In the book (and movie) Of Mice and Men, Lennie, one of the main characters, has an affinity for soft things. He likes to touch them, but fails to recognize his own strength, and more often than not, ends up smashing, suffocating, and killing the things he loves the most, whether they be mice, puppies, or rabbits (or women with pretty hair).
Now, there's a tremendous amount of symbolism (and foreshadowing) behind this, which is important for understanding Steinbeck’s book, but which isn’t vital for this post...
While packing in preparation to move, one of my old college roommates, and closest girlfriends, recently found the “goodbye” letter (letter is an understatement; it was a novel) I wrote her after our four years of college.
The context: I was moving on and she was staying another year...
In English, the following is a well-known saying: “Can’t see the forest for the trees.”
In many ways, this is my life’s idiom.
I’m a details person. I love, and thrive off of, the minutiae.
This is both a blessing and a curse. The ability to hone in has tremendous benefits; however, this tunnel vision can also be crippling. I often miss the major point or the overall gist because I’m too preoccupied with the details.
I recently had brunch with a friend during which we chatted about my obstructed vision regarding a recent incident. In response, she shared the following...
Last week after class, one of my female students asked, “Have you ever preached before?”
I responded, “Heavens no! I’m definitely not a preacher.”
She responded, “Oh, you’re just so passionate, I thought you’d be great at it. Plus, you do a good job keeping us awake.”
(Note to self: minimize self-deprecating statements in front of students)
This isn’t the first time someone has brought this to my attention. Several friends, prior seminarians, and current coworkers have asked me the same question (my response to them has been similar)...
