Notes from public school - day 71

Look closely and listen carefully.

This is an important theme in my life.

John Steinbeck once wrote in his journal, “In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand people, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a person will never lead to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always the base theme. Try to understand each other."

This afternoon, I’ve been thinking about Steinbeck’s words.

What does it mean to try to understand people? 

What does it mean for me as a teacher to try to understand my students.

What does it mean for me as a writer to try to understand my world?

I wonder.

Perhaps it begins this way.

We were on the baseball diamond behind our school playing whiffle ball at recess.

“Mr. Barton, can I play catcher?” asked one of our students.

“Sure thing,” I said as I settled onto the pitcher’s mound.

He ran behind home plate.

I threw the first pitch and it whiffled past the batter.

Gabe chased the ball to the backstop.

He ran back to the plate, rared back his arm, and threw the ball.

It went at a 90 degree angle, toward the sideline bench.

“Gabe?” I asked. “What happened?”

“I don’t know how to throw a ball, Mr. Barton. I need you to teach me!”

I never thought of that.

Now, every time I’m walking toward the field with whiffle ball in hand, I ask, “Hey Gabe, wanna play catch?”

I understand.

Just a little.