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My Mentor Henry David Thoreau

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  I really didn’t have any mentors in my life.   A few people lent me a helping hand, but for the most part I had to find my own way. But if you expand the definition of Mentor then you can say I had many mentors, some of the best mentors in the world. They were the authors of books and their projects were to help me live a better life. I found my first mentor when I was age 15. His name is Henry David Thoreau. He made a lasting impression on me then and still does. He taught me through his book Walden. I wasn’t very educated or thoughtful then, but I intuitively caught the spirit of his book; that one could think for oneself, question what society tells says is important, and stay connected to nature.   Important insights for young man at the beginning his life. Thoreau lived from 1817 to 1862 and spent most of his life in the Concord Massachusetts area. He studied at Harvard College .   In 1845, as an experiment in living, he built a tiny house in the woods near Walden Pond an
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A Personal Intellectual Life

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  When we were students we were given reading assignments. We may have had to read books, novels, plays, poetry, or nonfiction. Then we were had to demonstrate that we understood what we had read by composing papers or taking tests. I remember when I went to college the amount of reading I was assigned seemed overwhelming.   Taking final exams and then getting a break from study was a great relief. Is it any wonder that after college I just wanted to put it all down and get on with life? And Is it any wonder that after graduation most of us put our old books in boxes and never look at them again? Which is sad because having a personal intellectual life is one of the most important and enjoyable things we can do. To gain new understanding and insight is thru active application of our minds one of the best things that can happen to us. Our view of the world changes for the better. And that advance in our understanding stays with us for the rest of our lives. Today I want to enco
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