Beginner's Heart

Beginner's Heart

Bio

Britton Gildersleeve is a 'third culture kid,' not quite grown up yet. She lives in the Midwest, although she didn’t always. She’s a writer and a teacher, the former director of a federal non-profit for teachers who write. Years spent living on the margins - in places with exotic names and food shortages - have left her with a visceral response to folks ‘without,’ and a desire to live her Buddhism in an engaged fashion. She is (still) working on her beginner's heart ~

She believes that if we talk to each other, we can learn to love each other. But she's still learning how. And she believes in tea.

Dan, the couple in the car beside me, and seeing with new eyes ~

On my way to pick up groceries for a family-full weekend, I pulled up to a stop light. As is my usual habit, I watched the people around me (I’m a die-hard people-watcher ). In the car next to me [...]

clean slate/ past ties ~

This is my current journal — nothing fancy (I’m being a bit stingy using the beautiful rose-pink Italian leather journal a former student gave me ). Just a black Moleskine. I like the blank pages — they beckon to me. [...]

weddings and dreams ~

Our family doctor’s son married in June. I wouldn’t know this, but he was talking weddings to my husband after our return from our son’s wedding. And what Dr. X said seemed rather sad, to me. Digression — are doctor/patient [...]

public education & teaching teachers ~

This is how teachers learn best: caffeine & reflection . Well,  at least the teachers I know ~ This week I helped with a two-day workshop with teachers in a town near here — one of the many small Oklahoma [...]

Previous Posts

the love of a teacher ~
Just yesterday this post-apocalyptic scene was a school, where children sat at tables, learning. Where teachers sat with them, facilitating that learning. Hours later, a tornado turned that normally noisy scene into hell. Moore, Oklahoma is familiar with tornadoes. Two other horrific ones have hi

posted 12:28:15pm May. 21, 2013 | read full post »

bees, and going with the flow ~
I've always wanted to keep bees. Perhaps it's my Uncle Russell's fault, although I'm pretty sure that my fascination w/ bees predates Uncle Russell's beekeeping days... More likely it's from reading the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre as a child. And following bees around. Like I did ants, a

posted 3:44:50pm May. 20, 2013 | read full post »

art festivals & beginner's heart ~
Art festivals rock. Really! Tents of cool trinkets to explore, music, junk food (although really: who considers locally  made chocolate gelato junk?), kids with painted faces... What's not to love? This week is Tulsa's MayFest weekend. An old festival (as these things go), the original MayFest h

posted 6:17:18pm May. 19, 2013 | read full post »

grand-nephews & grace ~
My grand-nephew is a hoot. Named for my younger son, little Noah is funny, drop-dead cute, and tons of fun. A great companion for a Friday adventure. So today, when he arrived w/ his grandmother -- my younger sister -- in tow, I knew fun was walking in the door, too. He made straight for the brea

posted 3:52:24pm May. 17, 2013 | read full post »

days of youth, death, & disconnection ~
I just heard that an old and very dear friend died. It was last year, but I only heard today. Some of you probably knew Larry Megill -- especially those of my local friends. He and my dear dear friend Carrie were Sunday school teachers at All Souls; they also delivered Meals on Wheels. But that i

posted 1:06:43pm May. 16, 2013 | read full post »


Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.