Back-Row Student

Monday, I went to visit my son Travis in Jonesboro. In addition to his various and sundry other activities, he’s also teaching a few History classes as an adjunct at Arkansas State University. I’m sure he’s doing the adjunct teaching because the pay is so ridiculously high. Not.

Anyway, I went to classes with him, but contrary to my usual modus operandi, I went all the way to the back and sat in a corner, against the wall. Then, of course, I proceeded to listen to his lessons. In one class, he taught about the U.S. Constitution and in the other about urbanization in 19th century America. I found both classes really interesting. Travis knows what he’s talking about, he’s passionate about his subject, and he’s witty. He kept me thinking, and even though I was familiar with both subjects, I could never predict exactly what he would say next. It was great. But it was SO hard to just sit there, quiet in the back, saying nothing.

It’s not that I wanted to teach the class, either. It’s that I really love being a student. I like to sit on the front row, take notes, raise my hand, and take part in classroom conversations. I'm weird that way. I’ve always absolutely loved to learn, and although I’m happy with my choice, I think I could have been content in several disciplines.

That kid over in the other corner with his ipod earplugs in doesn’t even know what he was missing.

Booking It--Inspiration

“Inspiration” is the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

I had to think about this a while. Reading gives me much pleasure. It always has, and I trust that it will for many years to come. But I don’t think that pleasure is what “inspires” me to read.

Deep down, I think I read out of a need to know, to more fully understand, to be a total participant in the human experience. I think that’s why I enjoy different genres, why I read novels and poetry and plays but also memoirs and biographies, books about history and health, psychology and sociology, books of religious contemplation or outright denial. I want to know the world, other cultures, other peoples. What do they believe? What motivates them? Why do they feel as they do? I want to understand history, what it was like to live in other places at other times, to comprehend the contradictions, the pains of the queen, the pleasures of the peasant. I want to understand how we got where we are now, what’s in my food, and how to do better take care of myself. And since I’ll never know it all, I have motivation to keep on reading.

What’s your inspiration?

Warning: May Cause Premature Aging

My son Travis is an adjunct History Instructor at Arkansas State University this year. The other day, one of his students came to visit him during his office hours. As the student was leaving the conference, he said, “We’ve been trying to figure out just how old you are. At first, we had you pegged mid-twenties, but you know so much about stuff that had to have happened way before you were born. The more you talk, the older we think you must be.”

“Well,” Travis asked, “how old do you all think I am now?”

“Mid-to-late thirties is what we’ve come up with,” the student replied.

“You had it about right the first time,” Travis said with a grin.

“But how do you know so much about what’s gone on in the world when you’re so young?”

Travis said the first thing that entered his mind was that he’d read or been read to all of his life.

Only after that did it occur to him that having both a BA and an MA in History and being almost finished with a second Masters Degree in Political Science might be contributing factors.