The older I grow chronologically, the more I am fundamentally perplexed. Consciousness is a lot bigger than it used to be – both figuratively and philosophically. Perspective: who I am and what is my life mission, has always been dominant in my life, in spite of my confusion, however. I believe that whether a person is 16 or 60, this has a relevance to one’s day-to-day reality and how the world is seen. A small example: When you are with a group of young people, it is very easy to adopt their level of stress, especially with the 3rd graders – the senior high school students. Every generation has key junctures that potentially change the direction of where you are going and what you believe will be your eventual place in the universe. I try to caution that, though an examination and its results might seem like “the end of the world,” it isn’t. Life will go on unless you are expunged from this corporeality. What makes time remarkable is that the “big test” may simply be a weigh station, deciding your “load capacity,” so to speak, as you proceed on a totally different journey.
Stoutness of heart is a basic requirement to success, nonetheless. If you are weak, mentally, or prone to failure, life will certainly be more difficult. With social media “pounding” the average adolescent with countless images of the “good life,” it is essential that those with more grey on their temples or more girth on their form relate their personal stories. These tales are invariably embellished and so they must be. As they are romanticized, (1) they touch on the area of myth: every family has its narrative of how one member “beat all the odds” to become successful. We recently spoke of the solipsistic isolation that we all feel as thinking beings. Though undoubtedly true, we can all feel the warmth, comfort, and understanding that family and close friends provide. I remember once being called “a scholar” by a close confidant of my mother. It stuck with me, as they say. The more we accept positive images of the self, the more we will be able to develop in the world. One of the greatest dilemmas facing young people today, I read, is that a university degree is increasingly not being seen as the guarantee of a job. Given that most academic institutions are simply businesses; this is probably a good thing. Historically, university was supposed to be mind training — not job training. “Medieval European universities trained would-be clergy members in canonical law theological discussion and religious administration. These institutions amassed huge repositories of knowledge, storing and indexing them in libraries, which became the focal point of the campus. … In the 21st century, the workplace is transforming once more; what businesses, governments and society need from education is shifting …” (2)
It is all about perspective, isn’t it? I recently arrived at a school in a mad haste to prepare for my upcoming class. I put my full force into opening the classroom door only to find it locked: it is supposed to be unbolted an hour before. My strength was such that I could feel the interrupted vibrations throughout my body. We have all experienced this, I am sure. You push the door with your shoulder and it doesn’t open leaving you somewhat bruised and irritated. I calmed myself and simply went and got the key. Why was I so undisturbed, you may ask? On my way to the institution, I had narrowly missed being violently struck by a marauding scooter driver. Good fortune and God had been on my side. The latched door, therefore, paled in significance: I had arrived to teach another day. The great novelist and adventurer, Mark Twain (1835-1910), leaves us with a thought: Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.
A closing thought: I try to remind myself that each day is such a gift. The person who is receiving that gift, of course, is me. If I do not exist, that perceptual offering will have to be extended to someone else, or perhaps it will be missed in its entirety. One of my grandfather’s old friends used to write me lengthy letters in an elegant cursive script. I was too impatient to fully read the stories of his adventures with my grandfather – the ocean voyages, the tropical storms, and the exotic lands. I have but hints in my memory as to what kernels of wisdom they contained.
To sum up: This week we discussed “keeping it in perspective.” The classic “It ain’t over till it’s over.” from baseball legend Yogi Berra (1925-2015), aptly describes our thoughts.
A small joke: John Hemingswoth went to Mexico for a holiday, staying at a small seaside hotel. In the morning, a guest stood up, shook his hand and said “Buenos Dias.” John being unsophisticated and untraveled assumed the man was addressing him using his name, as is Western culture. The next day in the morning, John said “Buenos Dias” to the guest. The guest, to be polite replied to him in English, “John Hemingsworth,” as he shook his hand.
Just for fun – Johann Pachelbel
This week as you meander through your local park, please reflect on how perspective relates to your life.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: The famous and the fool must both make eventual peace with God.
Footnotes:
2)Will Traditional Colleges and Universities Become Obsolete?