Beyonce or Jane Austen or . . . does it really matter who?

Seeing this picture makes me happy. It is a
wonderful contrast to the 11 degree day and the
snow flurries I see out my window. 

THE QUESTION MAKES ME HAPPY, TOO.  JUST THINKING ABOUT WHO I WOULD SIT WITH MAKES ME SMILE SO . . .

I asked the University of Kentucky social work students that I teach this same question hoping to get to know a little about them from their responses.  One girl wanted to sit with her grandmother who has dementia and another wanted Morgan Freeman to sit and read to her because his voice is so calming.  Nice answers.  However, in this class of junior and senior students most of them (all females) wanted to meet the two celebrities in the picture to the left.  Around ten young women who will soon be professional social workers chose these two women.  Those who chose Ellen wanted to talk with her to see if she is as genuine as she seems to be on TV.  Okay - good idea.  However, those who selected Beyoncé just wanted to look at her!


The other class is an introduction to social work.  Some of the students are freshman.  All of the students are new to Social Work as a profession.  Their responses were varied and interesting from Jane Austen to George Washington to grandparents who died before the students were born.  Not only did they want to spend time with interesting people, they  wanted to have meaningful conversations with them.


Two students wanted Jesus to sit with them:
One to ask him questions
The other to just say "Thank You"
 

My leap of faith near the time that my husband died was to take a chance, go to college, and become a social work professional.  And now I am teaching future social workers.  Am I still growing as a social worker, learning... maybe from my students?

My initial response to the students who wanted to "look at Beyoncé" was to think that they were pretty shallow.  But as write this Blog, I remember laughing with the students in my "Beyoncé" class as we all saw the humor in their responses.  And then I remember the tenderness I felt as the others shared their choices (such as the picture on the right). 

I would like to spend some time on the bench with each of them and have each tell me their story - and why they REALLY wanted to sit with the person each chose - and I would learn from them just like I would like to have them learn from me.