"it's...it's ugliful"

that's what one of my art students said today about the colour wheel she had just painted. If it's their lack of confidence in the artroom one time, it's a lack of confidence that prompts them to slam a classmate another time. What happened to these kids? Who told them they were incapable of possessing skill or talent? I told another student today that I would lend her my special brush (the one every art teacher keeps in their desk away from the uncaring apes), because it was a special day, and coincidentally she too was special. I was saying this in a joking manner, but she stopped, and in the midst of the noise in the crazy class she said, "Thanks! My mom never says that I'm special." Oh. I believe her too, considering her prayer requests during our homeroom devos. Who did this to these kids? Who took away their confidence? Who is at fault for all of the kids that say "I can't do that" before they even hear the task?

But then you get the others that think they were made out of cat's pajamas. Don't worry about them though, I cut a few notches everyday. Hear that flapping flubbering deflating of an overripe ego? That's the sound of progress, and who knows...maybe one less jerk in the world.

I consider myself an agent of sorts. Hired by the private sector to invest time and energy into growing a crop of down-to-earth reach-for-the-stars Canadian citizens. That jumbling oxymoron keeps me up at night. Don't worry about your tax dollars. They hardly reach me. But when the odd one trickles down my way know that I am well on my way to a hernia.

Side note: There is a second-hand music store here in the City from which I often return empty handed. So we decided to sell them some of our junk CDs (got 13 bucks for the ones they accepted! Nuthin' for Leanne Rimes...can you believe that?) and stuck around for the 10% off they give to sellers. Flipping through their stock I stumbled upon a second-hand GOLD MINE. Get this, Mae (singularity), Switchfoot (oh! gravity.), TobyMac (welcome to diverse city), and Thrice (the artist in the ambulance AND the alchemy index vols 1&2) for a difference of 17 dollars out of my pocket! Absolutely phenomenal.