Hi, I am Zac Gordon and zgordon.org is my personal website. You can find quotes I find inspiring, occasional reflections, random day to day blog posts, and photos. If you are looking for my professional work please check out dabrook.org and wideskydesigns.com.

I started a new course in my graduate degree in Education last night. The instructor talked a lot about the meanings of the words we use in education and how we should work to change or improve some of the language we use when talking about education. One example he gave, in particular, stayed with me. It had to do with the word “authority”.

What do you think of when you think of the word authority? Probably power, right? That was my first thought. My instructor, Principal of Walter Johnson High School, Dr. Chris Garran, enlightened me to an older connotation of the word authority.

Authority: To instill in others the power of authorship

Sure enough “authority” comes from the Latin word auctoritatem. The root of auctoritatem is auctor, or author. In English, the word author remains as the root of the word authority.

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I recently heard a radio interview with Joseph Califano, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Jimmy Carter. During his service to the White House, Califano began the battle against the tabacco industry. “Public Enemy Number One,” he railed.

The segment of the interview I heard with Califano dealt with students on medications. A pharmacist joined the discussion and gave a grim description of the drugs he prescribes to teenagers. The most compelling argument I heard during the discussion which ensued was that in the place of discipline, we dole out medication.

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I recently watched the movie Eragon, twice in one day actually. Sometimes when I am working on web design (my side job) I put a movie on in the background. I found parts of this movie especially inspiring and insightful. One line in particular.

For those of you who have not seen the movie, it is a fantasy that tells the story of a dragon, Saphira, and her dragon rider, Eragon, that seek to overcome an evil king and restore the world to peace. The classic story of good versus evil set in a magical world.

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Slow down everyone you’re moving too fast
Frames can’t get you when you’re moving like that

The first time I heard this chorus from Jack Johnson’s song “Inaudible Melodies” it struck me as profound. To me, these lyrics describe how we often move too fast through life. The frames seem to represent picture or movie frames. When we speed through life it is as if we are not really even here. Just a blur. Likewise, when we speed through life we do not fully see or take part in the world around us.

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Someone told me recently that if we want to become more considerate people we should practice putting ourselves in other people’s shoes. At first this seems easy, but when we really think about it (or try it) I have found it is actually a very deep and difficult practice.

To see the world from another person’s perspective requires us to step out of our own perspective. We must try to really understand what other people are going through, how they feel, and how they deal with their experiences.

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