A Journey Full Circle
How archetypically American can you get? Everybody's looking for their true selves. We're all trying to fulfill ourselves, understand ourselves, get in touch with ourselves, face the reality of ourselves, explore ourselves, expand ourselves...Edward Jessup, from the film Altered States I cannot help but think the main demand of existence lies in a proper two-way feedback loop between the individual organism and it's environment. In other words, the survival of life depends on accurate, helpful communication-interaction between self and surroundings. In the simplest instances, this might involve the ability of a flatworm to detect and avoid toxic chemicals in its environment; or, the ability of a plant to detect and gravitate towards sunlight. In the case of humans, notably interaction between humans, where a number of language-cultural-historical bias' and barriers may exist, helpful communication-interaction between one human and another, or between groups of humans, can fall apart fairly quickly, and may be nearly damned from the start. Considering this great communication challenge, is there any wonder why us humans, as endless socio-political struggles of past and present attest, have such a difficult time getting along with each other.And yet, that's only looking at where humans conflict, not where they cooperate. For when humans cooperate in a common endeavor, they fly about the Earth, they build space telescopes and go to the Moon and Mars. So what's the difference? How is it on the one hand humans can't get along to save their lives; while on the other, they can work together to accomplish the seemingly impossible. What's the difference here?Returning full circle, I reflect on my exit from Wright State University, accept any regret as part of the learning process, a necessary side-track to discover my proper path. Education comes back to the forefront now as I consider my own trials in "the system" and put to question current teaching theory and practice, especially in regards to drug use. So too my experience in the pharmaceutical realm, both natural and synthetic, comes into play, as well as my study of the mind and fundamental questions concerning human existence.Where do I go from here? First, there's the feedback loop I mentioned above, what I call a two-way impression-expression dynamic; I'd like to explore more of this as it applies to education specifically as well as human existence in general. Along with this, I will suggest the inclusion of medical marijuana as a viable alternative to the current pharmaceutical options now offered the "challenged" student. In addition, given that my mind needs lots of exercise and activity and thrives in those realms of great ideas and thought, I'll be wandering quite often to that ancient Greek lyceum on the shores of the Mediterranean to meet the godfathers of Western philosophy: Heraclitus, Anaxagoras and Empedocles. Indeed, my mind will wander all over the ancient world...from ancient seas to ancient civilizations...East Asia to the Paleozoic...I can hardly get enough of these persons, places and things...their activities, discoveries and creations.Most generally speaking, that's where I'm going. Twenty five years after leaving graduate school at Wright State University, I feel my life coming full circle. In the meantime, there's been this journey, an exploration of self and environment that was necessary for me to reach a certain peace in knowing who I am and what I want out of life, as well as a certain satisfaction in discovering just how much this world, human and otherwise, has to offer.I am an intensely curious person, passionate for knowledge and understanding. I am also very self-motivated and directed and like to work on my own. I know this for certain about myself. I also know my mind has tended to wander. Sometimes this is good, as I find that tangents in certain topics and discussions lead to interesting and insightful avenues of thought and possibility. Sometimes the tendency of my mind to wander has indeed been a detriment, as my challenge of focus has sometimes disallowed shear enjoyment of the moment and pure attention to the gift of the present. And yet, personally, I find the application of Ritalin to such "attention deficit disorders" disturbing, especially in the young mind where a number of ethical questions can be raised regarding this condoned use of amphetamines in preadolescents and teens. I would sooner explore radical pedagogical strategies than take this Clockwork Orange approach. Mentally and physically, as much as possible, I would let, or get, these kids OUTSIDE! Because having been in their shoes myself, and with benefit of retrospect and 25 years study now on my side, that's what I would want if I were "diagnosed" with such a condition. And to this group of kids with "disorders" of attention, I would add those with depression and perhaps autism or Asperger-type symptoms.
