My Inspiration...My Kids!

I know that the last two weeks have been a living hell for me. I have not found it easy to deal with the sudden, unexpected and unwarranted interruption to this project and the imposition it has placed on both my life and my health.

I am as yet, not ready to discuss my feelings more openly, but maybe in time, and possibly through the project book, I will be able to be more candid about the realities of this trauma.

You can't keep me down for long though and the attack has only served to make me more determined to go on and to produce even greater results for the project participants around the globe.

In the first few weeks, some lovely work was produced by the students in South America and some strong bonds were being formed between students world-wide. I have a project to deliver on and I will do this to the very best of my ability whatever obstacles are placed in my way.

The one reality about adversity is that it can be overcome. It can also inform and help others. I am already seeing that through the website and the comments I have been able to make to individual students (who are personally planning to set off on GAP years in the near future) just how my experiences may help prevent them suffering in quite the same way.

My inspiration for this project and my motivation was always the young people it might help. I share with you now just a few quotes from e-mails that I have received recently from my own students.

I was feeling that having given up everything, car, home and job, to fund this project that there was no future for it or for me. But I am a teacher. I do inspire my students and I have been made patently aware in the last few weeks that this is a project that goes beyond education for examination to education for life. I have also been made aware that I have inspired in students and colleagues a love that I would never have known had this incident not occurred.

In life we are sent many trials. What makes us the person we are is how we deal with these and how it shapes the person we become. You should always strive to be the best you can be and help others along life's sometime lonely road.
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Dear Mr Glover,
Have only just returned to school and read your latest blogs. I’m very sorry to hear about your ordeal. I pray that you were not badly hurt and that you are quickly recovering. Please email to let me know how you are.
God bless
Dana


Hey Will (sir) it's Emily Macfarlane
Chris R texted me saying u where back from South America as u got badly
beaten up I really hope u are ok.. u cant have been there long I was gonna
email u once back at school too see how things were going...
You would have had the pleasure of my company in class this year if u had stayed, oh the banter we could have had.
Anyway i do really hope u are ok, and it would be cool to hear from you
love Emily x


Mate
Aw no that is appalling news!! hope everything has been sorted and the
arrangements made.. Hope apart from this mishap the trip will go as planned.
Anyways I hope your trip is able to resume soon, very sorry to hear about your
misfortune.
Would be nice to see you soon
Love Oli


Will
Well that sucks, I couldn't reply cos I was on a mini holiday, hope you get better...
Chris


William -
Are you ok? I was so concerned something like this would happen.
Genuinely, I don't even think you should go back on the project for your own well being - you have been there a couple of weeks and look at what's happened.
Be sensible about this - speak when your home.
Love
Francesca X


Will
I'm so shocked and sorry to hear about your past week's happenings. I
can't imagine how much it has been a shock to your system. I know
that under your Mum's TLC, you'll be good as gold in no time at all!
We better be seeing you in December!
Keep the peace going,
Tom

Dear Mr.Glover, I was recently informed of what happened and I hope you are alright. I'm glad to hear that it has not dampened your spirit, and that you are determined to go on.
Keep in touch.
Tim.


Will
YOU HAVE TO GO BACK, WILL. It's such an amazing opportunity to learn, to grow, to experience, (how much you are going to benefit from it as a teacher and as a person).

I am not exactly aware how to put it, I think in life there are some things we just have to do and it is not about how much time it will take, how far we will have to travel, how many hardships to overcome. Even when we are setting off with trepidation
sometimes we know we have to carry on and this is how I feel about this project. I know that you have to carry on and then how proud you are going to be next year
coming back, knowing how much you have achieved, with this wonderful sense of self achievement.

Regarding the website donations, to be frank with you , I just think you seem to be such a successful and literate person that most would simply not think that the project would significantly benefit from donations. This is what I mistakenly thought.

Lots, lots of people support, admire (and even envy) you and I just wanted to contribute(even a bit). I will be with you with all my heart- and I'm sure many people are. Your path has 'heart' just follow it.

However hard it is, remember how priviliged you are, you are my best teacher
you are so smart, literate, intelligent, you know so, so, so much about virtually everything and now you have this wonderful chance. Trust me, be grateful and enjoy.

Don't feel 'stupid' you are neither stupid nor 'do stupid things', all that happened was that you had accident. It happens. So what. It could have happened to anyone, literally anyone.

You would be stupid only if you abandon the project. There are so many people behind you. But the key is YOU, and later what you can do, with the knowledge you will garner.

I do apologize if this e-mail is a bit lengthy, but well I just want you to know how much I care about you completing this project

I know you will do GREAT!!!!!
Holding fingers crossed,
Maciej.

I need to remember that storm clouds can be the most beautiful of all clouds...Enjoy the skies that I witnessed over Ecuador by clicking on this pages title.