[Kip
Currier: A remarkable short video. Poignant, uplifting, inspiring. A
reminder of what matters most, and what's worth striving for and toward.
Watch and share with others.]
"“So much in her story was compelling for me,” Mo told The Atlantic. “It is unique, about a girl doing a male macho dance, and universal, about love and sorrow.”"
Kip Currier; Reflections from "An Afternoon with Supreme Court of the U.S. Justice Sonia Sotomayor" at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh
"Life is about differences and how we manage them." -- Justice Sonia Sotomayor
That
was just one of the many practical insights from a refreshingly
grounded conversation that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia
Sotomayor--one of the storied nine from the highest court in the
land--had Friday afternoon with an audience of several thousand at
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Indeed, after taking roughly three
questions each from Duquesne President Ken Gormley and U.S.
Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie Rendell while seated with them on the
stage of the A.J. Palumbo Center, the sciatica-battling (by her candid
admission!) Justice Sotomayor literally descended from the
stage--flanked by hypervigilant security--to wander amongst the
audience, randomly shaking hands while responding to questions from
eight Duquesne students. Toward the end of the impromptu walk-about, the
Justice spotted one young girl dressed in judge's robes as Justice
Sotomayor herself, observing with audible delight that her mini-me "even has the curly hair!"
I'll post the video of the event that Duquesne said they will be making available, as soon as it's released.
Some
of the most powerful, relatable moments came when Justice Sotomayor
shared the doubts that she faced about whether to continue with the
nomination process, following her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court
by former President Barack Obama, in the face of attacks by opponents.
She spoke of fear as being "the greatest obstacle to success", that
"most of the time we fail to take chances", and the importance of taking
a chance at something new and different that comes our way, even when
we are afraid. And the pride that comes with trying to do that which we
fear. Even if we fail. "Failure is a teaching tool", she noted, adding
that we often grow the most from the introspection we do after a failed
relationship. After we've critiqued the other person, she interjected,
eliciting a swell of knowing laughter from the audience.
Other advice from the Justice, along this line of discussion:
It takes courage to admit your own limitations.
Get over your fear and ask the questions you need to ask; go to someone safe and ask the questions you need to ask.
Being too comfortable "may be the worst thing in life."
Sometimes
opportunities come your way and you have to be open enough that you
throw out the playbook and try something. Create a new playbook on the
spot; what really stellar attorneys do, for example, she opined.
On the importance of college, Justice Sotomayor shared that "college gave me the foundation of a liberal arts education."
"I wanted to be a citizen of the world." And she spoke of "the
foundation" that courses in art, philosophy, and religion gave her for
life, encouraging students to "take courses that will teach you something new". And how she wished that she had taken anthropology, and would someday, when she retired. The Justice stated that "the beauty of college is becoming a well-rounded human being" and that "the Founding Fathers were well-educated world citizens".
The line that started this post--"life is about differences and how we handle them"--was
a response to President Gormley's question "How do we take the lead in
restoring civil discourse?", invoking the recent trauma that Pittsburgh
had experienced from the Tree of Life synagogue massacre. The Justice
spoke of encouraging open conversation, understanding why the other side
feels the way they do. And, turning to President Gormley, she said that
if you (meaning higher education institutions like Duquesne) can teach
that to students like those at the event, "you can teach it to the
world."
One
of the very last observations that Justice Sotomayor shared will
particularly warm the heart of any teacher, librarian, bibliophile and
writer:
"Reading was the key to my success."
