Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to go to college. He very much enjoyed learning and meeting new people. He wanted to be an english major. So one day, the boy went off to college, to see what he could see, and learn what he could learn. He met many nice people. He learned many interesting things. One of these things was that the boy was not an English major after all. When he found out that he wasn’t an english major, he wanted to leave the college, and sing and make music instead. So the boy left college just in time, and went home to make music. He lived happily ever after singing and making music. The end.
This is a true story. The unabridged version of the story, for those of you with longer attention spans, is posted below, as it was originally on Facebook:
~~~
Well, as many of you know, I’ve just arrived back in Seattle to attend SPU, and it’s been an eventful week. I’d rather get straight to the point, and then I’ll elaborate. So the news is that I’m dropping out of the quarter.
Sometimes there are those moments in life where you have to experience first-hand something to realize that it was a mistake. And I think for me, I have realized that coming back to SPU was a mistake. This is not to say that SPU or anyone involved was the mistake. I wholeheartedly still support and defend SPU as an incredible institution with absolutely stellar people. No, the mistake was in myself, in my academic choice. I thought I was an english major. Writing is in the family (both of my parents are published authors), and I enjoy doing it, so I thought that it would make a good choice in college. However, the reason I chose English as my major was because music, my greatest passion, was unattainable to me through normal college means (I’m not classically educated, nor do I want to work in classical music). So I put music on the top shelf and decided to just do English instead.
However, this past week has been reawakening in me a desire to really follow what I think is a passion that God has put on my heart, namely music. And to stay at SPU without a real contentedness in my heart about obtaining a degree would be a shaky choice at best, especially at the cost of time and finances involved.
So, I’m going to step back, and try to earn my Associates degree through inexpensive credits. And then I’ll start looking into several modern music programs. I guess we’ll see what God does.
For all of you at SPU, know that I will miss the wonderful community I have found here, and will always hold a spot in my heart for this school. I will be leaving abruptly, as the deadline for dropping out was a couple days ago, and I have to be out by tomorrow. If I see you, wonderful. If not, send me a message or call me! We’ll talk. And don’t worry; I’ve made too many friends and come to love Seattle and SPU far too much to stay away for too long; I’ll be visiting as often as possible.
So I guess that’s the wrap! I wish you all the best quarter yet, and I wish everyone who reads this true happiness where they are, and where they are going in following their calling.
Peace and hope,
Joel
~~~
So let me know what you all think! The cat’s out of the bag. I guess it’s an adventure here on out!
7 Comments
October 20, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Ah well, I am indeed happy for you. Music is truly the most beautiful thing in existence; and devoting one’s life to it is nothing less than phenomenal. I can only wish you all the joy and happiness you derive out of it: which is the sole reason I do music for.
Though I too am doing the English major here, while trying to inch forward towards my dream of joining a conservatoire some day, but that is solely because it is difficult to survive in the society to which I am predisposed, solely with music. Also, I am not that much into composition, and obstinately refuse to dwell outside of classical into some local formats, though that might provide me with some cash.
All the best, my friend!
October 20, 2007 at 1:05 pm
P.S.
I just realized that you have kept alive the spirit of The Garden of Whispers!? It’s very much gone. The garden has become an unwanted forest of haze and weed; pluck it out!
October 21, 2007 at 4:56 am
Awesome.
I’m actually not talking about the content of the post here (though I give a hardy “Bravo!” to you for following the will of God). I was actually talking about how you gave a sentence-long summery of your post before launching into your actual post.
I think this is awesome, and I hope you do it forever.
Mostly serious in a I’m-teasing-you-because-I-love-you kind of way,
Andrew
October 25, 2007 at 6:46 am
From wanting to go to college in England to going back to Seattle and now to music! What a journey you have been on in just the past several months! I think that is great that the Lord let you get a taste for the very place that you thought you wanted in order to see that what you were looking for wasn’t there. The one consolation about being homeschooled (especially by your parents) is that you have been educated and probably can do without any more – that is formal education. I do think that is great that you choose to continue and get an A.A. degree. I pray that this is truly the path that the Lord is leading and will be blessed with many offerings for our glorious King!
I met you at your mom’s conference in Irvine, California this past spring. I spoke to you at length about college and England. I am thankful that there are thoughtful, thinking Christians in this world. Your parents have left an impact on our world and I am confident that you and your siblings will do the same. I love the family culture your family has created for itself and I long to do the same for mine. I pray God’s continual leading in your life, just remember Ps. 127 “unless the Lord builds a house…”
Blessings,
Jennifer
November 9, 2007 at 7:00 am
I just listened to your song “Enough” (your sister was bragging about you on her blog). What a beautiful melody, I listened to it over and over! It has such an epic quality to it, the musical layers you created are just stunning! I look forward to hearing more of that creativity which has been given to you! Bravo!
March 9, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Joel, I just wanted to let you know what a blessing this post was to me (late though I am in reading it–I stumbled upon your blog through Sarah’s).
I “dropped out” of college this semester as well, though my major was actually music (coincidentally, English would have been my other choice, quite possibly), and, from all aspects, I “had it made”–I was on scholarship, in the Honors program, and ended the semester with a 4.0 grade average. I thought that a music major was my obvious calling, as did my parents, but (to make a long story short) after one semester I decided to reevaluate, as I felt that perhaps this was not the correct course for me…It was an extremely hard decision, and involved hours of praying.
Anyway, my point in telling you this is to let you know that I have been so very encouraged to hear that someone else had the same struggle that I did and made a similar decision–and to encourage you that your choice blessed someone else as well.
Best of success to you wherever God may lead you!
March 12, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Hi Kristen, thanks for your kind comment! Always good to know there are other people who are also making similar decisions. It’s easy to feel like we’re the odd crazy people making this decision alone!
Anyway, kudos back to you for your decision to follow your convictions. Best of luck in all your efforts!
Jennifer, glad to hear that you’ve been to the conferences! It’s been good to be back home to be able to participate in a couple this year. Thanks for your encouraging thoughts!
Rachel, thanks for your thoughts on my music. Always good to know that there are people out there who hear it and appreciate it. It can become a daunting thing to put music up on the web, so thanks for the encouragement!