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Samuel Goodstein Grand Illusion |
James Joyce wrote that he expected his readers to spend their entire lives trying to fully understand his work. Oh, readers! I seek but a few minutes each week. In this, my final column, I ask for nothing.
First, the notion.
Wordsworth wrote: "The eye - it cannot choose but see; we cannot bid the ear be still; our bodies feel, whereer they be, against or with our will." This, I think, beautifully makes the point that the senses are ultimately beyond our control. But if we cannot control the senses, can't we manipulate them? Of course we can.
Michael Brooks - a great thinker and a great person - shared the following story with me: There are three umpires talking about calling balls and strikes. The first says, "I call 'em as I see 'em." The second, "I call 'em as they are." The third, and most important, says, "They're nothing until I call 'em." The point: We may not be able to control our senses, but we can control our interpretation of what our senses tell us.
The greatest challenge for those committed to bettering the world is to interpret the senses as carefully as possible. As we forge further and further ahead in the information age, technology threatens our control over our senses - in a digital world, can we maintain the human core? Can we maintain the senses?
Ultimately, I think the answer is yes. Let me share a passage from Marshal McLuhan's and Quentin Fiore's time-less (and never more timely) masterpiece, "The Medium is the Message." "An astronomer looking through a 200-inch telescope exclaimed that it was going to rain. His assistant asked, 'How can you tell?'
'Because my corns hurt.'"
Our age may be threatened by dehumanization, but every arthritic person's corns will hurt whenever it is about to rain - no matter what the telescope says.
The prophet Samuel was born to Hannah; the columnist Samuel was born to Hanna. Many are the differences between the prophet and the columnist; many, many. Since I don't know anything about the biblical Hanna, I cannot compare her to the contemporary one. The comparison isn't important; what is important is that Hanna the Younger met Peter (sorry, no biblical reference) and settled in Flint. In Flint, our Hanna set out to be the consummate parent; the results are in: She succeeded.
My father likes to boast that he is a descendant of the Bilgorai Rabbi, one of the great Polish rabbis of the 19th century. While I don't know very much about the Bilgorai, I understand that he was a great thinker, a man of compassion and a man who enjoyed nothing more than time with his family. Whether these were characteristics of the famous Rabbi I really do not know; I do know that they characterize my father.
It doesn't surprise me at all that I find it so easy to write these words about my parents; they themselves had parents who perfected the art of grandparenting.
Raphy! To heap praise on one's brother is generally not considered acceptable material for a column; it is for this one. I could probably use months worth of columns for this task. Suffice it to say that my brother has been, and continues to be, a great example to me of what is good - nay, great - about life.
And the friends! For four years, Flint Wainess was my partner at this newspaper, at MSA and in countless wonderful discussions, debates and drinks. I consider him to be a great mind and a great friend. Remember his name.
No less a mind, and no less a friend, is Jordan Stancil. My partner in many of the same discussions as the above mentioned Flint, Jordan is the consummate friend: Always willing to listen, always ready to tell you when you are wrong, always willing to go to the Jug. Jordan is currently in Europe emulating the main characters in La Boheme - don't forget his name either.
And Michael Flamenbaum. My closest friend since kindergarten, he remains the funniest, best-hearted person I know. Few are the people one can call loyal to the end: Mike is such a person.
Finally, there is Trisha. Sometimes words are inadequate; sometimes writers are inadequate. Whichever be the case here, I can only say that Trisha Beth Miller has served as a great example to me: She represents everything that is truly wonderful about humanity.
Some things words cannot express.
- Sam Goodstein can be reached over e-mail at faygo@umich.edu