Ship of Theseus

The paradox originates with the Athenian people. They kept the ship that Theseus, a hero in greek mythology who slayed the minotaur, used on his return from the isle of Crete. Over time, the wooden planks rotted, and the people replaced them as they degraded. Eventually, every plank on the ship was completely replaced. And the question is, is it still the same ship?

Ford made the question about our team. As each individual left to pursue life after college, individuals who fundamentally shaped the culture and support of this team, how is the identity of the team shaped as it's replaced?

Little did he know, my high school job was repairing and restoring tallships & wooden boats. I've seen ships like the Adventuress, lose every piece but one, and the meaning behind that boat, the connection it holds to the sailors, the kids who learned on it, and the community, is irrefutable across time. Some things never change. But everything is always in flux. Of course parts related to the whole, but the whole is not solely based on material composition. 

I used to view my role in these teams, classrooms, and groups as transitional, to contribute everything I can and the best I can while I was there, to create, hopefully, a beautiful ship worth many stories, relationships, and unfolding experiences for years to come-- a kind of responsibility to that experience, and to whoever were my peers. But I think the more important question of identity there,  isn't how those environments will change after we're gone, but how they will change us. I am so glad of constant flux, it's brought me so many wonderful people, places, opportunities, and memories.