Back in London now for our final three weeks of this study program. We had a very successful coach tour through the United Kingdom that included a look at castles, cathedrals, museums, Wales, Scotland, the Lake District, homes, many people, and lots of great country. London now seems loud, crowded, and busy compared to our tour through the UK. But in London we have concerts, shows, museums, restaurants and coffee shops on every corner, and a public transit system to rival the best in the world. Get on a bus or tube and you can get virtually anywhere you want to go in the city.
Reflecting on our coach tour, we substantially added to our historical knowledge of the United Kingdom including Scotland and Wales. We saw flowers, mountains, hills, streams, lakes, cottages, the vast sky, stars, rocks, backpackers, hikers, and great people. Underneath the obvious, beneath the extrinsic, we gained an awareness of a beautiful world, a world of past wars, of defense and fortresses, and a world of great pleasure. We experienced moments of sanguineous relaxation contrasted with intensity and force. We stayed in some quaint and charming bed and breakfast places that served food better than we deserve, and we stayed in a rather primitive hostel right on the lake that had a bed and community bathrooms for all. We learned that other cultures are different, older than we are, richer in experiences but still filled with people. From our differences in heritage we also learned our similarities in values.
We learned that castles are real and substantial, but in comparison with our modern buildings, skyscrapers, and communities, many of them are small and insignificant. Castles served their purpose at one time and stand tall and proud on hills throughout the UK. Maybe the romance of the castle is greater than the reality, but castles are still around to remind us of a heritage that is treasured, respected and stands as a testament to the fortitude of the people as they fought against the enemies seen or unseen. Or maybe they are just dumb things that we cannot really destroy. Still...there is something about a castle with its portals for shooting crossbows, its winding staircases, its openness to the sky, its majestic power, its drawbridge and moat. All these and more draw us to castles and we imagine a time gone by with knights, kings, and long, flowing ornamented gowns. But we also imagine dungeons and beheadings and punishments for wrong-doings. Whatever the musings, castles continue to fascinate us and the United Kingdom is the ideal place for seeing castles.
This program is full of experiences and opportunities for students and teachers alike to the point of being educational beyond measure. The students are receiving exposure to ancient history, modern history, a wide variety of cultures, art, music, theatre, and many life lessons in how to live. Those coming from a comfortable environment discover that not everything is smooth and many times they must face the challenges with assertiveness and leadership. Each day brings decisions that require sound judgment, forward thinking, and life skills. Little changes that can mean so much, such as staying very alert at every intersection or learning that it costs more to stay inside the cafe while drinking a cup of coffee. Language is a bit of a barrier in England due partly to the accents but mostly to the truth that nearly 1 of 3 people is from a foreign country. Because of this, we find other ways to communicate using body language and basic common words such as toilet or coffee or water.
We learn that the arts are integral to all cultures and to divorce the arts from the experience is to remove an essential trait of the people. This is true in America as well but not as overtly as in other countries. We are shaped by our past, by our ancestor's struggles and we in turn shape future generations through our families, education, events, and experiences. Our struggles today translate to comforts of tomorrow and the cycle of challenges and rewards continues through time. The castles we build today may be obsolete tomorrow, but it is the effort and the defining of our people that propels us forward.
The busy exciting world of London in contrast to the peaceful country of Scotland demonstrates the vast array of goals and yes, propitiation to the environment that occurs throughout the world. Seeing Hadrian's Wall and the Roman Baths while checking our mobile phones for recent emails puts the progression of society in perspective, showing us that the technology of our lives is a recent phenomenon unimaginable in past generations. What will tomorrow bring for our great-great grandchildren? Walking the hills of Scotland only later to explore the museum of The Beatles shows us the eclecticism of life with all its splendor and joy. In a holistic, educational way this program has taught us to embrace all of life and, ironically, that we are but a small part of the world. In our unimportance and in our humility we also know that it is people who built the castles, the cathedrals, the galleries, people who create the shows, play the music, write the books, and plow the fields.
Our time in London is nearly done and while there are plenty of things to do, we can feel the winding down of our experiences. We miss our families and our friends, we miss the Texas sky, the space, and we are ready to return to our lives. But we return changed forever in ways that are neither discernible nor measurable, yet nevertheless real. We walked where Kings walked, we looked through portals where Knights looked, we saw the rooms where Shakespeare lived, the church where he worshiped, we opened the same gate that Charles Dickens opened, and we studied the place where Churchill stood as the bombs fell about him. We have seen the ravages of war and felt the pain of loss while respecting the sacrifices and diligence that rebuilt the cities and cathedrals. All these and more have changed us and made us better as we acknowledged the past with its greatness and significant contributions.
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