“The path from A to B will always be curved.” Over and over again, my mother has relayed this phrase to me. “It’s about the journey, not the destination” and cliché after cliché. Overall, she has tried to get me to understand one message—the so-called “plan” I have paved for myself may not, and probably will not work out as I foresee it. Maybe it’s because she’s my mother, or maybe it’s my own narcissism, but I have always disregarded her notions because, in my mind, my plan will work out. I will be successful. I will accomplish the next five steps I have to get to my goal and I will not stray.
After reading Byrd and Gates biography of Toomer, I can imagine my mother’s beaming smile as everything she has told me has been affirmed by someone as successful as Toomer. I can hear her say, “and guess what happened to Toomer? He didn’t have a clear path!” Then we’d laugh, I’d say “you’re always right, I get it.” in an overly sarcastic tone, we’d sip on our cappuccinos and move on in conversation. But she is right, and she would be right about Toomer.
Reading about his life has given me a new perspective on how important the journey is. He succeeded in becoming a well-known author, but his novel Cane would not have amounted to such achievement without Toomer’s years of bumbling around, traveling, and taking up odd jobs.
“Toomer was acting principal at the Institute from September to November 1921. This seminal, three-month sojourn in the South provided him with the materials, inspiration, and much of the setting for what became the first and third sections of Cane. Prior to his first visit to the South, Toomer’s writing lacked a specific sense of place that could serve as the setting and foundation for his heart.” (Introduction I)
Toomer had to go to several different universities, ranging from body building, to agriculture, and especially to theater, so he could eventually take on his passion for theater, which, in turn, gave him inspiration to finish his novel. Evidently, Toomer adhered to interdisciplinarity throughout his life. Interdisciplinarity is when two or more academic principles combine to one outcome. It is clear that Toomer wouldn’t have been as well- rounded, and subsequently, able to include so many perspectives into his life and his writing without all of his academic endeavors. Toomer was also impatient, indecisive, and many other confusing adjectives, but that’s a whole other story.
Recently, I have realized that a lot of the things I thought I wanted to do with my life, don’t actually interest me. (Classic college, am I right?) Reading this biography has been incredibly reassuring that I am allowed to feel this way, and that hopefully similar to Toomer, I can implement interdisciplinarity into my life. With this, I can add up all of the parts of what I do like about different subjects, into one product in my life. So, thank you Toomer, for proving my mother right (hate to say it…) and for giving me a wave of comfort that the curved path is not only acceptable, but admired, and recommended.