butterfly catcher

It's interesting to think about how specific instances in time can really ingrain certain ideas and feelings in our minds. I don't think it's often obvious how past experiences influence us, but I do believe that some memories stick with us more than others because of how deeply they affect us. In "The butterfly catcher," Dr. Ricketts tells several stories involving her dying friend and reflects upon how these personal memories have influenced her artistic ideology. These two people seemed to be kindred spirits in some sense, and having worked together so closely on various projects, Dr. Ricketts was connected to Jorge on a profoundly emotional level. This connection allowed Dr. Ricketts to become "the creative and kinaesthetic channel" for her dear friend during this difficult time. Such intense empathy and emotion is certainly extreme, but I think it also demonstrates how, in general, empathizing with others is a kind of superpower that allows us to develop our own understanding of the world by "channelling" the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of others. As a teachers, we strive to gain some degree of insight into our students' learning experiences and thought processes. And while we won't ever be in a situation like Dr. Ricketts and Jorge, I like the notion of being some sort of conduit for the thoughts and ideas of students. I think occupying that mindset enables us to help students to a greater degree, shifting the focus from teaching students our ideas, and instead guiding them in developing their own. I feel like that's a bit of a reversal of what was happening between Kathryn and Jorge, but, at the same time, I think reflecting upon moments of empathizing with students will certainly inform our teaching ideologies. Tragically, Jorge's life was cut too short, though I'm certain he gained a lot from his time with Kathryn as well, and those experiences would have undoubtedly shaped him as an artist. Similarly, and I've said this before, but the student-teacher experience is a two-way street, and it's at its best when students and teachers are learning from each other. It feels wrong to draw such a comparison when the emotional weight of this situation is really incomparable to the experience of a teacher in a classroom. So I sincerely hope I'm not coming off as insensitive here. I wonder if perhaps the more important lesson to learn from this article is that there are significant moments in life which have a profound effect on people and we must be sensitive to that. Similar to Dr. Ricketts, we might also find the value in reflecting upon such experiences, to better understand ourselves and others, striving for authentic self-expression, finding our voice within the stories of others.