Month: June 2016

Not the only language

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I grew up moving around a lot.  I’ve written about that before.  There were a great many privileges to this childhood, and one of them is that we traveled.  Hilary and I wrote our names on the Berlin Wall, saw more cathedrals than I can count, and visited far-flung corners of the United Kingdom like Northern Ireland and the Isle of Jersey.  There are still a lot of places that I want to go, though. There are also places that I have been but want to go with Grace and Whit, because I want them to experience them or because they were important spots for me (London, where Matt and I both lived for periods of time [separately], is near the top of this second list).

I’ve written before about my deep desire that Grace and Whit see the world. Whatever I can do to help with that, I will.  By traveling and seeing the grand sweep of this planet, I believe we understand both the enormity that we’re a part of and the tiny place we have in it.  We learn, both literally and figuratively, that ours is not the only language in this world.

Years ago, at a birthday dinner, the man of honor asked people to go around the table and say the one place they hadn’t been and really wanted to go.  It was a great question for a group, and I’m curious how you would answer, too.  What’s the one place you are most eager to travel to?  My list is below.  #1 is what I answered at that birthday dinner, and it’s still #1 today.

Istanbul

Saint Petersburg

Egypt

Alaska

Where do you want to go?

 

Things I Love Lately: the Commencement Speech Edition

I love commencement speeches.  Some of my favorites are classics and others are new.

Lin-Manuel Miranda at Penn, 2016 – “There will be moments you remember and whole years you forget.”  I had goosebums and tears in my eyes reading Miranda’s evocation of the years after college.  Oh, yes.

Sheryl Sandberg at Berkeley, 2016 – ” I mean live with the understanding of how precious every single day would be. How precious every day actually is.”  This is a powerful piece about loss and perspective and what really matters in life.

Steve Jobs at Stanford, 2005 – “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”  This whole speech is quotable, so I urge you to read (or, more likely, re-read) it.

JK Rowling at Harvard, 2008 – “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”  Also, a joke about gay wizards.  I love this speech more every time I read it.

Admiral McRaven at U Texas, 2014 – “Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.”  Matt loves this speech and the four of us recently watched it.  We were all rapt.  Full of inspiration and wisdom.

I write these Things I Love roundups approximately monthly.  You can see them all here.