My teachers and coaches at Moses Brown groomed my interest in a moral, egalitarian life. God was seen present in all living things worthy of respect no matter color of skin or walk in life. The curriculum reinforced Quaker values without being religious. Each morning began, for instance, with Assembly, a gathering of headmaster, faculty, and students for 25 minutes during which a student would present a personal story of a moral challenge. The Head of School would close with a reading of poetry. By 8:30, 600 students were pumped up with a spiritual orientation and an eagerness to get into the teachings and competition of the day. 

I reveled in this culture inspiring a high reach of personal qualities, and yet the excitement would culminate with athletics before the end of day. For me, competing in a cross-country race with 40 others on a designated trail in the chilly fall in a skimpy tank top and jogging shorts was my way of making a name for myself. Although I worried constantly that my physical training and conditioning would be insufficient to do well that day, the moment the starting gun would go off, I had to leave every fear and discomfort, every little thing about competitors around me behind and the race was on! Given my goal for the race, which was to finish first, I had no choice but to tell my mind whatever positive excuse I could think of: I was in good shape, I loved to win, and damned be the pain and fear of loss. The pain, the cold, the need to stay out in front no matter what spurred me on. I kept telling myself I had more in reserve when I was ready to ease up. Enduring was the key. Eventually during the last quarter mile, the call came…my coaches voice saying, “come on Tom,” or my father’s presence along the finish line, I knew I could keep it up and win. Win I did, meet after meet after meet during my senior year at Moses Brown. 

During geometry class, I was more inclined to think about my basketball teammates and our fast break strategy than taking in the lesson of the day. Coach Jerry was not known for his basketball career but rather for his relentless pursuit of teaching strategy for offense or defense, which he analyzed from learning as much as possible about the Boston Celtics games. The “fast break,” was our number one advantage. I was to get the rebound from the defense’s backboard, look for Jimmy, our guard already waiting up court for the ball, and the entire team racing down court passing to one another for the lay-up! That was part one of our strategy. Part two was to get back in position on defense to prevent the competition from having a successful offensive play. We ran the other team off the court because we were conditioned to endure running. No one on our team was a great shooter. We were skilled at getting the offensive play close into the board for a lay-up or short jump shot. I can still feel the rush of driving through the defense to score a lay-up or grab a rebound and set in motion fast break with my team to beat the opponent down the court for another score. We were flawless and I was their captain. We finished first in our league. We were well coached, well bonded as a team, and born to win. At no moment in the game did one wonder what to do. We knew our individual role, our teammates’ specific role, and the way the play of the moment was supposed to unfold. The rush of the game started when one of us rebounded the opponent’s missed shot, we got the ball out from others, passed to the forward on the side halfway down the court and ran like hell to help on the offensive play before the defense had a chance to get in position. If I had rebounded the defensive miss, I was expected to be under the other basket by the time our offense was moving towards the hoop. We literally ran our opponents off the floor with endurance. No star, no great shooter, just a well-groomed team that is interdependent, interconnected, and mutually alive with the thrill of winning. 

Moses Brown added a layer of mystery to that fundamental notion of civility and interconnectedness. At Moses Brown, you were living with Quaker standards. God is believed to be present in living things. Accordingly human life and nature in general is special because of God’s presence in each. Furthermore, respect for the other created a level field of personal value. No one was any better than the other; we were God’s handiwork, each by each. Our individual uniqueness was embedded in that divinely created soul, flesh, and blood. Imagine this culture…divinely created to serve each other with one’s own gifted set of qualities. The Quakers call this culture egalitarian. One among equals. 

One can clearly imagine the indoctrination of Quaker values and how readily you take them with you into life. I know what standing up for the right value means. Aligning with God can be lonely among your peers but confident in right action.