Python!

I just, in the past few minutes, finished reading Michael Palin's newest book, Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years. While reading diary entries can be a bit dry, Palin writes with a clarity and a brevity that always tells a coherent story, while also being entertaining in the whole.

From reading about Palin and Python activities during the 70's, I've really been sucked back into a Python mode. I just threw on some of the DVDs of the TV show, and watched the new Life of Brian DVD last weekend. Not that I'm alone in this, but every time I watch Python, I realize how much they've influenced my own sense of humor. I'm not one of those people who goes around quoting every Python skit out there (I have *not* memorized the Parrot Sketch or the Cheese Shop bit), but I do find some turns of phrase from the show appearing in my everyday speech. It's more about embedding the ethos into my life, versus just quoting lines.

Reading the diaries, it's a firm reminder how anti-establishment Monty Python were as a group. Being in my line of work, where I am responsible for enforcing policy, it can be a bit of a stretch to incorporate my world view into my work. It's not impossible, but it involves a bit more thought. I think what stifles me is when I work with people who can't see outside of a strict view of what they think our work is about, in helping to develop college students. Sometimes, I think my field goes for some easy answers, instead of wrestling with the complex ideas that confront us in our daily work. The contradiction here is that we're supposed to be dealing with complex issues, helping our students continue to grow into good people...

So, with all that being said, I've been looking to digest more and more Python... I'll probably watch more of the TV show, perhaps revisit "The Meaning of Life," and continue to fight the power!