I re-blogged Distraction and Love yesterday. John posted it originally at What is Real True Love? He followed up to comment and left a long, wonderful comment with quotes. What distracts us? I only ask and answer that question when I have the space and solitude. It is in those moments that I can hold my questions and have enough compassion to receive the answers. I was led to this passage by Walt Whitman from John’s comments. I gently question my facts and truths, learned throughout my life in the quiet of meditation and prayer.
I love his beard and hair. When I grow up, I might look like him. I hope to find the wisdom Whitman spoke of so eloquently. Enjoy.
“Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote you income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take your hat off to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul your very flesh shall be a great poem.”
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
Teacher as Transformer 
Thank you for sharing Whitman’a wisdom! Have a nice weekend!
You are welcome Amy. Enjoy.
And I love your post. And I love the way Whitman’s words sings the body electric!!!
Excellent post!!
Thank you!
All the best.
Shane
Thank you Shane. Take care and enjoy.
Thoughtful post! Thanks for sharing, Ivon 🙂 Have a nice weekend 🙂
You are welcome Marsha. Enjoy.
One of my favorite Whitman passages. Your desire to look like him when you get older makes me smile..
I had forgotten how wild and unruly he looked. I need a hat to fill out the look, but I am working on it.
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
I like this quote from Walt. Thanks for sharing yours 🙂
It is a beautiful reminder that shadows still exist but there is a way to deal with them.
Good tips in that list.
They truly are and I suspect the list is only a beginning.
I’ll await the Whitman look!
It is coming. The beard and hair need a bit more white, but I am close with the wild look.
😉
I love Walt Whitman far too much!
There is a lot to like about Walt Whitman. I am working on the look. The hair and beard are close. I need a hat and to write poetry like he did.
Haha I must admit I do see something of a resemblance! I find with Whitman that reading his poems is as exciting as they must have been to write; his clarity conceals the vast amount of ideas you can take from him. And thank you for the kind comment on my blog!
You are welcome.
Please accept this award
Tagged In – Blog Nomination
http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/tagged-in-blog-nomination/
Thank you
Shaun
Thank you Shaun. I will be attending to awards next week.
Thanks for accepting. And I look forward to reading..
Shaun