The Walk

Every day I and my two dogs take a 30-40 minute walk together. We enjoy the nature around us, even though we live in the city. I do some thinking and we just enjoy our exercise. I live near a high school and along the side of the high school is a sidewalk about two blocks long amidst big oak and hickory trees. It is shady and beautiful. We often start out our walk this way. Today we saw something new on our walk.

The Class

A teacher was leading her class out to a grove of trees to listen to her lecture. As I and my dogs approached, two students asked if they could pet my dogs. I looked over at the teacher who was hesitant at first, but the students were determined so I said yes. Then about 3/4 of the class came over to pet my dogs. Everyone was in heaven, including the dogs. After a couple of minutes the teacher called her students back. As we walked by them, I asked what the lesson was for the day. She said it was about the transcendentalists. I said something that made her think I was a teacher. I told her I was a professor. She perked up and asked what lesson the students could have learned from their time with my dogs. I said, “Acceptance, tolerance and the beauty of differences.” The teacher said that was beautiful and the students, all smiles, clapped for us. My heart was filled with joy and memories of my own time in the classroom in the past.

The Lesson

So what lesson did I learn from this experience? When you have two or more people together, everyone receives their own lesson. I was reminded of how much I appreciated my time as a teacher of young people. I remember the exhilarating feelings I used to feel when my students were excited about what we were doing or an idea that was presented in my classes. My lesson was that I am a teacher at heart. I learn from my students as much as they learn from my message. I am developing some classes now and this was a burst of inspiration and excitement to keep creating. This all from a walk with my dogs in a grove of trees where we came upon a group of teens in class. I am so grateful for that moment and the reminder of a valuable passion in my life.

Until next time, Love. Connect. Transform.