J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.
I don’t often post non-riding items on Scooter in the Sticks but this video warrants a look. Early this morning I watched author J.K. Rowling deliver a powerful message on the lessons of failure and the power of human imagination. I expected Harry Potter but heard something more striking. Rowling talked about imagination as a unique and special power.
At the end of her address she offered a challenge to graduates that is equally appropriate to riders and their journeys. Rowling invokes the words of the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca:
“As is a tale, so is life, not how long it is but how good it is.”
So I guess I’ll continue to focus on the good trips.
I found this video quite by accident at Alison Day Designs.
Wow very inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing!
I wonder, as she related her experiences at Amnesty, how many listeners thought about the recent wikileaks report that jailers at Guantanamo knew and know that most of those imprisoned for a decade without charges are either innocent or “low level” functionaries?
I have yet to read the Harry Pot Luck series. I probably never will. But I would like to view this video when my broadband resets in a week.
Dear Scooter In The Sticks (Steve):
I found today’s post personally inspiring, and watched it through twice. Thank you for posting this. We are never the mesure of our failure… Through our measure of success is often heightened by the climb.
Speaking of success..
I would also like to congratulate you on your blog’s climb to the highly coveted position of #7, of the top 10 motorcycle blogs on the Wikio.com Community. According to the stats, your popularity is climbing and your blog will no doubt continue to rise higher.
I found it through this link:
http://www.wikio.com/blogs/top/motorcycle
Michael Beattie of Key West Diary and I were chatting on the phone today, and he mentioned how your blog has an uplifting quality to it, that readers appreciate.
I think he called it right.
Once again, congratulations. And I hope to run into at breakfast one day this summer.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
Coincidentally I was just reading a book about the spirituality of J.R.R. Tolkien: Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues by Mark Eddy Smith.
Tolkien said that the creative process and using one’s imagination is an act of spiritual study. The act of creating stories, creativity implicitly, helps us understand life better.
“Only by myth making, only by becoming a sub-creator, and inventing stories can man aspire to the state of perfection he knew before the fall. Our myths may be misguided but they steer, however shakily to the harbor.”
Rogier: No problem. When I saw it I thought others might like it too.
Conchscooter: Sad how much bad stuff is inflicted in the world without much reason. Fear fuels a lot of heartless, inhuman behavior.
Anonymous: I was never interested in the Harry Potter series. My limited conception of the books, and a sort of knee jerk negative response to a character with the name of Harry Potter kept me away.
On a vacation in Maine a copy of the first book was in the hotel room and I started to read it. Far better than I imagined and much better than the movies. Read them all.
Broadband resets in a week? Are you in a storm damaged area? Hope things are ok.
Mr. Riepe: I’m not sure what to say. Maybe thank you for the kind words. Or for pointing out my blog’s performance on Wikio.com. Never saw that before. Usually I track on Technorati.com but it’s so volatile overnight I’ve seen Scooter in the Sticks drop 20 thousand places in the rankings and then jump by 25 thousand a few days later.
If there is an uplifting quality to my writing it is a direct result of the way I feel after riding. It’s hard not to feel great on the road. And I bet I would feel that way on a K-bike too.
Thanks again for your kind words. I do appreciate it. And now I owe you breakfast.
borgbike: An interesting quote from Tolkien. I’ll have to have a look at the book you refer to. Thanks for sharing it.
I really like the idea of ordinary virtues. I’ve been turning those words over in my head since I first read your comment a few hours ago. Not sure where they’ll take me but I enjoy the new path opened by you.