Pendle Hill Rewrite: Ann E. Jerome
Title: The Epistemology of Identity, or How Do You Know Who You Are?
Event: Pendle Hill Retreat
Date: September 20-22, 2019
Description: How do we know who we are? During this retreat, we’ll explore personal identity as a quest. What can obscure or distort our identity, and what can nurture, reveal, and develop it? Fair warning: participants will likely take home more questions than answers.
Original Write-up: Click here to read the original summary of the event written by William White ‘96.
Facilitator: Ann Jerome became a Roothbert Fellow as a senior at Yale but postponed her stipend to teach at Westtown School for two years before enrolling in graduate school at Brown. She earned a Ph.D. in American Civilization in 1987 and then joined the faculty of Stetson University, resigning her tenured position in 2000 to pursue a second career as a certified professional homeopath. This led to her founding, directing, and teaching at the Academy of Classical Homeopathy until serving as Friend in Residence at Pendle Hill in 2016-2017. Now back in central Florida, she is forging yet another new identity as a writer while exploring how Quaker practices can contribute to today’s world.
“One of the greatest tragedies in life is to lose your own sense of self and accept the version of you that is expected by everyone else.” K.L. Toth
“The topic of identity, having made major career changes in my life, is a question that’s come up for me many times,” commented Ann E. Jerome ‘78. In preparation for the facilitation of her second Pendle Hill retreat, Ann crafted an event that guided fellows to explore key questions regarding identity, how our identities affect our connections to other people, and where we find a state of flow in our lives.
“The real point of the Pendle Hill retreat is to get people together and get them talking,” shared Ann. “Whatever the topic is, it needs to be presented in a way that leads to conversation.” Despite Ann’s background as a teacher and university professor, “The Epistemology of Identity” was not pedagogical, but more about starting a dialogue.
The event began Friday evening with a dinner, introductions, and break-out discussions to start focusing on the question, “How do we know who we are?” According to William White’s notes, the question ultimately led to another question. “What is the most significant source of my identity?”
Identity is important to Ann because 1) it is a timeless topic, 2) it is an especially relevant question for Roothbert fellows, and 3) inquiry into identity inspires growth. “As a teacher, you always have something up your sleeve,” admitted Ann. “One hidden goal I had, especially for the younger fellows, was for participants to realize that adult life is a series of unfolding identities. Whoever you are right now is fabulous, and you might just be a different person tomorrow. Or next year. And that’s fabulous too.”
“Especially Roothbert fellows,” continued Ann. “We’re always going to be growing and learning, putting ourselves in different types of service.” Ann decorated the walls of the meeting room at Pendle Hill with quotes about identity for people to browse and consider throughout the weekend. Some examples:
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” - Mahatma Gandhi
“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is an illusion.” - Brennan Manning
“Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel.” G.K. Chesterton
A key component in Ann’s event was the concept of flow, a concept developed by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. “Flow in psychological terms is the state of being completely engrossed in what you’re doing. You’re challenged just enough by the task, just competent enough. If you’re too competent, it’s unengaging and you may be apathetic. If it’s too challenging, it’s frustrating and you can’t do it.” Fellows were asked to reflect on when and where they most often find themselves in this state of flow.
When have I experienced flow? What does it feel like, look like? What are its results? What do I learn about myself from this?
The setting also encourages reflection and community. “As you’ll find out when you go,” Ann began, “there’s something about being in person on Pendle Hill’s campus that’s just magical. It’s an amazing place. It's a small, suburban campus, but there’s something about being in a space that’s been used for community, reflection, and retreat for so long. It’s like walking into a cathedral. It’s got all this energy that has built up over time.”
Roothbert fellows left the Pendle Hill retreat with a reinvigorated sense of self. “People seemed to really find the topic meaningful and uplifting,” reflected Ann. “There’s a lot we could talk about as fellows that would be depressing, but that’s another hidden goal of the weekend, to send people out recharged, excited, and hopeful. It definitely got conversations going and people connecting with one another.”