There are stories about ancient peoples and how they thought the world was flat. There are actually those who in the twenty first century will contend that the earth is flat. This brings up an entirely different conversation but for ancient populations, why not? If you lived thousands of years ago, around the Mediterranean, in the cradle of Western civilization, the world most likely seemed pretty limited. The horizon, that distant line where the earth meets the sky, appeared as a distinctive and definitive boundary, a place where the known world ended.
Yet, if we think this way, we do a disservice to the potential of humanity. A little observation of our environment shows, quite reasonably, that there’s a bit of a curve to this world we share. This curvature would have been evident even in the time of the ancient Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians. They gazed at the horizon, perhaps pondering what lay beyond, and in doing so, they ignited the flames of exploration and discovery.
Sitting precariously on the surface of a massive sphere, protected by a thin blanket of atmosphere, we can find ourselves staring off wistfully into the distance. A distance, interestingly enough, that will increase the further above the ground we climb (on flat ground a person 180cm tall will note the edge of the earth as being 4.8km away). It can represent dreams, goals and destinations we aspire to reach. For our young men, the horizon takes on a special significance as the end of the school year approaches. It symbolises not just the completion of another academic journey but also the promise of new beginnings.
As the academic year draws to a close, the horizon of the December break and Christmas beckons. It’s like a distant dream where freedom from the normal routine awaits. We sometimes perceive the horizon as an unreachable point, always receding as we move closer. But this doesn’t mean progress is not made. Each step, every assignment completed, every exam taken, every lesson learned brings their destination closer, even if the horizon itself remains elusive.
Setting goals can feel like a vanishing point, always just out of reach. However, as they pursue their ambitions, achieving a certain grade in a subject, playing in a sporting team of choice or performing in front of an audience, they often find themselves achieving smaller milestones along the way. Each completed task brings them closer to the ultimate destination, even if they don’t realise it at the time.
The beauty of this journey lies in the lessons learned and the resilience built. The horizon encourages embracing the process and finding joy in the pursuit, rather than fixating solely on the end result. It reminds them that reaching their destination is not just about crossing a finish line; it’s about the growth they experience along the way.
Each time our Eddies Men set their sights on a new vista; they expand their understanding of what is possible, fostering a mindset of creativity and innovation, pushing them to explore uncharted territories in their personal and academic lives.
As they navigate these final few weeks of the 2024 school year, we remind them that even if they never quite reach the horizon, they continually progress toward their goals, discover new paths and hopefully become the best versions of themselves. The horizon is not just a line in the distance; it is a reminder of the endless possibilities that lie ahead.
An Evening with Johnathan Thurston
This evening here on the Hill we look forward to hosting An Evening with Johnathan Thurston. We have been privileged to have JT come to Eddies and a sold-out crowd will no doubt fill our Hall in eager anticipation of a wonderful night.
