Lily says that today i have to write a story about Goofy and a little dog who get lost in the woods. i decided that she and i should write it together; so, here’s our story:

(hold on, she’s trying to tell me how to spell: “first you need A, then you need Y, and now you need X; don’t forget X, mommy!”)

one day a cat and a dog and goofy and a fish and a dog and a bird search for apples in the woods (Lily’s words!). And they couldn’t get back home. then they saw little red riding hood. little red riding hood could not talk to them because she did not have her voice! her friend, ursula, got it from her. goofy and the pets have a mystery: to find little red riding hood’s heart, and her dammaw (lily’s word for grandma), and her voice. ursula took her voice and never brought it back.

okay–well, she’s on my nerves, and the story isn’t following any kind of logic –she just keeps piecing together tidbits of movies she’s seen/stories we’ve read. but, hey…she’s 3!! haha…

lily was playing with her barbie dolls while my husband made dinner tonight, and i watched with amazement at how easy it was for to create story. she sang for the dolls and gave them a voice–they even fought (can anyone say “conflict”??) so, as i’m watching this creature who i birthed, all i could think about was my high school students who have lost this creativity; this ability to get lost in story. and, i couldn’t get the thought out of my head about how much humans crave story; it’s WIRED into our dna or something.

but my poor high school students have lost that. not all of them, of course, but many. they are paralyzed when they write; they complain that they can’t read a book–because they’ve NEVER read a book. but aren’t they missing something of themselves (does that make sense)? aren’t they just in mourning or denial of what’s really wired? how many teachers, despite their best intentions, become complicit in “schooling” but not in creating? obviously i include myself in this question, especially since i’ve spent the last 6 weeks in writing-test-prep mode!

how many voices have i crushed because their creative side doesn’t jive with the format of the test that i know will ensure they “pass a test”? if i can’t heal that wound, will they pass their “uncreativeness” on to their own children? OMG–i have TOTALLY depressed myself!! 😉