Concept of Great-Groups
I'm sitting here with my lovely son reeking havoc on his fathers vast stash of computers. He isn't crying, whining, or trying to pull me away from my computer. This is a rare opportunity, and I thought it might be a good idea to blow it on a looking-back blog like I mentioned yesterday.
And the Native American stuff was cool, but it wasn't that cool, so I think I'll go over something else in the convention. I'm not going to bother going over my final analysis of the path which modern literature has taken and all of it's relevant consequences for two reasons; 1)I'm already going to be writing a complete paper on it, and 2) It's going to be one hell of a long paper. I suffer from no delusions what people only read part of, or my shorter blogs. They aren't funny. They probably are boring. So why go through all that work just be ignored? I'm going to be ignored by writing about the concept of "great-groups."
I originally went to George Wythe College, because it had the curriculum of my dreams. We read books! Not texts, but actual books! It was a beautiful thing. And we talked about them. We asked questions. We debated. We had to go through orals every blinking semester from Freshman to Doctorate. My midterm(!) was a twenty-five page paper on various complex questions which tested not only my memory, but also my analyzing skills. It was over-achiever heaven.
Somewhere along the way I got caught up in the whole dream of GWC (probably after DeMille's first speech - that man can orate like no other) and believe that not just the nebulous everyone, but little me was meant to be something great. Statesmen. And the whole goal of the college was to give you the education needed to be great statesmen. Those were some of the best years of my life. I spent most of my time working like a dog, thinking hard, and then to relax we went a played hard. We were the only student body who could fit into one apartment, be loud enough to convince our neighbors we were having a frat party, and not consume a single drop of alcohol. Yessirree, we were a wild group.
Then I graduated, and moved on. Right on into a marriage with a George Wythe man, and one amazingly cute baby boy. I settled down in humble Salt Lake City, and smiled because I now had more than four choices for where to eat out (did I mention GWC is in Cedar-oh-my-tiny-City Utah?). And slowly, so slowly, I began to forget.
Then I go to this conference, and it was like having cold water slowly poured over my sleeping form. I remembered! I remembered what it felt like to really think. I remembered how important those conversations were. I remembered what it felt like to know you could do it all, and be great besides. I saw the people I had like and admired, and I remembered!
One of the people I had liked and admired was talking about the importance of having "great-groups." She talked about how they supported and encouraged others. She mentioned how great the were for keeping you on track and hopeful. She talked about how everyone who ever wanted to really be great should have at least three groups in order to help them out. But I'm sure she missed at least one point: To be surrounded by people who believe in same amazing dream is to be constantly reminded. Otherwise the drag of daily life, surrounded by those who spend most of their time watching TV, and don't take part in intelligent conversation, makes it far too easy to let go of what was once important. We need to be with others who we consider great people, least we forget we are supposed to be a great person our-self.
I'm desperately missing my great-group. I may just have to attend more conventions. I won't have a great-group, just great-glimpses. But at least it is better than nothing.
And the Native American stuff was cool, but it wasn't that cool, so I think I'll go over something else in the convention. I'm not going to bother going over my final analysis of the path which modern literature has taken and all of it's relevant consequences for two reasons; 1)I'm already going to be writing a complete paper on it, and 2) It's going to be one hell of a long paper. I suffer from no delusions what people only read part of, or my shorter blogs. They aren't funny. They probably are boring. So why go through all that work just be ignored? I'm going to be ignored by writing about the concept of "great-groups."
I originally went to George Wythe College, because it had the curriculum of my dreams. We read books! Not texts, but actual books! It was a beautiful thing. And we talked about them. We asked questions. We debated. We had to go through orals every blinking semester from Freshman to Doctorate. My midterm(!) was a twenty-five page paper on various complex questions which tested not only my memory, but also my analyzing skills. It was over-achiever heaven.
Somewhere along the way I got caught up in the whole dream of GWC (probably after DeMille's first speech - that man can orate like no other) and believe that not just the nebulous everyone, but little me was meant to be something great. Statesmen. And the whole goal of the college was to give you the education needed to be great statesmen. Those were some of the best years of my life. I spent most of my time working like a dog, thinking hard, and then to relax we went a played hard. We were the only student body who could fit into one apartment, be loud enough to convince our neighbors we were having a frat party, and not consume a single drop of alcohol. Yessirree, we were a wild group.
Then I graduated, and moved on. Right on into a marriage with a George Wythe man, and one amazingly cute baby boy. I settled down in humble Salt Lake City, and smiled because I now had more than four choices for where to eat out (did I mention GWC is in Cedar-oh-my-tiny-City Utah?). And slowly, so slowly, I began to forget.
Then I go to this conference, and it was like having cold water slowly poured over my sleeping form. I remembered! I remembered what it felt like to really think. I remembered how important those conversations were. I remembered what it felt like to know you could do it all, and be great besides. I saw the people I had like and admired, and I remembered!
One of the people I had liked and admired was talking about the importance of having "great-groups." She talked about how they supported and encouraged others. She mentioned how great the were for keeping you on track and hopeful. She talked about how everyone who ever wanted to really be great should have at least three groups in order to help them out. But I'm sure she missed at least one point: To be surrounded by people who believe in same amazing dream is to be constantly reminded. Otherwise the drag of daily life, surrounded by those who spend most of their time watching TV, and don't take part in intelligent conversation, makes it far too easy to let go of what was once important. We need to be with others who we consider great people, least we forget we are supposed to be a great person our-self.
I'm desperately missing my great-group. I may just have to attend more conventions. I won't have a great-group, just great-glimpses. But at least it is better than nothing.