Have you heard?

Do you know how to eat an elephant? You eat it one bite at a time. Who would want to eat an elephant? Not me! This expression isn’t literally talking about eating an elephant, although if you were, the answer would be the same. You could use this expression for just about any task that seems insurmountable, and for me, there are some weeks when it means college homework.

I love having a syllabus to work from, it gives me the big picture and for those of you who know me, I thrive on having the big picture. Anyway, I try to work ahead as far as I can. You just never know what might come up later in the week when you thought you would have the time to write a paper or read a chapter of poems, and then there is algebra…so I work ahead. However, there will be those times that no matter how much you work ahead, it seems that everything is due at the same time and you just don’t think you’ll ever get through it all on time. This is when I take one bite at a time and before I know it, I have taken a huge bite out of my “elephant” until I can actually see beyond the obstacle. And so, here I am sitting down taking a break and typing some random thoughts as I digest my “elephant”.

I shared another expression several times last week. I can’t remember the name of the mini-series I heard this from, but it was on television a few years ago and I thought it profound. The community in this movie used the expression “one drop fills the ocean” to explain how one person can make a difference. Such an insightful statement! I’m a visual person and as a teacher realize there are many others out there who are visual also. So when it comes to encouraging my fellow classmates and peers to get out and vote, because their vote can make a difference, this quote came to mind. It’s exciting to see when that light of comprehension goes on. Everyone likes to think that what they contribute to our society really does matter.