As if: Pretending?
What if we take Pullman’s as if to heart, “as if the universe were listening to us and responding?” Taking an as-if stance, we avoid assimilating other people’s expectations of us. We infuse our life with all the senses and read books, tell stories, invoke humor, “as if it would make a difference” in who we are with ourselves and with one another. We act in harmony with the universe “as if we were going to win.”
At moments when teachers are feeling surrounded by others expectations, plans, dictates, they can take an as-if stance with their students. Together, seeking knowledge, insights that come from a mutual presence. Moments in which discoveries release passivity, revelations emerge from routine. It can be true for all of us.
In these troubled times, taking an as-if stance in your life may open you to a new paradigm, one that celebrates you, your family, your colleagues, your friends. You invite new and dynamic thinking. You energize. You engage. You touch hearts. You act as if you are “going to win.”
