As Ben Zanders stated on page 80: "Humor can bring us together around our inescapable foibles, confusions, and miscommunications..." He then goes into talking about how humor also prevents us from picking at each other, back stabbing, and attacking each other.
As a teacher I see the need to lighten up in many different ways.
The calculating self, the one Ben says wants to be noticed and appreciated really needs to take a back seat in education. This is not a job full of bonuses and thank yous every day. Many days are spent trying to get students to work, parents to understand, colleagues to listen and doing what you are told by admin. There are not many days where the stand up and notice how awesome I am self gets its acknowledgments. Instead of getting in a temper about it, laugh, sigh and sing some Jimmy Buffett for "if we didn't laugh we would all go insane"
The story about June leaving her husband, only to realize eventually that had she let that guard down, relax and just take the world as it is, she realized that she was part of the problem in her marriage and one she figured that out, things were better for her. I realized that when I was stressing out about things in life and getting all worked up, the people around me (husband, kids, students, co-workers) would feed on that down emotion. I understood that though stuff happens, if you let everything get you down, you will always be down. So I just keep telling myself: it is, what it is, and there is not point festering over it. So laugh and be goofy...it spreads and everyone around you will have a lighter mood as well.
The infamous Rule Number 6, “don’t take yourself too seriously.” I completely understand where you are coming from Liz. You made it very clear when stating that this is not a job where you get noticed everyday. And if you expect to get noticed, it will get you down. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, and even when I occasionally get that recognition, I don’t even acknowledge it til I get a break and realize what just happened.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I am unnerved by those people that act like life is wonderful all the time. It only gets to me because I wish I was like that. Stress gets the best of me, and like you, it affects the people around me that I care about the most, my family. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this chapter. It’s an eye opener and a relief to know that it’s ok to lighten up.
wonderful photo... kids will make you laugh (or drive you insane, a la jimmy buffet). :-)
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