What people like us are capable of.

I went to a Teach For America panel last week to speak to its newest corps members about my experience in the public schools of New York. I found one panel question very interesting, simply for the fact that I rarely think about it.

Fatlind and I, June 2011.

One soon-to-be teacher asked the panel of three students--"What inspires you?" I answered first and realized that my response was automatic--"Well, my brother inspires me. He's 12 years old and he's amazing." I thought about this question long after the panel had ended and I was back in Brooklyn, taking in the Manhattan skyline from the balcony as I ate leftovers for dinner.
I realized that my statement was absolutely true--my brother does inspire me. His existence makes me want to be better, makes me expect the best and nothing less of myself, makes me want to show him exactly what people like us are capable of. But there's more that inspires me.

Gray skies with a tad bit of friendship.

I’m inspired by city lights and the calmness of night. I’m inspired by darkness and its inevitable leading into light. I’m inspired by broken down structures along the streets of Williamsburg and I know one day, they’ll dance in the sky with the other side of the East River. I’m inspired by yard sales and second hand stores and the potential for even objects to own history.





I'm inspired by the people in my life who have chosen to be a part of me. I'm inspired by educators, and much more so, educators who have changed my life and continue writing emails, who know what I'm doing, who tell me what they're doing, who plan to attend my graduation in place of those who have chosen not to be a part of me.

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I'm especially inspired by educators in New York City--those who are constantly bombarded with statistics about our schools that took a history of inequality to create and will take years and millions (of the right people) to undo, and still--they stand in front of a classroom every day and do what students need them to do most--believe and pay attention.
I'm inspired by the many that I know who work in the service of education. The people who do the behind the scenes work and spend hours trying to avoid a blow out, only to have one happen in the final hour of the day. I’m inspired by the bravery of a few people I am working with this summer—in the face of inappropriate attitudes, 9-midnight days, a system too large to function without some dysfunctionality.

Equally so, I’m inspired by my own generation. Millennials stand up—we are less stuppid and destracted then our alders think. I’m inspired by the people in my generation who I look at and think—hm, that’s a great quality to have. The people who will be the brave ones in the face of 9-midnight days that still yield upsetting phone calls from the same people that know not about the 9-midnight days. I’m inspired by my friends. I’m inspired by my bestfriends. I’m inspired by my Posse. And if you’ve just read to the bottom of my thoughts, chances are—I’m inspired by you.