teachers.

I'm so inspired by teachers right now.   Like everyday I'm inspired by them!  Seriously!  I want to be a teacher--don't know if I'll go to school for it, I mean I don't think every teacher does--there's just so much teaching done in living.   Intentional existence, potent actions, fragrant living--those three are big teachers!  I've just come across so many teachers this trip--Jamie Miller, Trevor Kendall, Greg Kier, Denae Yuros, Mark Gudgel--to just name a few. Oh those are just the accredited teachers mind you.  I was taught by the woman in the hostel, by the boy in the hostel, by the man who spoke to me at of the poetry shop, by my friends hospitality, by..., by..., by..., by..., and by them too!  Soooooo many people.

I spoke at Southwest High School this morning--to a Holocaust Literature class.  They are reading Night right now--Eli Wiesel's writings about Auschwitz.  I remember reading that book in college and being deeply impacted by Elie Wiesel.  He said, "I wanted to come back to Sighet to tell you the story of my death.  So that you could prepare yourselves while there was still time.  To live?  I don't attach any importance to my life any more.  I'm alone.  No, I wanted to come back and to warn you.  And see how it is.  No one will listen to me."

Even when Elie had felt loss of all purpose in living--lost so much of what life had been composed of for him before, he still saw that being a teacher was his responsibility--was so purposeful.  And he felt like no one was listening.  Wow.

Elie won the Nobel Peace Prize the year I was born--'86, and they said that he was a "Messenger to mankind."  I think that's incredible.  I'm floored by teachers these days--so inspired.