"I have never taken anything in a book to heart that was not somehow confirmed in my ordinary experience -- and did not, to some extent, reform and redeem that experience. Nor have I had any experience of high art that was not somehow confirmed in my experience of ordinary culture -- and did not, to some extent, reform and redeem that."

 I really love this quote because it hits close to home.  To me it is saying how can anyone believe right away or even begin to understand what they haven't experienced themselves.  It has been an idea of mine for some time that I cannot completely trust something that I haven't experienced with my own five senses.  It's just hard.  I can believe that it might have happened and that there is a huge probability that it did but I can't say for sure because I wasn't there.  If a tree falls in forest and no one is there to hear it...does it make a sound? 

 I really enjoy Hickey's outlook and style.  It is uplifting and real.  And the main idea that I get from this read is that whatever we do, whether it be teaching, studying, playing music, working, i don't care...whatever we do let's have fun doing it or what point is there to life...

Questions...

 you knew it was coming..."If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it...does it make a sound?"

and..."Who's having fun right now?"