Jack, Owen, and Me
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Jack and Owen went on a field trip as a part of my teaching them The Arts and Science class that they take from me. While they know scores of painters, their intellectual inventory of sculptures is limited, even though they are familiar with Michelangelo's Moses. I felt the need to broaden their learning pool to include additional sculptures. One of my favorites is Auguste Rodin's The Thinker, which he started in 1880. When most Americans think about The Thinker, they think of him sitting out in the field some place thinking about all sorts of things. During my lecture to Jack and Owen, I showed them a picture of a copy of The Thinker sitting out in the middle of a field surrounded by trees. 
Therefore, off we went with a snack and walked to a park near their home on our field trip. In an attempt to further their learning experience, I told them to sit on their favorite rock and pose like Rodin's The Thinker. Owen was first to pose. 
He sat there posed for a few moments. Then I said that I wanted him to tell us later what he was thinking. Then it was Jack's turn to become The Thinker's clone. Look at Jack's face; he was thinking. I also gave the same instruction about remembering what he was thinking so that we could talk about it later.
After Jack finished his thinking, Owen said that I should pretend to be The Thinker. Jack volunteered and took this photo of me as a 21st century version of Rodin's sculpture.
Then we went over to one of the park benches and discussed what Rodin's The Thinker thought about. Jack had several ideas. However, the one that got us all laughing was that statue was thinking about where his clothes were. Jack just couldn't understand why he wasn't wearing any clothes. Owen thought The Thinker was thinking about how he would like to jump off the rock on which he was sitting. Owen and Jack love to spend time jumping off this rock whenever they come to the park. Then Jack asked about what I was thinking. Interestingly, I am always thinking about a number of things that float around inside my head and how I will handle those issues. However, today, I thought about just how exciting and interesting it was to spend time with these two boys. I love watching them process the world in which they explore. It is fun to sit back and merely observe what interests them. Nearly everything intrigues them. Additionally, I wish that all my college-age students had the same drive to understand and learn. I will spend the time that I have with the boys to insure them that their pursuit of knowledge will be reinforced. They know about artists, fossils, and space exploration. It absolutely intrigues me their level of wanting to know about anything. Another thing that I think about, which I haven't shared with the boys, is the kind of world that they are entering. Their innocence and desire to enjoy life will butt up against the real world, which causes me great sadness. Why can't Jack and Owen continue to live in their safe and cloistered world? Why can't we recreate a world that is more peaceful? Why can't all children live in a less angry and hostile world? Rodin's The Thinker was not sitting out in the middle of a field surrounded by trees. The Thinker was in fact thinking at The Gates of Hell. 
The Thinker in the Gates of Hell The Gates of Hell was actually above a doorway as if it were the entrance to Hell. 
The complete sculpture by Rodin Rodin's The Thinker haunts me to think about the world that Jack and Owen will have to enter. I'm at the twilight years of my journey, and I am troubled by the world that they and all the other children will have to dwell. I can't change their world, but I can express my love for them. In some way, that assurance of my love for them will help them along their journey through a very chaotic world.
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Visit the Best and Worst of Times page to read more about this topic. 06/06/16 Follow @mountain_and_me |
