www.martinnaef.ch / 1.2: Briefe > To Barb W., May 1998
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To Barb W., May 1998

Dear Barb! I got your mail - and - being a loyal friend and a close to pathological helper! - I raced to my computer and created a beautiful answer! Then I raced to my living room with my note book in my hands, to beam my holy words to San Jose!

But, as I sat down - - - no, I didn't fal and braek my leg, I din't even drop the computer - - - but the words were gone anyways - without anything special happening, except some  problem with my battery pack which every now and then fails for a brief moment and . ... crawld into bed! Next day I had to go to Bern, where I have started to teach a class about alternative schools and alternatives to schooling etc.. Well. This kept me busy all day and tonight I only have three more minute, than I am invited for dinner at my former french teacher from high school days!!!! Yes! Thousands of years ago! An interesting, very special man, who (amongst other languages) speaks greec, too, and that's why I contacted him some months ago, when I found a greec book on Paul Geheeb . . .!

O Barb, I am so sad, that my letter to you disappeared, because, when I wrote it, I was really with you with all my heart and soul and body and now I am sort of scattered all over: I am trying to do seven things at once and I don't even have the time for one thing! I  am organizing two little )private) events around my Geheb book, which finally (yes yes yes!!!) came out the beginning of this week. I am trying to contact a japanese fellow, who has written a dissertation on Geheeb, to get some more information about Geheebs contacts with China in the 30ies and 40ies (hoping that he, being closer to china and chinese literature, may know some things about this). I am ...

Well, to make it short: Tell me, whether you are ending home schooling for good or just for summer vacation. Some how this didn't come out clearly in your letter. If it's just for summer vacation - well, than "the old, regular" life will soon have you back. However, it sounded more as if you are not planning to go back into another year of home schooling??? Is this right! Well! I can see, how you feel sort of lost and disoriented after all this bending down and digging in the durt! Your eyes and your mind and heart have to readjust to the word of freedom! But, Jbarb, I am excited about this situation of yours: I look at you as such a clever, smart, intelligent, nice, loving and loveable person etc. etc., that there is no doubt what so ever in my heart, that something new and fascinating will show up and  you'll soon find yourself at the beginning of new, good things!!!

I have no time to add more poetic chit chat around this. To give you something to read (and keep your mind busy) and to give you an idea as to where I'm at these days - at least some sort of an idea! -, I add a letter which I just wrote one or two weeks ago to a new email friend in Oregon. It is much about education and the education business really takes up much of my thinking and working time: The experience with my  class in Bern confirms in many ways the bad feelings I have and had since long about what we're doing in our schools, about the pseudo-type of teaching and learning, which goes on there. And it' s is funny, that I  sort of thought, that it would and could be different - after all my analyzing! ...

No. Finito. I must go. Kiss you. Shout "Hello" for CG and Shiao San!

Bye bye.

Martin