Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-minnow-catchers-a-story-of-friendship-memory-and-evolving-intention-by-the-waterside/5027146/
*Photos can be found in the pdf version of this article.
This is the third in a series of articles by Ron Grady exploring the Languages of Encounter, through his experiences with the children in his forest classroom. The series will continue in the next issue of Exchange.
It is a cloudy Tuesday and Lucas and Jabari are hard at work near the waterside. Each is pursuing their own goal: Jabari is planning to catch minnows and Lucas is in search of frogs. Both children wish to capture, but their intended quarries and methodologies are entirely distinct. For some time, the two work amiably in parallel. Lucas leans down with care and attention over the murky waters of the bayou. Jabari kneels and searches the water with his eyes. Jabari seeks to corner the minnows using leaves and sticks, while Lucas positions his hands above the rippling surface of the water, prepared to move swiftly at the first sign of motion. Adjacent to these two, other children are busy making muddy meals and rocky soups served with sides of cloudy water. This does not, however, deter or distract Jabari or Lucas. They remain in asynchronous symbiosis for ...