A Bit of Silliness
A bit of silliness really.
My first real night up here, even before moving into my cozy dorm room, I stayed at a friend’s house and watched “Finding Neverland”, a story about Peter Pan, littered with truth. At one point in the tale, Peter, a young boy, is called to account for his writings of his adventures and casually dismisses them as “just a bit of silliness, really”. As the story unfolds, the viewer finds the truth in the silliness and the desperate need for it.
Last Friday afternoon, after hobbling over rain-slicked cobblestone streets to yet another “good interview experience”, I sat in a conference room with the leadership of a media research organization. Dripping wet and exhausted from a long day, I laughed in response to his smiling question, “And what do you want to do when you grow up?”
“I don’t,” I replied grinning, “I don’t want to grow up”.
I quickly followed with an honest and idealistic explanation of my desire to write, and then listened to the Executive Director advise me to chase my dreams. It is not everyday one hears this in an interview, no matter the organization or the town.
It is a bit of silliness really, the relaying of dreams, the restoring of hope, the retelling of truth in a way that makes it readable, almost as if for the first time.
But the more I travel and the wider the scope of lives and jobs I take in, the more I see it all as just a bit of silliness really.
Sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives, watching the Speaker of the House slam down the gavel and repeatedly attempt to gain the attention and order of a floor full of chatty Congressmen- I see the silliness of it all- our attempt to bring order to chaos, when we are the very cause of that chaos.
Answering ceaseless phone calls from constituents voicing their opinions on upcoming legislation, I see the silliness of it all- as if one person’s thoughts could really make a difference.
Collecting faded Coke cans and old cigarette butts in an effort to clean up inner city D.C. schools, I see the silliness of it all- how could we possibly make a difference by our meager efforts?
But that silliness is essential. It is our lifeblood and without it we will surely fade- fade into something void of the very silliness that bears truth, that maintains justice, that restores hope.
It IS just a bit of silliness really. And I’m so glad it is.
My first real night up here, even before moving into my cozy dorm room, I stayed at a friend’s house and watched “Finding Neverland”, a story about Peter Pan, littered with truth. At one point in the tale, Peter, a young boy, is called to account for his writings of his adventures and casually dismisses them as “just a bit of silliness, really”. As the story unfolds, the viewer finds the truth in the silliness and the desperate need for it.
Last Friday afternoon, after hobbling over rain-slicked cobblestone streets to yet another “good interview experience”, I sat in a conference room with the leadership of a media research organization. Dripping wet and exhausted from a long day, I laughed in response to his smiling question, “And what do you want to do when you grow up?”
“I don’t,” I replied grinning, “I don’t want to grow up”.
I quickly followed with an honest and idealistic explanation of my desire to write, and then listened to the Executive Director advise me to chase my dreams. It is not everyday one hears this in an interview, no matter the organization or the town.
It is a bit of silliness really, the relaying of dreams, the restoring of hope, the retelling of truth in a way that makes it readable, almost as if for the first time.
But the more I travel and the wider the scope of lives and jobs I take in, the more I see it all as just a bit of silliness really.
Sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives, watching the Speaker of the House slam down the gavel and repeatedly attempt to gain the attention and order of a floor full of chatty Congressmen- I see the silliness of it all- our attempt to bring order to chaos, when we are the very cause of that chaos.
Answering ceaseless phone calls from constituents voicing their opinions on upcoming legislation, I see the silliness of it all- as if one person’s thoughts could really make a difference.
Collecting faded Coke cans and old cigarette butts in an effort to clean up inner city D.C. schools, I see the silliness of it all- how could we possibly make a difference by our meager efforts?
But that silliness is essential. It is our lifeblood and without it we will surely fade- fade into something void of the very silliness that bears truth, that maintains justice, that restores hope.
It IS just a bit of silliness really. And I’m so glad it is.
posted by Catherine's Blog at 12:08 AM
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