a
Whole Adult
I remember my championship basketball game in junior high school. I was very, very eager. We stood a good chance of winning, and I had perfected a 3-point hook shot that was virtually unguardable. We played, I made three hook shots, and we did, indeed, win. When it was over, and I slapped victorious hands along the line of our opponents, I felt an overwhelming wave of triumph.
These two experiences recently came to mind as I played basketball with my fianc� and my son. At a critical point in our very silly game, I was struck by the fact that, as a young girl, I was never nervous about playing sports in front of people, but I was unbearably frightened by speaking or performing. Why? I wondered to myself as my son broke about a thousand rules guarding me, tempting me to jab a Karl Malone elbow in his ribs. �Slow down, killer,� I told myself, �this is your child!� Taking my shot (and missing it; things have changed over the last twenty years, not the least of which is my athletic prowess), I had a flash of understanding. In athletics, our coaches focused on the game and our opponents, not the audience; people witnessing and clapping were never discussed or considered. Whether we played for two people or fifty, we played because we loved to play, and our team and the opposing team relied on it.
My music teachers, however, focused on performances. �You don�t want to embarrass yourself in front of everyone�s families, do you?� they would ask me, if I had not been practicing appropriately. I was a far better piano player than an athlete, but competence and talent were not the issue; the issue was confidence. I felt confident playing basketball because of the encouragement of intelligent and positive coaches, who were sure that we all had at least a smidgen of talent to contribute to the team.
The confident knowledge that one has talent and intelligence is learned through encouragement and successful experiences. The experiences are acquired by forays into the arts, sports, discussions, and other creative endeavors. The encouragement is absolutely essential, and is experienced through interaction with adults passionate about their field and brilliant in the ways of teaching. The resulting knowledge and confidence are paramount in forming a whole, confident, and creative adult.
Word Pictures/Sculptures
Academic Papers in the Arts, Psychology, Ethics, and Emotional/Mental/Physical Development
The Death Penalty: Ethical Perspectives
Disguise and Revelation: The "Taming" of Kate
The Women of Twelfth Night and Jung's Animus Theory
The Ego Integration of Isabella (Measure for Measure)
