limbic brains and boredom

We have tiny little limbic brains inside our massive nifty advanced ones. Little lizard selves, overliad with chicken brains, overlaid with fishy ones, and finally the mastadons and cro-magnons of thinking. And today I was thinking of drawing one on the board and labeling the one in the interior, that vast undiscovered non-neutron firing wilderness, The Senior Brain.

I teach, among other things, and sometimes I fear for our nation. I really really mean it. I know, I know, Plato and Socrates said 'the elders' said the same about their generation and look where that got 'em. Greek revival and decline. But really, I truly have seen a decline in 20 years, most especially since the advent of techno-speak.

I write, I blog, I have a cel phone, and I understand what passes for conversation is not the same as face to face, or instead of pixels, ink to paper. Sure, but that is because I am PRE the cel age. These kids are a scary version of the Ray Bradbury story where one would save to buy one wall at a time, eventually being able to step into a room and live the scene. Precursor of the holo-deck on Star Trek which I have always wanted. Only , in this story, "The Veldt": the evil children send their parents in and the lions eat them. I am the gladiator of education and they are the lions. And they are winning.

I think that my students are too lazy to even conceptualize this idea. They do not take a chance, and I am bored with them. I have an afternoon class of high energy Latino boys who could give a shit about what I have to teach but at least in my frustration I am not bored; I am just trying to herd iguanas until 3:08 p.m. But the morning class is for honors! I am not alone when I write, and vent, that they are fucking boring. These kids to not interact, do not talk to me, and do not apparently, think. Or, they are smimply ( pick one" a. tooo sleepy b. to ininvolved c. could give a shit d. intellectually dormant. e. need caffiene. ( who doesn't?)

They are not venal, lasvicious, criminal, they are just dull. I have just spent my year examing my physical, dancing, sexual, out-there try-anything side. And, at the same time I have given 3 keynote lectures, traveled to three countries and talked, written three articles, taught 36 night food classes, cheffed at a restuarant and read at least 30 books. I realize I need both very much. The limbic and the cro- magnon.

This with an indolent life to mainstream tv, and lots of magazines. I am not a super woman, I just don't get how these kids think. And, by extension, how they will raise engaged citizens of the world, have interesting lives, and conduct interesting conversations. Yeah, yeah, a value judgement but I am entitled to my pissy little values. Maybe they will all indeed pump gas, come home to the Barbie, and bbq, raise sweet little newts, and go to bed without homework, books, or reflection. I may have escaped successfully this possible existence, of not thinking in my recent relationship, limbic like, but not really the magnon of the magnums I want. .

So, we are the Alphas and I think sometimes, I am teaching the Zeds. (But the Christian Zeds are taking over the world.) Thank goodness these kids want to just pump gas and I don't. I know, in Zen, all jobs are noble and equal, but you know, unless you are the best gas pumper you know and go home to an enlightened life, these kids are just not, Victoria, making any chlorophyl at all. No cost there, going back into the ether. Just etherized.

god, I need to retire.