Resistance

Today someone said to me, in reference to home schooling (after the usual "I couldn't do that") "How do you deal with the resistance?" To being taught, specifically.

Of course, at the end of the day, I didn't have much of a brain to answer. But now that I have swept up some brains, I have what might be a few cogent thoughts. Really, I dont' think we have much "resistance" per se. I think a lot of kids resistance to learning is because they're either overscheduled and zonked, aren't interested in learning what someone thinks they should be taught, or aren't meeting the material in a meaningful or developmentally well-timed way.

I've seen the magic myself--I try to teach or explain something in the "basic skills" department. Big wall of resistance. I stop. A few months later, the kid does it on his/her own almost instantly. Or suddenly is interested after a snack. Or a half an hour later. I feel really lucky that we have the freedom to learn....I was going to finish that with something, but that's really it. The freedom to learn.

If The Universe Is So Abundant, Why Don't We Have Any Underwear?

These days one of the books I'm reading is the "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" by Wayne Dyer.

The idea as introduced by Lao Tzu, I believe, is that the universe is by nature endless and abundant, and much of our shortcomings and feelings of failure are due to ourselves getting in our own way. Thank you, Mr. fix-it fancy-ass old chinese guy.

I suppose a wise old chinese man is more likely to be right about anything than I am. But screw him. I'm having a moment.

I find myself questioning the "abundance" part, and I suspect many home schoolers (admit it, or I'll yell at you in pretend chinese) feel the same way. Everyone wants something from me, there's not enough time for anything, I've done six loads of laundry today and there's still more, and I've just stepped on something and it feels like meat. The house is a mess, and the moment I sit down to write in the morning, before all the air has even squished out of the chair, someone comes in and says "can you find me some underwear?" It all seems like a zero-sum game.

Then a moment of enlightenment. I've got good friends, kids who I don't mind claiming as mine, and some amount of inspiration. Lots of people would kill for that. All my son's asking for is underwear.

I'm guessing it's a lot easier to ask the universe for underwear than it is to ask for friends, family, and inspiration.