The Big Apple Core and Muddled Clarity

2021 will be an anniversary. It shall mark my fifteenth year as an educator. It has been one of the most unexpected joys and privileges of my life to teach design to students- many of whom have become some of my beloved friends.

What does this have to do with NYC?

Last year, while I was in mid-town Manhattan for a few hours, I took a late evening stroll with someone whose job is in communication- broadcast and online media. One of my biggest complaints when I visit the Big Apple is that no one ‘looks up’ anymore, even at night. This statement was the beginning of a conversation in which my constant concomitant and alter ego Archi-geek emerged. Oh boy, here we go…

While walking up Ninth Avenue, I marvelled at the amount of skyscraper construction that was happening. Which lead to me to thinking out loud- the structural core and foundation of these impressive new projects must have an effect on the architectonic fabric of one of the most famous cities in the world, which gave way to thinking about the weight of people and furniture and equipment pressing down on the ground, and there was this fascinating documentary I watched on Londinium recently…

The blank look (Say, what?) on my urban companion’s face told me everything that I needed to know about my musings. Though I tried again to get the rush of observations and cerebrations about skyscraper structure effects out of my head and into the open, I failed disastrously in my aim to relay what was clear in my head.

What does this have to do with teaching?

As the years have progressed, I have reached a level of comfort in my ability to communicate with clarity in graphic and written means. Speaking? That is more difficult. Teaching university level students challenged me to hone my skill at verbal communication, something with which I still struggle, obviously. The clarity that I strive to attain when conversing is still quite translucent and opaquely muddled.

One of the reassuring elements of recognizing my limitations is that there is usually an opportunity to build upon my lexical foundations. With a little verbal Windex and practice, maybe I will reach the level of expertise of my broadcast confidant- someday.