10.12.08
“We are each of us angels…”
“We are each of us angels with only one wing. And we can only fly while embracing each other.”
- Lucian de Croszonza
This is such a beautiful idea to me. I don’t know why so many of us fight it, why so many of us are too stubborn or too proud to ask for help or let others be a part of our success.
I see it with my students, and even my own friends and family. The frustration that results when a person tries to do something on his or her own when help is clearly necessary is painful to witness. It does make sense to equate this experience with trying to fly with only one wing; it just can’t be done.
I like to think that I value the opinions of others and that I am receptive to help…now. This was not always the case, however. When I was younger, I fought my parents’ and teachers’ constructive criticism and vehemently argued against it. (I guess I thought I knew much more than I did!) I often refused the help or guidance that was offered to me and as I look back I realize how much smoother or simpler things might have gone for me over the years if I had accepted it. Instead, I tried to do things on my own, in my own way. We live and we learn – and this is definitely a lesson that I learned the hard way!
I seek help with so many things today like professional development opportunities as a teacher and workshops as a writer. I am happy whenever anyone takes the time to offer advice…and I make an effort to express my gratitude for the advice even if I don’t agree with it.
We each can only get so far with our one wing – and while some of us may do okay with that one wing, just think of how much farther we can go and more successful we can be if we let someone help us, fly with us. And, even more beautiful than this thing of our own success, is how much we can help others when we become their second wing.
~Melissa 
09.30.08
Best writing advice
What has been the best writing advice you’ve received? Or, if you could pick one piece of advice to share with others, what would it be?
~Melissa
09.27.08
Do you write to remember?
Several posts ago I asked the question “Why do you write?” I asked this question not because it was a new question, but because there really are so many different responses for why we write. We have reasons that are different from one another, but we each also have multiple reasons of our own.
In planning lessons for my students, I try to give them as many reasons as possible to write. I hope that through these opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences that they will develop an answer to the “Why do you write?” question for themselves, as well as foster the necessary skills to write well in a variety of situations.
At the same time, I am teaching my students other concepts beyond writing itself, and can’t help but think that writing with and about the concepts will also help them to remember these other concepts. We journal, we document, we archive, we write to record information, but does the act of writing ever help you feel like you remember what you wrote about even better? Does the act of writing about something create a relationship between the writer and that thing? (I am not necessarily referring to copying or taking notes in class – though there is a correlation there – but actually generating the ideas and writing them down.) I do think/know that it does for some people and to an extent, but I am curious to know what you all think and if you have certain strategies that you use which involve writing and remembering. Please share your thoughts.
~Melissa
