What a Lady!

That Emily Pankhurst quote (right) simply blew me away. What courage, what tenacity, what... well I can't say it can I. . . but she would certainly put many of us the 'other gender' to shame on that score!

So you can kill a person, you can brush them aside, avoid them but you cannot, simply cannot, brush aside an idea, a principal, well at least not one based upon the truth.

I know it may sound a strange comparison but that's how I feel about this place, the university. You see, for me at least, it isn't just an 'educational establishment' with all (or whatever little) that entails; all that education stuff and finance stuff; essential I'm sure but a little boring if you ask me. For me it is a principal, an ideal, a dream if you like, a community of learning. What a thing that is! In the coming from and going too flow of human life this place is a place to 'pause for thought', a coming together of learning minds who will one day move onward out and hopefully upward to something, not necessarily better, but something different. It may seem a little strange coming from an agnostic such as me, but I'm on a mission here. It's more than a job, much more. I refuse to do jobs any more, I'm done with them, I'm too old, too sensible for that and life's too short, far too short. I'll play my part in building this community, no matter how small the impact may be, that isn't the point. Truth is I must have, inevitably have, some impact on that.

I'm off to Egypt in the summer. It's a good cheap holiday. Check out hostelworld.com I've not seen anything quite like it or as good at such a low cost before. Check out my article in the community News section. If you're not yet registered use the link in the BLOG header and get joined up then you can read it.

Finally, before I go off, anyone out there interested in seeing Shakespeare's Macbeth in open-air theatre!? I'm currently working on a new alumni benefit trying to get the cost down for us. I've already booked myself. Even at full-price I think its' worth it. Can't wait! Watch this and the other Hope Community spaces for more news on this really good offer (well it should be if I can 'win' the negotiations :0)

Ray