The theme for this Party has been stolen directly from a fellow Kossack...With permission..
Courtesy of Dragon5616, of J-Town here in dKos. He spends his non-dKos time teaching advanced students
This was the story he related....
Back in first semester, we read an essay called Look at Your Fish by the 19th century scientist Samuel H. Scudder.
He tells of his first day as a science student at Harvard. The professor [Agassiz] tells him to study a particular fish, the haemulon, and be ready to answer questions about it. Later he questions Scudder and tells him to study the fish some more. This continues. Each time Scudder thinks there's nothing more to see, but each time he notices more and more. He ends up looking at the fish for a year.
Dragon explains this use of his metaphor further in a
diary he did some time ago
"Facts are stupid things," [ Professor Agassiz] would say, "until brought into connection with some general law."
---
Dragon expands his thought:
...I also want [students]to realize that the facts or events delineated in the writing are unimportant unless we connect them to some truth. I am trying to get the kids to look more closely and see in a more sophisticated way.......
There's a difference between looking and seeing. You start by looking carefully, but you see by analyzing what you observed.
Let us see how all this works with us in our everyday daily life.....
Obviously, as we examine things very closely---and really scrutinize---much more is revealed (the major point here)
How many times has someone heard something you told them; and they come back with a different point of view? Many times for me.
Ever wake up at night--having a clearer head---and suddenly see an issue you've dealt with in a new light; as your uncluttered brain sees a newer perspective?
Consider how a child looks at the same object we see----but puts a different light on it....
How many times have you listened to some song....and then, finally, a light goes off; Bingo---you get what the songwriter was saying....?
Been to a movie 2-3 times before you understood the deeper meaning?? I've seen Casablanca 40-50 times; and still draw something new from it each time. (Of course, if we're talking about "Last Year at Marienbad" ---good luck on that one.)
Ever get stuck on a project; took a few hours, or days away---and then came back to it, and saw the solution right away?
(Of course, I see this all as an inherently progressive way of examining life; but that is a story for another day)
Dragon's teaching point (for his students) was to examine the storyline, or book, very closely to find more of what the author was saying----but I think it is something we can carry with us every day.
------
For some, this whole diary can be best summed up by the simple question Mel Blanc (whose birthday was last week) asked through Bugs Bunny:
Offer some of your thoughts below....
(And please bring music, drink, & humor into the conversation----after all; this IS a PARTY!!!!!!)
