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fuzzyred. It has been sponsored by ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America."Find a Productive Path"
For some, the quest
for a career comes easy.
They are the great painters
and the fine woodcarvers,
the ones whose work will
someday grace museums.
They are the architects
who raise mighty buildings
and the fashion designers
whose clothes adorn runways.
For others, it is not so simple.
It is up to the teachers
to sort out the great talent
from the ordinary, and
to help every student
find a productive path.
The artist who cannot
paint portraits may excel
at landscapes instead, and
one who can't do landscapes
may put paint on houses or
decorate walls with stencils.
Some find their satisfaction
not in using the paint but in mixing
the colors for other people to use.
If one loves paint, then there is
always a way to make a living
from working with the stuff.
Beyond that, there are
plenty of people for whom
it is a hobby rather than
a career -- the ones who
work in stores or offices,
then go home to paint
the flowers in their yards.
Their work is no less valid
for being humble and done
for fun instead for profit.
Then there are those who
will never be skilled craftsmen
of any kind, whose minds
deal more in abstracts.
They become physicists,
mathematicians, engineers
who design instead of build.
Some turn to philosophy instead,
working out the intricate mechanism
that lies within the human mind.
When one sees art in the whole universe,
one can always find a productive path.
* * *
Notes:
The theory of multiple intelligences recognizes that different people excel in different areas based on innate talents they can choose to develop. There are at least 9 types of intelligence. You can take a test to identify your stronger areas, if they are not already obvious.
It is essential to choose the right career for your abilities and personality. This includes people with disabilities.