“This I Believe” Abstracts

“The Key to a Long Life”. Narr. Brian Eno. This I Believe. Natl. Public Radio. 23

            Nov. 2008. Radio. <http://thisibelieve.org/essay/54048/>

     Brian Eno is a well-known producer and musician who has collaborated with prominent musical artists including “U2”, the “Talking Heads”, and “Peter Gabriel”. He proposes a very basic but often overlooked component of social and personal well-being: singing together with your friends. Eno and a friend began the practice of a cappela singing in 2005, originally with a group of four members. In the subsequent years this has grown to 15-20 people who meet in his London flat for what he describes as a very cathartic and empathetic experience. Singing together, in Eno's opinion, let's people lose themselves and instead feel a sense of community. He sums up his essay with the recommendation that public schools adopt similar programs to help build character and encourage cooperation with others.

“The Idea of Wilderness”. Narr. Kevin Proescholdt. This I Believe. Natl. Public

            Radio. 1 Sep. 2014. Radio. <http://thisibelieve.org/essay/35433/>

     Kevin Proescholdt lives in Minneapolis MN and is an advocate for wilderness conservation. He begins his essay by noting that the earliest settlers in America had little respect for the wilderness, viewing it merely as an obstacle to be overcome in their westward expansion across the continent. But fifty years ago, Congress passed the 1964 Wilderness Act, offering federal protection of 9.1 million acres in 54 different areas. Proescholdt asserts this was one of the best moves ever made by the US. In his opinion, the wilderness provides a “sanctuary for the human spirit, where we can re-discover the wonder and humility and restraint so often lacking in our frenzied civilized lives”.

“This I Believe”. Narr. Rubin Gotesky. This I Believe. Natl. Public Radio. 1950.

            Radio. <http://thisibelieve.org/essay/16580/>

     Gotesky relates a moment of enlightenment he experienced at age fourteen, standing on the roof of his Bronx apartment and gazing at the stars. He suddenly felt two contradictory impressions- a sense of oneness with the universe, and yet a frustrating sense of isolation and futility. Nothing in his religious background could suitably explain this for him, and it took years to reconcile it with a blend of Zen Buddhism and science. Within this process of spiritual growth, he came to realize that feeling alone, contrary to most Western sentiments, is something to be desired, and offers a chance for one to discern their true identity and worth.