Living in the Bubble

There is a good bit of hubris in how Sewaneetians describe our location.  Usually, people refer to Sewanee as, "THE mountain," and occasionally, "the HOLY mountain."  I admit, I have fallen into this pattern because Sewanee IS such a special place.  Yes, I'm so busy with my seminary classes and study that I don't have time to connect often with the "outside world."  However, our physical location in the middle of a college campus, isolated on a plateau,  and at least 40 minutes from what I would have previously considered a town isolates us even further.  If I don't turn on the news (and I rarely do), I have no clue what is happening in the greater world.  For better or for worse, I am living in a bubble. 

Life in a bubble has its advantages.  I am not face to face with the more visible hardships of society:  homelessness, hunger, and violence.  I also do not need to handle the emotional and psychological challenges that come from the horrors in the daily news.  There is no shopping, and very few restaurant options, so I am not tempted to spend money I do not need to spend.  I literally stop to smell the flowers nearly every day, and my girls roam freely around campus.  It is very easy to be rocked into an "Andy Griffith" state of mind. 

On the other hand, I find myself completely absorbed in my family and school.  I miss ministries that impact the broader community, but realize that during this season I have to focus more close to home.  My world has gotten so small that I get agitated by traffic problems any worse than a family of deer crossing the road.  I even turn my cell phone OFF for hours at a time!  I confess, I find myself worrying how transition back to the "real world" will be, and I am grateful that I have 2.5 years before I need to deal with that.

All in all, I can't imagine being in seminary anywhere but Sewanee.  Who wouldn't be inspired by the beauty of this campus and community?  Without all the distractions of society, I am free to focus on what is important:  my family and my formation.   Our family seems closer than we ever have, and we are all a lot less concerned with material issues than we previously were.  I'm grateful for the bubble that gives me the space I need to learn and grow towards my new vocation, and nurtures my family in the process.