Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Last Minute
In a few hours, I will be headed to Denver Colorado to celebrate Christmas with the family. Looking back, it has been an eventful semester at Waynesburg University: good finishing to my classes; a presentation at West Virginia University in spite of my busy schedule (I also just met the deadline for submission of the paper presented at WVU); a trip to Philadelphia in November with ten students (another eventful one); met deadlines on abstracts submitted (at least four and counting); University of Pennsylvania presentation in April would likely result in another publication according to a recent email I received from the university; curriculum committee member for the university here starting this fall; and so on and so forth. The crowning part was that I got a word from the editors, Glenda and Vivian that publication is finished on the book where I contributed a chapter - it is now at Amazon. It has been a good year here at Waynesburg.
Today, I was able to run a few errands - return most of the library books; went to the bank and Walmart; visited with a couple of friends in the library; had a refresher cash course on RefWorks after losing my Endnote software - still checking into whether I will stay with EndNote or not - it has served me well for almost five years. The year is rapidly ending with buoyancy and hope, and as the day closes, I remember the words of that wonderful social activist, Abraham Joshua Heschel:
"Instead of showing us a way through the elegant mansions of the mind, the prophets take us to the slums. The world is a proud place, full of beauty, but the prophets are scandalized, and rave as if the whole world were a slum."
Having read "Gang Leader for a Day" in one of my courses here, Rabbi Heschel's words above provide a good closing reflection for the semester and my last few hours before heading to Denver, Colorado.
Ezekola
December 23, 2009
Today, I was able to run a few errands - return most of the library books; went to the bank and Walmart; visited with a couple of friends in the library; had a refresher cash course on RefWorks after losing my Endnote software - still checking into whether I will stay with EndNote or not - it has served me well for almost five years. The year is rapidly ending with buoyancy and hope, and as the day closes, I remember the words of that wonderful social activist, Abraham Joshua Heschel:
"Instead of showing us a way through the elegant mansions of the mind, the prophets take us to the slums. The world is a proud place, full of beauty, but the prophets are scandalized, and rave as if the whole world were a slum."
Having read "Gang Leader for a Day" in one of my courses here, Rabbi Heschel's words above provide a good closing reflection for the semester and my last few hours before heading to Denver, Colorado.
Ezekola
December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Almost Over: 2009
It is that time of the year: preparation for holidays, shopping spree, reminiscing over the past twelve months, failed and foiled resolutions, failed promises, as well as the goodies. Just finishing reading a piece from the BBC News network, and was prompted to ask identical questions identical to: "Africa Have Your Say": what are the high points and low points of the last twelve months? Did you fall in love, lose a job, go on a great journey or make a big decision? Did you give birth, move to a different country, learn a new skill or say farewell to loved ones? Were you touched by some major events on the continent - the credit crunch, continued war in Somalia or President Obama's visit to Ghana. What has it been like for you and your family? Has it been a good year or a difficult one?
At a personal level, one can also ask the aforementioned questions to reflect what gains and what losses one has encountered during the past twelve months. For me, they are numerous: the fact that I am alive, and I am where I am supposed to be; the fact of good health on me and my family; the ability to keep body and soul together in spite of the economic devastation and disasters locally and globally; opportunity to make a couple trips that were impacting and potentially productive; extension of brotherly and sisterly love and compassion to those whose backs have been pushed against the wall; the opportunity to have more time for reflection: emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually; ability to listen to those people termed, "the dispossessed and the disinherited" - ability to see loved ones and friends, and say with the old motto: "when I count my blessing, I count you twice" - yes, globally and locally, there are problem areas: increasing poverty; loss of jobs; ill health; family palava; loss of friendships; the sickness of the current President of Nigeria, increasing level of corruption, nepotism in high places; the pluses and minuses in the health care that jumped a significant hurdle in the Senate; existential nihilism shared and observed - but the hope and optimism goes on: as it is said in my old country: "When there is life, there is hope." We are given another day to live - let us do so therefore, like those with hope and buoyancy to face the future.
The struggle continues.
December 22, 2009
At a personal level, one can also ask the aforementioned questions to reflect what gains and what losses one has encountered during the past twelve months. For me, they are numerous: the fact that I am alive, and I am where I am supposed to be; the fact of good health on me and my family; the ability to keep body and soul together in spite of the economic devastation and disasters locally and globally; opportunity to make a couple trips that were impacting and potentially productive; extension of brotherly and sisterly love and compassion to those whose backs have been pushed against the wall; the opportunity to have more time for reflection: emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually; ability to listen to those people termed, "the dispossessed and the disinherited" - ability to see loved ones and friends, and say with the old motto: "when I count my blessing, I count you twice" - yes, globally and locally, there are problem areas: increasing poverty; loss of jobs; ill health; family palava; loss of friendships; the sickness of the current President of Nigeria, increasing level of corruption, nepotism in high places; the pluses and minuses in the health care that jumped a significant hurdle in the Senate; existential nihilism shared and observed - but the hope and optimism goes on: as it is said in my old country: "When there is life, there is hope." We are given another day to live - let us do so therefore, like those with hope and buoyancy to face the future.
The struggle continues.
December 22, 2009
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