I thought I was ready to get into the swing of things after Christmas break, but I recovering from the blight of the time of the year-the flu. I feel better today, but took it pretty easy the last couple of days. I think tomorrow will be a transition day and the break ends on Wednesday.
I spent time in reflection, as best as that happen when medicated, and considered how rarely the small things in life, that make it incredible, are uplifted. I applaud human endeavours, and some of them are worthy, but forget the triumph of the unobservable. Marcie Hans provided this wonderful poem that shines a light on this dilemma.
Fueled
by a million
man-made
wings of fire-
the rocket tore a tunnel
through the sky-
and everybody cheered.
Fueled
only by a thought from God-
the seedling
urged its way
through thicknesses of black-
and as it pierced
the heavy ceiling of the soil-
and launched itself
up into outer space –
no
one
even
clapped.
–Marcie Hans
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Glad you are feeling better. The new plant growing in the sun is bringing hope for an early spring, and garden.
Thank you. I think I turned the corner today. I think that thought of sun bringing hope for an early spring helped.
Wonderfully motivating picture and thoughts for the new year. The flu has been bad this year, hope you are fully on the mend.
Elisa
Thank you Elisa. I think I turned the corner on it today.
Glad to hear you feel better. Flu has been seriously bad this year…
It has been. Usually, I am close to invincible, but this one got me.
Feel altogether soon.
I am turning the corner and one more day should get me over the hump. Thank you.
Wishing you a swift recovery!
Thank you Naomi. I think I turned the corner today and one more day will get me over the hump.
Beautiful post Ivon and poem, the poem is even nice to look at from a visual! Thank you for sharing it my friend!
You are welcome. I am glad you enjoyed it.
That flu is nasty – glad that you are on the mend!
Usually, I am almost invincible, but every now and then…
Get well soon, Ivon.
I think I am turning the corner today. Thank you Richard.
Wonderful post and poem… Happy new year, stay healthy and good luck in all your endeavours! My very best for 2013!
– – –
You have a French name… 🙂 Greetings from Toulouse, France!
Bonne chance Melanie et merci. My first language was French. I don’t speak it as much any more, but, when I travel to Quebec (we live in Western Canada), I find it comes back quickly.
Wow, your first language was French! French is my 3rd one, I’m serious. I used to live in Houston, TX(NASA-area) for 5 years and we have US friends of Québec origin: Bolduc is their name! I’ve been to Canada several times, my favourite province is British Columbia… 🙂 It seems that I have a Canadian accent in English!
A super-cool and an awesome pastor we met in Houston, TX moved out to Spokane several years ago, his name is Craig Goodwin. French friends plan to retire in Québec this year… excellent choice! 🙂 Bonne santé & amitiés toulousaines.
The world shrinks. We live in Alberta, but both have family in British Columbia. I travel to Spokane each summer to study for my doctorate. I am stalled at two languages and have to work at French although it comes back.
So sorry you were sick. 😦 Glad to hear you’re feeling better though! 🙂 Take it easy and I like your reflection of how medicated minds can work. lol!
Ha, the poem is a marvel. What a thought-provoking one! Thank you for sharing, Ian, and I hope you are getting much better soon. 🙂
Subhan Zein
Thank you Subhan. I am turning the corner.
Pleasure, Ivon. Stay healthy, my friend! 🙂 There’s a great blog for healthy lifestyle that you may be interested in reading: http://www.martinechin.com. It’s got great tips and awesome advice too.
Thank you Subhan. I will check it out.
Pleasure.. 🙂
No one claps for nature, for everyone takes it for normal .The nature does incredible feats, like lifting the earth and discovering strength to defeat death and embrace life, is what nature is about..learn from nature one lesson, be alive and ready to survive, heavier maybe the burden called life, but build a strength that has hope as it’s life.
Great observation Kalabalu. Thank you for the comment.
thank you 🙂
Get well–the flu seems to be hitting a lot of people this year.
Thank you TBM. I think I have turned the corner.
Excellent. Poem. All the Best.
Thank you Lvsrao, Take care.
What a wonderful poem that you are sharing, here, Ivon. Thank you!
Please continue to take good care of yourself and have a good recovery!
Thank you Stefanie.
Great observation! Perhaps there are simply so many such miracles all around us every day that the miraculous appears as commonplace and unseen as water does to a fish–until it is removed fom the water.
Russ
Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Wonderful… flu gives one time to meditate
It certainly did in this case.
The positive aspect of illness!
Ivon. Hoping you’re back to health. I have been perusing the pics you have taken around Edmonton and Northern Alberta. Great shots. Thank you.
I travel up to see my daughter in Beaumont every week or so usually during the day. One day during the very cold snap we had it was just as the sun was setting and the light shining through the frost covered trees left a sparkle as though they were decorated for the Christmas season. I am always leaving my camera behind. I’m sure you have seen this also, any pics?
I tried a couple of times and I must tell you it is tricky. By the time I got pulled over and set up, the sun had shifted enough to lose the shot. It is so different in the shorter days of winter than in the summer. Kathy and I took pictures just outside of Waterton Lake National Park last summer and were able to take several with little change. I will keep trying and hopefully I will get one of those great shots.
Thank you so much for commenting and visiting.
Happy to see you’re well enough to drop by. Take care.
I have turned the corner. I was hungry today so that is a good sign. I think.
Ivon-I tried Mucinex this time for my 2nd bout with the flu this year. It seemed to help me but, I also stayed in bed, drank fluids and actually didn’t exercise each day. I think your supposed to change just one variable when you experiment.
Well-you wrote a wonderful poem so, something good came out of the flu-time!
Thank you. I did more of the rest and staying in bed. I use tea, lemon, and honey as a regular home remedy mixed with some over the counter medication.
Take care.
Reblogged this on James' World.