Habit

Nostalgia runs deep in my bones. My life as an educator is a perfect fit for memories and they often end up tied into the fabric of my experience. And so it is that I take my opportunities seriously.

Recently I ran into a former Link Crew Leader at a coffee shop and he seemed somewhat surprised that I remembered him. Good kids are hard to miss or forget. We started talking about life after high school and it seemed evident that he lacked a certain pride about not going to college. Knowing that this young man loves music and soundboards and wires that run hidden from stages, it was no surprise to me that his education is found in experience. Whether through jobs or interning/volunteering for more opportunities, he has landed himself in the lap of a touring band.

As we talked about his experience I found that I wanted to know his plans, the likes and dislikes of work, expectations of the job, and so much more. Where I ended up is where I often end up with my students.

In college my roommate was a Bio major with emphasis in genetics. Given that he was surrounded every day with science stuff, he decided early in his studies to devote time to learn something that was non-scientific through reading. His logic was quite simple: if you want to be well rounded, you have to make yourself well rounded. It’s through intention that his dreams of med school were finally realized and the language he brought to the exam rooms went beyond the latest journal or scientific study.

My question for this music man was about scope. He’s involved with music and mixing and has been immersed in that world for some time so I asked what he was studying beyond music to help keep his perspective fresh and open? If he intended on becoming a band manager, were there biographies written by fans about their favorite artists and the managers that kept them going? Could there be movies made about the “behind the scenes” scope of productions, whether for bands or dancers actors? It’s an uncomfortable conversation because it is rooted exactly against what puts us at ease: our comfort.

My hope with him and with all my graduates is about growth. Finding a field of study is a great step, but what more can be done to keep the mind active and learning about world’s beyond our two feet. I am constantly in that state of learning and exploring because my perspective otherwise would be narrowed by my own experience and that’s not how I want to see this world. It’s an idea I’ve been toying with since I was in high school and one that I can’t let go of.