Day 79: March 20, 2009

Question 99:
In your opinion, what are the seven wonders of the world?

Responses:

• I love this story and have to share it all rather than just stealing the ending - A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the current Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes: 1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. Taj Mahal 3. Grand Canyon 4. Panama Canal 5. Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall. While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the student if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: To touch, to taste, to see, to hear, to feel, to laugh and to love. “ The room was full of silence. [I was surprised the kids mostly came up with man-made structures, but think that last girl said it best]
• If the seven wonders of the world were intangible items, I would say that they would be things that make us human: emotion, logic/reasoning, language, instinct/intuition…
• 1) Intelligence, 2) psychology, 3) contrast between ancient architecture with no resources vs modern architecture and limitless resources, 4) religion (specifically, acceptance of it without challenge), 5) laughing babies, 6) cancer, 7) color

Song:
Dream, by Priscilla Ahn

Lyrics:
I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream