Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ambitious and/or Honourable

This week the United States recognized the 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's delivery of his most famous speech, the Gettysburg Address. Teenagers today would find it hard to imagine, but most folks, now in their 60s and 70s, were given the task of memorizing that speech during their high school years. I did it as a Sophomore, for an A, in Ms Sara Stephens' English class.
It was a daunting task for a fifteen year old, to stand up in front of 30 or so classmates and recite, word for word, such a document. The memory of the event remains vivid in my mind and that was two score and nearly ten years ago.
We also had the task of memorizing fifteen lines from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". Most everyone chose the first fifteen lines of Marcus Antonius' "Friends, Romans, countrymen" recitation.
Why don't students do memorization today? Well, for one thing, memory work is not a measurable  skill on a standardized test. And, to be perfectly honest, when was the last time most of us had to memorize anything? Memorization is hardly a marketable skill these days. There is just no "app" for it. There isn't much of a need to memorize or learn anything, when all you have to do is "Google" the  answer.
Bottom line. I still believe "memorization" is a life strengthening skill. Ms Stephens taught me well or is it good? Whatever else I learn in life, I can still recite, nearly word for word, the Gettysburg Address, and about a third of those 15 lines from Shakespeare. Care to hear them? Just "lend me your ears."

Good God. We think we are so smart. The things that we try hard to learn are insignificant in the whole book of life. You are our guide and guardian. Your lessons should be our life's textbook. Help me to do your will.


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