Seaside, Oregon. Part II

Graduation is a funny thing. At least for me it was… well, still is for that matter. One day, seemingly out of the blue, the homework, assignments, papers, reading and even the social aspects of university life just stop. Then, you stand in line for hours, then listen to a lot of blah blah blah, and shake a lot of hands. All the while, literally everyone I know is congratulating me on a job well done. Then there are the parties, gifts, dinners and cards, all complementary and nice. There are even gifts!

Four years ago, I made the decision that education was a life-long endeavor, and that I would go as far as student loans, my marriage and my unremarkable intellect would take me. For me, this means a Ph.D. Education, specifically academia has become not only then means to an end, but a way of life. In many respects, it has been my life for the past four years.

When everyone I know showers me with congratulations and kudos for simply going about the business of my life; it is very confusing.

Dear solitary reader… don’t get me wrong. A baccalaureate degree is something, an accomplishment and a milestone however belated.

Seaside, Oregon Part I

Well… its over. I’ve completed the coursework, finished the finals and graduated. The funny thing is… my brain hasn’t really caught up with my body. Today marks the second week of summer quarter and I feel like I should be there. I need to calm down. The GRE and graduate school will come soon enough.

Now I’m on vacation with family. We’ve rented a house at the beach in seaside. It’s a beautiful place; though the beach is blocks away. The weather couldn’t be better. The Eugene chapter of my family couldn’t make it to the commencement festivities. So when we got into town, we stopped at a park where they hosed me down in silly string. A shower of silly string and bubbles is how this particular clan lets one of their own know they done good.

Now that the actual work for the Policy Journal is finished, I can honestly say I would do it again. Again for the sole purpose of using the lessons learned with the 06 issue and doing it right. In the end, we produced a quality piece of work. However, I shudder when I think of what it could have been had we known what I know now. Primarily, it would have been less work on the back end. Either way… it was both an intensive learning experience, and I am a better person for some of the relationships that were catalyzed in publishing the journal.

Almost exactly four years ago, as I began this journey, I simply could not wait to be on the other side of a baccalaureate degree. Graduating in 2006 seemed farther in my future than I could visualize. The facts, philosophies, books, papers and exams will all fade into the experience of education, the relationships will not. I expect my relationships with the professors, staff and students will remain vivid and organic, always. Overall… I am nostalgic over this closing chapter in my life. My time at UW has been wonderful. My journey of inquiry is has more questions than answers, but the questions are more focused.

It seems human wisdom and compassion has not evolved as rapidly as the intelligence associated with technology and weaponry.

For this reason, perhaps “human stupidity” actually has survival value for our species. If the mean absolute I.Q. were 150 rather than 100, and if there were no correspondingly increased levels of wisdom and compassion, then perhaps we would have eradicated our species from the planet.

Is stupidity, itself, the long awaited but unrecognized Messiah?