What
are the Common Purposes? I've dwelt on that question since first reading
my alma mater's founding principle "for the purposes of instructing persons,
who may choose to apply themselves, in the application of science to the common
purposes of life". The question, more than any answer I may ever offer,
has guided me through many personal and professional endeavors. And, if I
have learned anything it is that I have derived my greatest joy when I, as part
of a team, have made a lasting difference to improve the lives of others.
Should the thoughts I share here and the ensuing discussion lead others to ask
the same question, to seek their own answers and to experience the same joy as
I, then I shall consider this effort of value.
Image: "The New Shoes" by Jane Bucci. This work is based on the touching photo snapped by Gerald
Waller in 1946, in Austria. The little boy, who lived in an orphanage, had just
been given new shoes by the American Red Cross.
Re: The Moonbeam Song by Harry Nilsson
