Last week I came to the distinct realization that it was a very long Christmas break. I didn’t realize how much I missed school until I found myself back in the classroom last Tuesday afternoon. No, it’s not all glamorous and yes, I’ll still experience that horror of the first paper… the first paper due in less than three days. But this learning thing is a glorious, exciting, challenging, terrifying process. And I’m loving it.
Our first reading was Abraham Lincoln’s Cooper Union Address and a critique of the speech by Michael Leff & G. P. Mohrmann. The speech is an excellent example of how to present solid evidence in a clear, logical manner. This speech is also an example of campaign rhetoric, a speech in which the speaker subtly uses his/her subject to demonstrate his/her qualifications and knowledge instead of focusing primarily on the subject itself.
To be honest, I had a moment of panic while reading the rhetorical critique when I internally yelped, “I don’t know what this word means! I am confused! What are they trying to say? Shouldn’t I, as a rhetoric student, not have a PROBLEM trying to decipher their very argument and manner of speech? Why did I think this was a good idea?” But then I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. Then and now, I try to remind myself that this is a process and I shouldn’t know every word and in fact, it’s a good thing that I’m occasionally confused or unsure of what is going on.
That is why I’m studying this and why I am in school.
To learn. To grow. To be challenged. And to persevere.
