January 24, 2011
-
Imagination, Committees, & Flying
Book club topic this week is Method 2 of Ten Ways to Destroy Your Child’s Imagination subtitled Never Leave Children to Themselves or If We Only Had a Committee.I’ve posted my weekly commentary on my other blog but want to share a funny tidbit about committees found in George Roche’s book, Education in America. The entire volume adds substantiation to Professor Esolen’s methodology. In fact, I expected to find Roche’s title in Esolen’s index.
At any rate, from the Chapter entitled Creativity ~
When we complain of the “failures of our age,” do we not label ourselves unrealistic? Haven’t all ages and all societies been filled with shortcomings? The great achievements have always been individualistic. In deed, any original achievement implies separation from the majority. Though society may honor achievement, it can never produce it.
The morning after Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic nonstop from New York to Paris, an associate of Charles Kettering rushed into the research expert’s laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, shouting: “He made it! Lindbergh landed safely in Paris!” Kettering went on working. The associate spoke again: “Think of it – Lindbergh flew the Atlantic alone! He did it all by himself!” Kettering looked up from his work momentarily and remarked quietly: “When he flies it with a committee, let me know.”
I just thought that was an interesting paradox in light the problems we all know exist with *committees*
Education in America is available online at no charge.
I hope you will read it.
