Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Preparing Progeny

There are people in the pool and sailors on the seas. How can the view be better than this? Watching others enjoy the blessings of their being is probably the greatest pleasure I have in my leisurely life.Can it be possible that appreciation is a vocation?If so, I have certainly found my reason to continue breathing the air gifted to me.

The boats are back for summer sailing classes, a yearly event that draws me to live on the water.
So many seasoned sailors freely donate their time to teach young people safe sailing techniques. It takes days of preparation and intermittent harbor patrols, I assume to check for sunken obstacles and placing buoys to mark what is unseen in the brackish water's depths. It is a delight watching the smooth sailing, and an equally enjoyable activity watching the young capsized sailors regain mastery of their crafts.

I have always wanted to be a teacher, but my lack of confidence in myself always leads me to over-identify with the struggles of others. This is not a good trait in a teacher, as a teacher must exude confidence and a certain detached superiority to which a student must aspire. A teacher must also have infinite ability for repetition of tasks, as the students repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

I was, unfortunately taught that all mistakes, once being told the "right way," are punishable offenses. Instead of punishing my students, I learned to punish myself for not explaining the process properly. A bit of this tendency may be compassion, but too much of it renders me helpless to keep my own boundaries intact.

Meanwhile, I love watching those who can guide and protect the progeny of others, never doubting their own abilities to give them the skills and strengths they need.