I have been, since high school, on a "Quote of the Day" e-mailing list from a former teacher. I occasionally read over these quotes, although I don't bother too much about them generally. Today's quote included a postscript from the teacher, noting that he had posted a little essay about the recent Trinity school commencement address on his blog. Interested, in a very slight way, in the happenings of my alma mater, I clicked on the link and read the blog post. It is hard to express my feelings upon reading this post. There was somehow a curious admixture of nostalgic fondness for the good-hearted intellectualism that was fostered at Trinity, as well as irritation and, probably undeserved, scorn for the pretensions of the Trinity Academic. It wasn't so much the substance of the post - I had not heard the Commencement address and so could not really form an opinion - as the, oh, dreaminess of that post and those surrounding it. (I may also be biased by the generally "dreamy" nature of the quotes I receive.) And it isn't just this teacher or this blog. I tend to have this sort of reaction to all things "Trinity". It seems unfair; for the most part, I loved my teachers and my classes and was completely blessed to have a happy, healthy, high-school experience. But, I guess I feel like I have grown up since then. There was something in the air at Trinity that now seems a little to 'rarified'. It isn't the intellectual side of the school; I certainly don't think they are too
intellectually snobbish. It isn't the counter-cultural social environment, which I think is probably the best thing going for the school. I think what galls me about the Trinity school philosophy of life is the air of privileged
idealism. I wholeheartedly believe in the pursuit of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, but these things ought to be pursued in the real world, with a sense of perspective and real work and, please, a sense of humor! The Trinity idealism favors philosophy, not history; art, not science (at least not science in its actual workings); poetry, not prose. There is a sense of how
important everything is, while missing how funny things can be. I don't know, I feel like I am rambling. I may be wrong and unfair, and maybe I have simply been corrupted by the secular world. But, all I can say is that what I love about the Catholic Church and the Catholic method of pursuing T,B, and G (and what I think is missing in the Trinity idealist philosophy) is that a person can become a saint through obedience. A man doesn't need to study the world to love it and to serve God, he can merely work hard, observe, and be thankful. We can bumble our way through life, and still, relying on God's Mercy!, end up in real, good happiness. I think perhaps some simplicity and humility is lost in the Trinity academic worldview.
Just a thought.
