Moments come when suddenly, there it is: the right partner, the right job, the right way of understanding the world. The right view from the right rock above the right river and suddenly you understand something you didn’t even know you were trying to understand. Or one day something shocking happens — and your life is never the same.
To partner with our 2020 Special Issue on the theme of Realizations, we asked Duke alumni to tell us about such realizations in their lives. Three did. Here are there stories.
1. Physical therapist Callie Beasley talks about her belief that she had to give up her practice of music to take up her practice of physical therapy. It took a curmudgeonly client, a piano, and “The Sound of Music” for her to realize she didn’t need to give up music at all.
2. Duke Forest communicator Blake Tedder tells us about the many realizations he experienced when he underwent the process of recovering from a major burn injury. That leads to a discussion of the realizations he experienced when he believed he was going to die in the plane crash that caused the burns. He uses the phrase “instant satori,” and he’s not wrong.
3. Eric Dozier grew up in a tiny Tennessee town and got his education at Duke. But when it came time to make his contribution in the world, he was drawn back to the music traditions of his background. He now uses that music in performances and presentations, in which things like gospel and call-and-response music help bridge societal divides. Here he even manages a call and response on Zoom!