The purpose of this blog will certainly not be political, and I'm reticent to post anything vastly related. I suppose that's my disclaimer. It figures that my first substantial post begins with a thought about the State of the Union Address. Woops.
I wasn't able to listen/watch the State of the Union address live tonight because I was at my Area Council's weekly meeting (let me just mention what an awesome group of students that is!). When I arrived home at 10:20, I popped some popcorn, poured a glass of water, and sat down to read the transcript of Obama's address.
As always, I find his speeches incredibly articulate and if it's possible for a politician, heartfelt. Am I skeptical of the "buy-in factor?" Why, sure. But since I've read most of his recent public addresses as transcripts after-the-fact, I enjoy the way he writes. Of course, tonight there were ideas that I could get on board with, some where I queried "how the HECK are we going to do that?" as my inner skeptic snuck out in full form. Yet other times I found myself caught up in an inspirational tizzy that reminded me of the 2008 fervor of "YES WE CAN!"
...Silly. I recognize that. But what is it that drew me in?
Recently, I've been reading a dissertation by one of my professors that grew out of a curiosity conversation and has since turned into an assignment by a second professor.
I'll get back to the question I posed. Just follow me for a second longer.
It's a qualitative study about female honors students, but that's not why I'm telling you this. I'm making note of it because it is written so eloquently. So. Eloquently. The words melt off of the page...I never imagined that I wouldn't be able to put down a 232-page piece of academic work. This dissertation tells the story about how we connect with one another and how we view our relationships; a story about what we can learn from each other and what can tear us apart. I've yet to reach the analysis and implications section, but when I do, I imagine it might be somewhat magical. Then again, some of the conclusions will probably remind me of what issues must be addressed, especially in my line of work. But I digress.
The point that I'm trying to make is it that in both Obama's speech and the dissertation I'm reading, the words reached out to me because I could relate. The ability to relate is compelling. Believing in our ideas, in who we are, is compelling. Conviction is compelling.
I spent the majority of my first semester as a graduate student doubting why I was in pursuing a masters degree. I'm not like the majority of my classmates; I have vastly different ideas whether they are small, like how to engage in a particular debate, or larger in the realm of ethical decisions. I learned incredibly quickly that I don't fit "the" mold for my chosen field. For a few months, I lost track of direction. I found myself wrapped up in my own confusion, wondering why my reasons for pursuing this field felt so different from my peers, and even my supervisors or professors. But of course, what I've remembered is that being different is not what matters. What matters is communicating my own ideas in a way that allows the people that I interact with to be able to relate to me. At the end of the day, I have a conviction for why I'm pursuing the work that I am. But, intimidated by my peers and work groups, I gave up on sharing myself, for fear of something perhaps trivial, but mostly that I did not know how to categorize or verbalize.
Our relationships often define who we are, sometimes just parts, or sometimes it feels like all of us, so what (or who) are we without the human connection? So often in my classes we discuss how to reach people. How to "meet people where they're at," and how best to support or challenge them. Sometimes both, sometimes neither. I've been reminded that my words matter, and the words around me often matter even more.
While I'm not sure that I'm totally on board with all of Obama's closing remarks... In fact, you would probably find me hanging out in an inner tube beside the Obama-boat, but hey, at least I'm not stuck on that Carnival Cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico right now, I loved when Obama said this:
"Our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others."
So are our feelings, and our thoughts. So are our relationships. And for me, so is the way that I create meaning.
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