Do I worry about anything like that? Not really, Catherine. For one thing, online mentoring -- which is what I do when I'm not in Berkeley... and even when I'm there, the more 'hands-on' aspects of that are during the 6-week ATDP summer session -- isn't like classroom teaching at all. For another, if I did have to worry about stuff like that, I'd be paralyzed into inaction. And yes, being a role model is definitely a big responsibility; but it's certainly not an obligation, as far as this weblogging community is concerned. As Laura's essay is going to show (she gave me a precis preview, hehe) the beauty of this community (and the reason it works) is precisely because no one is being compelled to do anything, or to be anything.

As for me I don't really see myself as trying all the time to be a role model or something... I'm just an amateur carpenter, pounding some nails into some boards, and hoping the scaffolding holds, to extend a metaphor Damien once used about me. So yeah, there is no pressure. There shouldn't be any. But you got the glass mountain dream squarely in the center of the target... Do I worry that it will shatter? No, not really. If I did, I might as well not be on it. All I know is that when I see broken parts somewhere on the mountain, painful shards of glass, I go there and gather up the pieces, melt them in the furnace... and see if they can be whole again.

Intriguing questions, Chris! Though at first, I missed them because the mouseover effect didn't work on my browser but then I noticed that you had a longish alt attribute to the image, so I just looked at the source. I do look forward to your weblogging about these questions, as I think many of them go to the heart of what it is that happens in this particular space. My favorite question of yours is Why have I got into this habit and how long can I continue this? *chuckle* When you guys showed Manila to me last spring, I pretty much pegged right then and there that it would be quite habit-forming. Addictive, even. But in a good way, of course--some kids here who never really liked writing, now do!

Anyway, your questions also reminded me of something curious I noticed a while back, early on in my mentoring. As little kids, we ask a heck of a lot of questions; we're very good at it then. But then, as adolescents, we lose that 'capability.' It's like we run out of questions to ask the world... but really we don't, we just can no longer form the strings of words and place the question marks, becoming inchoate. And all the questions are silent, unasked. Then we grow older, and we recover the ability to ask stuff again. I dunno, it just might be me, but that's what I've observed about question-asking. What do you think?

Sundry comments and "go-to" weblog entries...

• Everyone must read Damien's weblog on "Regret Management" ... and looking at life as a chess game of sorts. (Note: my response to Damien, on his weblog. Further note: does anyone else, aside from Damien and myself, respond to other people's weblog entries, using Manila's built-in reply feature? If not, why not? I'm really curious to know what you think, though I have my theories as to why this is; which, if this 'issue' proves controversial, I'll weblog about of course.)

• Tsk-tsk, Alejo... did I ever say at any point (weblog or IM) that all you should be writing are evocative weblogs? ::chuckles:: I think you're doing just great, kid. Keep it up. There is much wit, even in your wonderful silliness which doth indeed surpasseth even D's. LOL. ;-) Adelante yizo! (Which I insist on pronouncing with the Catalan "th...")

• What happened to Nik's weblog, Bigi? Well, 2 things: I discovered, about a month and half after Trev gave 'him' to me, that Nik is a girl (!) and so s/he had a gender identity crisis that s/he never recovered from. *chuckle* But more importantly, since I left Berkeley (and left Nik in Yoshiko-san's capable and loving care), I don't get to see life through my little rat daemon's eyes anymore. I know she's doing well, though. Everyone else: run, don't walk, and check out Bigi's new pet, Siu Keung, who even has a cute weblog. Arf! (If more petlogs appear--yes, Trev even for your new so-far-nameless green iguana which I dearly hope your mom will let you keep--then we shall revive the old petlog category now, won't we. Hehe.)

• Candace had the spotted dick. *snicker* On AIM just yesterday, she told me it was delicious, and that she'll try to send me a package of it in Maui. Hope it won't spoil. ;-)

• If you really wanted to know how yinzgandantananat should be pronounced, or at least what it sounds like, check out Laura's link to an audio file of a Pittsburgher saying something in dialect. I don't thiiiiink it's the exact same phrase, even as I've played it over and over and listening closely. Hard to say! LOL. And while we're on Laura, do read her poignant weblog about saying goodbye to her students. It always feels like that for me, after the end of each TIC/AIC in summer...

• 12/12 ... Devin on apprehensiveness and near misses
• 12/12 ... Tania on high school app conspiracy
• 12/13 ... Cole on why do we maintain this mentality?
• 12/13 ... Kati on the charms of her 'Asian' grin ;-)
• 12/13 ... Allie on wasting time on her research project
• 12/14 ... Jason on being angry, calm, sad, relieved, stressed, etc.
• 12/15 ... Robin about Tom, and reading this weblog
• 12/16 ... Aaron Paul on school's end and his Red Badge... website project
• 12/16 ... Giancarlo's typically provocative questions: u ever feel?
• 12/17 ... Tom on remembering his grandpa at Christmastime

{ net.casting }
^