Inspiration from Dr. Seuss

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

        I love quotes. I scribble them down in my notebook, record them on scraps of paper that fall to the bottom of my purse, write them on the backs of napkins. They are on my phone in “Notes,” and sometimes, if I am feeling very organized, I get them into a file on my computer. Quotes inspire me, stretch my thinking, fill me with questions, and help me understand the world a little better (Thanks, TWT for the great quotes that appear on the daily call for slices). So today, on the day we celebrate the incredible Dr. Seuss, I decided to use one of my favorite quotes of his as inspiration for my slice.

           Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.

                                                                                                                                 -from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Although this quote is from a book published in 1971 about the importance of caring for the earth’s environment (quite timeless, actually), I believe it can apply to many situations. I have used it to spur action with colleagues and to counteract the apathy that would sometimes creep into the attitudes of some students (or even my own children). Think of the many times you may have heard kids say, “I don’t care.”  I believe the most important word in the whole quote is “care.” Caring about something calls for a response. It is a call to action to do something, to advocate for something you believe in. Without sounding too political, let me just say that there are many things going on right now in the world that need our care. We may not be able to fix everything, or maybe even anything, but if we pick one thing and increase the care we put into it, it might just make a difference.

Thanks, Dr. Seuss, for giving us so many life lessons!