the way things end

I think W.D. is one of the best writers on the fate of the university today. Stefan Collini is also worth serious consideration. W.D.'s latest article in Harper's is full of so many things that resonate with my own experience that it's tempting to just link to the whole article (online) rather than post excerpts here.

Sent it to my colleagues, the Dean and the VC and it must have put the clappers up them!

... 

The way things end reminds one of the beginning. The way things end make me forget how they ever started. The first day of summer now distant. The first day of autumn is also a last day, hours and days seamlessly running along. 

The clouds darken but the sky stays grey and then brightens, mysteriously. You've become more acutely aware of the subtle gradations of light and the changes register somewhere that feels true. For a while your heart aches at the astounding beauty that is a memory of something lost, too. Summer and winter are in this faltering hour.

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There are many nice things in the article. What appeals to you is the idea that education is a counter-cultural institution, a way of being ec-centric-which means not just being on the margins, the periphery of things, but also the ability to find another centre, a quieter, more capacious one; and education as a counterbalancing force in the lives of individuals and society.

Transtromer: the balancing act: keep your pockets empty, lean slightly to one side. There is no time for rhetoric now. He who would take heart must let go of many things, hold on to others. 

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This picture and the one from a previous post are from a marvelous blog.. 
link: ;First known when lost'

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A late evening in the park; the sky overcast but not gloomy. The air is still and cool so you walk with just a simple t-shirt on. The day is done. At a great distance little r realizes I'm here and so gets off her bike and runs toward me. For how long will you remember this moment.

We think, mistakenly, that we can halt time...