Well the 204 CiRCE Summer Institute is now upon us. Today is day one and it’s been grand so far.
I’ll do my best to post an update each day, complete with grainy iPhone photos and all. But the thing that’s stuck out to me early on is how different everyone’s motviations are in coming to this retreat. For some folks this is simply a time and place to get to know a beloved book (The Aeneid) more richly. For others, it’s a place to learn how to teach a Great Book a bit better. And for still others this little gathering is a place for “adult conversation”. Whatever the reasons, it feels a bit like we’re on hallowed ground.
There’s something truly renewing about gathering in a beautiful place to talk about things that are themselves beautiful (and true and good, at that). There’s a richness in such an experience that is downright spirutual. So our prayer is that everyone leaves here feeling renewed, inspired.
One other thought: events like these always serve as a reminder of the astoundingly good people, from all walks of life and academic backgrounds, that are doing the important work of classical educaiton. If you ever feel like you’re alone in this, like you’re on a wasteland of sorts, be encouraged: you are not. I suppose if you come to one of these events in the future you’ll see just how many wonderful people there are who think like you.
Anyway, here’s a brief sampling of some (very poorly framed) photos I took this morning on my iPhone. We’ll get some more professional and high quality shots up later this week.
