Maeda's SIMPLICITY

Profess-sions

What are you? I have always found this question somewhat difficult to answer. The obvious answer is, "a person." But that response never gets the look of recognition from the person doing the asking. The question is meant to elicit your self-categorization. The correct answer is something like, "I'm a cook." The response is, "Oh, you're a cook. I'm an x." where x is one of the many kinds of professions one might choose to adopt in their lifetime. Sometimes the person doing the asking is from the same profession, "You're a cook? Wow, I'm a cook too!" Once both parties are aware that they share a common footing in society, an implicit bond is formed. The person doing the asking can be of a discordant profession, "You're a cook? I'm a King. I shouldn't be talking to you!" Thus a profession is a means to place oneself within a social caste, and thus it is an effective means to promote particular prejudices between professions.

Are you an engineer? Are you an artist? Are you a designer? Maybe. I'm really not sure. I've never been completely sure what it is that I do. But I tend to do quite a bit. Thus I am allowed to survive in spite of not knowing particularly knowing what I do. I just do.

However a few days ago I realized that I do know what I am. I'm a teacher! It dawned upon me on the drive into work. I have students around me, and I try to teach them a variety of things through both explicit and implicit means. What a revelation ... however obvious this may seem to the reader. I think because I am officially called a "professor," I assume that my job is to "profess." Webster's dictionary tells me that to profess is "to affirm openly" or "to make a presense of" or "to teach." The two former definitions actually sound quite a bit empty.

This morning in my 5th grader's graduation ceremony, the Principal of the school suggested that the essence of a good teacher was the ability to model a particular, positive behavior for students. I think this really sums it all up ... all the pressure and responsibility of it all to be a teacher. This of course isn't restricted to the profession of teaching, but in the role that most people play in their workplaces of being a mentor. I once had mentors. Now I have none. I've got to say that it's much better to be mentored than mentorless. Although the mentored should always be aware that someday they will become mentorless ... it makes the experience of being mentored by a considerate and caring mentor, that much more precious for them. They won't be there forever. I guarantee that.

So since you know you're a teacher, what do you teach? I teach that it's okay to do a variety of things. That it's better to do than to not do. I haven't the slightest idea how to ride a skateboard, but I do. Doo doo doo doo as the song goes ...

James Shewmaker taught me a few things about using the word "Webster" erroneously, "Many years ago, the term 'Websters' was protected by the laws concerning copyrights and trademarks to such a degree that when someone referred to 'Webster's Dictionary' everyone knew precisely which dictionary was meant. However this is no longer true. Several companies now use the term to describe their company's family of dictionaries. Each company's dictionary may present a completely different set of definitions. Your posting did not, however, include the mistake which is often made of treating dictionaries as if they were objective authorities of the 'proper' meaning of words. Modern dictionaries are swayed by the winds of usage and are not intended to be steadfast anchors which may be appealed as 'absolute' definers of proper definitions." If you can't trust a dictionary anymore ... who can you trust? I'm glad I threw out my Encyclopedia Britannica long ago ...