there are four traits among those who sit before the sages:
a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a sifter
a sponge – because he sponges everything up
a funnel – because he takes in on one side and lets out on the other
a strainer – for he lets out the wine and retains the lees
and a sifter – for he lets out the flour and retains the finest flour
– mishnah avot 5:15
mine has been the life of a professional student
i have spent the better part of my thirty-five years learning
attempting to reconcile my experiences with what i have been taught
believing firmly that the one who claims to know, does not
and discovering that grace trumps arrogance
facts trump beliefs
and love defies all constants
i live life with forgiving eyes
a crooked smile
a heart of service
and an inquisitive mind
questioning everything
and observing, often in silence
studying the constant properties that govern our universe
and the fickle ones that govern our relationships
i have spent a lifetime learning
and this will not change
but now is the time
to synthesize what i have observed
and begin to comment publicly
with wit and perspicacity
irony and intensity
patience and professional responsibility
and an ever-inspired awe for all things around me
thus begins the blog of the ever-searching soul
Filed under: blogging, poetry, robert cargill
I look forward to reading your “irony and intensity.”
a healthy and rewarding journey Ever-Searching Soul