Dear students,
Here is a wisdom passage I picked out of The Alchemist:
"I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only
in the present. If you concentrate always on the present, you'll be a
happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are
stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of
the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival,
because life is the moment we're living right now" (85).
The speaker is the camel driver, a wise elder to Santiago, the
boy. I like the passage because it suggests the present is
the most real part of our lives. I love to ponder the past, and I
believe it helps to ponder the future, though I believe happiness grows out of training my body and mind to
remain relaxed and calm in the present.
Write your wisdom passage from The Alchemist, and add a comment about why you think it portrays wisdom. Read the rest of the class postings, and chime into the discussion with another comment after you have read a few.
What does wisdom mean to you?
Thanks,
Mr. Cummins