"The Hand May Be a Little Child's"

The Hand May Be a Little Child's

Silas and Eppie

In high school, I had to memorize several hundred lines of poetry or prose each year. I did not enjoy that academic task while in high school. I did not like the process of memorizing the lines and then standing in front of the teacher reciting them. Additionally, I thought that I knew what the writer meant in the line that I memorized. One of the great benefits of growing old is that of facing the reality that you did not know as much about life as you thought you did decades before.

For example, George Eliot, which was the pseudonym for Mary Ann Evans, wrote a novella entitled Silas Marner. Eliot published it in 1861, precisely a century before I stood in front of Mrs. Davis to recite this passage from Silas Marner. Even though I did not enjoy the memorizing process, I thought that I got Eliot's message.

In old days there were angels who came and took men by the hand and led them away from the city of destruction. We see no white-winged angels now. But yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child's.

However, a half century after high school, I realize that I did not come close to understanding what Eliot meant. Nonetheless, I get it now. Eppie came into the life of Silas Marner, and in that process, changed who he was. That small child "led him away from threatening destruction." Little children can do the same for each of us. Trust me; I know that firsthand. It intrigues me how little children teach, guide, and redeem us, which is a juxtaposition from what we normally think. We think that we are the instructors and the change agents for children. That is not always the case.

This is a video of the movie, Silas Marner, with Ben Kinsley as Silas Marner.




It's a Long, Long Road It's a Long, Long Road From Which There is No Return
Replying to Ti Ti’s Request Replying to Ti Ti’s Request For a Photo of PaPa Al
You Know that You Are Getting Old You Know that You Are Getting Old When You Don’t Know All the New Words and Slogans
The Third Old Man The Third Old Man Or Three Coins in the Fountain of Life
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Let the World Know Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Let the World Know It is Snow’s Birthday!
How Will We Be Remembered How Will We Be Remembered Another Either / Or Essay
I’m Leading Death Again I’m Leading Death Again On My Dancefloor of Life
The Flying Dutchman The Flying Dutchman Then and Now
Field of Dreams Field of Dreams A Haunting Return
Immortal Beloved Immortal Beloved Beethoven’s, Shakespeare’s, and Mine
Legends Often Morph into Facts What I Discovered When I Wasn’t Looking
Legends Often Morph into Facts Träumerei Then and Now
Trump Has Some Issues with Taylor Swift Trump Has Some Issues with Taylor Swift Beyond His Legal Woes and Coming Up with a Half Billion Dollars
Snow and Fatty Snow and Fatty Are Following in Ti Ti’s Footsteps
First, There was Jacques Cousteau First, There was Jacques Cousteau Now, There is Ti Ti
What’s It All About... What’s It All About... The Paradox of Life
Legends Often Morph into Facts Unexpected Events Can Create Opportunities for Greatness
Legends Often Morph into Facts PaPa Al’s Reply To Ti Ti’s Posting, I Love Education
My Yin Yang World My Yin Yang World Dreams vs. Reality
Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night A Lesson Taught by Dylan Thomas
Let’s Do the Math Let’s Do the Math It is an Either/Or Choice
My Second Shot My Second Shot Or the First Insurrection
My World of Xanadu My World of Xanadu Another Personal Parallel Essay
Tyson’s Two Thoughts Ti Ti’s Surprising Email To Her Grandfather
Tyson’s Two Thoughts Tyson’s Two Thoughts Regarding AI and a Ticking Clock
Michelle Michelle The Sculptor and Writer
Holding Hands with Neal Katyal Holding Hands with Neal Katyal What My Teacher Taught Me
Haunting Photos Haunting Photos Then and Now
picture-of
            What I Learned In My Twilight Years Giotto Revisited
Oppie and Me Oppie and Me The Similarities are Striking
The Evolution of Aldie The Evolution of Aldie According to a 21st Century Darwinian Theory
What’s It All About Alfie? What’s It All About Alfie? From an Eighty-Year Old Alfie
Grasping Reality Grasping Reality I Can’t Explain It
Problems are Assets Problems are Assets Seize the Problems
Growing Up Without Transparency Growing Up Without Transparency And Finally Discovering It
Miah Is the 21st Century Eppie A Hand Is Put Into Theirs….
“The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men….” Reset and Carry On
I Love Teaching… Here in Myanmar or Anywhere
Ti Ti, the Driven An Exceptional Young Lady
Grasping Reality While My Clock Is Ticking
I Have Miles to Go Before I Sleep
The Helter-Skelter Mindset1 Locally and Globally
History Is Repetitious Then and Now
My Personality Quirks… I Have Several
The Tale of My Foot Years Ago and Today
Coming to America A Dream of Many
A Reason for Being… The Most Important Reason for My Being
Christmas: Past, Present, and Future
Moh Moh’s Roles in Our Family: My Daughter and My Mother
I Love My Family With Some Caveats
I Never Miss a Teaching Moment But Who Benefits
My Extended Family You Can See Her Painting.
I’m the Reincarnation of Bo Bo Gyi According to Fatty
From a Ripple to a Raging Current Based Upon Reciprocity
Paying Homage… To Me
The Duality of Changing Times Change, and We Change
Miss Independent Bo Bo Gyi’s Granddaughter
Ti Ti and Education Why Is Education Critical?
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary…. “Ride, Boldly Ride”
A Ngal Lay Sent Me Pictures and a Video About Our Time Together
My Great-Granddaughter… A Ngal Lay
When I Become President of the World… Things Are Going to Change
“I’m Doing the Dance” The Title of Ti Ti’s Poem
Snow’s Poem About Her New Normal
What Once Was But Isn’t Now In Camelot
It Is Time To Write Poetry Another Teaching Event
Happy Birthday, Snow Time To Remember
Write On Advice from PaPa Al, aka Grandpa
One More Comment For Ti Ti As She Journeys Down Her Yellow Brick Road
The Little One, A Part of My Family
Set Set Yo And a Little Child
Learn and Become a Storyteller All You Need To Do Is To Travel
Three Take-Aways From Denzel Washington’s Commencement Address
He Is My Brother On This Pale Blue Dot
Meghan, Harry, and ArchieAddress Royal Racism
Who Is That Lady in Yellow?A 21st Century Eppie
Finding ImmortalityGilgamesh and Ti Ti
Seeing Ourselves as Others See UsIn This Case, Ti Ti Seeing Herself
A Teaching MomentWith Ti Ti
Today is Thanksgiving Day… Near Inle Lake
Bobby Burns’ Message…For Ti Ti
Problems Are Catalysts for ChangeBut It Is Up to You
Ti Ti Teaches a Myanmar MythTo Her Sister
Hear Ye, Hear Ye…Ti Ti Is Starting College Today!
This is Success in the MakingYou Heard It First from PaPa Al
From Then to NowWhat a Difference Seven Years Has Made
Masks Matter…To Some
Two PoemsBy Two Ladies
A Present Day Parable for AmericaIt Is All About Sharing
Coming Home to RoostKierkegaard, Mt. Lebanon, Dancing, and My Family
There Is More to Dreaming…Than Just Dreaming
Ti TiMy Granddaughter and Poet Laurate
"Give Me a Place to Stand...And I Will Move the World.”
The Brighter Side of My LifeDue to a Serendipitous Moment
A Tribute to FattyThe Girl with Those Eyes
A Tribute to SnowMy Granddaughter in Myanmar
A Tribute to Ti Ti The Young Lady
“We See No White-Winged Angels Now…”But We See Little Children
Living in Two WorldsPart 1
Living in the New NormalOur New World Order
It Is All About FamilyAnd Who Makes Up Our Family
Our Reason for BeingDiscover It
The Elephant RideOver the Alps of Myanmar
Ballooning Over BaganWith My Family
Ti Ti…The Amazing Young Lady
How Playing Scrabble Changed My LifeWho Would Have Thought?
Mr. ChipsAn Updated Version
Snowaka Eppie
Happy Birthday Fatty…An Incarnation of Eppie
Fatty…. My Karate Granddaughter
The Moving Finger Writes And the Writings Haunt Me
One Moment in Time Carpe Diem
Warren Buffett Don’t Sleep Walk Through Life
Light at the End of the Tunnel However, the Tunnel is an Illusion
Pa Pa Al’s Grandfatherly Advice To Ti Ti Who Doesn’t Need It.
Thanksgiving Celebration… In Nyaung Shwe
A New Year’s Eve With a New Resolution for the Coming Year
Bette Davis Eyes… But They Are in Myanmar
Hand of a Little Child… Ti Ti
Eppie… Then and Now
follow-up thumbnail My Follow-Up… To My Email To Ti Ti
Live In The Moment  thumbnail Live in the Moment... Plan for the Future
The Issue of Kissing thumbnail Ginger And the Issue of Kissing
Jack Birthday  thumbnail Jack’s Birthday And Now You Are Seven
Owen Birthday thumbnail Owen’s Birthday And Now You Are Five
Ti Ti Poem thumbnail Ti Ti and I A Most Haunting Relationship
America First  thumbnail America First Has Been Replaced... With Me First
Birthday Cake  thumbnail Self-Portraits... By Vincent, Jack, and Owen
Rage Rage  thumbnail Rage, Rage... Against the Pissing Pug
Fearless Girl thumbnail Fearless Girl The Times They are a Changin’
the-amazing-process-called-learning thumbnail The Amazing Process Called Learning Thinking Outside the Box
What Donald the Dumb is Missing in Life?  thumbnail What Donald the Dumb is Missing in Life? Eppie
From van Gogh, Darwin, Shèngdàn Dăo, and Truman thumbnail Merry Christmas Owen From van Gogh, Darwin, Shèngdàn Dăo, and Truman
Merry Christmas Jack  a  thumbnail Merry Christmas Jack From van Gogh, Darwin, Shèngdàn Dăo, and Truman
Jack and Owen's Fossil Collection thumbnail Jack and Owen's Fossil Collection No Pain, No Gain
Teach Your Children, Part 2 thumbnail Teach Your Children, Part 2 But When?
GiGi's Psychoanalysis thumbnail GiGi's Psychoanalysis Me and My Hauntings
The Fighting Téméraire thumbnail The Fighting Téméraire Explained My Nostalgia to Me
Owen Teaches Me thumbnail Owen Teaches Me About Fossils
The Value of Giving Gifts... thumbnail The Value of Giving Gifts... To Young Children
A 21st Century Unicorn thumbnail A 21st Century Unicorn A Creative Moment
What I Learned About Toddlers  thumbnail What I Learned About Toddlers From Two Toddlers
A Pit Stop Can Be Our Destination thumbnail A Pit Stop Can Be Our Destination Don't Miss Your Destiny
Owen's Christmas Gifts thumbnail Owen's Christmas Gifts From Around the World
Jack's Christmas Gifts thumbnail Jack's Christmas Gifts From Around the World
Traumerei< thumbnail Träumerei The Dreaming of Schumann and Me
Want to See What I'm Wearing for Halloween? thumbnail Want to See What I'm Wearing for Halloween? A Profound Question
Doubling Down... thumbnail Doubling Down... To Make Dreams Come True
Squirt's Observations of Her Papa thumbnail Squirt's Observations of Her Papa A Modern Day Eppie's Reflection
Riders on the Streetcar Named Desire: thumbnail Riders on the Streetcar Named Desire: Elizabeth and Rosa
If thumbnail If— A Message for Jack and Owen
Darwin, Chagall, and Lindbergh's Gifts thumbnail Darwin, Chagall, and Lindbergh's Gifts For Jack on His Fifth Birthday
Darwin, van Gogh, and Lindbergh's Gifts thumbnail Darwin, van Gogh, and Lindbergh's Gifts For Owen on His Third Birthday
A Gift on Papa's Day thumbnail A Gift on Papa's Day You Both Have Hearts of Gold
What Makes Me Tick thumbnail What Makes Me Tick Finally, an Explanation
What I Learned About Life... thumbnail What I Learned About Life... From Facing Down the Dragon
Father's Day thumbnail Father's Day What Fathers Can Learn on Their Day
What a Wonderful World thumbnail What a Wonderful World You Think to Yourself....
A Hand Is Put Into Theirs... thumbnail A Hand Is Put Into Theirs... And the Hand May Be a Little Child's
The Still, Small Voice thumbnail The Still, Small Voice Emerson and All of Us Have that Voice
O Ship of State thumbnail O Ship of State Thoughts While Sailing My Ocean
Ants thumbnail The Ants Will Lead Us Revisiting George Eliot and Silas Marner with Argentine Ants