Chapel Talk v1.0
"Because as wise men say, only fools rush in. And one thing was for sure: Momma didn't raise no fool."
- Patrick Link
In the words of Dave Eggers “in this world, in this new world, there will be rocking.” Now, although Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix callously wrenched the Pulitzer Prize out of Egger’s hands in 2001, you must understand that Dave has won the Pulitzer of my heart when I say that I believe yes. In this world, in our new world, there will be rocking. In fact, there must be rocking.
Now, to rock is a term which has evolved from the earliest-of-eating utensils, to sex, to music, and later to pure anarchy. But by rocking, I don’t mean cavemen, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, or even Britney Spears. I’m talking connotations.
So. Lets talks about rocking.
Rocks. Rock Music. Rock stars. Rocking Chairs. Our good friend John D. Rockefeller. Roxie Hart. The Rock. Rocky. Rocky II. Rocky III. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Pop Rocks. But we’ll start small. What about rockets?
From “sky-rockets in flight” to Nickelodeon’s Rocket Power, rockets seem to have immeasurable power in both romance (for a little afternoon delight) as well as prime time cartooning.
Besides these obvious pop-culture associations, the rocket itself, whether of nuclear or bottle variety, is an inherent vehicle of power. Think about physicality. Think about the integrity of the fire-dotted-line a bottle rocket or firework creates as it moves towards its destination. Its decided pursuit of beauty. Think about the spiderweb sky it leaves behind. It’s influencing the heavens without changing direction.
Think about the way you feel when you’re watching a rocket or a fireworks show. How you feel like you’re in motion, though the only thing that is moving is the residual smoke and ash left behind from the display. A few rockets headed in strong, set directions have the power not only to move you, but move what seems like the world.
Relating this to life, we understand that a straight and determined direction can provide influence, power, and even beauty. A rocket travels in a single, strong course and as a result, ultimately ends in beauty and influences its surroundings. In the same way, we can influence others by staying strong in our opinions, convinced in our paths.
But by rocking in regard to the connotations of determined rockets, must we remain steely and straight, never wavering and marked by determined choice and the finality of beauty?
There is something to be said about consistency, but Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds”
Oftentimes, the consistent line of the rocket renders us close-minded and unwilling to accept the convictions of others. Other times, our convictions can consume us and digest our peripheral faculties. Thus, the rocket is only one component in truly understanding what it means to live your life in a rocking manner.
Consider a rocking boat.
In Physics, every object has a center of mass. When that object is tipped, its center of mass will shift in order to stabilize one of its support points.
Although the boat’s center of mass moves in order to accommodate the rocking, various elements such as kinetic energy and potential energy allow for the ship to rock in the other direction, again shifting its center of mass.
Put into the perspective of life, shifting your center, your heart, or your soul into two opposite ideas in such a short period of time may seem contradictory, even hypocritical. But in the midst of a situation which resembled that of the rocking boat, Emerson declared, “We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related.”
We live our life in divisions. And with every division of time, we hold certain opinions, certain ideas with the most intense integrity. Within these moments we are true to ourselves and because of the knowledge of this truth our opinions do not become contradictory, but in some ways complimentary. They become related, and as Emerson states, associated with “the universal beauty.”
In this way, self-contradiction is not hypocrisy, but a vehicle for growth, for the pursuit of beauty and truth. The rocket may encourage us to move with determination in a set path, but the rocking boat assures us that a change in direction does not hinder this pursuit. In fact, the opposite path of action may be the best.
But what is our motivation? Why must we seek the paths that suit us best in such determined manners? What else might our “rocking” suggest?
Alchemists in the Dark Ages dreamed of the Philosopher’s Stone, a rock which they imagined would turn worthless metals into gold. Though these early periodic-table-developers yearned to strike gold and muster riches, success would only be found a few hundred years into the future when Harry Potter would duel Voldemort, destroy the said substance, and earn a net total of $965.7 in box offices and Blockbusters worldwide.
Unfortunately, in reality, there is no Philosopher’s Stone. (Even if there were, acquiring it would violate any and all points of the honor code.) So strive to find a proverbial metal-manipulating rock elsewhere.
Perhaps an opinion or an idea seems relatively like scrap metal to you now, but contradict yourself and take it on. You may find that rocking your boat to the other side will turn that action or that thought into pure gold, lasting beauty, or maybe even a front page Ashnoca article.
Initially, we come into the Asheville School with ideas regarding religion, politics, and sociality. These ideals have usually developed within the confines of our families, our homes, and ultimately, our pasts. With our acceptances into Asheville, and ultimately our acceptances of Asheville, we leave these elements of our lives in the back of our minds and become exposed to new families, new homes, and new futures. Allow these new ingredients of your life to influence you and don’t be worried about betraying the past, no matter how strongly you feel or felt about it.
Remember that self-contradiction is a virtue. As Emerson once said, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
So rock hard. Rock determined. Open yourself up and encourage yourself to rock in a different direction. Don’t feel hypocritical because of your rocking boat, and most importantly find the gold in rocking to your own beat.
Rock in Peace
- Patrick Link
In the words of Dave Eggers “in this world, in this new world, there will be rocking.” Now, although Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P. Bix callously wrenched the Pulitzer Prize out of Egger’s hands in 2001, you must understand that Dave has won the Pulitzer of my heart when I say that I believe yes. In this world, in our new world, there will be rocking. In fact, there must be rocking.
Now, to rock is a term which has evolved from the earliest-of-eating utensils, to sex, to music, and later to pure anarchy. But by rocking, I don’t mean cavemen, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, or even Britney Spears. I’m talking connotations.
So. Lets talks about rocking.
Rocks. Rock Music. Rock stars. Rocking Chairs. Our good friend John D. Rockefeller. Roxie Hart. The Rock. Rocky. Rocky II. Rocky III. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Pop Rocks. But we’ll start small. What about rockets?
From “sky-rockets in flight” to Nickelodeon’s Rocket Power, rockets seem to have immeasurable power in both romance (for a little afternoon delight) as well as prime time cartooning.
Besides these obvious pop-culture associations, the rocket itself, whether of nuclear or bottle variety, is an inherent vehicle of power. Think about physicality. Think about the integrity of the fire-dotted-line a bottle rocket or firework creates as it moves towards its destination. Its decided pursuit of beauty. Think about the spiderweb sky it leaves behind. It’s influencing the heavens without changing direction.
Think about the way you feel when you’re watching a rocket or a fireworks show. How you feel like you’re in motion, though the only thing that is moving is the residual smoke and ash left behind from the display. A few rockets headed in strong, set directions have the power not only to move you, but move what seems like the world.
Relating this to life, we understand that a straight and determined direction can provide influence, power, and even beauty. A rocket travels in a single, strong course and as a result, ultimately ends in beauty and influences its surroundings. In the same way, we can influence others by staying strong in our opinions, convinced in our paths.
But by rocking in regard to the connotations of determined rockets, must we remain steely and straight, never wavering and marked by determined choice and the finality of beauty?
There is something to be said about consistency, but Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds us that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds”
Oftentimes, the consistent line of the rocket renders us close-minded and unwilling to accept the convictions of others. Other times, our convictions can consume us and digest our peripheral faculties. Thus, the rocket is only one component in truly understanding what it means to live your life in a rocking manner.
Consider a rocking boat.
In Physics, every object has a center of mass. When that object is tipped, its center of mass will shift in order to stabilize one of its support points.
Although the boat’s center of mass moves in order to accommodate the rocking, various elements such as kinetic energy and potential energy allow for the ship to rock in the other direction, again shifting its center of mass.
Put into the perspective of life, shifting your center, your heart, or your soul into two opposite ideas in such a short period of time may seem contradictory, even hypocritical. But in the midst of a situation which resembled that of the rocking boat, Emerson declared, “We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related.”
We live our life in divisions. And with every division of time, we hold certain opinions, certain ideas with the most intense integrity. Within these moments we are true to ourselves and because of the knowledge of this truth our opinions do not become contradictory, but in some ways complimentary. They become related, and as Emerson states, associated with “the universal beauty.”
In this way, self-contradiction is not hypocrisy, but a vehicle for growth, for the pursuit of beauty and truth. The rocket may encourage us to move with determination in a set path, but the rocking boat assures us that a change in direction does not hinder this pursuit. In fact, the opposite path of action may be the best.
But what is our motivation? Why must we seek the paths that suit us best in such determined manners? What else might our “rocking” suggest?
Alchemists in the Dark Ages dreamed of the Philosopher’s Stone, a rock which they imagined would turn worthless metals into gold. Though these early periodic-table-developers yearned to strike gold and muster riches, success would only be found a few hundred years into the future when Harry Potter would duel Voldemort, destroy the said substance, and earn a net total of $965.7 in box offices and Blockbusters worldwide.
Unfortunately, in reality, there is no Philosopher’s Stone. (Even if there were, acquiring it would violate any and all points of the honor code.) So strive to find a proverbial metal-manipulating rock elsewhere.
Perhaps an opinion or an idea seems relatively like scrap metal to you now, but contradict yourself and take it on. You may find that rocking your boat to the other side will turn that action or that thought into pure gold, lasting beauty, or maybe even a front page Ashnoca article.
Initially, we come into the Asheville School with ideas regarding religion, politics, and sociality. These ideals have usually developed within the confines of our families, our homes, and ultimately, our pasts. With our acceptances into Asheville, and ultimately our acceptances of Asheville, we leave these elements of our lives in the back of our minds and become exposed to new families, new homes, and new futures. Allow these new ingredients of your life to influence you and don’t be worried about betraying the past, no matter how strongly you feel or felt about it.
Remember that self-contradiction is a virtue. As Emerson once said, “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
So rock hard. Rock determined. Open yourself up and encourage yourself to rock in a different direction. Don’t feel hypocritical because of your rocking boat, and most importantly find the gold in rocking to your own beat.
Rock in Peace