Lessons in the Unexpected by Sandra Chapin, Southwest Conference Blog, United Church of Christ

Lessons in the Unexpected

guest post by Sandra Chapin, St. Paul’s UCC publications manager

Another school year has come to an end. The occasion has caused me to reflect upon my school days… No “when I was your age” stories about trekking to school in the snow: a) I grew up in Central Texas where an inch of snow closed the district; b) Mom was my gracious chauffeur.

Being the studious type, my fond memories of school center on many of my teachers whom I held in high esteem.

Mrs. Jo Ann Northern taught creative English in high school. Her enthusiasm for story telling and her rapport with her students made the class one I always enjoyed. When Christmas approached I wanted to give her a gift. I put together the fact that John Milton’s Paradise Lost was one of her favorites and that my mom bought Avon which had at the time the fragrance “Bird of Paradise.” With the small bottle of cologne I included a gift card that I wanted to make extra special. And how would a studious girl do that? I went to the school library and poured over a copy of Paradise Lost looking for a quote to write in the card. This is what I found, and what continues to stick in my mind 45 years later:

How little knows any but God alone to value right the good before him,
but puts most things to worst abuse or to their meanest use.

Did I happen to mention that I was a weird studious girl? By the way, not studious enough to actually read Paradise Lost, an epic poem written over 300 years ago based on the biblical account of humans’ rocky start.

That quote still provokes my curiosity. One of the ways it speaks to me is how a thing seems to be all about “x” and then “y” results. The unexpected.

I expected to like my high school biology teacher Mrs. Raye Juan Markunas. This was because my sister had her three years earlier and she told me about her funny stories. That expectation was fulfilled. Mrs. Markunas was a delightful teacher and her love for her subject matter – and students – touched us all. DNA aligned and genetics came alive. Fortunately the dissected frog remained dead. (Creepy.) She was one of many science teachers who fostered in me a passion for science. Science geek am I.

No wonder that I tuned into PBS last week and got caught up in an episode of “NOVA Wonders” focusing on genetic engineering. Here’s a lesson in the unexpected: We know that the HIV virus hijacks healthy cells by inserting its own destructive DNA. Now the HIV virus has been hijacked by scientists. Modified HIV can insert engineered genetic code into cells that may cure some diseases. ALD is a deadly genetic brain disorder but in a trial using this method some participants have returned to their normal activities. HIV can be a delivery system that saves lives rather than takes lives.

There is learning after high school. Learning that bubbles up when you least expect it. Sometimes I stay long enough working at church (doing my bulletin/newsletter thing) on Tuesdays to speak with Chuck Canada. He sets up our space for the Buddhist meditation classes that are held each week. If you looked up “bubbly personality” in the dictionary you would see a picture of Chuck. What a character! We talk about TV shows we like and the latest political upheavals. He says he’s not a very good Buddhist but as an ambassador for the enjoyment of life, he’s tops in my book. I’m going to relay to you what he said to me last week which prompted me to say to him, “You’re more fun than Wikipedia.”

How we got on the subject of Frank Lloyd Wright, I don’t remember. Chuck has visited many of Wright’s innovative buildings and has seen first hand that having leaky roofs is a reoccurring feature that did not cause Wright, or owners of those properties, to alter his designs in any obtrusive way. The visual often superseded the practical.

“Fallingwater” is a Wright house in a rural area southeast of Pittsburgh. Created for a department store magnate who wanted a view of a waterfall, Wright wanted his client to become one with the waterfall instead. It was built directly on top of the waterfall and its appearance echos cascading water. The family used this spectacular residence as a weekend retreat for over 30 years. Here’s a lesson in the unexpected: Living as one with a waterfall resulted in hearing loss for the family.

Sure, it makes sense, but it startles my imagination. And so it goes with learning. We can learn from those who prepared academically to be teachers. We can learn from friends long after our days spent sitting in a classroom. Films and books have so much to teach us. But, be warned — when we connect with a teacher our minds may open and take us on unexpected journeys. Lifelong learning. Learning is life.