Experience

"So much of our time is preparation, so much is routine, and so much retrospect, that the pith of a man's genius contracts itself to a very few hours." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am currently taking a class on Digital Civilization which, in a nutshell, is looking at western civilization through the eyes of the digital revolution. One of the very first readings we were given was "The Painter" by Leonardo Da Vinci. What stood out to me the most in this essay were his comments on experience. People nowadays often get so caught up in memorizing facts and simply learning to regurgitate someone else's work, that, like Emerson said, there is "very little time to entertain a hope and an insight which becomes the light of our life."

As I still consider myself new to the whole college experience, this idea that I am now expected to create my own insights that can not only be shared with, but possibly be entirely new to my peers, my professors, and now even the rest of the web, is somewhat daunting. It wasn't more than a year ago when I was in high school was reading through and citing articles written by college students with roughly the same education I have now. 

I guess the time of preparation and routine is nearing its end.