So I have a slight confession. Two actually. First, I'm a Disney-a-holic. Second, I'm trying really really hard to write a paper right now, but I turned on my Disney Pandora station and I've been sucked in. The attempt was completely innocent at the beginning. I was going to change the station to some light listening (something with no words) so I can start cruising on this research paper. But the first song that came on was "When Will My Life Begin?" from Tangled. If it had been any other song, I would've had the willpower to change it. But no. The universe decided to play that song. So now it's been nearly 30 minutes and I've enjoyed lovely music from Mulan, Enchanted, The Jungle Book, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, and more Tangled. Argh! And the only things written on my research paper are the lyrics to one of the songs.
I guess there is a third confession. I couldn't even stop at wasting my time with Disney music, but now I'm blogging. Isn't it funny how everything becomes more appealing than writing (especially research paper writing) when it's staring you in the face? I'd even rather do the dishes or sort socks or shuck corn or something else unbelievably monotonous. So now I'll try to pull myself away from the Disney music, which might be easier now that The Lion King's "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is playing. It's my one shot to break away! Wish me luck.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thaw
I'm sitting outside in cool air, listening to birds chirp. This morning when I woke up, there was no ice on my windshield and I probably even could have ditched my winter coat for a light jacket. Basically, it is a beautiful day.
I've tried to explain the thing I'm about to say to many people in the past and the only person that has successfully understood me is my best friend, T. There are just certain times of the year (yes, times) that I can feel just as tangibly as I can feel my keyboard right now. One of those times is Halloween. I tell people that it feels like Halloween, and all I usually get is a questioning look. But I promise you it's real to me. Something just changes inside of me and it's like I have internalized the season. This is exactly the same situation for spring.
Today feels like spring, and it's not just because of the literal warmer temperature. The whole atmosphere that I stepped out into today encompasses me and softly whispers that spring is indeed here. I know that there are technically 8 more days until it's official, but my inner gauge tells me differently. So I just thought I'd let you know, even though it could be back to winter tomorrow (cursed indecisive Utah weather). This internal feeling doesn't work like the calendar. It's just as malleable as the environment I'm in. I'm just glad that I can hear the birds again.
I've tried to explain the thing I'm about to say to many people in the past and the only person that has successfully understood me is my best friend, T. There are just certain times of the year (yes, times) that I can feel just as tangibly as I can feel my keyboard right now. One of those times is Halloween. I tell people that it feels like Halloween, and all I usually get is a questioning look. But I promise you it's real to me. Something just changes inside of me and it's like I have internalized the season. This is exactly the same situation for spring.
Today feels like spring, and it's not just because of the literal warmer temperature. The whole atmosphere that I stepped out into today encompasses me and softly whispers that spring is indeed here. I know that there are technically 8 more days until it's official, but my inner gauge tells me differently. So I just thought I'd let you know, even though it could be back to winter tomorrow (cursed indecisive Utah weather). This internal feeling doesn't work like the calendar. It's just as malleable as the environment I'm in. I'm just glad that I can hear the birds again.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Books, Books, Books
As much as I enjoy the advancements in technology that have yielded such innovations as the Kindle, audiobooks, and other e-readers, I still stick to the belief that there is nothing quite like reading a bound book with yellowing pages.
Nearly my whole day has been spent in reading books and I even made a voyage to the library to pick up some more. Being in rooms with book-lined walls made me sit back and think for a minute. Could anyone ever read every single book ever written? Of course not. But it is in the endeavor to try where I believe great minds are built. The library is my own personal labyrinth. It is the place where I treasure hunt. The place where I discover more about myself. The thing that scares me the most is that those opportunities won't exist for the next generation.
I feel like my whole world is wrapped up in my experiences with real, tangible books. Books that I can turn the pages of, smell the musty passed time, literally grasp at their truths. So when those cease to exist, will I? I feel like I will be shoved into the great expanse we call history, even if it happens within my lifetime. Technology is advancing so quickly, sometimes it makes me wonder if the modern world will just pick up and leave me behind, softly humming as I flip through the pages of a majestic book.
“There is something wonderful about a book. We can pick it up. We can heft it. We can read it. We can set it down. We can think of what we have read. It does something for us. We can share great minds, great actions, and great undertakings in the pages of a book.” -Gordon B. Hinckley
Nearly my whole day has been spent in reading books and I even made a voyage to the library to pick up some more. Being in rooms with book-lined walls made me sit back and think for a minute. Could anyone ever read every single book ever written? Of course not. But it is in the endeavor to try where I believe great minds are built. The library is my own personal labyrinth. It is the place where I treasure hunt. The place where I discover more about myself. The thing that scares me the most is that those opportunities won't exist for the next generation.
I feel like my whole world is wrapped up in my experiences with real, tangible books. Books that I can turn the pages of, smell the musty passed time, literally grasp at their truths. So when those cease to exist, will I? I feel like I will be shoved into the great expanse we call history, even if it happens within my lifetime. Technology is advancing so quickly, sometimes it makes me wonder if the modern world will just pick up and leave me behind, softly humming as I flip through the pages of a majestic book.
“There is something wonderful about a book. We can pick it up. We can heft it. We can read it. We can set it down. We can think of what we have read. It does something for us. We can share great minds, great actions, and great undertakings in the pages of a book.” -Gordon B. Hinckley
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Puzzle Pieces
We had a really fantastic writing prompt today in one of my English classes. Found Poetry. Using our phone music playlists, iPod playlists, text messages, or books, we created a poem using only the song titles or phrases from the material we were viewing. I was so impressed with how well this worked and how fun it was. I told my roommate, H, about it when I got home and she wanted to write her own! You know a prompt or assignment is good when you want to go home and work on it more for pure enjoyment!
It really is like taking puzzle pieces (bits of already existing material) and crafting them together in a new way to create your own version of the big puzzle picture. I chose my "Recently Played" playlist on my iPod and I came up with a decent poem, but I tried again when I got home and came up with this:
I learned from you to be surprised.
An ocean of memories, one by one
Lazy days, the way we were,
wishing you were somehow here again.
Only time on my own somewhere
anchor you and I fathoms below.
The truth? I'll be OK
Sunrise, Sunset
I broke up the various song titles with different colors, so you can see how they are all so separate, little puzzle pieces or distant entities, but brought together to create a bigger picture. This is definitely one of the most interesting writing prompts I've ever seen, and it's definitely going in my teaching toolbox.
It really is like taking puzzle pieces (bits of already existing material) and crafting them together in a new way to create your own version of the big puzzle picture. I chose my "Recently Played" playlist on my iPod and I came up with a decent poem, but I tried again when I got home and came up with this:
I learned from you to be surprised.
An ocean of memories, one by one
Lazy days, the way we were,
wishing you were somehow here again.
Only time on my own somewhere
anchor you and I fathoms below.
The truth? I'll be OK
Sunrise, Sunset
I broke up the various song titles with different colors, so you can see how they are all so separate, little puzzle pieces or distant entities, but brought together to create a bigger picture. This is definitely one of the most interesting writing prompts I've ever seen, and it's definitely going in my teaching toolbox.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Pure Bliss
Do you ever have those moments when you are simply over the moon? I got some amazing news this afternoon and every 5 minutes or so, I have another mini realization that this is actually happening. I'll start giggling, chills running up my back. Constantly needing to ask myself if I'm dreaming is definitely a good sign and helps me realize how blessed I am.
I wrote my slice yesterday about recognizing the amazing little things in life. I think that was a great perspective for me to have and helps me appreciate the big things, like what happened today, even more.
Now I'm sitting in my living room, feet kicked up, with Storage Wars humming in the background. Somehow that image is the visual representation of my satisfaction with my situation at the moment. Today was a great day.
I wrote my slice yesterday about recognizing the amazing little things in life. I think that was a great perspective for me to have and helps me appreciate the big things, like what happened today, even more.
Now I'm sitting in my living room, feet kicked up, with Storage Wars humming in the background. Somehow that image is the visual representation of my satisfaction with my situation at the moment. Today was a great day.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Little Things
After waking up this morning to my phone alarm energetically pumping out cutting island tones, I stumbled out of bed to get ready for the day. Monday mornings aren't my favorite thing in the world, but this morning hasn't been so terrible.
The braid in my hair turned out like I wanted it to, I got to wear my favorite scarf, I found a great parking spot on campus, climbing the seemingly mile-high stairs wasn't as laborious today, the professor that I TA for commended my grading efforts for the class's midterm, and now I'm sitting in my favorite building on campus looking out of large windows at an amazing view of snow-glazed mountains emerged in sunlight.
It truly is the little things in life that make it worth living for me. I find more happiness in my life when I learn to pay attention to things like a breeze, a smile, the sound of rain, the smell of new books, and millions of other little miracles that constantly surround me.
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Brault
The braid in my hair turned out like I wanted it to, I got to wear my favorite scarf, I found a great parking spot on campus, climbing the seemingly mile-high stairs wasn't as laborious today, the professor that I TA for commended my grading efforts for the class's midterm, and now I'm sitting in my favorite building on campus looking out of large windows at an amazing view of snow-glazed mountains emerged in sunlight.
It truly is the little things in life that make it worth living for me. I find more happiness in my life when I learn to pay attention to things like a breeze, a smile, the sound of rain, the smell of new books, and millions of other little miracles that constantly surround me.
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Brault
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Self-Prescribed
The past few days have been really rough. I've had papers to write and midterms to take. I've even had to grade a stack of midterms for the class I TA for. (Who knew grading could take upwards of 12 hours?! I guess I should've expected that). So I ended up pulling an almost-all-nighter to grade those on Thursday into Friday and then taking my own midterm later that afternoon, running off of 1 hour of sleep. Finally getting home last night with some dinner, I finished eating and collapsed in bed at 8:00, welcoming a chance to rest.
Unfortunately my body had different plans and I ended up getting sick in the night, which is something I dread almost more than anything. I usually go years between times when I throw up, therefore it terrifies me when it actually happens. So after spending the first morning hours of this day in the bathroom, holding back my hair with tears streaming down my face, I've decided to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Watching the sun peek through the cracks in my blinds, I'm still content holing up in here with a soft bed, pillows, and a stack of unread books. Even with nights like last night, I love days like today.
Unfortunately my body had different plans and I ended up getting sick in the night, which is something I dread almost more than anything. I usually go years between times when I throw up, therefore it terrifies me when it actually happens. So after spending the first morning hours of this day in the bathroom, holding back my hair with tears streaming down my face, I've decided to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Watching the sun peek through the cracks in my blinds, I'm still content holing up in here with a soft bed, pillows, and a stack of unread books. Even with nights like last night, I love days like today.
Forewarning
March may bring with it leprechauns, warmer weather, and basketball but it also brings a project from Two Writing Teachers: the Slice of Life challenge. The goal is to write about a little "slice" of your life and post it every day in the month of March. Already I'm a little behind, but I'm going to try to do it for the rest of the month.
If you haven't noticed, most of my recent posts have had the title Slice of Life: blahblahblah for the same bloggers' Slice of Life Tuesday challenges. So, I'm just posting this right now to warn you all that I'm not going to include that in the titles anymore and you can just all assume that anything I write during this month (and probably after too) will be a slice of my life. Anyway, check out the challenge on Two Writing Teachers blog and join if you'd like! Let the slicing begin.
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