JOURNEY INTO  POWER
:
Susan Smith welcomes you to
JOURNEY INTO
POWER
                         
 JOURNEY INTO POWER
MISSION STATEMENT

                                       
MARCH
While the Lion and Lamb thing may be highly over-rated for March,
there is something undeniable going on...
The earth is moving into spring and rejuvenation is everywhere.
Give yourself permission to experience rebirth, renewal and wonder for life.
A CAT AND A LITTLE KID
"LINELINES" COLUMN IN THE WILLIAMSPORT SUN GAZETTE
PUBLISHED 2/28/10
  "I believe that is it my job to give my clients the tools and
information they need to help them make wise choices in  their
lives.  It is not my job to make those choices for them. I believe
that when I help my clients to find their best path in this lifetime
then I am following my own best path."
Susan A. Smith
   
    Picture this:  you're visiting a friend.  She has a cat.  The cat has been making friends, curling around your
ankles, purring, doing cat things.    The cat, let's say his name is Max, climbs on your lap for a little petting then
jumps down and goes over to sit with your friend.  Meantime, you and your friend continue chatting.
    That's pretty much the way it happened the other day.  We carried on our conversation.  Max began circling
around on my friend's lap, trying to find a comfortable spot.  I was watching him in that way you watch a cat be a
cat.  Suddenly, Max stopped his circling  and looked me directly in the face.
    I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I think I guffawed.  I've never guffawed before but I'm pretty sure I let
out a good guffaw...a combination of a snort, a laugh, a cough and expression of amazement all rolled into one.  
It just exploded out of me.  I was looking eye to eye with Max...except Max was cross-eyed and I was caught
unawares.  This was one funny looking cat!  Oh, please, I know.
    I asked if Max was ok.  I mean besides being so disconcertingly odd looking.  Did he walk into walls?  Was
she sure he could see okay?  Truthfully, this was one peculiar cat.  My friend assured me that Max was fine, that
his brain was hard wired for crossed eyes and he navigated quite successfully.  Whew.
                                                                                   BACK TO THE  PAST...
That evening my acquaintance with the cross-eyed cat brought to mind another experience I had years ago
when I was teaching kindergarten.  One morning the principal came to my room and told me I was getting a new
student that day...and he wanted to prepare me.
    Uh oh!  This was going to be bad.
    Turns out this child, Nathan, had been shuffled from school to school and was quite the behavior problem.  
"He's five years old," I said to the principal.  "How bad can he be?  What's really going on?"
    It turns out that Nathan had a birth defect.  Well, that's what we called them back in the day.  He was
completely normal except for his left arm.  It had not grown naturally.  Nathan had very little strength in his
shoulder and no real elbow joint.  His left arm was considerably shorter than his right one and his left hand had
only three fingers, curled inward toward his palm and a very short, weak thumb.
    The children in the other schools had tormented him and he was constantly being picked on and getting in to
fights.  His attendance was terrible.  He hated going to school - well, can you blame him?  My classroom was his
last resort.  Oh, great.
    After the principal went back to his office, I looked around the classroom to figure out where I would seat
Nathan.  Then I saw Jerome.  Perfect.
    Jerome was one of those children who get into trouble, know they're in trouble, admit it right away and with a
twinkle in their eyes get you to forgive them on the spot.  Even now, over 30 years later, I find myself shaking my
head and smiling at some of the predicaments he got himself into and out of.  But not a mean bone in his
body...Jerome was a natural and a really good kid.
    I got a chair from the reading circle and put it at Jerome's table, right next to him.  "Class," I said.  "We're
getting a new student this morning.  His name is Nathan and he'll be sitting here at Jerome's table."
    I had decided not to say anything about Nathan's arm.  I wanted to see what the children would do.  I went to
the door and in a moment Nathan was hanging back in the doorway as the school secretary encouraged him to
come in.  She handed me Nathan's file and backed out of the room in a hurry.  Evidently Nathan's rep was no
secret.
    The problem with his arm was not immediately evident and I got him seated beside Jerome, hardly noticing it
myself.  I told the class I had to do some paper work for Nathan and I passed out some manila paper.  Huge treat
for the class.  They could draw anything they wanted.  This was a big deal in my class - especially in the
morning.  They would be occupied for about ten minutes.
    I went back to my desk and watched Jerome's table surreptitiously.  Jerome took charge right away.  He
pulled the communal crayon box over to himself and Nathan and offered some crayons, including the prized red
crayon.  This was a big honor and a really nice gesture on Jerome's part.
    Nathan took the crayon and positioned his paper.  Then, with his right hand, he lifted his left hand up from his
lap and placed it on the table.  I heard a distinct "Ooooooh"  issue from the six other children at the table.  I
quickly looked down at the papers on my desk as all eyes turned to me for guidance.  What were they supposed
to do about this?  I pretended not to notice and then chanced a look up to see everyone at the table staring at
Nathan.
   Oh, Jerome.  He looked at Nathan's hand.  Then he looked up at Nathan's face.  Then he did the most amazing
thing.  He scooted his chair as close as he could to Nathan's chair.  Very gently, he picked up Nathan's hand and
held it in his own.  He turned it over and touched the palm with his index finger.  He tried to uncurl the fingers but
realized they weren't going to straighten out.
    Nathan never said a word.  He just watched as Jerome inspected his hand. The other children at the table sat
there mesmerized, watching this little scene.  Finally, Jerome gently placed Nathan's hand back on the table.  
Then, very, very gently, he patted the back of Nathan's hand.   He scooted his chair back, picked up a crayon
and went to work on his picture.
    I never had a problem with Nathan.  Somehow, Jerome had managed to pronounce a silent benediction on
Nathan and all the other children were able to accept it.  They had never seen anything quite like this before but
it was how Nathan was and that was that.
                                                                         NOW, TO THE PRESENT
It is difficult to confront something strange and unexpected.  I had a friend who was cross-eyed and I never
guffawed at her.  I'm hoping I didn't hurt Max's feelings but if I did he must have forgiven me since he continued
to visit with me throughout the afternoon.
    Jerome and Nathan are grown men now.   I'm hoping Jerome managed to stay out of trouble and Nathan
managed to stay out of fights.  I'm hoping they're happy and successful.
    All of us have challenges, issues, defects, crossed eyes of one sort or another.  Hopefully, we can gently
become acquainted with such things about each other, guffaw when necessary, and accept whole heartedly
that the way we are is the way we are.  Not good.  Not bad.  Just the way we are.  Gently, gently, let us accept
each other.