Zig Zag Pathways
Walking after a fresh snowfall this morning, I felt like I was the first out to enjoy the morning until I came upon interesting tracks. It didn't take me long to picture who had been out before me, as a zig zag pathway intersected with straight footprints along the sidewalk. I pictured a dog wandering off to each side as new things caught his eye, while the leash kept pulling him back to the sidewalk. It reminded me of an interesting conversation at school last week.
It you were to walk into our school during the month of December, the hall would be solely lit by outdoor coloured lights that have been suspended from the ceiling in a continuous zig zag pathway end to end. The first time the Grade one's walked under the lights, I challenged them to see if they could walk in a straight line while looking at the lights in the zig zag path on the ceiling. As I looked behind, most children were wandering as they walked. The second time we tried it, interesting conversation resulted. One girl said it was hard to think about walking straight when everyone else around her was zig zagging. Another boy anounced that he had found the way to do it; you just have to look at the lights at the end of the hall and then you can walk in a straight line! I told him in 10 years when he was driving, he'd be able to keep the car straight on the road even when it curved.
Now as I mull over that insight and make connections to life, I recognize the distractions that will always cause wanderings away from my goals. Whether I am trying to lose weight, trying to stay positive or trying to keep teaching what is truly important, the distractions will always be with me. The only way to stay focussed is to keep my eye on the distant goal and make small choices with that end in mind.
It you were to walk into our school during the month of December, the hall would be solely lit by outdoor coloured lights that have been suspended from the ceiling in a continuous zig zag pathway end to end. The first time the Grade one's walked under the lights, I challenged them to see if they could walk in a straight line while looking at the lights in the zig zag path on the ceiling. As I looked behind, most children were wandering as they walked. The second time we tried it, interesting conversation resulted. One girl said it was hard to think about walking straight when everyone else around her was zig zagging. Another boy anounced that he had found the way to do it; you just have to look at the lights at the end of the hall and then you can walk in a straight line! I told him in 10 years when he was driving, he'd be able to keep the car straight on the road even when it curved.
Now as I mull over that insight and make connections to life, I recognize the distractions that will always cause wanderings away from my goals. Whether I am trying to lose weight, trying to stay positive or trying to keep teaching what is truly important, the distractions will always be with me. The only way to stay focussed is to keep my eye on the distant goal and make small choices with that end in mind.
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