Invitation to a Brave Space

Even though we are no longer in a brick-and-mortar classroom like we were earlier in the semester, how can we continue to nurture a brave space where we can keep learning together and being our authentic selves in the process?


We do what we have always done. We show our scars. We admit and speak about the wounds we have caused. We talk about from where we have derived our purpose or our why. We preach tolerance and love. We model tolerance and love. No, we model acceptance, not just tolerance. We acknowledge the inhumanity of human beings, but we also search for the humanity we wish to find. We urge each other and ourselves to share that Brave Space.

Encounter BY CZESLAW MILOSZ

Encounter

BY CZESLAW MILOSZ

TRANSLATED BY CZESLAW MILOSZ AND LILLIAN VALLEE

We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.

A red wing rose in the darkness.

And suddenly a hare ran across the road.

One of us pointed to it with his hand.

That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,

Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.

O my love, where are they, where are they going

The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.

I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.

                                                         Wilno, 1936

The poet, Czeslaw Milosz lived through the greatest upheavals of the 20th century, WWI, WWII, the creation of the USSR. He was not just an observer, but a deeply moral man who acted on his convictions. All his poetry resonates with me because I respect how he lived his life and his experiences are reflected in his poetry. To me, this poem speaks to impermanence, mindfulness, and joy. We are here, the man the hare, the gesture- then we are gone, but they were there and that gestured occurred. But now they are gone-impermanent. But still, our poet mindfully remembers that moment and obviously was mindfully present for that moment if he could remember it in such detail. And more than any other element in this poem the joy resonates in this poem. The joy that life is and part of that joy is that life is impermanent. We are here, we live, we suffer, and we have moments of joy. And we wonder constantly- who are we- what is our journey-when will it end, and for me, the least important question is what comes after this life. But for many including the poet- this question of what comes after this life is a question full of wonder

Onward -Elena Aguilar

Onward -Elena Aguilar

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Wait for it...think about it before responding ...never, in my vet teacher opinion, has there been a truer statement. And this is where Ms. Aguiliar believes we build resilience in this space. Do you agree? She goes on to state as educators, this moment between stimulus and response is our most important opportunity. How do we react to the multitude of exchanges, incidents, and interactions we have every day with students, colleagues, and administrators?

 Shared definitions encourage clarity, according to our author, resilience is how we weather the storms in our lives and rebound after something difficult. My definition is similar but different- resilience is the strength to endure the suffering of life while simultaneously savoring those moments of joys and connection. How we respond. How we interpret. How we perceive an interaction-this is our source of power, our source of resilience.

How do we build resilience? One way is to understand ourselves better. It has taken me a lifetime to know myself, just a bit. I had an open-minded, justice- fighting, emotionally voracious, radically loving, and aware mother, but we are still products of our setting, of our time and place. I grew up in a trying to be integrated Chicago of the late ’60s and ’70s. A place where white women were still expected to be nice and non-confrontational at all costs.  Knowing oneself was not the be-all or end-all of that era. But what was clear to me after a childhood of privilege and with a mother of action was that if I didn’t find my purpose, I would flounder. Being aware of these cultural constructs helps me feel proud- patriotic about my sociopolitical identity and values, but also helps steer me away from being a nationalist where I place my beliefs and values above others. 

Another obstacle to knowing ourselves can be the dominant culture; it can be difficult to distinguish between the ways the DC is influencing you and the influences from parents, friends, teachers, etc. which you wish to absorb. Because of the inequities, I saw all around me between women and men, between rich and poor, between black and white, between home-owners and the homeless- I determined that I needed to serve- as ridiculous as that sounds this is me being vulnerable. This is why I am a teacher-oh, yeah and I like teenagers.

Knowing oneself is a lifetime journey, and I do agree with the author that getting to know oneself is the key to determining your purpose, your why. “ Purposefulness is a key trait of the resilient.” Another way of building resiliency is understanding emotions- knowing how to name and harness the energy of your own emotions and other’s emotions. There are so many layers to analyze when talking about emotions and building resiliency through emotional knowledge. Understanding the cycle of emotions is helpful. Also, certain basic emotions could be examined in detail, so as to gain a greater understanding.  The author uses anger as an example, “Befriend anger so we can understand it and use it.” When considering anger or sadness, one may look at both and sometimes choose not to be vulnerable and embrace the anger instead of the sadness that is just below the surface. The author makes a plea for us to reclaim our emotions and use them in our classrooms to empower students ourselves. How will we do this?