The English poet Emily Dickinson once wrote, “I dwell… in possibility.”  

As an educationalist, when I think of our pupils I think, above all else, of possibility. The possibility of new experiences.  The possibility of new friendships.  The possibility of exciting futures ahead.  

Some of our pupils- those who attend the Prep School at Bellan House- are as young as 4- how exciting to be starting school in Reception and to begin this great adventure for the first time!  At the other end of the school, those in the U6th enter their final year of secondary education with the prospect of moving on to a new chapter beyond.  Those in between have opportunities galore: adventures to go on; memories to make; whole worlds to explore inside and outside the classroom.  Possibilities abound.  

Never Give Up

This summer, anyone who likes their sport was treated to an absolute feast of sporting competition, perhaps best of all the glorious victory of the Lionesses in the women’s European Football Championships.  If, like me, you like your athletics, not only was there the World Athletic Championships held in Oregon, USA, but you also had the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the European Championships in Munich. 

Now I’m a bit of a running geek, so I’ll literally watch any athletics going, but for me, the greatest moment of them all was the Scottish runner Eilish McColgan’s epic 10,000m victory in the Commonwealth Games, roared on by the 30,000 capacity crowd in Birmingham’s Alexandra Stadium.  

It was an incredible race, an unbelievably gutsy run, but what made it so special is that this was McColgan’s first global title which, at the age of 31 was something that many felt was perhaps slipping from her grasp. 

McColgan had competed in three previous Commonwealth Games. And in those three previous Games, she had raced in three different events: the 1500m; the 5km; and the Steeplechase.  She had never won a medal, finishing 6th every single time.   

What made her victory all the more impressive was that it came during a year in which she was wiped out for seven weeks due to Covid, and then suffered further illness and minor injuries in the run up to the previous month’s World Championships where she finished 10th.  

Imagine what it takes to stand on that startline in your fourth Commonwealth Games, having never placed higher than 6th, towards the end of your track career, and having just a month before placed 10th, your year’s training ravaged by injury and illness.  Oh, and throw in the fact that her mum Liz had twice won Commonwealth Gold in the same event; a further weight of expectation and pressure to contend with.  You’d think she’d have gone in with significant doubts about whether or not she could do it.

The odds stacked against her, that race took guts; it took self-belief.  But Elish McColgan refused to be defined by her past.  She dwelled in possibility.

Think Not What You Are, but What You Can Become

In the small town of Gilgil in Kenya there’s a place called The Restart Centre.  On its walls are painted in big, bold letters, the words: Think Not What You Are, but What You Can become.

I have had the privilege of visiting the Restart Centre on many occasions over the last decade, and it is one of the most extraordinary places I have ever been to.

Home to orphaned and abandoned street children- some as young as but a few months old- The Restart Centre was set up by an incredible lady called Mary Coulson who felt that she had to do something to help the increasing number of street children in her home town of Gilgil following tribal violence in the country during the 2008 election.  Her vision was to provide a safe haven for these children who had experienced such a difficult start to their lives, many of whom had experienced significant loss, many of whom had suffered unspeakably, all of whom had been dealt a cruel hand in life.

If you ever get the chance to visit The Restart Centre you will be surprised, as I was, with just how happy these children are.  They have experienced terrible loss, suffered tremendously, and carry wounds both physical and emotional.  You would expect them to be downcast.  Downbeat.  Damaged.   Yet even if you’re only there for a short time, you will quickly be infused with the most glorious laughter, the most infectious smiles, and a wonderful, deep joy that can be seen in the way they sing, in the way they dance, in the way they talk, in the way that they live.  It is one of the most uplifting and inspiring things to witness.

Mary Coulson’s simple goal was to provide these children with a future.  With a restart.  And in this small green corner of Gilgil, she has created a place of love.  A place of support. A place, above all, of hope.  For these children, there is now a future.  They have been able to start again; to re-start.  They do not dwell on their past and what their lives have been; instead, they dream of the future, focus their energies on what they can become.

They, too, dwell in possibility.  Think not what you are, they’ll tell you, but what you can become.

Refresh and Restart

For those of us in education, the start of September marks a restart.  Whether new or returning, pupil or staff, the first day of the new term and the new academic year signals an opportunity.  We are fortunate not to have experienced the unimaginable start in life that the children of the Restart Centre have gone through, but we can be inspired by their example, as indeed we can be inspired by the likes of Elish McColgan, the Lionesses, and countless other shining examples of determination, perseverance, and hope.  We can be encouraged to dwell not in the past but to focus our energies on the future and the possibilities that lie ahead.  We can- and should- dream.

Dwell in possibility.