There’s a picture I’ve often seen while forlornly indulging the dream of one day (most likely well into my retirement) planning and implementing an overseas holiday. Framed by a computer monitor, a foreground of intense azure blue water gradually blends to turquoise as the eye progresses towards the shore. Small cresting wavelets, frozen in time, gently lap against a sudden rock wall that accommodates the foundations of a village - dwellings built by necessity on seemingly insanely steep hills. The fashionably white-on-white colour scheme reflects a resplendent sun, interrupted only by a bright blue domed roof and sometimes by the impinging glimpse of a front door, primary coloured, and stubbornly rebelling against the accepted white-on-white norm.
The Greek Islands offer an appeal to tourists, young and old alike. Immersing in the relaxed lifestyle and culture, if only for a few weeks, of a Greek stay is a dream for many…sigh. On the other hand, there’s this guy called Musonius Rufus.
You’d be forgiven, if your first thought was “I’ll download this bloke from the Improvisational Jazz category in my music streaming app”. No; Musonius Rufus was a first century philosopher, scholar and teacher from the Stoic School who ran afoul of Roman Emperor Nero. He has some significant claims to fame in the philosophy fan world, but for me, it’s his time in exile on the island of Gyaros (I assume, pronounced ghee-ar-ross) that holds an interest.
Not at all like the picture-perfect version of a Greek Isle we so often see in the influencer approved Instagram shots, Gyaros was a barren, desolate place. It unquestionably didn’t make for an ideal holiday stay.
In the first century and even beyond, exile was meant to be a punishment. A punishment designed to cause hardship, frustration and pain, finally breaking the spirit. Yet, Musonius Rufus was not broken by his exile. Quite the opposite, he thrived. Musonius’ students would travel to Gyaros expecting to see a man in pieces, shattered. Their admirable intention, to offer solace, comfort and support to their mentor. How hard it must be to live on a windy, treeless space with perhaps only wild goats and the occasional fisherman for company. Not in the slightest cracked, when he saw his pupils, Musonius greeted them enthusiastically, teaching, listening to problems, giving advice, generally being an overall positive difference. In the words of modern-day Stoic philosopher William B Irvine “you make the most of what you’ve got, with what you have, where you are”. A remarkably upbeat Musonius had in fact done that and turned the tables on what could have been.
Over the past few years, and indeed recent weeks we have at so many turns found the frustration of changing circumstance. COVID, weather events, world affairs can all weigh heavily. Just as the horizon clears the next challenge arises, and it would be easy to admit defeat, to view the landscape and be left a little damaged by what is.
So, in any one moment we endeavour to make the most of what we’ve got, with what we have, where we are. As circumstances present themselves, carefully made plans alter, adjust and take new form.
Recently, the resurgence of COVID has affected many families. We have been fortunate here at Eddies to have not been touched so firmly by its infectious intentions. But other schools have, and I foresee we will eventually be affected similarly.
As infection rates rise, we will yet again need to alter, adjust and ensure programs as well as assessments take new form. We make the most of what we’ve got, with what we have, where we are.
Many of our young Eddies Men have amazingly and quite naturally adopted this as an almost subconscious mantra. We can add many labels to this point of view - stoicism, endurance, resilience. Each day counts as a point in time with experiences, challenges and setbacks, as well as successes and celebrations. As a Team we all, parents, caregivers, staff and our young men, seek one thing - in the words of our Vision, for each Eddies man to make a difference, to have the skills to do what needs to be done and what is right in each circumstance, in each particular moment.
Adding together the many uncountable moments of an Eddies journey, we see these points in time where each of us in the Eddies Team is called upon to express our stoicism, our endurance, our resilience - where we make the most of what we’ve got, with what we have, where we are. The final result for our young men is the chance to grow and learn in an environment of positivity, care and optimism - a place where glasses are half full and potentials are realistically realised, where what you know is important but what you can do is what matters. What matters is that our students leave Eddies as independent, resilient individuals who bounce back from setbacks, make the most of successes but who always strive to make a positive difference in their world.
