March 20, 2015
(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and
illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)
When
I taught 9th grade English in Baltimore City, I met a Japanese
teacher who was part of a group of foreign educators brought into the schools
to teach core subjects and share their culture while doing so. The Japanese man
was teaching English at then Southern High School near Baltimore’s harbor. One
of his projects was to work with neighborhood kids to transform a back alley
devastation area into a Japanese rock garden after school. During the
school day when he wasn’t in the classroom, he challenged students to
pick up hallway trash and to create something with it, perhaps in the form of
origami cranes.
The
Japanese garden has since deteriorated into its former identity and the origami
figures have long ago disappeared into landfills. Some might think this is sad
but, often in art, it is the process that is more important than the final
product. Mr. Aoki surely helped a few students to see possibilities in things
that they previously thought were ugly.
Today
the weekly ANC (Aging Newspapermen’s Club that also includes women and
non-journalists) met at Roman’s for lunch. My husband David is the journalist and I tag along. I received my usual paper-covered straw for my Coke and
unconsciously found myself twisting the discarded straw wrapper during
conversation. I presented David with a tiny bow and he tossed his wrapper my
way. Before I knew it, I had used two straw wrappers to create a stick figure,
lending itself to two interpretations. David saw, “Hands up, don’t shoot” while
I saw a soccer player. It doesn’t matter than my “art” will be temporary or that
someone else sees it in a different way than I do. If a poetry reader misses
the poet’s point or someone viewing a painting understands it in a different
way than the artist intended, it isn’t important. What matters is that we
connect, see possibilities and begin conversations.
My gift today is a piece of trash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> DAY 102
You can read my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html
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