So, every day, I walk. There are few things that bring me as much joy as walking around with my Beats on–it is my musical escape. I walk, and I think. About life, the pursuit of happiness, all the good stuff. I usually walk at night, the darkness enveloping me, comforting me. Many people become worried when I walk out the door and into the unknown. They say, “Vonni, you have to be careful. With those Beats on, you hear nothing. Be aware of your surroundings.” I nod and smile. I mean, they aren’t wrong. When I put my Beats on, the world is gone. It is my happy place. A place where I float amongst the ebb and flow of feeling.
Why do I walk? Well, I guess it is simple, really. I walk to understand. To be alone. When I walk, I think about everything and anything, and I form opinions. Opinions that guide me. If you have ever had a conversation with me, you probably have found that I am an extremely sentimental person. I love to have meaningful interactions with others, I often find myself reflecting, and I am constantly critically analyzing most things that come my way.
When I go on my walks, or, jaunts, as I like to refer to them as, I see something that makes me think. A lot. It is always there–it is permanent. And every time I look at it, I ponder the different possible meanings that it could hold.
There is a clock tower that is nestled in the heart of campus. Every hour, it chimes. It is truly a magical structure, adorned with brick, glass, and the promise of consistency. Although these aspects of the tower are admirable, I find that what is written on the clock tower to be most enchanting. Carved into the stone are the following words: “Knowledge is the Preface of Peace.” The first few times I passed this phrase, I didn’t truly absorb those words. I didn’t question it. Until one night, I did.
So, lets dissect what this phrase literally means. “Knowledge” is a concept that we all grew up with. We were sent to school at a young age to attain this so called “knowledge.” We were taught to believe what we were taught, because it would help us later in life. Knowledge, as I have come to find, is the attainment of information–an enlightenment, of anything and everything. “Preface” is a word that most of us have heard when referring to the beginning of a book. It is the start of something. Lastly, “peace” immediately reminds me of unity. People in harmonious states with one another. Comforted by the fact that we are all different, and that that is okay.
When you put these words together, “Knowledge is the Preface of Peace,” it makes me come to the conclusion that, if you have knowledge, you have the ability to understand, and ultimately strive to reach a state of beginning to accept–to find a home within the consonance of a group of people. But, it is more than just you. In order to truly create peace, we must all come to a certain level of acknowledging each other on a human level. This type of achievement requires all to accept that what they have learned and acquired throughout their time on this planet is not necessarily the only way to see the world.
I am a firm believer that people can become stuck in their philosophies and the particular lens in which they see life. I know this, because I once have succumbed to this type of thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is very important for people to have their own opinion, but it is when people start to reject all other beliefs, that the attainment of knowledge becomes farther away from the attainment of peace.
We were all put on this Earth for multiple reasons. One of them is to understand others. Another is to have our own thoughts in which leads to our own opinions. Why can’t both of these coexist in harmony? Well, there are a lot of reasons as to why this is not the case. Unfortunately, it is at the expense of others. I want everyone to strive to push themselves to see beyond themselves. If we can do this, it is a start. A start to attain peace. I am aware that simply knowledge alone will not do all of the work, but it is a beginning. A beginning that will serve humanity well. One day we might accomplish this. If we work hard and continue to challenge ourselves.
I haven’t written a blog post in awhile for one of two reasons: I find myself very busy. Since I love writing, I want to be able to truly give it my all, which means dedicating time that I haven’t had until now. Second, I wanted to write about something that I felt mattered. I have many things that circulate throughout my head, but I felt that this concept of the importance of understanding others–that pertains to so many of us.
I hope that this piece of my heart leaves you with something to think about. I hope that, the next time you take a jaunt, you think about something deep. Something that moves you. Something… you would be willing to fight for.
Knowledge is the preface of peace, but, oh… that is just the beginning.
A Drop of Water 