Why? I've had the same comments loads recently: Why are you leaving teaching? You are an eternal student? I thought you loved your job. You need to grow up and accept responsibilities. You want the easy life. 3 years....rather you than me. Are you going to earn loads of money now? etc....
Since my psychology degree, PGCE and teaching career I have been praying for direction and focus. I'd always had an eye on this course but was never sure why and needed to be sure it wasn't just to make money! Over the past years through travels in Africa and the Middle East I have become increasingly angered, frustrated and impassioned by the plight of people, especially children, trying to make a life in a background of conflict, trauma and strife. The frustration stems from a feeling that I've talked a lot about these things but been unable and unwilling to actually do something about it.
So...my dream is to work with children who have been bereaved, traumatised or in other ways affected by war or conflict, with specific regard to how schools and communities could be engaged in such situations. This may be with former child soldiers in Africa, innocent victims in Palestine or elsewhere. In this I feel a vocation or calling for the first time in my life. The reason for doing the course therefore is to provide me with the skills, contacts, direction and title to hopefully be used in this area.
I've been listening recently to Emmanuel Jah, a former child soldier from Sudan turned hip-hop artist. This song (though poor youtube quality) is a tribute to the lady that rescued him from his former life. I find it really inspiring.
Blogging seems to have had its day. Been a long time since the heady days of the 50 comment posts. Probably a mixture of not blogging much, others not posting anymore, boring posts, facebook and twitter. Anyway, everything has it's season.
Today was the end of a season for me so I thought I'd mark it with a final blog post. Today was my last in Bocombra P.S. as I go back to Queens next year to study towards a doctorate in 'Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology' (bit of a mouthful I know!)
I was totally gutted leaving. Driving out of the gates for the last time was worse than any break-up. I have loved the past 4 years there and will miss the buzz, the fun, the achievement and the relationships of daily school life. I've been completely overwhelmed by kindness in the past couple of weeks through speeches, presents (inc a sweet north face jacket, liverpool and british lions shirts & cheques!) but mainly by letters of thanks and encouragement from kids past and present, staff members and parents. I've never felt more fulfilled and rewarded than I do today.
I hope/trust I've made the right decision. Not much time to dwell on it now though cos off to Africaaaaa at 5.30am tomorrow!
Thanks for reading this blog, I'll leave you with the apt words of our P7 leavers song:
One more step along the world I go, One more step along the world I go; From the old things to the new Keep me travelling along with you.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new; Keep me travelling along with you,
Round the corner of the world I turn, More and more about the world I learn; All the new things that I see You’ll be looking at along with me.
As I travel through the bad and good, Keep me travelling the way I should; Where I see no way to go You’ll be showing me the way I know.
You are older than the world can be, You are younger than the life in me; Ever old and ever new, Keep me travelling along with you.
For the first time since my visit to the middle east I'm starting to see a glimmer of hope. People are cynical about Barack Obama but just maybe he's the real deal and meant all that stuff he said before he was elected. He has George Mitchell (who us N.I. folk should remember) on the case.
Historically any politician who does not swear undivided support for anything the Israeli government does is finished. However reports in Israel say that their Prime Minister Netanyahu was told on Tuesday by an "American official" in Jerusalem that, "We are going to change the world. Please, don't interfere."
I had a brilliant few days with Rach in London recently. Often when I return from big cities I find myself wondering if we are stifled by living in a small-town 'Norn Iron' bubble. Now I love Northern Ireland and have never met people on my travels that are as warm, fun-loving and self-effacing as the Irish (and Norn Irish). But perhaps the inherent skepticism in our nature prevents us from walking into all that we could be.
Everywhere in London seems full of life, creativity and vibrancy. From the glitz of a West End show to the ethnic variations of people reading and drinking in the parks. From the Tate Modern to the little Victorian house down a random sidestreet, frozen in time, that is home to an art project smelt and heard as well as observed. And Brick Lane with it's melting-pot of illustrators, market traders, pot-smoking 60s throwbacks, buskers, thieves and vagabonds.
I wonder how much of what we could be, how much of our creativity, is suppressed due to our Northern Irish self-awareness and cynicism. This comes in the form of 'banter' and while I love it, and while it certainly serves to keep our feet on the ground (not get 'above our station')..... how many of the colours that we were given are we using? How much of our creativity have we sacrificed on the altar of other people's expectations?
'People are prepared for everything except for the fact that beyond the darkness of their blindness there is great light' Buechner
(thanks Miss Gardiner)
[ps: this mother of a fish lives in the quicksilver shop!]
Nothing makes me laugh like Billy Connolly. I saw him last year in the Waterfront. He came out with no warm-up and had the audiences in stitches for nearly 3 hours without a break. The first time I saw this clip my mother came into the living room and I was rolling round the floor in hysterics, crying and probably wetting myself a little bit. I've watched it 100 times since and it still has the same effect.
"There is... increasing callousness," she said. "There is a perception that the Palestinian is not a person, a human being entitled to basic rights and therefore anything may be done to him."
Here are a few recent reports that give a idea of what happened in Gaza. A 'just' war???
It feels like my birthday today. I'm about to drive over the border to pick up the new U2 album. I remember their previous album releases clearly... the nervous anticipation, the expectancy, the following weeks in which the lyrics and melodies impact your soul.
Anyone that knows me will know I have had something of an obsession with this band since I was a boy. Since Lurgan Junior High when my mate Scott gave me a bootleg of their concert in Sarajevo and Bono said: 'To be united is a great thing, but to respect difference is the greatest thing' before launching into 'One'. After that I began collecting devouring every album, single and U2 book I could find.
I remember being with Procs in Lurgan College lecture theatre trying to learn U2 songs on the guitar. Also being with him for a U2 weekend culminating in the Croke Park gig. Slane Castle in 2001 was the best night of my life (So good they even released a dvd of it!) The saddest thing was building a music room at my parents house and completely plastering all four walls with U2 posters and lyrics. It still remains though nowadays serves as more of a shrine than a practice room!
Through those teenage years as I struggled with faith, love and finding truth I had a U2 song to identify with. I tried to fit in with church and with my mates who just partied and lived for the weekend, but didn't feel like I fitted into either camp. U2 didn't provide answers but they mirrored the struggle and opened my eyes to see that God wasn't necessarily how the religious folk had painted him. Sometimes finding people that are asking the same questions is of greater comfort than answers.
I'd join the movement,
If there was one I could believe in,
I'd break bread and wine,
If there was a church I could receive in,
Cos I need it now,
To take the cup,
To fill it up,
To drink it slow,
I can't let you go.
Through a mixture of coincidence and inspiration my passions of recent years have seemed to echo those of Bono's. Firstly with African poverty and the AIDS pandemic and most recently with the Middle East and a prayer for co-existence.
Unlike many reviewers I don't compare to the Joshua Tree or expect another Achtung Baby on every release. Those albums will never be equalled. I'm content and amazed by the fact that after 30 years they are still producing music that is relevant, important and good. No other band has such a back catalogue and no other celebrity has used his fame for so much good. I still think they have a lot to say and I can't wait to hear it!
