This is one of my favorite scenes in a movie. It is worth watching on a Monday.
” Sam: It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.”
So friends. Let me ask you this on a Monday.
Are you pushing ahead or giving up and turning back?
And I cannot point my finger at you, for I have felt like quitting more times in the last week than in my whole career as a teacher.
And yet I will not. I want to be a hero in a story of how the world changed and I did not quit but was part of a movement of great people who believed in civilizing the New Frontier.
I want to be part of the group of educators who was grossly misunderstood and mischaracterized and yet did not stop.
It matters not if anyone ever praises me. What matters is doing the right thing and not quitting.
And folks. Although we may disagree, let us remember, that for the most part, most of us out here in the edublogosphere are on the same team. Don't forget it.
tag: inspiration, Lord of the Rings, Samwise Gamgee, education, teaching, motivation
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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5 comments
Vicki — great post!
I have two comments:
1) It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
2) Managers do things right. Leaders to the right things.
:)
Stephanie
If you are doing the right thing for the right reason, it doesn’t matter whether you succeed or fail. Because you have already succeeded in doing the hardest thing of all, doing the right thing for the right reason, and what matters is only that you made that decision. Because anyone who happens to be watching will see not how lucky you were, not whether or not the world unfolded according to your hopes and dreams, but only the decisions you made, and the steadfastness with which you pursued your goal, to support the good and the right. And it is this impact, rather than any mere change in circumstances or nature, that has the most lasting impact, because it can touch a heart, motivate a mind, reach into a soul.
Stephanie — Those are two great insights.
Stephen — That paragraph is one of my favorite things that you’ve ever written. I’m going to print it and post it beside my computer right now. Wow!
I read this on a Monday, and it really helped me to stay on track! Thanks!
I just shared this with my fellow teacher and they got a charge from it. Thanks!
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