It’s A Matter of “Sixth Sense”

Simone Riva - I present the beginning-of-the-year work, and the children, in silence, first take pen and paper. But, unable to write right away, they have to think. The assignment asks them to put down on paper the questions and concerns they have at the start of our journey—questions they would like to address in class. It's touching and emotional to see these boys and girls, for once, working on themselves. “Prof, I don’t know what to write,” says one. “Only you’ll read what I write, right?” asks another.

Eventually, I collect the papers, preparing to transcribe the questions we’ll work on throughout the year. Before doing so, I read an interesting article by Susanna Tamaro that was published in *Il Corriere della Sera* on September 26, titled "Playing Free Without Social Will Save Babies." In the article, the author argues that it is urgent for our children to reclaim the use of their five senses so they don't fall into the trap of a technology that consumes humanity. Among other things, she writes, “The child who once lived with perpetually skinned knees now leaves the house strapped with elbow guards, knee pads, and helmets, even if he’s just taking a tiny bike ride in the backyard.”

Several questions from my students echo this sentiment: “How do I get through the year without failing? What will I be when I grow up? Why do I feel constant anxiety every day?” These questions seem to confirm the need for training in facing life without constantly deflecting its blows. But then, unexpectedly, comes this question: “Why are we given a part of us (the heart) that is impenetrable and indecipherable?”

The family context may try everything to shield us from life’s shocks, but something within us resists. This eighth-grader’s question, in a moment, brings us face-to-face with the real question: who am I? And we can’t get away with easy textbook answers or distracting initiatives, because we don’t spend much time thinking about it. Even before the risks of technology or the joy of rediscovering our connection with nature (as Tamaro also suggests in her article), we must confront the challenge posed by our own hearts, which, though impenetrable and indecipherable, still have a front door. But who can enter it?

When events happen that leave us powerless, when the relationships we value most begin to crumble, when our vision is shaped by stifling expectations, and we start to see ourselves as a problem, the question emerges with more intensity: is there anyone who can walk through the door to my heart? We need to reach this point to begin to sense, even faintly, the depth of our desire for wholeness, a desire that feels threatened on all sides by everything and everyone.

Within us, there is a kind of “sixth sense” we must return to before making any other “returns.” As Julián Carrón said at the *Educators at Work* conference, “If we do not present others with the attraction of a gaze that helps them discover their own humanity as the most beautiful and precious thing they possess—just as we feel when someone looks at us that way—then we will never be able to say to a young person, ‘You are not a problem!’ And it will be difficult—if not impossible—to engage with young people who are searching for such a gaze” (Carrón, Talk at the *Educators at Work* conference held on August 31, 2023, organized by the St. Michael the Archangel Foundation).
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This version preserves the original Italian article while enhancing clarity and aligning with American grammar conventions.