World Lit: Our Last Lecture, pt. 1 ("My Vocational Journey")

To My Sophomores:

As I prepare to embark on an amazing adventure abroad, I can't help but reminisce on the year we had together. It was challenging in many ways, and a great deal was learned; what you may not realize, though, is that I was challenged and learned as much, if not more, than you. Nevertheless, I want to leave you with some last thoughts, and encourage you to stay in touch--I will be keeping the blog up and running during my travels, so feel free to stop in and cook the rice with me. 

What I'm including below is actually a lecture from a symposium I taught several years back to a group of Santa Clara University students who were

World Lit: Our Last Lecture, pt. 2 ("Questions, and Some Answers")

Questions (and some Answers):

What do I wish I had known about life after graduation? That it doesn’t start or end, it just continues. There was no “real world” to enter outside of college; I was already in it. Nothing changes but the hours you keep and taxes.

What are 3 key ingredients to a successful and fulfilling life? 1) Passion (see below).  2) Leisure/Rest in labor. Understanding that time spent taking care of the personal needs (ie, for rest and relaxation) is time well spent. When a car engine begins to run hot, you don’t put in more coolant and hope for the best; you actually take time to let it cool down. In other words,

Culture Unit: The Power of Tradition

Culture Unit: The Power of Tradition
In our Culture Unit, we have been studying the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that are passed down from generation to generation, and the occasional conflict that occurs when there are shifts or differences in ways of thinking. These sorts of conflicts are often our most challenging, because by their nature, they challenge our identity. What do I mean by that? The word tradition comes from a root word which means "to deliver": traditions are, then, those beliefs and customs that have been passed down to us, and which  consequently shape who we are. We inherit these things, these traditions, from our parents, and from our parents parents, and help establish our membership in our family's continuity; they help identify us in a particular tradition. This speaks to our heritage, and it is what we will pass on to our children; it is the first, and in many ways, one of the most powerful shapers of our personality. On the other hand, tradition can be one of the wackiest, most bizarre aspects of our cultural identity. 


Think, for example, about what you did with your family over Christmas break. Many of you participated in some sort of gift-giving tradition, had some sort of food-related traditions, and maybe some church-related traditions. Or think about any recent birthdays you celebrated; many of you had cake to celebrate that birthday. Why is that? What about that particular food item makes it especially appropriate for someone's birthday? Why aren't birthday pies or birthday soups more popular? Well, that's just the way things have been for our families, so that's what we will continue to do--and, that's why we'll continue to do it. Because "that's just what we do," and that's was helps define us as a culture.

When I returned to San Jose from visiting my family this Christmas, one of the first things I did was go to the grocery story and buy black-eyed peas for New Years--and, I might add, I was lucky to nab the last bag of them, for they had nearly sold out. This is something that my family has done for as long as I can remember. My mother's side of the family is from the South, and it is a family tradition among them to eat black-eyed peas on New Years, for good luck. So, I purchased (and soaked) the beans on New Year's Eve, and cooked and ate them with my housemates on New Year's Day. I called my parents to inform them that the deed had been done, and then sent them text-message photo proof that I had, in fact, cooked them myself (rather than buying them in a can!). What makes black-eyed peas lucky on New Years? The same thing that makes cake appropriate on birthdays, and presents appropriate for Christmas. The same reason why it's (usually) turkey on Thanksgiving, and candy on Halloween. It is a part of a long-standing tradition that helps define who we are, because that is what we do. Some traditions have more meaning and history than others, but that does not diminish their power. 


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You may respond to this blog as part of the extra credit assignment; please check the directions blog below for important notes regarding your extra-credit opportunities!

QUESTION TO CONSIDER:
Think of a tradition that is unique to your family; interview an older family member and find out where or how the tradition started, and share that story. Also reflect on how that particular tradition "fits" your family--in other words, how does that tradition help others understand your family's personality or heritage?