Occasionally someone says things that I have thought. And when that person has a much bigger audience than I do, I am delighted. This happened recently when I read New York Times’ essayist, David Brooks, in his graduation speech he said he would never give in front of real parents, faculty and graduates. But it is so good and relevant in my opinion. And in its own way, pretty spiritual. That is where Brooks is on his life’s journey.
Brooks begins by acknowledging these are indeed strange times. As such, normal life has been interrupted. That is true for everyone, but Brooks is speaking to folks who recently graduated. But I also wonder if, indirectly, he isn’t speaking to all of us, too? For the graduates, Brooks admits their normal career-tracking, next steps in life have been disrupted. He tells them, “Don’t see this as a void; see it as a permission slip.” I smiled, because I could do the same thing. Things I would habitually do have gone by the way. I have a permission slip. What could I use it to do?
Brooks offers sage advice. “See it as a permission slip to think differently about time.” I love the emphasis upon taking this opportunity to think differently. That is easier to do when we are not mentally on autopilot. I appreciate what he tells those younger folks. “Use this hiatus to do something you would never have done…” Why can’t I do the same thing? Instead of complaining about the raw deal we have been dealt, why not be creative?
Again, I value the creative way Brooks puts things. He tells the young people, “…try to do something that people will ask you about for the rest of your life.” I laugh at this because so much of what I would normally do is exactly the kind of thing no one would ask me about! What could I do that would intrigue myself and others? Likely it is not watching one more show on tv or spending fifteen more minutes on Twitter or Facebook. It could safely be said they are designed to capture my attention that often causes me to think I am doing something interesting, but has no consequences at all.
Brooks gets a little too close to my life when he suggests the graduates reflect on what college taught them that is going to help them succeed in life and find meaning and where colleges have failed them. He even goes so far as to suggest one place he thinks colleges fail students. He says, “They don’t plant the intellectual and moral seeds students are going to need later, when they get hit by the vicissitudes of life.” He continues to talk about reading---reading important thinkers from our past. George Eliot, Jane Austin and the list could go on. Not all of us who are much older have not read some of these folks. Is life possible without knowing anything about them? Of course. Is life richer because of this? Debatable.
Brooks is correct when he notes, “The wisdom of the ages is your inheritance; it can make your life easier.” That is absolutely true. In a time of confusion or crisis, to what or to whom do you turn? Surely the answer is not going to be found on Twitter! At this point, cleverly Brooks turns to students and tells them he wants to focus on their diet. Clearly, he does not have in mind diet from particular foods or drink. Rather, he is talking about “mental diet.” Again I smile because people don’t generally think about diet in these terms. It is about “what you are putting into your mind.” Are you gorging on mental junk food? That is a telling question.
Brooks gets personal when he admits to the graduates that he worries that they are not putting enough excellent material into their minds. He offers them what he calls the “theory of maximum taste.” Simply put, this encourages folks to ‘spend a lot of time with genius…” He wants them (and us) to ponder what we put into our minds. Does it stretch us? Do we grow from it? When times are difficult, will it help us cope or even thrive? This is where it gets spiritual for me personally.
What books have I read or can I read that will assist me in living well each new day? If I want my day to be precious, what I mentally ingest? If someone asks me what I am putting into my mind, what can I say? What would I like to say? If I am clear about this, what prevents me from doing it? I know there are many questions here. But asking queries is a long tradition for Quakers and one with which I am comfortable.
Questions can be a form of encouragement. They give the other person some space. They can move us, but only at our own discretion and in our own time. It is at this point I find I contend with my temptations. Sometimes I know that my temptations are built into my normal way of doing things. I become robotically hooked on things that I know are not really what I would like for myself.
I am sure Brooks is not suggesting these graduates make a new year’s resolution. We know how that usually goes! The basic question is to start or not to start? Everything else is subsequent to that answer. If I want to think differently, what can I do?
Brooks begins by acknowledging these are indeed strange times. As such, normal life has been interrupted. That is true for everyone, but Brooks is speaking to folks who recently graduated. But I also wonder if, indirectly, he isn’t speaking to all of us, too? For the graduates, Brooks admits their normal career-tracking, next steps in life have been disrupted. He tells them, “Don’t see this as a void; see it as a permission slip.” I smiled, because I could do the same thing. Things I would habitually do have gone by the way. I have a permission slip. What could I use it to do?
Brooks offers sage advice. “See it as a permission slip to think differently about time.” I love the emphasis upon taking this opportunity to think differently. That is easier to do when we are not mentally on autopilot. I appreciate what he tells those younger folks. “Use this hiatus to do something you would never have done…” Why can’t I do the same thing? Instead of complaining about the raw deal we have been dealt, why not be creative?
Again, I value the creative way Brooks puts things. He tells the young people, “…try to do something that people will ask you about for the rest of your life.” I laugh at this because so much of what I would normally do is exactly the kind of thing no one would ask me about! What could I do that would intrigue myself and others? Likely it is not watching one more show on tv or spending fifteen more minutes on Twitter or Facebook. It could safely be said they are designed to capture my attention that often causes me to think I am doing something interesting, but has no consequences at all.
Brooks gets a little too close to my life when he suggests the graduates reflect on what college taught them that is going to help them succeed in life and find meaning and where colleges have failed them. He even goes so far as to suggest one place he thinks colleges fail students. He says, “They don’t plant the intellectual and moral seeds students are going to need later, when they get hit by the vicissitudes of life.” He continues to talk about reading---reading important thinkers from our past. George Eliot, Jane Austin and the list could go on. Not all of us who are much older have not read some of these folks. Is life possible without knowing anything about them? Of course. Is life richer because of this? Debatable.
Brooks is correct when he notes, “The wisdom of the ages is your inheritance; it can make your life easier.” That is absolutely true. In a time of confusion or crisis, to what or to whom do you turn? Surely the answer is not going to be found on Twitter! At this point, cleverly Brooks turns to students and tells them he wants to focus on their diet. Clearly, he does not have in mind diet from particular foods or drink. Rather, he is talking about “mental diet.” Again I smile because people don’t generally think about diet in these terms. It is about “what you are putting into your mind.” Are you gorging on mental junk food? That is a telling question.
Brooks gets personal when he admits to the graduates that he worries that they are not putting enough excellent material into their minds. He offers them what he calls the “theory of maximum taste.” Simply put, this encourages folks to ‘spend a lot of time with genius…” He wants them (and us) to ponder what we put into our minds. Does it stretch us? Do we grow from it? When times are difficult, will it help us cope or even thrive? This is where it gets spiritual for me personally.
What books have I read or can I read that will assist me in living well each new day? If I want my day to be precious, what I mentally ingest? If someone asks me what I am putting into my mind, what can I say? What would I like to say? If I am clear about this, what prevents me from doing it? I know there are many questions here. But asking queries is a long tradition for Quakers and one with which I am comfortable.
Questions can be a form of encouragement. They give the other person some space. They can move us, but only at our own discretion and in our own time. It is at this point I find I contend with my temptations. Sometimes I know that my temptations are built into my normal way of doing things. I become robotically hooked on things that I know are not really what I would like for myself.
I am sure Brooks is not suggesting these graduates make a new year’s resolution. We know how that usually goes! The basic question is to start or not to start? Everything else is subsequent to that answer. If I want to think differently, what can I do?
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