Monday, January 12, 2009

The Logical Song

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well theyd be singing so happily,
Joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
Logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
Clinical, intellectual, cynical.

There are times when all the worlds asleep,
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man.
Wont you please, please tell me what weve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am.

Now watch what you say or theyll be calling you a radical,
Liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Wont you sign up your name, wed like to feel youre
Acceptable, respecable, presentable, a vegetable!

At night, when all the worlds asleep,
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man.
Wont you please, please tell me what weve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am.

I enjoyed listening to this song in class. The first stanza is about being young. When we are young everything is so simple. There seem to be no problems in life except which color shirt to wear and whether to eat mac & cheese or grilled cheese for lunch. Every problem has a simple solution. However, eventually we all must grow up. And with that growth comes schooling. We are sent away to become "sensible, logical, responsible, practical." But in this process commonly called 'getting a proper education' we often lose sight of who we are. We start to fit the mold of 'the student' until one day we find ourselves lying awake in bed wondering what we have learned, if anything.

The last few lines of the song especially stuck with me. They read "Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned. I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am." These three lines represent the reality of the world today. Who am I? I am a student. I am a listener, a comforter, a daughter, sister, and friend. But what does that all mean at the end of the day? What have I really learned? And did this so called education come from years of schooling or years of experiences with the people who have shaped me over the last 18 years. Who defines learning anyway?

I believe college is a time of self discovery. However we all struggle with the concept of 'self'. We want to be what the world expects us to be. But what about what I want? Can someone please tell me who I am?

No comments:

Post a Comment