You know that feeling when you’re in a hot, stuffy elevator and you think, “Gosh, I just need some air.” It’s a terrible feeling. Stifling. Like you’re trapped and the walls feel small. It’s like being trapped in a box that is moving at a pace you cannot control. The doors open and you are so relieved that you can step off. Freedom. Fresh air, movement, and your own pace restored.
It’s just like learning. We’ve all been a student in the classroom that stifles us. I can remember it in Junior High. I watched the clock until my eyelids were heavy. Endless lectures about stuff I can no longer remember and long tests full of details that weren’t really about anything meaningful. Not my pace and the air always felt… stifling.
There are so many other ways to get from one floor to another… a fireman’s pole, a hot air balloon, a twisty slide, wings, or even giant suction cups on the side of the building.
It’s about possibilities. The kind we need more of in learning. What would happen if the doors opened, the box became filled with air and creativity? Probably something awesome.
But we’ll never know unless we try.
