Once upon a time, there was a child who was living like an adult. The child had kept on living like an adult until he’d realized that something, or better, someone was calling him to a different life.
Thus the child started wandering around trying to listen better and to figure where this voice was coming from and whose was that voice. He had been struggling for years, decades stumbling upon “not-my-call-choices” he had made: living for working instead of the other way around, childhood companion taken for wife, places he longed seeing not seen and place not to be seen, seen . As the time was passing and child was encumbered and weighed down, life also was passing by. Too many bells not heard and too many sunset not seen started engraving his life backward, in some way. Child started talking with the adult he was mimicking, yet no answer manifest. Child had started becoming upset and annoyed and still adult wouldn’t explain anything. Till one day, that day, when the adult took child’s hand firmly yet gently and showing him the door, he said “here we are. Time is over for me to let you go “. “Where to?” was the answer from an astonished child.
“Right where you showed me, all along these years”
The 60 years old child seemed relieved, as he never felt in his life; he had not a clue as to what that sentence had meant, if it meant anything at all; neither he cared. He left the adult’s hand and while walking out through the door, he was moved as he had been probably just few times in his past 60 years; he had the very sharp, real and fulfilling sense of accomplishment.
Child and adult never met again since that day, but they both kept thinking very deeply and lovingly of each other every single day of their lives.
Pedagogic Journey
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink
Early 90’s, Middle East crisis. Bush struggling to get people support to invade Iraq. People don’t see this as a right war. Few days later, a breaking news shows a “nurse from Kuwait” claiming that she witnessed hundreds of children slaughtered in their cradles in a Kuwait hospital by Iraqi Army. Anger and indignation raged extraordinarily among US people and in few days act to invade IRAQI was approved almost unanimously by US parliament. The nurse from Kuwait was the Kuwait ambassador’s daughter. Nothing of what she claimed was true. Not a word.
Vietnam war: US army massacre in My Lai. Hugh Thompson Jr, an U.S.helicopter pilot saved a group of local civilians threatening his comrades to fire on them if they hadn’t ceased immediately fire
Two stories among thousand which should teach us all about danger of manipulation and how “us vs them” theory could turn people’s live entirely upside down
So, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. We as human we’ll continue to see and hear what others want us to see and hear. Unless and until we take control on our own lives.
Pedagogic Journey
And here we are, again! Our journey continues heading to Flensburg, Germany. In May 2020 (15th till 19th), we will accompany Italian team throughout the beauty of the very first Forest Kindergarten in Germany.
Petra and I we will not be alone during this experience as Paolo Mai, co-founder of the Italian forest kindergarten “Asilo nel Bosco” in Rome will join us. During these five extraordinary days, Italian Team will have the opportunity to visit Flensburg FK and also the Beach Kindergarten, close to Flensburg. Experience sharing, round table and most importantly community time will represent an unique opportunity for teacher, parents and concerned people to deepen their knowledge and confidence in the realm of the Education in Nature. See you soon in Flensburg!
Petra and Lorenzo