life.teaching

good information

~student glaze tests

It’s been an extraordinarily long twelve months (plus a few weeks for good measure). I shall rant, not. Still, I believe all (yes, ALL) things/events/situations happen with a purpose – generally more than one. Granted, I may not quickly or easily recognize the intent, but it’s there. Guaranteed.

Beginning in August 2012 through August 2013, I struggled with debilitating chronic pain. The onset was acute and aggressive. Debilitating.

The journey of diagnosis for the purpose of specified pain management or (pick me! pick me!) fixing the problem was like checking adventures off your bucket list. Except without the joy, but all of the anticipation anxiety. So then, about every other week for a year, I found myself being poked, prodded, observed, encouraged, interrogated, tested, discouraged, poked, prodded, observed…. Rinse. Repeat. (almost sounds a like an alien abduction, which would explain the bright lights and frequent sedation).

~glaze test

Through the course of the year, we eliminated a dozen or more possible maladies, injuries or diseases that might be the cause for my pain. I failed more tests than the stoner dude that sat in the back of government class in the tenth grade. My failures would have pushed him over the bell curve toward brilliant. And yet, with every negative result came the comment, “This is good information”.

This is good information.

I can’t tell you how many times those words were said to me (no. really, I lost count). It’s frustrating when you feel like you’re spinning your wheels. The metaphor is only heightened by the lab rat scenario in which I found myself.

~ and still...more tests
~ and still…more tests

And then, one day as that now familiar phrase met my ears, I realized they were my words. Mine! Those are the same words I use to poke, prod, observe, encourage, interrogate and test my glaze students. (crap) That explains the grumbling. I must frustrate the hell out of them. All those discouraging glaze results…well, that gives us good information!

Hearing my words come back at me helped me recognize that I need to be more gracious in the journey of discovery (even a painful journey). It has also reinforced the contention that information elimination is useful and therein good (glaze disasters included).

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