Thinking about Compassion After a Wedding Reception

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At a wedding reception at the Marriott hotel in downtown Boston in June 2019, a young lady snidely asked me, “So you taught kids, huh?” after I said that I taught English abroad for about 7 years, and was still adjusting to gaining more stable footing in the States a year after returning.

While I did teach young learners, I mostly taught adult learners from all walks of life, including those in white-collar occupations.

I don’t remember how I responded but the young lady, then, pointed out, “It must have been very hard to live abroad” to which I replied that I actually didn’t take that long to adapt to local cultures and to which she said, “I don’t imagine you made any money abroad. Making money abroad was impossible, right?”

I have thought of this brief exchange a lot because I’d like to express that there’s nothing belittling about teaching young children and the amount of money that one earns indicates nothing about what the person thinks about every day and what the person knows and can do.

I’ve thought about the guidance and instruction that pre-K to 5th grade teachers demonstrate to their students.

Guidance, instruction and encouragement come from compassion.