water boarding

Was teaching chemistry a year or so ago.  It felt like a nightmare zone.  In a lab shoulder to shoulder with adolescents who are more interested in the opposite sex than science and feel safety issues are a complete waste of time.  One tall chap decided to push his safety glasses to the top of his head during experiments, it must have looked cooler, I expect.  Difficult to look good with thick goggle like protrusions on your face.  A splash of acid and he got it on his face close to the eye.  I was mad and concerned.  It was my responsibility to keep them safe after all.  So I told him that acid continued to burn, lower skin layers, for some time after the initial splash and that he had to put his head under the tap at the sink.  Drenched with water pouring over his head and face he spluttered the question how long he needed to stay there.  Fifteen minutes, I told him with cruel intent.  A long time to be water boarded but I could see the rest of the class was learning a valuable lesson and so did he.  Hard to link such blatant torture to kindness but here’s a piece about kindness anyway!

Kindness melts

Kindness melts the hardest heart, it soothes it listens
It allows the sores of festering pain to leak away
It gradually eases the raw edges of life
So that the salve of recovery can be applied
Don’t look for wounds to dress in others
Just know with certainty they are there deep and pus filled
But hidden out of sight
To prevent painful exposure
Therefore, apply kindness daily as required