#49 Teaching Parallax

One of the sad facts about life is that you have to get older

One of the good facts in life is that we progress

When balanced together, it can seem irritating.

I'm turning it through in my head 'til my mind is a mess



Yet as I grow up and older, I'm forced a new angle on life

I can witness my perspectives slowly shift

So while sometimes this change can be truly devastating

Other times it can't help but be a gift



See, I remember back when I were a lad.

How I thought about education and about learning

And through the forced nostalgia of age

For that time again I'm initially yearning



Then I remember how I behaved. How I acted.

I remember all the embarrassing things that I've done

About yelling and screaming. About bullying and demeaning.

Oh, what it was to be young



See life was clearer back then.

It was binary, Boolean, in black and white

Good and evil were clearly determined

By who you'd got along with that night



And there was one evil clearer than any other

Standing clearly in front of us all

The teacher, controller of our fate and destiny

The teacher, standing so tall



That one who was forcing us to learn against our will

That one who couldn't understand who we were

That person who seemed heartless and cruel

That villain. That scoundrel. That cur.



And yet. And yet. The teacher isn't so tall these days

I'm starting to see life from that view

Looking back, I'll admit, I'm almost amazed,

At what we put our teachers through.



They're trying their best, in a thankless job,

The outsider just doing what they can

And to still impart knowledge, and lessons of life

Ain't an easy job for a man



So now I can see clearer, or at least in a different way

From how it was way back when

First, I want to firstly apologise

For how difficult I can't help but have made it back then



Second, be grateful, that this realisation

Came while I was still learning

Since the way I'm treating those trying to educate me in life

Is slowly but surely turning



And finally I give thanks

And gratitude most sincere, of that make no mistakes

To those who fought through

To teach and educate, for mine and for other's sakes



Who went the extra mile, to show me

That the teacher in class was a person too

And by that I mean, they're tired and flawed

A person like me or you



Yet still they show strength,

Trying to do their best each and every day

For their own reasons

Helping the tomorrow before they become today



So a repeated thanks to my teachers

And to my friends who are bravely choosing this as their career

It may have taken a while, but I assure you at last

You'll find gratitude and sympathy here.

***

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