Just the other night Josh and I had a conversation about what being an 'academic' meant.
I was sharing with him the connective revelations I was making about change and faith from the combining definitions of two books
Falling to Heaven by James Ferrell and
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. Dr. Ferrell is a gifted scriptorian and his book illuminates the paradoxes of the teachings of Jesus that can help us understand our relationship to God and dependence upon Christ for needed changes. I had started with Ferrell's book a while back but had become frustrated with the over generalized use of loaded terms such as
guilt and
admit. I had paused on his second part of the book called 'The Gift of Guilt" because I could not fit the term 'guilt' into any gift wrapping. I understood the use of the title - obvious alliteration, sensational paradox - however Ferrell was not specific about what or how he was using the word guilt. I found I had to dig through his analysis of paradoxes too much to find his meaning. It frustrated me because I wanted to feel enlightened by his scriptural analysis, not frustrated by his poor writing.
I realized my frustration had developed into the complaint "Ferrell is not being specific enough in the use of his words as an academic would." Josh, of course questioned my complaint.
In contrast, through the gift of a generous friend I had started in on
The Gifts of Imperfection and finally found some specified terms that would help me to sort out Ferrell's intensity. Dr. Brown, having been trained in a specific academic research modual, is very careful to define the usage of any term that may have multiple meanings. Her research likewise touches on the need to recognize our vulnerabilities and use them to instill confidence in self and action to change. To me, both books were speaking to the very principle I have been pondering and striving to understand on a personal level: humility. Yet, it was the combination of the two that allowed me to finally embrace where I am on my personal journey and identify where I am in relation to my Savior and where I would like to be.
So how is it that being more 'academic' about writing allowed me to clarify my own feelings? I believe it comes down to being open to multiple definitions and allowing your writing to generate continued dialogue between reader and author through turning words and concepts into different points of light. I had not been able to discuss what guilt was with Ferrell's text; his presumptions statements were so definitive that they could not be defined in any different way. Brown offered her use of a term and then shared ways in which it would best work in the given research. Both scholars are equally intelligent, whereas, in truth, one wrote in a style that I have been inculcated in while the other wrote to a different type of audience.
In Josh's opinion, Brown sounded like "one of those hippie-dippy philosophical types of self-help books that don't make any sense" initially. For him, Brown was opening the subject too wide. Yet, when I showed him how Ferrell's use of loaded terms without explanation created a whole different set of feelings in the reader, Josh began to understand how being more open in definition develops more personal understanding. My term for this development of definition was "academic writing."
"So what is academic, then?" asked Josh. He reminded me of the anecdote of the building mechanic who refused to teach his son any practical skills because he wanted his son to grow up to the be like the professors in the university buildings he maintained that just sat at their desks all day and thought.
Of course I can see how that perception is held. Academics and research require a lot of reading or studying what others have said and then rolling them around in your head to see if there are other possibilities. It is through the exploration of possibilities that new solutions or discoveries are made. If we had just accepted the first guesses on any subject there would have been no advancements made.
I offered the second anecdote that illustrated my point of view about academics: A humble worker had once heard a teacher say that they must find ways to expand their mind at all times. She was skeptical for she sat on steps in an alley way and peeled potatoes everyday. What was there in her world to expand her mind? She began to observe the very small ants around her that scavenged the bricks at her feet and found pieces of potato peel. Her curiosity grew as she watched them more intently and she began to notice patterns in their behavior. On her day of she went to a library and found that there was very little written about the ants and their behavior, although she was given their name. Over time, she developed some of the most accurate information about ants and their living systems and habitat that was later published. All the while, she was just a potato peeler.
Before returning to the academic world, I have spent 6 years as just a homemaker. Gratefully, my time in undergraduate studies had helped me to understand that my brain could be active at all times so I began doing more than just vacuuming. I heard the rhythms of the vacuum as I pulled it back and forth and created rhymed meter poems about my vacuum. While standing for hours at my kitchen sink paring fruit for canning I calculated the average time to fill one quart jar and the average numbers or jars needed, all the way down to knowing the amount of time I spent canning to the ratio of food I prepared for my family in one year to the second. I learned about landscaping patterns, sustainability practices, psychology of happiness, and early child development. During the mundane tasks my mind was able to roll around thoughts and feelings to the point of understanding.
That, to me, is academic. It is training the brain not to be idle and the heart to desire more than is just placed before you. Therefore is the reason Josh and I hope our children will chose to attend a university. Honestly, in today's economy, one is better of learning a specific trade for financial stability than securing stable employment as an 'academic.' However, the academic person can fulfill any trade and expand their humanity if they have been taught to think and explore new possibilities.
