day eighteen - open door
In Kindergarten and Year 1 at school, I was lucky enough to have a beautiful teacher, Mrs Patricia Stewart. She was a wise, kind and caring person who made learning addictive and fun. Outside of my family, she was one of the first people I remember really demonstrating compassion.
School overall was difficult though. The feeling of being different, softer and gentler than my classmates was already palpable, and I sometimes felt ostracised. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was exactly, but it just felt like each day would inevitably have some component where I didn’t fit in. Mrs. Stewart was really perceptive, seeing there were times I needed my own space, and letting me slip out of class for a while.
One day, her son came in to help setup and run the projector for a video of “Peter and the Wolf: He’d come into the classroom once before, and I remember thinking just how great he was. As we were coming in from lunch to watch, he did the simplest of things - he held open the door for me. I remember being amazed he’d do something like that for me, and I was filled with a feeling a sense of self worth. I’m sure he had no idea the effect it had on me.
Decades later when I became a teacher, particularly when working in schools, I still remembered that valuable lesson, and vowed to strive to be that person for someone else. To that end, I tried to treat all the students (not just my music students) with kindness and humility - sharing smiles, giving them the respect they deserved, and opening doors,
It’s not always possible to tell how a person is really feeling or what they’re thinking. Sometimes, a simple expression of kindness and respect to a friend or stranger can be enough to make them feel better within themselves, and that’s got to be good for everyones mental health.
Kilts of the day - A soggy Black Canvas & Black Watch Utility Kilt (after a wade up and down the Kiewa River)
A sweaty Ross Modern Hunting Tartan Sport Kilt (after a 16,051 step, 14.6km evening walk/jog)
Link of the Day - Peter and the Wolf - Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) Performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra, narrated by David Bowie
