Richard Earl Lussen – 50th Reunion Essay

Richard Earl Lussen

6521 Mercomatic Ct.

Nashville, TN 37209

rlussen@gmail.com

Child(ren): Katharine Ann Lussen (1974); Andrew Pierce Lussen (1981)

Grandchild(ren): Ellen Conway (2009); Aine Conway (2012); Teresa Lussen (2015)

Education: Yale University, BA History, 1969; Columbia University, MA Communications, 1975; University of Massachusetts, MS Geography, 1995.

Career: Teacher, coach, advertising executive, college counselor, international school director, educational consultant.

Avocations: Yoga, printmaking, hiking, swimming, reading, fishing, politics.

College: Davenport

At the age of 70 I find myself selling my little house in California, packing up or discarding the mementoes of a lifetime, and preparing to relocate to the Republic of Georgia, where I used to work as an international school director. So much for “retirement.” While it isn’t exactly a Maoist approach it does keep things interesting.

As I pack my books I am reviewing my personal intellectual history, as I have many books that for inexplicable reasons I have kept over all these years. Several years ago, I threw out as many as I have packed (30 boxes) because of water damage, but the ones that I saved speak to a core of thought at the heart of my personal history. I am proud of this and happy to have been in the mainstream of Western philosophical and intellectual history. Degrees from Yale, Columbia, and UMass kept me anchored to a progressive outlook which for me has always made great sense.

I have enjoyed my career in education as a teacher, coach, history department head, and director of two American schools abroad, in Georgia and Morocco, especially the parts when I have been able to help out disadvantaged populations, including teaching English to the Kists of Pankisi Gorge through the Roddy Scott Foundation. This work and my work helping students get into universities around the world have been tremendously satisfying and I am happy to report that my Yale education has served me well in this regard.

What I am not happy with is how our generation has been unable to redirect corporate greed into sustainable practices in policy, politics, and especially the environment. We have no excuse: the Club of Rome published their report on sustainability in 1972 and what they were predicting has pretty much come true. We have capitulated to Corporate America, which does not, despite whatever you free-market fools have to say, have a conscience. Ever the optimist, I hope that we in 2018 can derail this runaway train of repression and destruction and restore some semblance of a progressive impulse to our country. To this end I will work on campaigns in my new state of Tennessee before I relocate to Georgia.

My spiritual path seems to be going through an extended “foxhole religion” phase as the prospect of death becomes more than ever a daily possibility. While the Kentucky Derby has long provided me with a springtime spiritual rejuvenation, it is not exactly foundational material for the long haul. As I read and reread various religious works I find little of significant value; even Krishna wants one to abjure everything and become devoted to him/her, which may be good for the soul’s emotional component but does fuck all for the intellectual side of the equation. I am enjoying The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between, more commonly known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as it gives a comprehensive and practical guide for making the passage from life to the beyond. As I read our necrology I can’t help but be saddened as I remember all the bright and energetic classmates who are now gone, but at the same time I am happy to acknowledge what a privilege it was to know them and how so many of them helped make me who I am today.

My children and my grandchildren are my best, most wonderful legacy. I am gratified beyond any expectations that my daughter, Kate, Yale Class of 1996, has followed my path as a teacher and a school director. My son, Andrew, has carved out an enviable life in Chicago despite the cold. Visiting them and their families is a joyous religious experience every time.

My health is good and I’m still able to hike the back country with a pack although I have started to use walking sticks now. I run, hike, swim, bike, and do CrossFit when I can, although I finally had to stop playing hoops about seven years ago. My career as a teacher and administrator allowed me to exercise regularly and to spend time with my children and time outdoors, for which I am eternally grateful.

I have kept a journal for over 45 years now, occasionally I write poetry and I combine fishing and art into one through gyotaku. As far as I can tell, I have a few good years left in me, and even if I don’t, I can’t really complain about the scope and quality of my life. I look forward to seeing you all at our 50th