“Yes, THAT Henry Rollins!”
Yes, seriously. THAT Henry Rollins.
It was at our most recent Teach Like A Rock Star event in Tampa when a teacher came up to me at the first break and initiated some dialog that has, since that moment, taken up A LOT of my free time.
It went a little something like this:
Her: “Have you ever heard Henry Rollins speak?”
Me: “Henry Rollins? As in the Rollins Band? And wasn’t he also the singer of Black Flag in the 80′s? THAT Henry Rollins??”
Her: “Yea, that’s him. Have you heard him speak?”
Me: “He speaks? Like he talks? I’ve just heard him scream into the microphone. I didn’t know that he can actually talk.”
Her: “Well, I heard him speak. He travels around the nation as a speaker. He was AMAZING. You should check him out.”
Me: “Amazing, huh? Are you sure we’re talking about the same Henry Rollins?”
Her: “Yes. Trust me. Check out his stuff.”
So, that night when I arrived back home in Houston, I decided to “check him out.” Like any world class researcher I went straight to Google. I found piles of videos of Henry Rollins doing just what she said – speaking.
I instantly became a fan.
Now, before you go looking up Henry Rollins on YouTube, I need to warn you. He’s way over the top – in EVERY way imaginable (and, that just might be the understatement of the year).
Also, please understand, I don’t even agree with all that much of anything he “rants” about.
Now, I did say I am a “fan”, but I want you to understand specifically what I am a fan of. It’s not that I am a fan of Henry’s content. What I am a fan of is the pure, authentic passion with which he communicates. I’m a fan of how he intentionally presents controversial topics in a thought provoking way, instead of a style dressed in judgement. I’m a fan of how he stands before an audience and is able to articulate those realizations that he has come to after investing sufficient time and intellectual energy in order to arrive at those conclusions.
And, again, I’m not on his side when it comes to a lot of those conclusions. I just love when I see someone who has obviously thought through an idea and has arrived at a belief – a concept in which they believe so deeply that they are willing to stand before thousands and openly and honestly discuss it.
And, as teachers, I think that’s what we all want for our students. Well, maybe not all of us, but at least it is for me. Truthfully, at the end of the year, when my kids leave my classroom, I don’t really care what they believe (within reason, of course). Just so long as it’s THEIR belief. I want it to be a belief that THEY have arrived at based on critical thought rather than a belief based on the foundation of, “Well, that’s what my parents believe and everybody I know believes it, too.”
Passionately articulating a belief based on critical thought – it’s a beautiful thing.
Back to The Buzz
LOVE it!!
I’ve seen Henry live. The guy is crazy intense!! See him if you get a chance!