I found today's inspiration as I was cleaning out my desk to move home from Ann Arbor to East Lansing. I came upon this inspiration unexpectedly last year, when I was encouraged by friends to attend a lecture by the fabled University of Michigan Professor Ralph Williams. He is a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University. This year was his retirement year, and he received the first ever Golden Apple Laureate Lifetime Achievement Award. The Golden Apple award is given to notable professors at the University.
Unfortunately, I heard about Ralph too late in my college career to actually take a class of his, but once I listened to him speak, I understood what all of the hype was about. I mean, this man is U of M's own celebrity--anyone who has heard of him loves him. His unique way of speaking to audiences is truly impressive; each word is spoken with the utmost care, each syllable as if its utterance is of necessity to the point Ralph is trying to make. Consequently, Ralph makes each audience member feel as if he respects them and their presence, and expects greatness for them.
The second time I saw Ralph speak was during his "last lecture," a speech historically written by retiring professors as their ideal course lecture. The following quotes are his (as directly as I was able to note them).
"Create an image of that which you love to pass on."
"Live who you are."
"Get out of your way and get better the next day."
"On my watch, on your watch....be alert on your watch. Speak, don't be silent."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment