Digging for Gold

I came up with a writing joke this week, which made me feel both happy and vindicated (I'll explain why in a minute.)

What part of writing would I be teaching if I put up this slide? 

A clue - it's a really very poor piece of timber, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, why did this make me so cheery? 

It's because I was planning the teaching I've got coming up over the summer. And I was going to base much of it on the tried and tested methods I've used before. 

But something wasn't feeling quite right about the work. So I got up for a stretch, happened to glimpse myself in a mirror, and didn't like what I saw. 

I was being complacent, lazy, not using the wonderful, amazing, extraordinary piece of mushy grey miracle-making equipment we humans have so fortunately been kitted out with inside our skulls. 

So!

I started rethinking the teaching. And wow, did it feel good.

I ran with the momentum and came up with various new ideas, which were both fun and effective and all round uplifting.

It was a powerful reminder of one of my maxims. To never stop, never give up, live the life thing, use your talents, create and innovate, fulfil your potential...

All that stuff I tend to go on about, you know the kind of thing. 

Finally then, that joke. A very bad piece of timber...

It can surely only be... 

Dire log!