Wednesday, January 1, 2014

My Dagobah

The Empire Strikes Back is a favorite movie of mine and like all great stories it harkens to experiences and characters that are relatable.

At present I write from Greenville, SC after almost a decade in Tallahassee, FL. While I am in Greenville the goal is to acquire knowledge and skills to advance my dissertation.  That is what I have been doing most days. On one of these days I came to think of Greenville as a parallel to Dagobah. While Luke had learned about the force from Obi Wan and had some experience with his Jedi skill set he still needed a different kind of training. On Dagobah Yoda teaches Luke the mental side of the game.


In Greenville I must grapple with the nuances and details of a dissertation. I must concentrate, dig deep, and push through to improve my capabilities as a researcher. And, throughout the process I am thrilled to have the master (Mark) a Skype call away.

I've always said that training montages are much cooler and exciting in the movies than the grit and determination required in real life. Yet, I look out at 2014 and think this will be a wonderful new year. I hope it is for you too.

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