#learning love and laughter

[trek-tracks]

What generic wisdom and/or life advice do you have? Here's an acorn for your trouble: 🌰

Oh, goodness! Talk about an intimidating ask.

When I think about existence, two quotations always come to my mind from authors who have been important to me at various stages of my life.

The first, from Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater:

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies — "God damn it, you've got to be kind."

The second, the last line from Robertson Davies' final novel, The Cunning Man:

“This is the Great Theatre of Life. Admission is free, but the taxation is mortal. You come when you can, and leave when you must. The show is continuous. Goodnight.”

These are two thoughts by which I've tried to lead my life.

The first lesson is kindness.

As an educator and person in a certain position of power over people's learning journeys, I'd like to say that kindness costs me nothing. That's not true. Kindness costs me late nights, extra review sessions, letting people hand in assignments in ways that are detrimental to my own time and stress. Connecting with so many people on a daily basis can be emotionally exhausting.

If there's one thing I have worked on more and more in my life (and need to continue to work on), it's walking the fine line between being kind and being taken advantage of.

However, I operate from the following perspective:

Everyone is having a difficult time, and there are things in other people's lives that are not "dreamt of in my philosophy," so to speak.

This perspective makes my life richer. I have never understood people who rigidly stick to a "one size fits all" mindset. I listen to people. I prioritize the person over the dropbox deadline. I say nice things to my family, my friends, my colleagues, my students, when I can. I practice grace in most things.

This also means that, when I do draw a boundary (for example, in my work as a professor, I do not tolerate plagiarism once I have very clearly taught what it entails), people can see that there is a clear difference between my usual practice of grace, and my ethical framework. It also means that people are more likely to extend me grace in return. I need it. We all do.

The second lesson is passion.

This is the Great Theatre of Life. We don't get to choose much about it, but we do get to shape the show.

I was talking to a former student the other evening, after I came across him in the lobby after my Lord of the Rings performance. He said to me that I was one of the few faculty he'd had that wasn't cynical or jaded yet, which is why he'd enjoyed my class.

The funny thing is, that's not entirely true.

In many ways, I'm very cynical. A fellow faculty member once said of me, in an approving tone, that I was "impressively jaded for one so young." Look. I'm Jewish. I'm bi. I'm disabled (in the chronic often invisible illness way). I know what the world can dish out, and I can kvetch with the best of them. But that's mostly because I want to believe we can do better. In any case, I can only control myself. I can do better.

First, I want everyone I teach to know that reading, writing, critical thinking, loving language, loving literature and theatre, are all things they can do, even if those gates have seemed barred. Opening these gates together can help them. I like to break things down as clearly and succinctly as possible. I don't expect people to show enthusiasm for something if I'm not showing it myself. Do I sometimes get super-mega-frustrated with the results I'm getting? Of course. There are parts of my job and my life that suck. Do I throw myself into things head-first with enthusiasm anyway? Always.

I do the things I love. I see tons of theatre. I make theatre. I sing (even if you "can't" sing, find time to do it anyway). I tell stories. I spend time with friends. If I have a choice to go to the thing or stay home, I go to the thing. I support my friends. I make people LAUGH, because I love that more than anything. I curl these things around me like a warm cat on a lap. And I try not to get jaded by the offerings around me, no matter how many shows I go to or how many papers I read. (I don't always succeed.) Can you imagine, though, how amazing it is to have a life where you're in danger of getting jaded simply by the sheer amount of art on offer?

Four years ago, a student came to me after the second week of my rhetorical analysis class. She told me that she had dropped the course with other faculty twice because she was intimidated by it. We were talking about one of the course readings for the week, which was a 35-year-old essay by a now-dead white man (everything she was not) with very strong opinions on the need to properly state your ideas in exactly the correct words to prove you were thinking.

She said, about the reading, “I didn’t understand it when I read it and thought I was stupid. But then, when you said it might not have been written with me in mind, I felt better. And then, when you broke it down and I understood it, I liked how much I liked that feeling.” Then she said something that made me cry in my office: “Things happen for a reason. I had to drop that class twice so I could meet you.”

She came to office hour after office hour. We spent time working on her writing and discussing what her particular frame of reference brought to her understanding of each week's readings.

She had dropped the course twice because she "couldn't do it."

She left with an A.

She left with a new sense of agency over her own experience of the wonder of the world.

What does it cost to be kind, and to love things?

What do we gain?

This is the Great Theatre of Life. All we can do is put on a show of kindness, watching with wonder before we depart.

[artgroves]

Andromache and her sisters

[former-leftist-jew]

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[swordmaid]

such a firm believer that the jb courting stage is gonna be SO awkward and excruciating that it’s almost amusing. like brienne trying sooo hard to be casual about it but she gets so flustered by the little things he does, and she’d want to do Stuff for him bc her love language is acts of service but HE’S not used to that so he’s like ?? not to mention that that’s also his love language as well so it’s both of them going like stop fussing and let ME do that for you. I also think jaime is affectionate and would looooove pda but brienne clams up bc she’s not used to that yet. like the most she can do is hand holding but I think even that would leave her sweating and with a severe tummy ache

anyway to me the initial stage of the jb courting is sooo awkward and physically painful and CRINGE but once they’re more comfy they’ll go back to bickering

[meeko-mar]

Some nice moments after the fight is won and AFO is defeated...Katsuki spots Izuku smiling once again and realizes how badly he missed it ;u;

Just a small BKDK crumb for Valentines day in these trying times 💖

[shubaka]

hi hello :)

for the ask game, "they all seem happier than us" with kimchay pls ♡

Chay is happy for his brother. He is.

Despite Porsche's new responsibilities as head of the minor family, Chay notices the changes in his brother. He's brighter and less stressed than before. Despite all the risks and dangers that come with having a key role in the mafia, having Kinn's support is enough to overshadow everything.

Porsche seems happier now. More than he ever did when it was just the two of them, Porsche and Porchay, and sometimes their uncle.

Now it's Porsche and Kinn and sometimes Chay.

Chay just wishes he could be happy for himself.

--

Chay isn't happy. Not really. Kim notices it in the lines of Chay's shoulders and the shuffle of his steps and vows to fix it (he might never be happy, but if Chay can be happy, that'll be enough).

fic title game

[lewy-d-11]

[thebirdandhersong]

But where do I put all this love? It's inside of me, growing and festering and threatening to explode out of me. Who do I give it to now? Where does it go? Where does it go to fade away? Where does it go to die a quiet death? There isn't a pair of familiar hands to receive it anymore, and no longer a welcoming mailbox waiting with its mouth open. Where does it all go and where should I put it? Who do I love now, the way I loved that boy?

[touchlikethesun]

tsukishima should not be given positions of authority he will just abuse his power for his own amusement. just because he has the best grades does not mean he should be in charge of tutoring hinata and kageyama he's probably making it worse for them.

[andthebeanstalk]

Today my partner and I discussed getting matching shirts that say "the hot bitch I pulled by being autistic" and each shirt has an arrow that points to the other person.

[euesworld]

[road2nf]

I can’t even fathom a way to write it all down in one simple explanation, with any hopes of anyone remotely understanding more than garbled gibberish.

The Nerdfighter community, John and Hank have made my life so much better through, not only making me laugh, but giving me hope that I can actually do stuff (OMG its a miracle!)!!!

Through watching Hank and John’s video’s on YouTube and stalking their (Hank+John) tumblrs, it’s opened my eyes to a whole new area. Filled with interesting facts and opinions.

I’ve learned a lot, not only about the brothers, or myself, but about say... octopus... or writing a book. Childcare, etc (the weather).

Through the fandom I’ve found others just like me, who find science and book-writing and terrible jokes just as amazing and funny as I do.

(I’ve also found people that don’t do anything productive with their time.)

(Which is great! I’m not alone!!!)

Both the community and the brothers (John and Hank) have impacted my life in such an amazing way. I can’t even fathom a way to write it all down in one simple explanation, with any hopes of anyone remotely understanding more than garbled gibberish.

-Person of the Internet (sadlifeofafangirlthings.tumblr)

__________________________________________________________

John has helped me regain hope that I actually can become an author and achieve my life long dream. He has made me realize that authors are humans too.

Hank has taught me lessons about the world as well as life.

Thanks to him, I know more and that is awesome.

-Kajsa

_____________________________________________________

I love you.

-Janna (neverendingtypewriters.tumblr)

[tiredassmage]

tragic greek figures + your ocs

Thank you for reminding me I wanted to do this one, @captainderyn​! Uquiz, my beloved, diagnose my ocs, lmaoooo.

I have... honestly lost track of who has and hasn’t done this, so if you haven’t, I’m tagging you. I’m tagging you, I’m tagging you, I’m taggi-

(Dot, it’d help if you’d link the quiz)

Tyr Deckard - Patroclus

clever patroclus, beloved patroclus, poor patroclus: you do fall into madness, nor vanity, nor hubris. not, that is, for your own sake. love for that golden-haired man, sorrow for your countrymen; it is for his name that you don his armor, and for the dying greeks that you ride into battle. every piece of you is willingly given away, even if after you are gone there are wicked things done in your name.

Savosta - Icarus

what is there to be said of icarus? you were warned, yet you persisted, imprudently. but what of your first taste of liberation? the exhilaration that follows the first ray of the sun to touch you as you are, as a free man, makes you drunk on joy. we all know the foolish things that drunken people are capable of. was the fall as thrilling as the flight?

Lensan Ryaldar - Arachne

adept arachne, the things which you craft are born from years of careful practice, focused effort, and a drop of divine inspiration. your finished product shows the skills which you have honed over your lifetime, so take pride in that, but don’t proclaim yourself a peerless artisan, and, by the gods, show humility when you’ve been beaten.

Rhystyl Delavast - Achilles

best of the greeks, eager for honor, and quick to rage: you could easily live in content and easy until you're gray-haired, but glory and fame call for you just beyond the horizon. you are not prone to self-reflection and trip into the same pits of wrath at bruised pride over and over. are you truly ready to sacrifice everything so that your name will be immortalized? is your fury what you want to be remembered for?

[ardenigh]

another day, another three and a half hours of struggling to combine wing membranes and feathers in a way i like

[neverendingford]

.

[crowcoven]

the second I’m done exams I’m starting a silly little modern au where the lannister kiddos are happy and (mostly) get along

This is due to much therapy, modern education regarding hey! Maybe don’t fuck your siblings! and Hey! People sadly die in childbirth, not the babies fault! so they’re dysfunctional but would die for each other and go to brunch to complain about tywin

think umbrella academy except without superpowers