"The sailor cannot see the North, but knows the needle can. Trust your compass."
-Emily Dickinson/Carl Kurtz
I found out yesterday one of the most inspirational instructors I encountered in college passed away. Though I never had Carl for a full semester, I had the pleasure of becoming one of his students during my three weeks of study abroad in South America where together we conquered mountains and rivers in Peru and Ecuador. The project for the trip was to make a book based on the experience. My photo essay book titled The Spiritual Landscape, presented images in three sections: Lands Untouched, Civilization, and People.
All I can say is during those three weeks and in the months following the trip, I came to understand that Carl saw me in a way few others do. What he loved and remembered about me was the way I got up every morning and smiled, even if the day before we had spent nearly ten hours hiking at least 17 miles on a incredibly challenging trail and arrived at camp in the dark. It was also the second chance; after I completed my book, he approached me with his kind heart and thoughtful prose and told me he knew I could do better. With that, he guided me in the production of a second, more beautiful and carefully crafted coffee table book. He believed in me and took the time to prove it to me.
"He loved people while teaching them or he taught people while loving them, I'm not sure. In the end, every student wanted to learn because they didn't want to let Carl down. He cared and they knew it."
-Brett Reif, Associate Professor and Director, School of the Foundation Year
We kept in touch sparingly after I graduated. I had intended to be in contact more often, as we all do with people who impact our lives in a meaningful way, but I fell into the trap. I waited, why, I'm not sure; there are no excuses. I had an email sitting in my drafts folder for over a year, long enough for things in my life to change so much that I had to delete most of what I had written and craft a new letter before finally sending it a few weeks ago (when I realized things were bad and time was running out). I will never forget his lessons, both in art and in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment