star, star, teach me how to shine or thoughts before embarking on a scholastic adventure

Star, star, teach me how to shine shine.
Teach me so I know what's going on in your mind.
'Cause I don't understand these people
Who say the hill's to steep.
Well they talk and talk forever
But they just never climb.

Falling down into situations
Bringing out the best in you.
You're flat on your back again.
And star, you're ever word I'm heeding.
Can you help me to see
I'm lost in the marsh.

Star, star, teach me how to shine shine.
Teach me so I know what's going on in your mind.
'Cause I don't understand these people
Who say we're all asleep.
They'll toss and turn forever,
But no rest will they find.

Star star teach me how to shine shine.
Teach me so I know what's going on in your mind.
—The Frames, "Star, Star"

Yesterday was incredible. I have to apologize up front to Dugan for not taking my camera with me. I will get better with taking it where I go. Nevertheless, yesterday was incredible.

I awoke at about 7 AM to go for a bike ride. The moutain biking here is true mountain biking: you ride up, your ride up, you ride up, and then you fly back down the mountain. The up part is, as you would expect, tiring. I am in pretty good shape, but it wears me out. I drove about fifteen minutes to where I would go up the mountain, and about an hour later I found myself at the ruins of an old hotel overlooking the greater Los Angeles area. Again, I apologize for not taking my camera. It was beautiful.

As I got back down to the car, I was singing the above song in my head. The Frames were recently recommended to me, and have loved the repercussions of the recommendation ever since.

After getting back to my apartment, I took a shower, ate some breakfast/brunch, and packed my bags for the beach. I was meeting a bunch of friends, who I have met while in Pasadena, at Manhattan Beach. It too was beautiful and relaxing. I have to start taking my camera with me don't I? On my drive to the beach I listened to the aformentioned song by the Frames. If you have not ever head this song, you must listen to it. The version I have is a live recording, and the crowd in the words of the lead singer is "f@#*ing amazing." I concur.

So, mountains in the morning and beach in the afternoon. Can't get much better than that huh? On my drive back to Pasadena, which was rediculous because of traffic, I again listened to "Star, Star." As I listened, I payed close attention to the lyrics, specifically the two stanzas where he talks about "the people." These "people" seem to be the ones who are full of talk/knowledge/etc. without any action. I realized that "the people" could include myself after my education at Fuller and places unknown.

I want to be a professor. Many years of school and reading books by "the people" and others who differ from "the people" come with the territory of being a professor. As I am about to embark on the long journey of this goal that I have, I want to make a vow. A vow that I will not be "the people." I won't talk and talk about the steepness of the hill and never climb.* Damnit, I am going to climb. Even if I don't have a clue what I am doing climbing. I will be there, wherever "there" might be, experiencing it with all I have. I will have head knowledge or propositional knowledge, as Carney would call it, but I am going to have practical, experiential knowledge too. I won't get lost in the books. I will ride my bike to the top of a mountain to overlook my city. I will spend time at the beach with friends—even if I am playing beach volleyball, an activity I despise. I will...I willl...I will. At least, this is my hope and prayer:

So as I begin my journey tomorrow, teach me how to shine. Teach me how to shine. peace

*Take freedom in what these metaphors signify. Here I am mainly taking them to signify the world of academia.