What do Freddie Mercury and Shadal have in common? And what does this have to do with us? More than one might imagine. I'm certainly speaking for myself, but I hope I'm speaking for all of us.
"For me, these past three years (post-Shalhevet, a”h) have been about fulfilling Dolly Parton’s injunction, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” I honestly can’t tell whether I’m still in the exploratory phase of that journey, or whether I’m in the implementation phase, or whether the two are the same, or whether they’re different but there’s no real way to tell the difference, or whether I’m misguided in my attempt to even try to discern the difference. All I know is that I’m on the right track. Or at least, I try to be on the right track, and I right myself whenever I realize I’ve veered. That is the most I can do."
I feel like I've had a similar experience over these past three years. For me, it has been coming to terms with the fact that I don't think my sole purpose in life is to gain as much knowledge as possible, or "perfecting my intellect," be it in Torah or secular topics, and instead balancing that with my family and my role in endodontics.
You are the champion, my friend! Thanks first of all for appreciating my Shadal translations and research. Second, gotta love those graphics. And third, your theme resonates with me, especially since I have about 30 years on you. Not surprisingly, I have begun to lose some good friends, too. As for my main goal in life (other than to love and enjoy my family), it's always been clear to me that this consists of bringing as many of Shadal's Hebrew and Italian writings as I can to the attention of the English-speaking public. Luckily, I've already been at this, on and off, for most of my adult life, and I pray for ample time to keep going. Shekoyach, Matt, and best of luck with all your goals as well.
I really love this paragraph:
"For me, these past three years (post-Shalhevet, a”h) have been about fulfilling Dolly Parton’s injunction, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” I honestly can’t tell whether I’m still in the exploratory phase of that journey, or whether I’m in the implementation phase, or whether the two are the same, or whether they’re different but there’s no real way to tell the difference, or whether I’m misguided in my attempt to even try to discern the difference. All I know is that I’m on the right track. Or at least, I try to be on the right track, and I right myself whenever I realize I’ve veered. That is the most I can do."
I feel like I've had a similar experience over these past three years. For me, it has been coming to terms with the fact that I don't think my sole purpose in life is to gain as much knowledge as possible, or "perfecting my intellect," be it in Torah or secular topics, and instead balancing that with my family and my role in endodontics.
You are the champion, my friend! Thanks first of all for appreciating my Shadal translations and research. Second, gotta love those graphics. And third, your theme resonates with me, especially since I have about 30 years on you. Not surprisingly, I have begun to lose some good friends, too. As for my main goal in life (other than to love and enjoy my family), it's always been clear to me that this consists of bringing as many of Shadal's Hebrew and Italian writings as I can to the attention of the English-speaking public. Luckily, I've already been at this, on and off, for most of my adult life, and I pray for ample time to keep going. Shekoyach, Matt, and best of luck with all your goals as well.
Thank YOU for introducing me and so many others to Shadal AND for reading and supporting my teaching and writing! :)