The Dash I have read this many times and I feel it is an important reminder to me. It reminds me that life is short, you never know when your number is up. I had a couple of good friends die, much too young. Before they died, they talked about the uncertainty of how much time they had. They both had cancer and knew they were not going to pull through. Even if you are not sick with a disease, your last day could be tomorrow! You could get killed in an accident, or drop dead while going about your daily routine. We all should remember to live like today could be our last, and we would live differently. We would be more positive and try to experience all that we could out of life.
A number of years ago, I took a class that was taught by a psychologist. There were people in the class that were talking about their stresses in life. One newlywed talked about her challenge of keeping the house clean. One man talked about earning enough money to buy that car he had dreamed of. We had a couple of students in the class that their obvious focus on life was they way they looked and the way they dressed. We got in to a great discussion about our death. We were to pretend that we were looking down on the people attending our visitation. We as the deceased could hear all what was being said about us. We were to discuss as a group, what we would like people to say about us. There were some empty stares at first. Some people said what they would want to hear, but a couple honestly admitted that what they wanted to hear was not the focus of their life. This discussion stuck with me, and when I can do something nice for someone or make someone feel good about something, it really makes me feel good. It gives back in a way you can’t measure by money or looks, but a very good feeling in your heart and an emotional surge. Giving genuine praise to people and students that we are with everyday, will not only make us feel good, but we will know that others will describe us the way we would be proud to have spent the time between the dates….the dash.
Wow! This was a very powerful message; one that we should remind ourselves of often if not daily. This reminded me of a song that points out that what is really important . . is not who we know or what we have, but rather how we live. This is so very true. Even if our goal in life is to be "happy" or teach our children well, this is also where our focus should be. If we can learn to smile more, appreciate those around us,and "build-up" those who most need it, we will certainly leave a more lasting "dash".
I am guilty of taking life way too seriously- even with friends and family. I often try to tell myself to realx and enjoy life a bit more. I know I am too serious. When I give myself a pep talk and am aware that I want to appear relaxed and want to have fun when out with friends, I do well. I just don't want to pass on and have that be the main thing people remember about me. It is so hard to change, even when you know it's a good change for your well-being. I am a very happy person inside, I just have to learn to show it on the outside. I want people to know I care and can have fun. My girlfriend just turned 32, has 3 kids under the age of 7 and is undergoing chemo and radiation because of breast cancer. In a short time, I have tried to stay positive and think more positive for her sake. It has carried over in all areas for me. I am really trying to look at life differently and I do have to admit it is because I look at her and think, "She is only 32. She is going through all of this and keeps telling everyone she will be okay. She is so positive. I think she will be okay because she thinks that way." She inspires me.
I actually heard about the father and son when I saw them on Oprah and just remember feeling so overwhelmed with how much they both give/benefit EACH OTHER. It always reminds me not only to be grateful for what I have (friends, family, health, a wonderful job, living each day, etc.) but also how a postive attitude and out look on life means SO MUCH! To me, little else matters other than feeling loved and giving love.
Goose bumps and tears! It is so amazing what a person can do with the right attitude. My best friend has a Melting Pot restaurant and at one of their national meeting Dick Hoyt spoke. She told me all about them a year ago and how moving it was. She said it changed her life. I believed it did. This fall she lost her 22-year-old son in a car accident. The first thing she did was called the organ donation person. She had remarkable strength through it all. She would mention the Hoyt’s and say she was so thankful she knew their story because it made her appreciate all the wonderful times she had with her son. A week ago her grandson was born. It is very sad that he will never know his dad but he will have a grandmother who will love him more that he will ever know. Our life is just a dash. I shared the story with my first graders because they came in when I was reading it. I asked them what they thought and they said, “That dad gets a Whale Done!”
I am a closet writer so I look for symbolism and meaning in written words. The message in print in this remarkable piece is that, the smallest of symbols on your keyboard, can be the total sum of your existence.
While studying George Washington Carver, my third graders were concerned that his actual birth year is unknown. You often see a year with a question mark. This amazes them because they have a hard time understanding how a person may not know the year of his birth. He was born a slave and this was often the case. As we read more about this great man in class, that question mark seems less important to them. Tomorrow, I will point out to them that the truly significant punctuation of his life is the dash between the first year and the last.
My life is not as storied as Mr. Carver’s and I do know the year of my birth (although I am getting less inclined to share that information!), but the same holds true for me. I am the contents of a dash. In that small horizontal gash in granite will lie all that I have stood for, strived for, failed at, and loved. I have always felt that my lot in life was not to be the one who makes famed accomplishments, but to be one of the influences in the life a famous “accomplisher”. Hopefully, that will be my dash.
I enjoyed reading everybody's comments, particularly Lindal's with her sharing with her 1st graders and their comment.
I look forward to using this, adding it to my repertoire of motivational tools as well as an addition of the way I want to live my life. (Thanks, Sharon, for speaking of your experiences in your psych class.)
I think of the amount of student-athletes I have influenced over the past 11 years, and I recall using a song by Cher, (Turn Back Time), to motivate one of my state qualifying girls' tennis teams. I think I've found another, yet different, way to keep the real focus of life, rather than just the need to win, both for myself and my athletes!
If we are truly to deliver Whale Done experiences, this is the type of motto we ought to live by.
Dick and Rick Hoyts’ story is the one that made Sharon feel guilty about not throwing the football with her son. “The Dash” is the one that makes me feel guilty about things like working too much or losing my patience and raising my voice. I am blessed with an amazing husband and four beautiful children, and they are my first priority. But I also work hard to be a good teacher… and a good friend… and a good person in general… There just isn’t enough time in a day to be everything to everybody all the time, so I try to find peace knowing in I’m doing the best I can do. On a lighter note, “The Dash” also made me think, “I’ve really got to get the house picked up.” Now I know that’s not in the spirit of the poem. But if I die tomorrow (knock on wood), no one is allowed in my house!! Ha, ha (not really).
What a perfect ending for this class. I have noticed that, throughout this class, I have become more positive and I hope that it is a trait I can continue with. This poem made me think that I do need to continue with that positivity, not only for my sake, but for everyone's sake around me! I know that life is too short to spend it being mad about who gets to work on time, who doesn't want to participate in a school penny drive and get ice cream thrown at them, or make it your own personal job to make another teacher miserable (these are all things that are currently happening at my school- NOT BY ME, mind you, they are just happening...). If the teachers who are using up all their energy worrying about silly things like this, they are not doing what they need to be doing- like being positive for their students, families, even themselves! I find that using my Whale Done approach to life had really helped me to start to focus on the more important issues in my life- not the silly business that can sometimes drag you down.
I was very moved by this video. We think of our own mortality when someone close to us dies. We hope we have left some good part of ourselves for others to remember. With my Mom’s hospitalization, this has really come home to me. To this day thoughts of my Dad still make me smile. At his funeral many people talked of the positive influence he had on their lives. I hope I make enough of an impression that I can make someone smile when they think of me.
I haven't seen the video of the Dash before but have read it. I think this truly relates to this class because it makes us think about how we want to be remembered as a person. To go along with this we think about how we want to be remembered as a teacher. I think a lot of people go into teaching because they had a teacher or teachers that made a strong influence in their life through positive interactions. If we want to be that kind of teacher to the students we have now we have to keep in mind how our attitudes can make a difference in the long run.
My dad used to tell me when I was growing up that I should do something nice for someone else every day but not let them know who did it. He used to say that it wasn't the best thing you could do if the person knew you had done it. Hopefully, then the others would do the same. I've lived with that goal for a long time. However, with the tenets in this book, one can see how much faster the positive would spread. Hopefully, I can stay genuine with my comments.
This video and message really struck me. Thinking of that dash and how much it represents in our lives is very moving. The readings in this course and the comments and the little extras all made me sit back and think about what I hope to accomplish in my life - and this is to make a positive difference in people's lives. I want to be remembered for the little things that I did for my family, friends, colleagues and students. I just need to remember what the extra smile, "hello," hug, compliment, etc can do to brighten a person's day, and in turn brighten my day.
14 comments:
The Dash
I have read this many times and I feel it is an important reminder to me.
It reminds me that life is short, you never know when your number is up. I had a couple of good friends die, much too young. Before they died, they talked about the uncertainty of how much time they had. They both had cancer and knew they were not going to pull through. Even if you are not sick with a disease, your last day could be tomorrow! You could get killed in an accident, or drop dead while going about your daily routine. We all should remember to live like today could be our last, and we would live differently. We would be more positive and try to experience all that we could out of life.
A number of years ago, I took a class that was taught by a psychologist. There were people in the class that were talking about their stresses in life. One newlywed talked about her challenge of keeping the house clean. One man talked about earning enough money to buy that car he had dreamed of. We had a couple of students in the class that their obvious focus on life was they way they looked and the way they dressed.
We got in to a great discussion about our death. We were to pretend that we were looking down on the people attending our visitation. We as the deceased could hear all what was being said about us. We were to discuss as a group, what we would like people to say about us. There were some empty stares at first. Some people said what they would want to hear, but a couple honestly admitted that what they wanted to hear was not the focus of their life.
This discussion stuck with me, and when I can do something nice for someone or make someone feel good about something, it really makes me feel good. It gives back in a way you can’t measure by money or looks, but a very good feeling in your heart and an emotional surge.
Giving genuine praise to people and students that we are with everyday, will not only make us feel good, but we will know that others will describe us the way we would be proud to have spent the time between the dates….the dash.
Wow! This was a very powerful message; one that we should remind ourselves of often if not daily. This reminded me of a song that points out that what is really important . . is not who we know or what we have, but rather how we live. This is so very true. Even if our goal in life is to be "happy" or teach our children well, this is also where our focus should be. If we can learn to smile more, appreciate those around us,and "build-up" those who most need it, we will certainly leave a more lasting "dash".
I am guilty of taking life way too seriously- even with friends and family. I often try to tell myself to realx and enjoy life a bit more. I know I am too serious. When I give myself a pep talk and am aware that I want to appear relaxed and want to have fun when out with friends, I do well. I just don't want to pass on and have that be the main thing people remember about me. It is so hard to change, even when you know it's a good change for your well-being. I am a very happy person inside, I just have to learn to show it on the outside. I want people to know I care and can have fun. My girlfriend just turned 32, has 3 kids under the age of 7 and is undergoing chemo and radiation because of breast cancer. In a short time, I have tried to stay positive and think more positive for her sake. It has carried over in all areas for me. I am really trying to look at life differently and I do have to admit it is because I look at her and think, "She is only 32. She is going through all of this and keeps telling everyone she will be okay. She is so positive. I think she will be okay because she thinks that way." She inspires me.
I actually heard about the father and son when I saw them on Oprah and just remember feeling so overwhelmed with how much they both give/benefit EACH OTHER. It always reminds me not only to be grateful for what I have (friends, family, health, a wonderful job, living each day, etc.) but also how a postive attitude and out look on life means SO MUCH! To me, little else matters other than feeling loved and giving love.
Goose bumps and tears! It is so amazing what a person can do with the right attitude. My best friend has a Melting Pot restaurant and at one of their national meeting Dick Hoyt spoke. She told me all about them a year ago and how moving it was. She said it changed her life. I believed it did. This fall she lost her 22-year-old son in a car accident. The first thing she did was called the organ donation person. She had remarkable strength through it all. She would mention the Hoyt’s and say she was so thankful she knew their story because it made her appreciate all the wonderful times she had with her son. A week ago her grandson was born. It is very sad that he will never know his dad but he will have a grandmother who will love him more that he will ever know. Our life is just a dash.
I shared the story with my first graders because they came in when I was reading it. I asked them what they thought and they said, “That dad gets a Whale Done!”
I am a closet writer so I look for symbolism and meaning in written words. The message in print in this remarkable piece is that, the smallest of symbols on your keyboard, can be the total sum of your existence.
While studying George Washington Carver, my third graders were concerned that his actual birth year is unknown. You often see a year with a question mark. This amazes them because they have a hard time understanding how a person may not know the year of his birth. He was born a slave and this was often the case. As we read more about this great man in class, that question mark seems less important to them. Tomorrow, I will point out to them that the truly significant punctuation of his life is the dash between the first year and the last.
My life is not as storied as Mr. Carver’s and I do know the year of my birth (although I am getting less inclined to share that information!), but the same holds true for me. I am the contents of a dash. In that small horizontal gash in granite will lie all that I have stood for, strived for, failed at, and loved. I have always felt that my lot in life was not to be the one who makes famed accomplishments, but to be one of the influences in the life a famous “accomplisher”. Hopefully, that will be my dash.
I enjoyed reading everybody's comments, particularly Lindal's with her sharing with her 1st graders and their comment.
I look forward to using this, adding it to my repertoire of motivational tools as well as an addition of the way I want to live my life. (Thanks, Sharon, for speaking of your experiences in your psych class.)
I think of the amount of student-athletes I have influenced over the past 11 years, and I recall using a song by Cher, (Turn Back Time), to motivate one of my state qualifying girls' tennis teams. I think I've found another, yet different, way to keep the real focus of life, rather than just the need to win, both for myself and my athletes!
If we are truly to deliver Whale Done experiences, this is the type of motto we ought to live by.
Dick and Rick Hoyts’ story is the one that made Sharon feel guilty about not throwing the football with her son. “The Dash” is the one that makes me feel guilty about things like working too much or losing my patience and raising my voice. I am blessed with an amazing husband and four beautiful children, and they are my first priority. But I also work hard to be a good teacher… and a good friend… and a good person in general… There just isn’t enough time in a day to be everything to everybody all the time, so I try to find peace knowing in I’m doing the best I can do. On a lighter note, “The Dash” also made me think, “I’ve really got to get the house picked up.” Now I know that’s not in the spirit of the poem. But if I die tomorrow (knock on wood), no one is allowed in my house!! Ha, ha (not really).
What a perfect ending for this class. I have noticed that, throughout this class, I have become more positive and I hope that it is a trait I can continue with. This poem made me think that I do need to continue with that positivity, not only for my sake, but for everyone's sake around me! I know that life is too short to spend it being mad about who gets to work on time, who doesn't want to participate in a school penny drive and get ice cream thrown at them, or make it your own personal job to make another teacher miserable (these are all things that are currently happening at my school- NOT BY ME, mind you, they are just happening...). If the teachers who are using up all their energy worrying about silly things like this, they are not doing what they need to be doing- like being positive for their students, families, even themselves! I find that using my Whale Done approach to life had really helped me to start to focus on the more important issues in my life- not the silly business that can sometimes drag you down.
I was very moved by this video. We think of our own mortality when someone close to us dies. We hope we have left some good part of ourselves for others to remember. With my Mom’s hospitalization, this has really come home to me. To this day thoughts of my Dad still make me smile. At his funeral many people talked of the positive influence he had on their lives. I hope I make enough of an impression that I can make someone smile when they think of me.
I haven't seen the video of the Dash before but have read it. I think this truly relates to this class because it makes us think about how we want to be remembered as a person. To go along with this we think about how we want to be remembered as a teacher. I think a lot of people go into teaching because they had a teacher or teachers that made a strong influence in their life through positive interactions. If we want to be that kind of teacher to the students we have now we have to keep in mind how our attitudes can make a difference in the long run.
My dad used to tell me when I was growing up that I should do something nice for someone else every day but not let them know who did it. He used to say that it wasn't the best thing you could do if the person knew you had done it. Hopefully, then the others would do the same. I've lived with that goal for a long time. However, with the tenets in this book, one can see how much faster the positive would spread. Hopefully, I can stay genuine with my comments.
This video and message really struck me. Thinking of that dash and how much it represents in our lives is very moving. The readings in this course and the comments and the little extras all made me sit back and think about what I hope to accomplish in my life - and this is to make a positive difference in people's lives. I want to be remembered for the little things that I did for my family, friends, colleagues and students. I just need to remember what the extra smile, "hello," hug, compliment, etc can do to brighten a person's day, and in turn brighten my day.
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