As I scrolled through my Facebook feed yesterday, I came across a video clip from Dr. Who that caught my eye. In the video, they use the TARDIS time-traveling machine to take Vincent Van Gogh into the future to see the impact of his art...his life’s work. Well, I must be feeling emotional these days because it moved me. I am sharing it here with you with a bit of context before and after the clip.
Van Gogh (1853-1890) is now recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time and yet, during his lifetime, he struggled tremendously, and his art was largely unappreciated. Only months before his death (by suicide), he sold his first and only painting, The Red Vineyard, for 400 francs (approximately $2,000 today). Vincent lived much of his life in poverty and struggled with mental illness most of his life. In fact, his most famous painting, Starry Night, was created while institutionalized. This past May, I was blown away by getting a chance to see it close-up and personal at the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City on a trip with “The Five Guys.”
Image Taken by John Berray
How would Van Gogh react if he could see what has become of his art? How would it feel inside to realize that you had become regarded as one of the greatest of all time and that your work had changed the world?
Let’s find out...here is the clip.
That gets me.
Although, as educators, we often get a much better chance to see and understand the tremendous nature of our impact, I still feel most of us would be truly STUNNED if we knew the ripple effect we have through the universe. In Teach Like a Pirate, I said, “You can’t measure a teacher’s impact through standardized test scores or D/F rates. A teacher’s impact can only be measured through generations.”
As I reflect on the video clip, I am overwhelmed by one thought.
I wish this for all of us.
I wish we could all know the wonderful ripples...waves we have sent across the world. And I wish we could know this while still here walking it.
- Dave
PS: YOU can start by telling someone the impact they have had on your life. You can describe for them the ripple they created that left their sight, but nonetheless reached far off shores. I would suggest doing it today...there is no guarantee of tomorrow.