for me, my marriage is still the most important thing, because Leaves on the Current is not only my best friend, but the person I trust most in the world
next comes my role as a teacher - to some degree that encompasses what I do here, since much of what I post is in part because I function as a teacher even outside my classroom. Please note - that does not mean lecturing per se. It does include challenging the thinking of others, presenting them with information or points of view they might not have considered.
then comes my volunteering in dental triage in free clinics/fairs/mission as I am doing this weekend, about which I wrote earlier this evening.
After that comes everthing else. That includes the cats that grace and bless our lives. That includes nieces and nephews and sibling and for Leaves parents. It also includes politics, human rights, the environment, music, literature, etc.
Perhaps the first two are not surprising. Perhaps some might argue the broader sense of family should be of higher priority.
After all, how important can 2-4 days of volunteering a couple of times a year actually be?
It connects me with what matters, persons, all kinds of person. It reminds me of the importance of seeing each individual as a unique person: s/he is not merely her dental conditions any more than the students who bless me in my classroom is how they "achieve" in my class.
Knowing one's priorities is important.
I think I know mine.
Which is why I will shortly go to sleep, so I can be up to be of service for another day at the Wise Health Care Fair.
Peace.