A small drop in an ocean...
In one of the rambling conversations we managed to have last week, Lovely M recommended that I listen to the first episode of Wil Anderson's podcast Wilosophy. I absolutely love the Gruen shows Anderson hosts and I went to see him live at the Adelaide Fringe, but I have listened to parts of Anderson's other podcast TOFOP, and didn't really find it something I wanted to put any effort into listening to again. This episode of Wilosophy with Todd Sampson was really interesting, however, so I'm glad I followed Lovely M's advice.
(I recommended Warhorses of Letters to M. I immediately regretted it, although he must surely know I have an odd sense of humour by now. I have offered to murder for him multiple times in the last couple of years.)
One thing that Wil Anderson and Todd Sampson talked about was this idea of everyone having 5 or 10 people who have influenced them so strongly that their lives will never be the same again. Todd called them 'nodes'. These might not even be people they know, but their impact has been indelible. Todd initially talked about it as being a positive experience, but Wil then pointed out that sometimes it can be a negative one. So it got me thinking --- who would be those people for me? Will I ever be that person for someone else? Have I already been that person and don't know it? As a teacher, aren't I automatically in a place where I have the potential to influence, inspire and connect people to possibilities they may never have thought of before? I've always thought of myself as ultimately inconsequential and insignificant, but I feel like some of the people who are my nodes could have thought of themselves as ultimately inconsequential and insignificant too, which is a fascinating thought --- just what unknown impact will I have?
(I recommended Warhorses of Letters to M. I immediately regretted it, although he must surely know I have an odd sense of humour by now. I have offered to murder for him multiple times in the last couple of years.)
One thing that Wil Anderson and Todd Sampson talked about was this idea of everyone having 5 or 10 people who have influenced them so strongly that their lives will never be the same again. Todd called them 'nodes'. These might not even be people they know, but their impact has been indelible. Todd initially talked about it as being a positive experience, but Wil then pointed out that sometimes it can be a negative one. So it got me thinking --- who would be those people for me? Will I ever be that person for someone else? Have I already been that person and don't know it? As a teacher, aren't I automatically in a place where I have the potential to influence, inspire and connect people to possibilities they may never have thought of before? I've always thought of myself as ultimately inconsequential and insignificant, but I feel like some of the people who are my nodes could have thought of themselves as ultimately inconsequential and insignificant too, which is a fascinating thought --- just what unknown impact will I have?