the apathy and the pathos and the mean ugly witch
today, sitting in a classroom at the highschool i drew witches, and pondered this problem with rampant apathy. how is it, that a group of kids in period two can be so curious and filled with inquisition, while the next thirty kids who stumble in seem as though life is a dark and miserable place? what amazes me most amongst the latter group, is the utter lack of interest in anything...not only are they disinterested in the film {which was actually rather interesting by the opinions of most, as it dealt with the rampant fear-mongering present in present day media} but they seem disinterested in their peers, music, me, their teacher, everything. i'm still rather perplexed by this. so much so, that i find myself feeling rather depressed by their lack of curiosity, and the black cloud that seems to follow them, floating gracelessly overhead. they didn't even express any real interest in what the weekend was to bring. can life outside of the classroom really be that dull?
but alas, i should somehow drop their woes, whatever they may be, and focus on the pathos of the few who thanked me for being there today...several in each class. the two girls, who followed me out at the end of the day, telling me that much to the chagrin of their parents, one wants to paint and draw and the other wants to write. i suppose in some way, if i can effect even two of these people out there, that i have done my job, for in some way teaching is just a matter of guiding people to their own hearts. if an artist you believe yourself to be, i will push you and push you and push you, for there is only sadness in trying to escape such a plight. if it is in you, run to it with reckless abandon. i guess i grow frustrated by the apathy, because the stone walls surrounding their innermost desires seem impenetrable.
so i draw witches. a series of them, of which there will be more. indeed. i ride my bike home, wondering if fall will ever arrive, for the names of the seasons mean little without the change of air and the light. i come home and record christian's drum kit, which he left at my house some time ago, a fact that keri bemoans. i long for a beer, and the shadows of a windy and cold evening. i listen to the neighbor's dog howl, crying out his lonely sorrows. i throw a cookie over the fence. i turn on the stereo, and hear the room flood. sigur ros again. the delicate muse whom i can't stop loving, whose taste never really leaves the mouth. e....sai...ooooooo.
Posted by jeff pitcher at October 7, 2005 04:50 PM
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"throw a cookie over the fence..." I love this. It seems like the saddest, smallest, and most hopeful thing in the world to do.
Posted by: an awfully serious girl at October 8, 2005 12:31 AM
Now you know that Penelope (of Penelope Illustration and Illustration Friday fame) is hosting a witch-drawing project/contest, don't you? The first batch is up on the site, and I'm sure she'll get many more. They're all very cool. Yours would make a great addition.
As for the apathy, lest I get going on this subject, I'll just say that I often find myself praying for people like the kids you describe (... since it's only something I see in kids, but adults of all ages, too). I pray that something somewhere along the way will spark them awake to what they're missing (... out of passion and not crisis, hopefully, though sadly it's usually more often the later).
I have a 19-year-old son who is now a junior at the Art Institute of New England, majoring in audio production (wants to be a music producer or have a live production company). He is so very talented, but I must I think something about the educational system (particularly in junior high and high school) and in the youth sports system were turnoffs to him ... he was also very talented athletically but got turned off, I think, by the competitive pressure and some of the coaches' approaches. He graduated high school in three years and headed off to college, starting off as a multimedia & web design major, then decided after the first year to switch to audio and he just loves it. He loves the teachers (... they seem to draw a good batch, and many of his have been or are professional musicians or producers, etc.), the creative environment, and the great resources and equipment at the school. They actually run a commercial recording label at the school, which is pretty cool, and he just got an internshship at Woolly Mammoth studios in Boston, which is supposed to be a very good place. Anyway ... looks I went on anyway ... just wanted to say that you're doing good work and that if you can inspire and support even one kid into pursuing their heart's desire, then you've overachieved. Teachers make all the difference, I think, and from the little I've read of your blog, you've got the kind of passion and sensivity to really make a difference in some kids' lives ... you won't 'help' all of them, but you are already guiding some in wonderful ways. Don't let the system or the apathetic kids drain that out of you.
Posted by: maria at October 10, 2005 09:17 AM
p.s. ... this is what happens when you type too fast ...
I forgot to leave the URL for Penelope's draw-a-witch contest: http://penelopeillustration.com/projects/halloween2005/home.html
And what I meant to say is that it's NOT only in kids that I see that apathy, but also in adults of all ages ... left the NOT out.
... and there was another extra word or two in there ... must slow down next time :-)
Posted by: maria at October 10, 2005 09:21 AM
