Librarians pretty much rock

Breda is kind enough to link me, and I don't notice for who knows how long. Miss Roberta X as well.

Thank you, ladies,and I hang my head in shame for not being worthy, with my dearth of posts and incredible lack of content. I shall endeavour to do better.

As Mrs. Fallacy reminds me, I shall write.

Lately I am teaching. I am not a teacher.

So, what to do. Make the best of it, I guess, until my buddy gets back who is permanently assigned to the task.

Seriously, I *LOVE* being a mentor. I really enjoy explaining things to people, and I *LOVE* discussing things with people, and I *LOVE* getting other people's perspectives on things. One on one or in small, informal groups.

Unfortunately, I also tend to hold forth on things people are not interested in sometimes. My most recent ex-GF expressed on occasion that she sometimes felt I was lecturing and didn't respect her opinions on things. Nothing further from the truth, actually, but our personal styles clashed in that way. I do miss talking with her about things though. Our trip to Ireland this summer was instructive to me, not just on the type of woman I think I am looking for vs what I demonstrate in my actions, but also how I appear to others and where I have some room for improvement. Nothing like spending 3 weeks with someone in constant contact to let one know one is not peerfect, if such a silly thought should ever have passed one's initial BS filters.

But I digress, as I often do. ahem. I am not a teacher. I do not enjoy having a classroom of people attentive to my every word and waiting for my direction in their learning journey. While I enjoy leading people to the truth and to efficient practices and new ideas, I don't enjoy repeating myself with dull or uninterested students. I don't enjoy dumbing down the message to the lowest common denominator (although I am fairly good at gauging that level and explaining things in simpler andsimpler terms until understanding dawns. Usually.) I don't enjoy dealing with people who have been set a task to learn that they don't care about and wouldn't do if they had a choice.

My Iraqi guys are pretty smart, in this group. They are intelligent. But they are also intellectually lazy. Of my class of 7, ONE! demonstrates intellectual curiosity without prompting. ONE! can generalize enough to apply concepts acroes different concrete examples.

They want a daddy figure to explain things to them, not a mentor who can lead them to discover tings on their own. They want the answers handed to them ona pllatter. They want to be given knowledge, but don't want to earn it.

They expect me to teach them experience, and it can't be done.

I am afraid my own country is regressing to this level as well.

Please remember our veterans today. My mates here have been wearing their poppies for Remembrance Day. I wish we had a similar tradition, it's elegant, and very touching. If you've never read the poem about Flanders Field, google it. Then go read some Kipling. Truly, it's worth it.