os200127 In the shadow of the Gates Foundation: 

Recounting educational compromises 

  I clicked on the Easter egg on the lower left corner of my splash page on my personal website, and it was a mild surprise to see what it’s linked to: The Elephant Print pdf file documenting my artist scrip, and artistscripophily concept.

What a good idea!

Lately I’ve been going to bed with the wish – a nightly prayer one might say – to see the movie in my imagination, Emeralda. It’s the story of a mystery ship and a halfwood press.

Another movie I want to see is Swipe – my autobiographical fantasy about a failed art professor with a happy ending and a globe trotting street kid who inherits a halfwood press business.

South of our Mini Art Gallery is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and I work in the shadows of this mega-philanthropical enterprise. Rumored to be the biggest philanthropical organization in the world, this foundation could finance both movies.

However, it’s not their mission. The closest they come to aligning with my goals is in the area of education. One of their former education executives stopped in the gallery one day years ago, and through him I tried to spark interest in my novel approach to STEM.

Previous to his stint at the Gates he was working for the University of Washington education, but his stay there was short. Likewise, his stay at the Gates! He moved to Colorado to be president of a college.

What is it about Seattle? What is it about Washington State that seems to have a problem with education? I was forced out of teaching at the UW. Carl Chew was forced out of public education. Washington State is no place for teachers who answer to a different master.

While I was reviewing my PDF file, Elephant Print, I wondered, “Where did my enthusiasm go?” It still looks good to me – plausible in many respects. Did I “kill my darlings” as one person put it – a teacher of writing?

They meant not to become too attached to one’s creations, that the way to success in the arts is to keep pushing beyond one’s previous achievements. That’s how I interpret the expression.

In other words, trash the artistscripophily idea – don’t become so attached to it that it drags you down. Move on.

Yet, with the prospect of a visit by a woman named Natalia today who has a common interest in Mavis Nduchwa’s venture in Botswana (called Chabana Farms Kalahari Honey), I can’t help but think the idea has a chance.

I’m ever the optimist – like the expression, “Impatient Optimists,” I saw back when I was learning about the Gates Foundation’s education arm. It was Bill Gates, Sr., who was a co-founder of their foundation, who said:

 "I have an optimistic view of human nature. For the most part, I believe people are good, that we want to help our neighbors. I believe people want to be good citizens. When they see a problem, they want to fix it." —William H. Gates, Sr.

A quick look at this one immediately finds the problem: A critic points out their predilection for charter schools and alignment with people like the Walton’s positions and Betsy de Voss’ – most unfortunate conservatives. With friends like that, a liberal can hardly be optimistic about support for Mavis.

After my review and these words, I conclude it is not the failure of the liberal in a search for a better educational outlook, it is the environment.

There’s a story about a cucumber, bright green, shiny-skinned and hard who finds himself in a pickle jar. All the other former cucumbers are dull, gray-green, wrinkled and soft.

“Wow,” said the new cucumber, “What happened to you guys?”

“Stay here long enough and you’ll find out,” they answered.