Oxford seems concerned with beauty and academia above all else. The alarm clock and the tour groups can wait. The thought you are experiencing in any given moment can not. It has become no wonder to me why this is the city where Harry Potter and the Golden Compass came to life, where Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Ring series, where Carol wrote Alice and Wonderland and where Hobbes wrote the Leviathan. The heir of intellectualism is absolutely contagious. Just dining in the same hall as Albert Einstein and John Locke is enough to make anyone strive to be better, to extend oneself beyond the boundaries that we have self-imposed, unknowingly, prior to stepping into a city, or a new world, where dreams are not merely dreams any longer, they are feasible future accomplishments.
As for now, however, I sit in a McDonalds that is cleverly placed between two buildings dating back to the early thirteenth century. I find it to be refreshing though, this healthy balance that Oxford has kept between the old and the new, predominantly on the old. Being here is like nothing I have ever experienced, quite literally because our notable American history merely dates back to the 1700's or so, but even further so because I have noticed that it is an American standard to deem the "old" as being replaceable and always subject to being made more contemporary. Old is good. Whether it be old traditions, such as sending "cheers" to the Queen at dinner, old buildings such as the Bear, a pub I spent 5 hours getting to know the other day that dates back to the thirteenth century, or old thoughts, such as the original copy of the Leviathan and Darwin's notebooks which are held in this exquisite city, each remind me in their own way of just how precious the old is. Without the old, there would be no basis for the creation of something new. My goal, now, is to do something un-American, then. Instead of the American tradition of deeming everything replaceable, my goal, while here, will be to become a piece of history, to make both my own experience and my presence here, something totally and completely irreplaceable.
My favorite contemporary American author stated "The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will." This is undoubtedly the place to do so. While in the presence of so much greatness, the only thing to do is to strive to be great.
cheers!
Jess
Bravo Jess! Embrace the experience and grow from it. THAT is the way to make your visit irreplaceable! Sounds like you are doing just that. I can totally picture the McDonald's in the middle of those 2 13th Century buildings. That would be a funny picture to keep.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I hate being late...not fond of those who are late,a as a matter of fact! Bloody f*in British people! Oh I love how they talk though! I think the kids would have to wear earplugs to avoid learning that there! Katelyn says "Lalalalala" when she hears a bad word...she'd be singing all day! hahahaha
Can't wait to read more... xoxo
Finally learned how to post a comment......don't have to tell you how proud of you we all are! I cannot wait to share your exeriences with you.
ReplyDeleteI know academically it will be challenging, but when you have ever turned down a challege?
Live, Love, Laugh and LEARN, right? Keep forging ahead my love...
Maybe I'll get to see you there....still working on that as well......
love you so.....
Mom