What are Generalizations?

Generalization -- "a general statement, law, principle, or proposition"

(Merriam-Webster dictionary)

     I would describe myself as a storyteller. I have made a living as a preacher, a teacher, an educator, a tutor, a mentor -- whatever my employer chose to call the job. But basically, I'm a storyteller. What's odd is that a job is something you do, while an education is something you sit through. Somehow, we have taken a really sound educational practice -- apprenticeship -- and changed it into an intellectual assembly line. Stories go along with working. Stories give people context. Stories engage people in a way that lectures don't. I'm proud to be a storyteller.

     I work for a major university. I help students achieve their academic goals. I've been working at the university for about six years. During my second or third year, my supervisor started referring to me as the "General." I didn't think about it much, at first, but I took it as a compliment (and I believe it was). That supervisor has since moved to another university. I think of her occasionally. I enjoyed working for her. She reminds me of all of the supervisors I've worked for who communicated clearly what they needed me to do and expressed satisfaction and gratitude when I did it. 

     At some point during the past few months, I had what I term an "ah hah" moment in regard to my nickname. I had previously thought that my supervisor had called me the General because I was always willing to do whatever she asked me to do; to take on any challenge. I have just realized that maybe she called me the general, because over the time I've known her, I've tutored over 40 general education classes. I am a repository of general knowledge.

     So what does this have to do with the name of this blog? I work with people who are often 20-30 years younger than myself. Occasionally, I tell stories as a way of talking about my life experiences. These are some of the same stories I've told me own children -- my "Dad stories." To me, my stories are like "Gibbs' rules," but longer. I tell each story for a specific reason; to teach a specific truth. This blog is going to be the place where I record these stories. Maybe, if I get a positive response, I'll put them together in a book. For now, in this blog, I'm going to call my stories "General-izations." I hope you enjoy them. More importantly, I hope they're worth sharing, because they represent my life's experiences.