A story from West Africa and 6 junior high students. December 18,2007= Wow! Showcase At Citizen School's South Boston Gavin campus this fall, Andrea Lovett coordinated this project with Norah Dooley, and Doria Hughes who all volunteered as teachers in a storytelling apprenticeship. Terry, Christline, Isaak, Carlos, Calvin, Kenny, Alfredo and Ashley,and Ryan are some of the junior high storytellers in Boston MA who participated.
Please come see some of us: 1:30PM DEC 27th @ South Boston Library 12:30PM DEC 28th @ ICA, in Boston 1:30 PM DEC 31st @ First Night, Boston 3 half hour shows "Tricksters & Noodleheads" Folk tales from youth of Boston's neighborhoods through Citizen Schools. Hynes Convention Center Room 106: 1:30 PM 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM -
Please check us out on youtube too:
http://youtube.com/GavinSt0ryBurners
Talk Talk is a tale from Ghana in West Africa. The apprentices learned this story through the oral tradition. We shared the story frame and they created their own dialogue and movements. Video by Doria Hughes Edited by Norah Dooley Music by Gavin Music Business Apprentices
and this is corny but true:A professor stood before his philosophy class and
had some items in front of him. When the
class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls .
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled i nto the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.'
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,'he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you'
'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.'
