the-fu.com: This Has Potential

This Has Potential

“You should try out for drama club. You are very talented.”

Whenever I feel as though nothing is going right in my life, I think of these words spoken to me in 6th grade by a drama teacher who heard me recite a poem in front of my peers in English class. Why do I return to these words spoken by a stranger over 20 years ago? It's not like my life has been devoid of kindness. For one, my mom has been one of my most enthusiastic cheerleaders throughout my life. But in spite of her constantly telling me that I could be anything I wanted and do anything I wanted, for some reason I always found it difficult to believe her.

After all, parents are supposed to tell their children that they are talented. And similarly, friends and lovers are expected to boost the egos of their loved ones, otherwise hurt feelings and domestic fights arise. But I have come to realize that although we could be swarmed with close-knit admirers and the door could be swinging with opportunity, if we don't have people outside of our immediate social circles recognizing our talents and passing us notes of encouragement, it may be impossible to recognize opportunity when it arrives at our door. It is for this reason that teachers are some of the most powerful people in the world. For we have the power to create or crush opportunity, with a single confident whisper or with one frustrated comment.

Opportunities cannot be realized without encouragement. Almost every one that has come my way could not have been realized without someone waving an invisible wand with the words, “you can do this.” It was Ray from the shipping/receiving department in the factory I worked in for a summer, who told me, “what the hell are you doing in this place? You’d better not be here in five years.” And Mr. Montesanto who whispered the words, “You know, you look like a Reedie.” I could never have completed my thesis if my advisor Wu Laoshi had not validated it with the words, “this has potential.” And although my boyfriend laughs at my jokes all the time, I didn't really think I could be funny until a stranger came up to me and complimented a “hilarious” speech I had given. These opportunities (to apply to college, to attend Reed College, to write a thesis, to tell jokes and give funny speeches) had lingered before me but without words of encouragement from people outside my immediate family I never would have had the confidence to seize them.

So, knowing the impact that words from teachers and strangers have had on my life and my decisions, I now feel overwhelmed with responsibility. For I am an elementary school teacher now, therefore I must be extremely careful with my own words. I teach in an area where expectations for behavior and academics are not as high as those in affluent areas. My students live in a neighborhood where their role models often drop out of school. I realize that for some of my students, I may be the only person in their lives who will encourage them to go to college. Throughout each day I scan the room for opportunities to compliment: “You wrote the most amazing story, may I share it with the class?” or “Did everyone hear D's strategy for multiplication? Please say it again so everyone can hear you.” I am fully aware that I have the power to inspire potential doctors or, with a slip of the tongue on a sleep-deprived morning, potential drug addicts.

And teachers aren't the only ones with this power. As managers, coworkers, advisors and even observant strangers, we need to remember how good it feels to be recognized for our small talents and how important it is to give this feeling to others. So don't be shy with your compliments, especially if you are fortunate enough to have young ones in your life. For your words of encouragement will help them recognize their future as artists, as writers, as athletes, as college graduates and even, hopefully, as teachers.

---

---

---

In This Issue

Articles:

Cartoons: