Herman Hesse, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, author of Siddhartha, died on August 9, 1962
I read Siddhartha when I was 16 years of age. Siddhartha left home to find enlightenment. I liked the book very much but had no idea when I read it that I, too, would sacrifice a lot to search.
And so, it was as part of this search that I took a seminar a couple of days ago, the Op Ed Project. Although I published a number of letters to the editor in major Chicago newspapers, I had always felt intimidated to submit an Op Ed piece.
It was uplifting to spend the day with 20 other really smart women all of whom are dedicated to make a difference in the world. We started with a morning exercise of learning how to introduce ourselves powerfully in a professional setting. This activity was very tough for all of us. I have always been uncomfortable marketing myself believing that my work should speak for itself. What surprised me most about this exercise was how many women left out the most important accomplishments.
Later the seminar facilitator broke an Op Ed down into different parts. This approach was very effective. When I taught 7th grade Math and we came to a concept my students found difficult, I broke the task into smaller steps and had my students apply the skills before we went onto the next step. What had been a daunting task became doable and fun.
But by 2 pm my neck, back and arms hurt a great deal. By the time I got home the pain in my neck was really bad. I had to sleep for over 10 hours and take a long warm bath. It depressed me to think that I can’t even take a one day class without going through so much pain and taking a step backwards. The next day my hips hurt a lot, too. Because this class comes to Chicago only once per year, I took it but it was the only one day class I took in years. Just have to continue living with my limitations and be grateful for what I can do.
I read Siddhartha when I was 16 years of age. Siddhartha left home to find enlightenment. I liked the book very much but had no idea when I read it that I, too, would sacrifice a lot to search.
And so, it was as part of this search that I took a seminar a couple of days ago, the Op Ed Project. Although I published a number of letters to the editor in major Chicago newspapers, I had always felt intimidated to submit an Op Ed piece.
It was uplifting to spend the day with 20 other really smart women all of whom are dedicated to make a difference in the world. We started with a morning exercise of learning how to introduce ourselves powerfully in a professional setting. This activity was very tough for all of us. I have always been uncomfortable marketing myself believing that my work should speak for itself. What surprised me most about this exercise was how many women left out the most important accomplishments.
Later the seminar facilitator broke an Op Ed down into different parts. This approach was very effective. When I taught 7th grade Math and we came to a concept my students found difficult, I broke the task into smaller steps and had my students apply the skills before we went onto the next step. What had been a daunting task became doable and fun.
But by 2 pm my neck, back and arms hurt a great deal. By the time I got home the pain in my neck was really bad. I had to sleep for over 10 hours and take a long warm bath. It depressed me to think that I can’t even take a one day class without going through so much pain and taking a step backwards. The next day my hips hurt a lot, too. Because this class comes to Chicago only once per year, I took it but it was the only one day class I took in years. Just have to continue living with my limitations and be grateful for what I can do.
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