Fire

Fire's mesmerizing. We sit around fires and find ourselves more vulnerable, more inquisitive, more intrigued. I actually wrote a paper on the historical significance of fire, and paralleled it to Liberal Art education (my current course of study).

This damp forest in Illinois was part of the genesis of that idea. Modern conveniences trick us into thinking we have an answer to everything ("THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT"). But when you find yourself in a desolate campground and no dry wood, you realize quickly there's no app for that. 

Nope. There's just thousands of Ozark acres with dew so heavy your clothes can't even hang out to dry, where paper bags turn limp in the course of a few hours. There you are with your smart phone Googling "Nature Hacks 2016", but the only option is muster more breath to your small flame and tend it as best you can. 

 Liberal Arts is certainly not the most technologically advanced line of study, but it is foundational in academia. It requires centuries old techniques, knowledge, and it often requires doing things the hard way -- just like the good old fashioned campfire.