Finding a way for all of us to live in the present.

What a grea question.  Thank you.  The answer, my wife.

Another human being.

Short answer, no.  Long answer, does it matter?  Do I need G-d to guide my actions and words?  Do I need to belittle the unimaginable power that is the greatest unknown by naming it? 

Saw The Air Thus, Teaching Middle School Students Shakespeare Through Performance

A Prayer for Prayers
    By Christian Ely

prayers
as to ashes
smoldering
lost in
the winsome
wind

(pretty in
deceit)

falling
scattered among
the leaves
and
endless
debris
of time

(capricious
even to believers)

forgotten relics
of hope
&
wishful
thinking

(slave to
fate)

an empty
voice
sends
blessing
    alas and
    again alas
caught in
the crook
of a
tree

(even & ever
immovable)

straining to
tell(praying to)you
it makes
NO
difference

One thing?  One favorite.  It depends.  If Jane, my wife, is still in bed then it's spooning her.  If not, then it's my feet touching the cold floor.

I learned that 10 year olds need a lot of hand holding when they are writing a play.  That I should have done more readings earlier.  I learned that they need more time to write a story in dialogue form. This learning lead me to create a new exercise to help them write dialogue.  I had them take a narrative section from SHILOH and write it as a dialogue.  It was extremely effective, and they really liked the talking dog.

Children can do anything if you lead them to it the right way.  I've known that for a long time, but somehow, I forget it.   They are very good at reminding me. When they get stuck it's usually my fault. I haven't really given them a chance or the tools to be successful.  If they are disruptive or unfocused I probably haven't given them a doable task.  Other times it's because I want something from them that they are not ready to give.  For example after the read through of their play, they wanted to talk about how many lines their characters had, not about the holes in the plot.

Then I have to find creative ways to make them think about us, instead of me.

Every time I teach, the children teach me new ways to teach.  

My first thought is, "What do I want that Zaadzsters will think is worthy or cool?" 

But I'm going to go with my second thought. I'm just going to answer the question. 

What do I want?  I want to be a father.  I want to earn more money.  I want to buy a house. I want a yard and a grill.  I want a garden. I want to be a better teacher, artist, husband.  I also want self acceptance. 

I want to create a really powerful play that changes the way people look at themselves and the world.  I want to live in the bright sunlight of complete honesty.  Honesty with myself, my wife, my friends, my co-workers.  I want to learn how to be a more constructive communicator.  I want to appreciate the richness of my life as it is right now.  I want not to want. 

I want to write more poems.  Make more plays.  Make more friends. 

I also really like the Mini Cooper.  In green.  I wonder if there is any chance the will create a hybrid, convertible mini-cooper.  I'd like that. 

I'm may also want to buy THE FOUNTAIN on DVD.  What a great movie.  And the THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER.  I love Peter Greenaway. 

Hm?  What else do I want?

I saw that someone wanted the war in Iraq to end.  I want that too.  I also saw that someone wanted enlightenment.  Honestly, the thought of being enlightened scares the crap out of me.  I don't really think I want that.  But I may.

I want to have dinner with E.E. Cummings, William Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht and Jersy Growtowski. 

I want my acting student, who is off to a great start, to be successful. 

I may want to act again. But I may not.  It's been years. 

I want to ride my bike more.

I want to not have a congenital hear defect. Because I really want to climb mountains. 

I'd love to have dinner with Anne Bogart and talk to her about Integral. 

I want to create a website for myself. 

I want to get to know a lot of you better.

Those are some of the things I want.  I'm a wanter.  I also want to me a doer.  More doer, less wanter.

I seek what I have.  That sounds much more present than I probably mean it to be.  But the bottom line is I wanted and have someone who loves me for who I am.  Who supports my dreams and aspirations.  Most importantly, she makes me laugh.  A lot.  A huge, whole lot.  And for that, I am so blessed.  I don't seek. I appreciate what I have.