I will be teaching a 12year old kid to read and write. Her mother didn't. The kids space where she goes is not a "classical" school where they do this kind of stuff. It is a free educational space where the children can learn what they want to learn (if they want to learn) So here it comes that this beautiful 12 year old kid is illiterate...
Who's fault it is is absolutely irrelevant. The parents. Society. Us all. Seeing all this situation made me in the beginning very irritated and angry - how is it possible? How come with so many intelligent free spirits adults around her, this kid doesn't know how to write her name?
Not all children would say it out load: I want to read! There are some, who would rather play all the time instead of learning. Some of them, indeed they have an interest into reading writing etc, but some, not. Maybe fallowing the family pattern. I know homeschooling is a good approach for so many parents! I see it all around me! I have tens of friends around that they chose to home educate and they are doing an amazing job! But some kids, unfortunately need a metaphorical kick in the ass and some help to discover the pleasure of the Ideas World...
I learnt to write when i was 5.
My older sister tought me. I also remember that when I was little I was showing my older cousins the letters. I was born with this immense luck to have a big sister. A smart good sister who liked being the big one and bossing around. So she played "teacher and pupil" game with me. And here I am today. Writing correctly grammar English on Steemit. (which is not my native language).
If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room
The purpose of this post is not to praise myself of how intelligent am I. Although, I must add that almost always all my friends are brighter then me. If you are the smartest person in the room, then probably you are in the different room. I learnt with years and with experience how much the environment is influencing us. How much we become the medium in which we live. How we have this biological nature of adapting. If you will stay with average people, you will become exactly the same. If you stay with intelligent ones, you might get some new ideas.
The first neurological connections since we are babies
I decided I will learn this child how to read. It might be too late. Too late for this child to start learning so much that he one day will be able to go to University. I have this opinion that as sooner as you start, as brighter your chances are! It is not a rule of course and nature has always show us the exceptions. But children brains are developing with an astonishing intensity when they are babies until they are around 2-3. This is the sponge period when the connections are made. We keep on learning every day, but as the years pass, the neuronal connections are made not so easy. It is never to late to learn. But those who have this advantage of starting earlier, will most probable be smarter then the others. Most probable of course! Now it depends what we do with our start in life also. As parents, we try so much to give our small ones the best that we can have. To shape them into independent kind hearted intelligent beings. We all try our best to give them a good start in life. So when they grow up, they can develop as they wish to develop. They can become who they want to become. But the fertile background where they have sprouted indeed matters.
How to switch from an invisible child to an actually person?
Going back to this kid, I said I am gonna do it! I saw him being neglected in different occasions, I know him from many years. But we are so used to looking away from the vulnerable people, that it was kind of reflex that he was there, a child from the neighbors doing his things and I pass on with my life. Maybe the rest of the neighbors don't know the situation, all though it is not so hard to imagine... People are too busy to carry on with their lives without looking at the invisible ones. Being so centered in our own bubble, that the rest except our small family doesn't really matter. I am exactly the same. That's why I am writing it. Some sort of self criticism of not starting to make change happen earlier. We all did what we could. We all have our limits...
One hour a week can change the world
So we will be starting with one hour a week. Little steps to change the world! Most of the children have 4-5 hours of writing and reading a week in school. I will start with one. Much better then nothing! If everything will be ok, we can extend the time. Or find other adults who want to get involved. One hour a week can save a child life! One hour dedicated to the humankind or the Planet Earth can change the world! It takes so little to make good things happen! I know many of us feel that they would like to help somehow others, but they do not exactly know how. Not all of us are good in initiating things and most of the times we are just lost in the what to do world? I know that most of my time I spend it in my head and in my what to do world.
The Rainbow Gatherings - the utopic way of a beautiful society
In the last years I have been going to Rainbow gatherings. If you don't know about them, I will briefly explain them shortly here. Basically, a Rainbow Gathering is an utopic way of creating society. A group of people (from some tens to some thousands) gather together for 1 month (usually from new moon to new moon) in a place in the nature and they stay connected with no electricity, telephone, whatever and do everything together - cooking, eating, helping, etc. Everything we do together like brothers and sister would do. We just pretend, or maybe pretend is not a good word. We act like we are a big family. Which in the fact we are! The Rainbow Gathering is just a gathering! We are supposed to be loving, kind and free all the time, the rest of the year no matter where we are. We just meet there with each other to share positive energy and ideas. But we are Rainbow all the time!
Make change happen
So whenever you see something that makes you frustrated, just change it! If you keep on seeing it on a daily basis, it will not get solved by itself. And you will end up more irritated if you ignore it (because as a matter of fact, you can not trully forget something, once you acknowledged it). Make change happen! You don't need to start with big things to change the world. Just the small ones matter as much as the big ones. This are some values that I try to fallow through my life. Not that I necessary care so much about others. But rather because I love myself more then everything and if I don't do them, I am not able to sleep in the nights.
- Cut down the plastic.
In the past, everybody wanted to be a legend to leave a legacy behind. Now we will just keep living tons and mountains of plastic behind so the world will never forget us! - Throw your compost outside, giving a chance for the seeds to grow from the Earth
- Be kind with others.
You have no idea where they are coming from and what they have been through - Help someone, give him a finger, you might mean the world to them.
- If you are in the dilemma to give or not to give, the answer is always to give!
I am not sure if I manage to inspire others by my example. I wish I could. For me it is irrelevant. This is my path that I lave to take and if I can bring some love and light on the way, then my job on this Earth is almost done.
Lots of love from the Purple Moon.
Thank you for stopping by!