6 Year Break

These past 6 years have provided me the experiences to truly absorb the meaning and importance of Prende Tu Vida. I now have the perspective of my children compelling me to put a greater focus on turning off the TV. Turning off the devices. Tuning out the noise. And turning on our life. The New York Times contributor David Brooks writes about a Moral Bucket List (see excerpt below). A list to drive people to be better. This is what I want this blog to be. An open letter to my children - just in case they can't hear me shouting:

"Apaga la tele!"

"Commencement speakers are always telling young people to follow their passions. Be true to yourself. This is a vision of life that begins with self and ends with self. But people on the road to inner light do not find their vocations by asking, what do I want from life? They ask, what is life asking of me? How can I match my intrinsic talent with one of the world’s deep needs? Their lives often follow a pattern of defeat, recognition, redemption. They have moments of pain and suffering. But they turn those moments into occasions of radical self-understanding — by keeping a journal or making art. As Paul Tillich put it, suffering introduces you to yourself and reminds you that you are not the person you thought you were. The people on this road see the moments of suffering as pieces of a larger narrative. They are not really living for happiness, as it is conventionally defined. They see life as a moral drama and feel fulfilled only when they are enmeshed in a struggle on behalf of some ideal. This is a philosophy for stumblers. The stumbler scuffs through life, a little off balance. But the stumbler faces her imperfect nature with unvarnished honesty, with the opposite of squeamishness. Recognizing her limitations, the stumbler at least has a serious foe to overcome and transcend. The stumbler has an outstretched arm, ready to receive and offer assistance. Her friends are there for deep conversation, comfort and advice. External ambitions are never satisfied because there’s always something more to achieve. But the stumblers occasionally experience moments of joy. There’s joy in freely chosen obedience to organizations, ideas and people. There’s joy in mutual stumbling. There’s an aesthetic joy we feel when we see morally good action, when we run across someone who is quiet and humble and good, when we see that however old we are, there’s lots to do ahead. The stumbler doesn’t build her life by being better than others, but by being better than she used to be. Unexpectedly, there are transcendent moments of deep tranquillity. For most of their lives their inner and outer ambitions are strong and in balance. But eventually, at moments of rare joy, career ambitions pause, the ego rests, the stumbler looks out at a picnic or dinner or a valley and is overwhelmed by a feeling of limitless gratitude, and an acceptance of the fact that life has treated her much better than she deserves. Those are the people we want to be." David Brooks is an Op-Ed columnist and the author, most recently, of “The Road to Character,” from which this essay is adapted.

Music in Venezuela

This week, I found a new source of inspiration: El Sistema and the Simon Bolivar National Youth Orchestra. The following links explain the program in Venezuela. Jose Abreu started "The System" in 1975. The children's orchestra now travels the world.

CBS News:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/11/60minutes/main4009335.shtml

TED.com featuring Jose Abreu (in Spanish with English subtitles):
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jose_abreu_on_kids_transformed_by_music.html

TED.com featuring Gustavo Dudamel:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/astonishing_performance_by_a_venezuelan_youth_orchestra_1.html

(Copied from the blog I update for my students in Chile)

More than twelve dollars.

My hand extends and unfolds, revealing 12 crumpled dollars. Her worn eyes, unwilling to match mine, dart from the pavement to the street past me.

Five minutes ago, she pleaded, “neighbor, please, do you have 12 dollars for the train? My friend died and I need to go.” Maybe if it wasn’t Easter…maybe if my gut didn’t twist with anxiety…maybe if the disparity in her eyes didn’t make me nervous…I would have said no the third time she asked. Broad daylight on a quiet suburban street – did these things really happen? For what would she use the money? Would she rob me? How did she get here? Questions began to crowd my clear thoughts.

12 dollars.

I told her to wait one minute while I parked my car, now sitting angled half on my sidewalk with the hazard lights blinking steadily. I parked, rounded up 12 dollars, and walked with unease towards my house. She waited there. I held the money and thought of things I hesitated buying for far less today – spring tulips for a friend, purple irises for my neighbors, and pineapple for my nephew. Then, the times I wasted 12 dollars - fancy beverages, subpar sandwiches, and unread books. The details of her story didn’t make sense, but neither would explaining my rational after she robbed my house angry that I refused her.

She extends her hand and crams the money into her jeans pocket. She promises to pay me back and her footsteps retreat quickly up the cement. I walk up my stairs, glance over my shoulder, and jiggle my key into the door. Inside, I find only embarrassment, contempt for her presence, and my angst lingering.

12 dollars.

Two months home

I have so many doubts. At times, they paralyze me. Am I doing the right thing? What is the right thing? Does the right thing exist?

What inspires me? What captures me? What is the difference? What do I admire – what do I emulate? Are they the same?

I prop myself up in bed. Unwilling to allow sleep to suffocate my wandering thoughts. Questions float through my head unanswered, spurring every punctuation mark. The dot-dot-dot surfaces as the most popular…thoughts I choose to think about later. As if later will some how magically present periods. I reflect upon my days. I truly enjoy this opportunity to both pour myself into a routine and explore the strays stumbling through my mind.

Each day commences and closes with a purpose.

Unexpectedly, moments of utter contentment occur more and more frequently. I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’ve been granted the opportunity to not only have time to focus my energies on others, but also myself. Greater realizations calm me – sink into my core instead of simply grazing the surface. Its ok to leave questions unanswered. Periods will arrive magically because only time can place them. Incorporating these ideas into my actual outlook fascinates me. I’m defining a new happiness for myself with each day.

I've shut off the bustle and have turned on my life. Prende Tu Vida.

New Chapter

Yesterday marked one month since my return to the States. I sit writing this at my kitchen counter – a long way from the desk where I spent hours typing in my classroom between periods.

The first two weeks blinked by with barely a thought. I scrambled to see friends and set aside time with family. Unpacking my hiking and travel gear brought mixed emotions. The rush of excitement for clean clothes quickly evaporated into the realization I wouldn’t need my fast drying shirts and sweat proof socks in this hemisphere…well, at least during winter.

I hope to start this blog again, but from a different perspective. One of settling into the my real life – a life that feels strangely foreign.

Chile isn't about beaches...its about volcanoes

http://picasaweb.google.com/bob.chile.lambert/PuconVolcano#

Today is our last day in Pucon - tomorrow we head to Santiago. Dad flies on the 13th - I fly on the 17th! How quickly time passes. We trekked up a volcano outside of Pucon. Absolutely gorgeous views. I'm ready to move here.

PS - Sorry for so many photos - I have had limited time on the computer to sort and organize! Rob also commented on the multiple beer shots...it seems like we have about ten a night according to the amount of photos! We're much too boring - the multiple shots are of one bottle - from many angles! - for my future collection of beer pictures for my mud room!

The Lakes District

Gorgeous area...I'm ready to pack up Joe and buy a hostel here. I love it! Tomorrow - we plan to climb the active volcano here in Pucon and peer into the smoke!

http://picasaweb.google.com/bob.chile.lambert/PuertoVarasFrutillarValdiviaPucon#