Full Circle
Hey MTA oldschoolers,
I've been bombing around campus the past 36 hours and it's surreal. The long walk up campus from Bridge St. Cafe is like taking a stroll back through time; the ghosts of all of you appearing in the form of today's students. A style; a walk; a haunt filled; a bench lounged on; a cigarette smoked; all have brought everyone in this list back to my mind. I've had a pretty eventful couple of weeks (and half a decade to be completely honest) which have pushed my understanding of myself to its limits, broken them, had them reform only to break them again; I've been walking round this place, where the journey started, feeling the circle close. I feel the sensation of the pilgrim, who, having undergone and having returned from his/her journey, realizes the goal (the pilgrimage site) never supplied the euphoric experience anticipated at the outset. The pilgrim who simply knows that it was the people along the way who brought change to his/her life and that that WAS THE POINT of the journey. The pilgrim realizes, when he returns to his everyday life, that he now has the power to return the favor to others, each and every minute of every day, by simply being true to him/herself. With that realization, egotistical striving finishes yet things always get done without strife. As I've seen each of you "reincarnated" in and around campus during my present visit, and as it draws to a close, I feel compelled to thank you all for being here when I was. Sackville truly is a special place, not because of anything it has, rather what it has not: the absence of societal distraction. When you take everything else away from modern wo/man s/he ultimately turns to the people s/he's with and embraces them. That is the magic of this community, that is why we all enjoyed our time here, and that is why your ghosts have been haunting me. The people were the place; that rarely happens in this world. I was lucky enough to have a similar experience when I taught in South Korea-- when I return there, hopefully, early next year on route to Austrailia their ghosts shall surely be there ready to haunt.
a very happy wednesday to you all
one love
JR
I've been bombing around campus the past 36 hours and it's surreal. The long walk up campus from Bridge St. Cafe is like taking a stroll back through time; the ghosts of all of you appearing in the form of today's students. A style; a walk; a haunt filled; a bench lounged on; a cigarette smoked; all have brought everyone in this list back to my mind. I've had a pretty eventful couple of weeks (and half a decade to be completely honest) which have pushed my understanding of myself to its limits, broken them, had them reform only to break them again; I've been walking round this place, where the journey started, feeling the circle close. I feel the sensation of the pilgrim, who, having undergone and having returned from his/her journey, realizes the goal (the pilgrimage site) never supplied the euphoric experience anticipated at the outset. The pilgrim who simply knows that it was the people along the way who brought change to his/her life and that that WAS THE POINT of the journey. The pilgrim realizes, when he returns to his everyday life, that he now has the power to return the favor to others, each and every minute of every day, by simply being true to him/herself. With that realization, egotistical striving finishes yet things always get done without strife. As I've seen each of you "reincarnated" in and around campus during my present visit, and as it draws to a close, I feel compelled to thank you all for being here when I was. Sackville truly is a special place, not because of anything it has, rather what it has not: the absence of societal distraction. When you take everything else away from modern wo/man s/he ultimately turns to the people s/he's with and embraces them. That is the magic of this community, that is why we all enjoyed our time here, and that is why your ghosts have been haunting me. The people were the place; that rarely happens in this world. I was lucky enough to have a similar experience when I taught in South Korea-- when I return there, hopefully, early next year on route to Austrailia their ghosts shall surely be there ready to haunt.
a very happy wednesday to you all
one love
JR
posted by jake.com | 4:46 AM
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