Mantras for Old and Young.

Alice has been tweeting a “weekly mantra,” thoughts to keep in the grown-up mind as she spends her day teaching the child mind.

Turns out, the kids have been making posters out of her mantras. Knowing I’ll never go online, she prints them out and sends them to me as postcards, via good ol’ snail mail.

They’re beautiful. Great strong words to help me through the day.

But I have to say, I’m surprised. Thoreau and Emerson, Shakespeare and Dickinson. They seem (I hate to say it) too old to be of any real interest to the TikTok generation.

And I can’t help but wonder what quotes the kids themselves would choose for their daily mantras.

Comments

Media Jean: If by “old” he means “boring,” he’s right.

Chip: I kind of like them.

Media Jean: Let’s take his advice and Google some mantras and quotes of our own.

Chip: I found a page called Teachers First with great quotes, like, “People in glass houses… better not take off their clothes.”

Media Jean: That’s hilarious! I like this one, “A penny saved is… not much.”

Chip: “Two’s company, three’s… the Musketeers.”

Media Jean: Ha ha! “He who laughs last… didn’t understand the joke.”

Chip: Teachers First is a great web site! Check out, Wise Advice from Kids. I like this one, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

Media Jean: Ha ha! “You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.” I wonder if they’re talking about school or homework?

Chip: “Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic tac.”

Media Jean: See? These quotes are as good as anything ol’ Thoreau ever said.

Chip: You really think so?

Media Jean: Sure! Take that one about not trusting a dog to watch your food. That’s about understanding who someone is. Their true nature. That’s philosophy. That helps you make better decisions. Thoreau or Play-Dough couldn’t have said it any better.

Chip: I think that's Plato. But it is pretty good.

Media Jean: Let’s make a poster out of it and snail-mail it to your dad!

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