Moreau Integration 3 Final Draft Simply Live Simple Wesley Harris of Glastonbury, Connecticut loved his family and friends, his community, and his work. In all of these aspects of his life, he sought to fulfill his greater obligation of service to others, and worked to ensure that he fulfilled each one of his God-given vocations. Wesley often talked about how he would easily become sidetracked and distracted, as he tended to fill his life with several different hobbies and interests. However, all of these hobbies and interests were enhanced when done with those he loved, like his family and his friends. Although it was easy to become distracted from these things, he always seemed to remember and prioritized what mattered most- relationships. Although he was studious and spent a lot of time studying away from friends, he always seemed to put in the extra work for the sake of buying time in the future for friends and family. Much of what was pressing in his life was urgent, but was not always important. As time went on, he did a better job at distinguishing between the two, and always ensured his loved ones that they were important above everything else. One quote that Wesley seemed to live by in this regard goes as follows: “It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our life) really means, and to take in the larger picture” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). Wesley was involved with many different things, but always tried to step back from them in order to gain a better look at what he valued the most through the things that may have distracted him. He always made time for social events and other gatherings, and although he was a self-described introvert, he gained his energy from the company of others on most occasions. Wesley always talked about how grateful he was for his parents and sister, who formed him and taught him how to “step farther back.” In terms of family, Wesley felt a deep calling toward selflessness. In this way, his vocation in this area of his life was most fulfilled when he performed acts of service. These acts of service were what connected Wesley and his family, and formed a sense of mutual trust and love. Since this vocation to serve his family was his top priority, Wes adopted a life philosophy that could be summed up in the following quote: “One vocation embraces all our other vocations: to be a human being. We are called to be as intelligent, as responsible, as free, as courageous, and as imaginative, as loving as we can possibly be!” (“Three Key Questions” by Father Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 3). In his constant–and often difficult–effort to cultivate these virtues, Wes ultimately hoped to draw himself more in line with what it means to be a Christian son and brother. Along with his family and friends, Wes valued his community and always sought to fulfill his obligation to be a stewardly neighbor to others. He loved his hometown of Glastonbury and was highly involved with community events and local government. His love for his hometown extended not only to the natural aspects, like the parks and forests, but to everyone he encountered. He always tried to greet every stranger with a smile, as he viewed his community as a broader extension of his family. Wes wasn’t very interested in politics on a national level, and instead focused on cultivating local connection and understanding. In this way, he believed in the power of individuals within the community to build up a better culture and atmosphere. Pope Francis–whom Wes looked up to throughout his life as a source of inspiration and hope–stated the following quote, which seems to have guided Wes throughout his interactions with his community: “The future of humankind isn't exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies. Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility. But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a ‘you’ and themselves as part of an ‘us’” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week 7). While national politics and other polarizing topics pulled people apart, Wes firmly believed that the greatest influence on society and its practices came from people with complex worldviews and emotions, not companies or political parties which often over-simplified issues and categorized individuals based on single aspects of their lives or beliefs. Wes’ “us” included not just those he liked, or even those he met, but everyone in his town and community. He believed that the first step toward improving the community was loving it unconditionally, which necessarily meant adopting a mindset of “us” instead of just me and “you.” Throughout his time in Glastonbury, Wes mainly cared about conservation efforts with local trails and open spaces, as well as with historical structures. His childhood dream was to serve on the town council in some capacity, which he eventually realized later on in his life. He loved old homes, and believed that the town character came from its unique history instead of new developments. He was often jokingly called an “old man” even in his teenage years, but his love for history drew him closer to the community throughout his life, as he wished to preserve what made the town special. Although sometimes this attitude of preservation bumped up against efforts to modernize the town and perhaps add more shops and homes, he always managed to consider the viewpoints of the other side. He loved preservation, but hated arguments even more. His time at Notre Dame familiarized him with many different figures, but none so influential as Fr. Hesburgh. In his discussions with community members, Wes looked toward Fr. Hesburgh as a source of inspiration. “[Fr. Hesburgh] could talk across differences and create trust, create a mutual understanding. That’s the kind of leader we need today” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). Just as Fr. Hesburgh could connect with the other side of a dispute, Wes found ways to bridge the gap between himself and those who disagreed with him. He believed that no one was ever truly completely and totally in disagreement, and often tried to find common ground as a means of compromise. He wasn’t always good at it and was the first to admit so, but tried to reflect Fr. Hesburgh’s traits to the best of his ability. Humor was also a means of mutual understanding which he tried to employ as often as possible. Wesley’s career path began after his graduation from Notre Dame in 2025, although he never truly settled with one single career. Throughout college, Wes talked extensively with friends and family about what jobs would suit him, as he had a hard time answering this question himself. He loved to try new things and became burned out in certain activities, so the idea of choosing one job was daunting at first. However, his mother, Amy Harris, helped guide him throughout college and the years after while he figured it out. Wes would always discuss how fruitful their conversations were, and the idea that his mother seemed to know his skills and interests better than he did. Part of this had to do with the fact that he had a tendency to gravitate toward the wrong questions- that is, trying to figure out the psychology and reasoning behind his own interests and talents instead of simply accepting them and figuring out what the next step ought to be. In their discussions, Amy utilized the following quote to help Wes move away from these sorts of unanswerable questions: ““Why” questions trap us in our past; “what” questions help us create a better future” (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6). After many of these discussions, Wes began to notice a pattern. He was seen by others as someone with great writing and speaking skills, and was a good problem solver. His empathy was a strength as well, and could put himself in the shoes of others in order to grow closer to them and help them through any sort of issue (Discernment Conversation - Moreau Week FYE Week 5). As a result of this, Wes eventually decided to pursue a career in law, defending people who had been sentenced under the death penalty. Wes wished to incorporate his faith into his work, and he believed he could do this to the best of his ability by serving those whom society deemed the most irredeemable and disposable. Although this work took up much of his time, he always made sure to make time for leisure. He enjoyed visiting antique stores and thrifting, and had a side hobby of selling these types of items online on his own shop. He enjoyed managing this website, as it allowed him to express creativity and pursue his passion of art and design. This constant balance between his more creative work and his more practical work hinged on his belief in exploring all aspects of one’s interests. This belief was first formed when he was deciding his career path early on in college, as he needed time for leisure in order to carry out deeper introspection. The following quote describes his thoughts: “You have to know yourself first - your values, interests, personality, and skills (VIPS) - before you can make effective career choices. The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Career Center - Moreau FYE Week 4). Through hiking, he discovered his love for nature; through antiquing and thrifting, he discovered his love for design and art, as well as his love for small businesses and the vital role they play in the community; and through the instruments he played, he discovered his love for music. None of these discoveries came about through long sessions of isolated introspection, but through simply living. It was this practice of simply living without trying to think too hard about the motivations behind each action or the greater personality implications that Wes enjoyed most. In short, Wesley Harris enjoyed simply living simple. Citation Links Week 1: https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Week 2: https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-858 1-ab9500c9ecd9 Week 3: https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/files/467832?module_item_id=143473 Week 4: https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ Week 5: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/ edit?usp=sharing Week 6: https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ Week 7: https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_inc ludes_everyone/transcript