Tuesday, November 11, 2003
(11:39 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
The Sophistry of Despair
Identify the reference in my title, dear readers.
A few disjointed remarks:
- On my way home, it was incredibly foggy out. On several occasions, I was convinced that I had somehow made a wrong turn and that I would never make it home. One of my classmates remarked this evening that it smelled like snow, but it turned out to smell like fog. The smells are similar.
- I have no desire to sentimentalize or promote CTS as an institution, but I have to say that after a fairly rough weekend during which I witnessed myself attempting to tear down the latest in a long chain of certainties (I'm going to be a Nazarene pastor; the Roman pontiff is God's voicebox; the Great Books of the dead white males are of paramount importance; the only true theology is a bizarre mixture of Soren Kierkegaard, John Wesley, and Karl Barth) -- it was good to go to a place where I felt like it was all okay. It was good to go to a place where no one expected me to come up with any particular answer. It was good not to feel trapped by my own past. That's probably not CTS-specific, and I don't want to imply that I haven't had the same experience in other places and times in my life or that the feelings I've felt are anyone's fault but my own -- but it was nice.
- Just so you guys know, I'm full of crap: I'm almost certainly not taking Marion's class next semester. There are several reasons. The first is that I don't know if it's even being offered, due to Marion's failing health; I e-mailed U of C to find out, and they haven't responded. Second, I found out that the class will cost significantly more than all the rest of my classes put together, including books and probably gas money to get up there. Third, I have not yet learned German and do not foresee spending significant time with it before mid-December. Finally, there were already more classes next semester than I could take that I wanted to take (if you guys think of a better way to word that particular thought, let me know), so it didn't seem like a big priority anymore. Next year, though, when I finally move up there full time, along with my Iraqi mail-order bride, I will hopefully be able to pencil in a couple Renowned Scholars to round out my resume.
- Finally, I'd like to congratulate contributor emeritus Michael Schaefer on his impending move away from Flint, into the Chicago area.
Thank you for your time.
