First Sliver of Sunshine

Just as the winter blues and blahs had blended into interminable grey, my first sliver of sunshine arrived in the mailbox...the first tangible and tantalizing reminder that summer at Chautauqua is indeed coming. And of course the best way to savor this reassurance was with the remaining sips of my Niagra wine.

Chautauqua, and especially the Institution, are tough to summarize although President Thomas Becker does it so eloquently in his opening article:

"The purpose in doing all of this is to continue Chautauqua's 136 year contribution to the development of a people prepared to govern themselves in a fashion that is at once informed, effective, compassionate, secure, just and inclusive. Our founders believed fundamentally that a citizenry capable of such a task is made up of lifelong learners in constant pursuit of both self knowledge and an informed awareness of the world as it is; people who can act beyond the boundaries of their narrow self interest in search of the common good".

Thomas Becker, The Chautauquan, Season:June 26-August 29, 2010.

Other tantalizing tidbits included the launch of the Charter of Compassion:

And announcement of the 2010 Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle book selections:

Summer. Chautauqua. Soon!