Dr. Thomas Gamble
I believe in the dignity of work
Nona was a mercurial woman given to great warmth and tenderness as well as a volcanic temper. She spoke English with a heavy Italian accent. She was as innocent as a dove and wily as a snake. I adored her.
I remember being a toddler and following Nona around the house as she did her chores. In particular I remember her baking bread and making homemade pasta. I was always fascinated watching her in these activities and it wasn't until much later that I realized why. There was elegance in her movements whether breaking eggs, kneading the floured dough, cutting the rolled macaroni. Watching her made me feel a sense of well-being and wholeness. Later I understood that this was because she gave herself over to her work so completely, body and mind. She didn't resent having to work on whatever particular task engaged her. Because she didn't resent her work she didn't withdraw her mind from it and as a result her work was mindful and graceful.
This was my first experiential introduction to the 'dignity of work' and ever since I have been intrigued time and again by how this notion echoes down the hallways of human thought. I catch a glimpse of it now and again in interesting places: in how a monk holds a bowl, an artist his brush, a dancer her pose. In time I learned that the Catholic notion of the dignity of work rests in part on the notion of the goodness of creation and the opportunity for women and men to continue the act of creation. When I recollect the smell of Nona's fresh bread, the connection between the dignity of work and the goodness of creation is immediately disclosed.
Work is not just something we do "at work"; it exists whenever we transform the world we share with others. Work is the manner of our engagement in the world; it connects our mind, body and spirit to the rest of creation. I believe that the way we work - how we treat one another and how we treat the materials of our work - is an expression of who we are, what we value, and our mutual obligations to one another, to our community and to the Creator.
About Dr. Thomas Gamble
Before becoming President in 2006, Dr. Gamble served the Mercyhurst community as Adjunct Faculty in Criminal Justice and Psychology (1985 - 1996); Full-time Faculty in Criminal Justice and Psychology and Director of the Mercyhurst Civic Institute (1997 - 2005); and Vice President of Academic Affairs (2005 - 2006).
Dr. Gamble states: "I think my favorite aspect of Mercyhurst is the warm and congenial hospitality, especially with respect to the nature and quality of the faculty-student relationship."