The Insightful Perspective

In my Humanities class this semester my teacher had us write insights on different things we talked about in class that week. Seeing as how those insights are a type of perspective I thought they would be brilliant to share them with you. This is the first one I will share with you because it is somewhat of a disclaimer on what and how I show my insights.

It is my personal beliefs that an insight can come from just about anything. That is why I have to place a declaimer on this particular one. It is not odd or even crazy. It is just all me. That is why it is my insight anyway. In class a teaching opportunity was given about a man by the name of Walt Whitman, the American Poet. Whitman was a man who overcame his lot in life. He grew up in a family that had nothing. He worked hard and made something of himself, but was still unsatisfied. Then it came, the call to his adventure and his destiny. When Emerson stated in a speech one day that it was about time that America had its own poet and not one that wrote fluffy works of rhyme but one who really captured America Whitman decided that that would be him. He them set to work on his “Leaves of Grass” which truly filled that call. Emerson is even known for praising Whitman for capturing the true America in his poetry. This being known we return to what my insight was exactly.

            My mother told me this past week that people in my phase in life are not much different from two to three year olds in their mindsets. She explained that in both points in life we don’t know what we want, what to be, how to act, and we are desperately trying to figure out the answers to these questions. We are trying to finally walk on our own. Being in this state we are waiting for our call to adventure. Through learning about Whitman’s call I finally realized something very important. Our call is all around us in this vulnerable state of existence, but it is our choice whether or not to actually act. I guess I was in the mindset that my call would come like one of the great heroes and herons of the past. Some old person would come up to me one day and say “Claire you are going to be a great literary master. Go to the England and study right now.” That is really random, but you get the point. The fact is that just doesn’t happen anymore.

            Our call comes in subtle nudges rather than by big brass bands. That is why promptings are so important. As Brother Ward once said in class, “If you pay attention and I do mean close attention in this class [or whatever moment you are in] you will be the person you need to be at seven pm tonight.” I have found myself so many times shrugging off feelings I have about people or places I am in and have been burned because of it. So what if our calls don’t come the same way that the heroes in books got theirs. Ours still come from the same place. If we do not act upon those calls we will miss our adventure. That I know and believe, and that is why this insight hit me so hard this week. Sometimes you need a reminder.