Tuesday, 16 February 2016

February 16, 2016 - “Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson



“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We has a snow “storm” today. I’ll bet we had about 5 to 7 cm on the ground when I headed to school. Ottawa got something like 50 cm. Ours was followed by some freezing drizzle and the temperature made things very very slippery.

I saw two SUV’s pointed the wrong way on the road this morning. People seem to buy these vehicles and feel the vehicle will overcome the lack of driving capabilities of the owners. People can make some seriously stupid decisions.

On my way home from school I saw a land yacht in the left lane. This person must have been passing someone and their drivers side wheels caught the slush on the shoulder.  It seems the rear of the car smashed into the concrete barrier. I noticed their rear wheel about 20 meters behind the car against the barrier. The side and rear of the car all smashed up.

One of my students had been out most of the night salting. Several left class quickly to go to work to plow and salt. Work, work, work.

Adopt the pace of nature. I drove at a reasonable rate and got to school just fine and in one piece. Most did. Several students called in “snow” and said they were not comfortable driving in the conditions that were what this morning was.Good for them.

Her secret is patience. My Uncle Ralph tried to teach me patience, I learned but it took 30 years. I was not bad when I was young but then I stopped seeing my uncle regularly and I went into remission. If it rains you change plans or get wet. If it is icy stay home or drive slowly. Be patient.

I was trying to remember where I heard this but couldn’t today. I was trying to tell my students that cars and trucks and cell phones and things like that have one thing in common – they are just things. Things can be replaced. One of the students was worried about their car / truck getting smucked by an “idiot” on their way home.

I was trying to tell them that “things” are insured. “Things” can be replaced. “Things” really have no value.

What we get in life for “Free” we actually place little value in. Our life. Our heart. Our ability to dream, to teach, to love and be loved, our ability build things, to give life. All of these things we get for free are actually priceless. The “Things” we place value in are replaceable. This truck / car my student was talking about is made in the hundreds. From bits of metal and plastic.

Simon and Garfunkle said it. “Slow down you move too fast. You’ve got to make this moment last.”

Don’t die to get to work. Don’t die protecting a hunk of metal.

“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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