorus for the morning awakening. Yesterday, several tree frogs later visited our back porch, hiding under pots and a baseball cap.…

Bird Droppings July 8, 2022Just a morning observation “I do not write from mythology when I reflect upon Native American spirituality in this book. In my own opinion, mythology leads to superstition; and superstition has proved fatally destruction to many millions down through time. It is ironic, then, that Dominant Society accuses Native practices of…

Bird Droppings July 6, 2022Foxfire is a name for a fungus glowing in the dark until you wander up Black Rock Mountain A few weeks back, I was involved in another synchronous adventure, as I am daily. I have been thinking about it ever since. I have been a fan of Carl Jung and the idea…

Bird Droppings July 1, 2022What is this desire for freedom? “Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough, as communist systems have assumed, merely to provide people with food, shelter, and clothing. Human nature needs to breathe the precious air of…

Bird Droppings June 30, 2022In a world of data, can we still use intuition? I spent the better part of the last week either sitting on or walking on the beach at Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Whenever my wife and I go, we ensure we see the sunrise every morning. It was supposed to be…

Bird Droppings June 29, 2022Teaching can be successful When I am home, I try and walk out to a quiet corner of my backyard; last week, my walk was two miles on the beach at Pawleys Island. Even at the beach, strands of spider webbing are still hanging, connecting everything. The scientist part of me…

Bird Droppings June 28, 2022What do we miss? Walking the beach at sunrise, it is easy to miss the small things while gazing at a beautiful sunrise. One might find a starfish, angel wing shell, or even a cannonball jellyfish. It is similar in life, and we often overlook small matters, focusing only on the…