Project2010

VLog

2009 State of the University Address

Yeah I work at a pretty cool place!

I Hope We Fail

I recently came upon a small essay written by Jon Carroll, who is a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle.  It strongly reminded me of a conversation I had with a longtime hero of mine, Steve Garber.  Dr. Garber  once spoke to me about the "pedagogy of pain".  This conversation took place during the end of my first year in my masters program, and to be honest after the conversation I had to run home and look up the word "pedagogy".  

I will admit that I think I barely, scarcely, timidly understood the conversation at all.  Dr. Garber told the store of a rabbi who in putting this pedagogy to practice choose not to speak to his first born son until the young man turned 13... In this the father explained that he had nightly prayed that the child would be heart broken, torn down, and met with severe failure- but only to the point that the child would come to know and rely upon God.  I'll admit first hearing this story I was confused, appalled, and -I now realize- blind to its point.  I do, however, think that this is one of those situation where time has departed some wisdom to me.  After reading Jon Carroll's article I have a deeper appreciation of failure and of its value in our lives.  I have copied the article below, and embedded the reading of it by Jon Carroll for those of you'd like to listen.  

Failure is a Good Thing 

Jon Carroll  October 9, 2006

Last week, my granddaughter started kindergarten, and, as is conventional, I wished her success. I was lying. What I actually wish for her is failure. I believe in the power of failure.

Success is boring. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can often be a problematical victory. First-time success is usually a fluke. First-time failure, by contrast, is expected; it is the natural order of things.

Failure is how we learn. I have been told of an African phrase describing a good cook as "she who has broken many pots." If you've spent enough time in the kitchen to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about cooking. I once had a late dinner with a group of chefs, and they spent time comparing knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility their failures gave them.

I earn my living by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am aware that one column is going to be the worst column of the week. I don't set out to write it; I try my best every day. Still, every week, one column is inferior to the others, sometimes spectacularly so.

I have learned to cherish that column. A successful column usually means that I am treading on familiar ground, going with the tricks that work, preaching to the choir or dressing up popular sentiments in fancy words. Often in my inferior columns, I am trying to pull off something I've never done before, something I'm not even sure can be done.

My younger daughter is a trapeze artist. She spent three years putting together an act. She did it successfully for years with the Cirque du Soleil. There was no reason for her to change the act -- but she did anyway. She said she was no longer learning anything new and she was bored; and if she was bored, there was no point in subjecting her body to all that stress. So she changed the act. She risked failure and profound public embarrassment in order to feed her soul. And if she can do that 15 feet in the air, we all should be able to do it.

My granddaughter is a perfectionist, probably too much of one. She will feel her failures, and I will want to comfort her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do whatever it is better next time. I probably won't tell her that failure is a good thing, because that's not a lesson you can learn when you're five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the beginning.

I realize that this revelation to me, is probably not so remarkable to those of my readers who are older than me; however, I think often the most profound things in life we simply need to remind each other of from time to time.  I am sure that I will need to be reminded of the value of failure the very next time I fail.  I am comforted to know that even in my greatest weaknesses there rests the ability to grow my strongest.  It is in the redemptive paradox of reality that I see and thank God for his perfect Grace.  And for a achievement oriented, control freak... I am joyful to have a different perspective to view my failures.

Shows Galore

  Hey friends so my building's internet has been having huge issues this past week.  Between the network going down completely and sporadically kicking people off every 30 seconds, it has been hard to have the patients to work out a post.  Supposedly its fixed, but it's not... but I've decided I owe to my loyal readers to work through this challenge!   Today's post is to share a little about some incredible broadway shows that I've had the privilege of seeing the past two weeks.  Most of them have been work related, but I also have been getting lucky at some student rush and lottery rushes which have enabled me to get some incredible seats at super cheap prices! In particular I want to share about two shows that are distinctly different yet both breathtakingly amazing.

  Let me start with In The Heights a new musical that has received endless praise and a tony for best new musical.  This high energy show tells the true story of a young latina woman, Nina Rosario, and her family's struggle to pay for her education.  The show is packed with great actors, incredible hip hop and latin dancing, and the passionate yet honest music of today's realities.  To top it off this incredible cast has taken their success to a new high by using it to create a scholarship for deserving students to help them reach their dreams of higher education.  To help fund the scholarship the cast is auctioning off amazing prizes (even a walk on roll in the show, and dance lessons with the show's choreographer!).  Bid, apply, or find out more at www.GradutateToNewHeights.com. 

  Wicked... I mean I probably don't need to say much more, right?!  People from all walks have been shouting the praises of this show for years, but I proudly stand along side them today as I tell you this is a must see.  The story, the set and costumes, and the most incredible music that has graced the great stages of New York!  And if you haven't seen it, I encourage you to do like myself... resist the urge to you tube the best-of's, or to ask you one friend who's undoubtable seen the show 5 times already... in fact, try not to find out anything about the show.  Let this cast take you on the adventure of your life as you are taken behind the scenes of the beloved Wizard of Oz, to find out the true story of the Witches of Oz.  I guarantee you'll not only love the show, but its end you'll have found yourself awe struck, singing along, and more than anything wanting it to begin again!  This was the show that all of my students repeatedly said, "This is the best show I've ever seen!"  and trust me they've seen a lot!
  These are must sees for any of you the next time you get to the Big Apple!  And don't forget to plan your trip a little ahead of time.  While ticket prices can be expensive, paying full price should always be your last option.  Rush, Lottery, and even going TKTS in time square are all ways that the savvy show goer can see the best of what New York has to offer without breaking the bank.  Playbill.com is a great resource to find out information cheap ways to get tickets.  Oh and always invite your friends, cause that makes everything more fun!

Billy Elliot the Musical

    Even though we were held up by traffic and a bus driver who wasn't too sure exactly where we were going, we were able to get into our seats right as the lights began to dim.  Within seconds of the first note being played the crowd was completely silent.  Looking across the aisle all I saw were my students on the edge of their seats and eyes completely captured by the show unfolding before us.  

   Set in Durham, England, the set was strikingly familiar to me from my time spent living in Sheffield.  The hard edged cast with their northern english accents and coal smudged faces, snag your attention with an intensity that is literally palpable as they include you in the struggles they face as coal workers on strike desperately fighting for livable wages.  Adding to this conflict the show centers upon a family of four.  An aged grandmother who is loosing her memory, a older brother wanting to find justice while learning its true costs, a father working desperately to take care of his family alone, and then there is Billy- a young eleven year old w

ho discovers his giftedness for an art form that is completely alien to world.  All of them grieving the loss of the mother that was the family glue, embroiled in a highly political strike, money is tight, emotions run high, and from this crucible Billy discovers ballet.  

   Of course many of you have realized I'm talking about the incredible Tony Award winning Billy Elliot.  A truly amazing and inspiring story that had my laughing, crying, laughing again, and truth be told crying again too!  This remarkable story is a must see.  And if you're not able to get to Broadway or London anytime soon to see the musical, do yourself a favor and rent the movie. I fell in love with it long before the show was written.  As we got on the bus to head back home my students couldn't stop talking about the incredibly moving experience they had just had:  "That was the best show I've ever seen!"     "I want to see that again and again!"   "The dancing was great, the music was incredible, the story was breath-taking, it was the best kind of art!"   "It takes a truly good show to make me cry from both laughter and emotions!"

   And remember to be yourself in all you do, be true.  -Billy's Mom 

Life Lessons

Read about this column written by Regina Brett, a 90-year-old resident of Cleveland, Ohio the other day on another blog. In her column, Regina recounts 45 of the most important life lessons. I think they are all worth my attention, and I hope I can learn them for own life and for the sake of those around me!

1.     Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2.     When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3.     Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4.     Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5.     Pay off your credit cards every month.

6.     You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7.     Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8.     It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9.     Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

What are some life lessons you would add to this list?