The unfairness...

[labelleizzy]

I take teaching jobs in San Jose because it's a fairly reliable source of work, just from the three schools I get called to work at.

It is a bit depressing though, driving through the gang and other graffiti, the constant construction on Capitol Expressway, the emotionally needy and demanding kids. =/
The schools have mandatory school uniforms. Which oscillates between being depressing and reassuring, for me...

The neighborhoods are frequently full of litter, as are the school grounds. Stuff just feels dirty.

...

I was driving back home after an early release day (the teacher I worked for has a last period prep, and the front office had proposed I was needed for coverage of someone else's classroom that period, but it didn't turn out like that).

It occurred to me as I was (gratefully!) starting on my way home, to my beautiful and somewhat well groomed home in Mountain View, a beautiful and well-groomed town, how lucky I was to be ABLE to leave that part of San Jose. To have someplace ELSE that I call home, someplace nicer, wealthier, more polite, cleaner, where the graffiti is cleaned off almost before us regular joes even see it.

Those kids don't have the option to leave.
They have to stay there, live with that, every day.
They probably don't even have much experience with the kind of beauty and calm I have been blessed to be able to start taking for granted.
EVER.

...
This realization makes me want to DO SOMETHING only I don't know what that something IS.

Comments

[aelfie.livejournal.com]

This reminds me, Njeri wants your contact info for subbing. We've had a couple of teachers sick lately

[labelleizzy.livejournal.com]

how should I deliver said information?

I have the school's email address, or do you think I should phone them during the day?

[aelfie.livejournal.com]

Why don't you send it to me in an email and I'll give it to her directly. Believe it or not I don't have your phone number.

[tara-bella.livejournal.com]

Are there any free arts programs for the children in the area that you could volunteer for? Could you start one? You could teach them how to make beauty of their own.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

start by getting yourself into good physical, emotional, and financial shape.

put your own mask on first.

[goodheartduck.livejournal.com]

I like what inflectionpoint said above. Being in condition to do something is essential. Also, being in alignment with your highest calling will promote health.

Having such wishes to make a difference in the world, I try my best to ask God/Goddess/the Universe/etc. to reveal what it is I'm to do. Being not the best at seeing such clues, I often ask for it to be made so obvious that even I can figure it out. But that's just me. YMMV.

Wishing you all the best....