Metamorphosis Class

Yesterday my friends at Reed Intermediate school in Connecticut sent me their district wide writing prompt. It asked students to propose an after school club to the principal. Only after I wrote my 45 minute timed writing on transformation class did I realize my writing was influenced by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Here is the piece I wrote. My question is what do you do in Metamorphosis class? Or maybe can you write about a time of metamorphosis or transformation in your Life?

Transformation Class Could Change Your Life

Attention all students, this afternoon, after school , by order of the principal, we will begin transformation class. Please bring your bodies and minds, your thoughts and ideas, and especially, your dreams. You see a transformation class is where we learn to become our dreams.

This may sound weird to many of you but let me tell you transformation classes are not weird at all. From the beginning of time people have learned to transform themselves for the better. It started with the funny cave girl who found 2 round stones and turned it into a cart. She called it ‘ THE WHEEL” and at first everyone thought she was really strange. Then they saw how she could carry more stuff than anyone. After a while they all found round stones and today you can see them as the tires on your Ford Focus.

Then there was the guy who found that sparks made this thing called fire. Fire itself could transform metals like iron into liquid that you could mold into whatever you want. Enter silverware, armor ,can openers and , of course, the Ford Focus. Actually, the cans came first, but you probably know that.

Then there were the two children who decided war was not the best thing for humanity. They were a boy and a girl and they were both students at Reed Intermediate school in Newtown, Connecticut. They had watched the evening news and saw that there was enough, hunger and sadness and suffering in the world without human beings adding to it with their stupid weapons. So they started a secret class in Peace at recess. They showed everybody that peace was something you could practice in everyday life. It required stopping more, standing back from your angry, thoughts and feelings, learning to resist the temptation to just react and punch back at life. It required accepting kids who were not your friends into your group. It was more than tolerance. It was love and the more they practiced , the better they got at it and soon everyone in the class realized something: The whole world would be a better place if everyone practiced this.

I met this boy and girl last week and they invited me to tell the principal about this class. I have talked to the principal and he has approved it and now I want to invite you to it. It is never too late to live your dreams. It is never too late to see a world that others can’t imagine. It is never too late to transform hate and suffering into love and joy. Human beings, you see ,are all alchemists. We have a magic process that turns lead into gold. Come learn about this process.

If you feel sometimes like a sad larva, come to the Transformation Class after school and see that you have wings waiting to lift you up into the blue sky of your dreams.

Barry Lane January 18, 2012 started at 11:40 am finished at 12:19 pm