Writing, War, and Words on Worldview

It's been a minute since I've blogged!  Interesting.  I'm noticing I'm doing a lot more observing than actually contributing to cyberspace lately.  Wonder why that is.  Probably, like Fran Lebowitz says, it's writer's blockade.  It's like Vietnam.  It lasts about as long.  I don't know how I got into it, and I wonder if I'll ever get out.  Yes, I think that sums it up perfectly.

Speaking of Vietnam.  I was hustling and bustling into school on Monday morning, trying to get out of the cold, when one of my students waltzed right up beside me and started walking with me while I rushed to get to the time clock.  

He started telling me about his Thanksgiving break, how he and his family went to visit relatives in Mexico, Nuevo Laredo.  He said he didn't have such a great time.  He said there were shots firing constantly down the street.  And people were throwing grenades. It was like a war.  I said, Whaaa?!  Please don't go back any time soon!  Then he proceeded to tell me they're going back for Christmas. 

Then once we made it back to the classroom and were warm and comfy in our chairs, getting ready for the day, we started talking about college.  He said he wants to major in Political Science and maybe one day become a politician.  I told him it was definitely a worthy cause and that I thought he would be a great civil servant.  He's one of a few of my students who seems to be pretty worldly and very aware of current events (which is always a welcome surprise).  So I asked him what party he thinks he would be affiliated with.

He doesn't know, he said.  He's kind of in the middle.  But if he had to pick, he might lean toward the Republican party.  I asked him why.  He said, Well, it's kind of hard to explain.  It's just that I like things to be old school.  More traditional.  And republicans seem to be more old school.

I told him that was an interesting way to look at it.  And then I told him I used to be a member of the Young Republicans in high school.  I grew up in a staunchly conservative household.  And it's interesting how a few years and a little life experience can change your outlook, especially on politics.  I told him not to worry too much about picking sides right now.  Just enjoy your time to explore and figure out what's important to you.

And then we had a conversation about how our experiences in life really shape the way we see the world, our worldviews.  And we talked about how our worldview is how we see our role in the world and how we understand our purpose, how we're to move about and live and function on this planet, usually in relation to other people.  And sometimes when we have new experiences, our worldviews can shift.  New and different things can come to light and become important to us.  And really, what affects our political affiliations more than our worldviews?  And we agreed that asking questions and seeking out the answers is a great route to figuring out what issues are important to you.

So it was a good talk.  I don't feel like it happens often enough, but I love it when I get one-on-one time with my students to talk about their lives, their families, and their ambitions.  It puts fuel in my tank that often seems to be running low in this "urban" educational environment.  Love, love, love those moments.