P.S. (Pre-scriptum). A couple of people have reached out in response to my request for a translation of the Fengshen yanyi; thank you so much, you saved the day, my student is extremely grateful!
Unknown unknowns
We were supposed to be back in the classroom today. When the students left campus four weeks ago, most were optimistic that this was only a temporary phase of remote learning. There were some who asked if we thought this would last longer, in particular the seniors wanted to know if there would be a commencement ceremony. (There will be, but it won’t be in May 2020.) Now we’re not even sure if we will be able to return to in-person instruction at the end of August, when our Fall semester starts.
I’ve been typing up a lot of things to follow that first paragraph above, and the only thing it always comes down to is this: the uncertainty is what’s most annoying to me. I think humans are eminently able to adjust to situations, but we’re very bad at feeling ok with uncertainty. That means there is less energy, attention, and time to focus on teaching and learning, as the whole of higher ed worries if our jobs will be there when the Fall comes round, if our institutions will survive, and what higher ed will look like in a post-pandemic world with a post-pandemic economy. And that’s without saying anything about the students’ side of this.
And yet, I’m able most of the time to just focus on what is in front of me: teaching, feedback on student projects, and finding refuge in my research and writing. I am fascinated by the human mind’s ability to compartmentalize. I know it’s not possible for everybody, but I’ll count this blessing while it lasts. And I’ll keep working on that meditation, it seems to help.
