It's that time of year.....
...when finals and projects pile up. No matter how well you plan, this has always been, and will always be crunch time.
...when sleep becomes nothing more than a sweet, distant memory.
...when I can't remember for the life of me why I chose retail as my current profession. Seriously, I have no idea.
...when I realize that no matter how many great ideas I have for Christmas presents, I will never have enough money to fulfill them all.
...when you don't hear from me.
You read that last one and you felt like protesting. You wanted to say, "Joanna, we never hear from you now as it is. And that is true. But here is what you do not understand:
Out of 100% of my time.
50% is spent on school.
40% on work.
3% on sleep.
1% on family.
1% on food.
1% on football.
1% on friend interaction. (Because at this point, all we're doing is e-mailing, and texting, and quick conversations. Nothing real)
3% on personal pleasure (books, movies, music, surfing the web, blogging....)
But now that it is crunch time. This is the new list:
85% on school.
10% on work.
1% on Christmas present thinking, shopping.
1% on football, playoffs, important articles
2% on Christmas programs. (Church -2 nights. School -2 nights. Family - 2 weekends.)
1% on sleep and food.
Do you see my dilemma? You have quite simply been cut out of the picture for the next 20 days of my life.
But 20 days from now, ah sweet, blessed relief. The world will be a perfect place, my mind will be at rest. I shall relax, and hopefully sleep in.
But before that, I have so incredibly much to do that I should not be sitting here telling you about it.
Have a great next 20 days of your life.
I will endeavor to survive the next 20 days of my life.
As I know that this post will give you great sadness, I leave you with a promise: 21 days from now, I will post. It may be just one sentence, but it will be there - just as long as I am still here.
See you 21 days from now.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
That's right - my life is better than yours
Seriously, you have no idea.
I could write out a long explanation of everything that has happened to me in the past week. I could talk to you for hours about all of the papers, tests, quizzes, and more papers that I turned in, and or took early. But I won't. All you need to know is that it was all worth it. Tomorrow, I leave for choir tour. While I am on that choir tour, I want you to bear in mind that EVERYTHING that I miss, I have already made up (with the exception of 1 test). Yes, that is correct. I have made up a whole week of school early. I feel pretty good about myself. I am utterly exhausted. My brain has not been able to function on anything other than schoolwork for the past week and a half. But it doesn't even matter anymore - I'm missing a whole week of school.
I have reserved this night for fun only.
I'm going to take a nap.
I'm going to go out to eat at my new favorite place to eat (more details coming soon)
I'm not going to pack at all. I'm a quick packer, I can do it all tomorrow.
I'm going to watch movies. Good movies.
I'm going to sleep in.
I'm going to relax - without once thinking about schoolwork.
I feel like I can breathe again. Sweet, sweet relief.
This should be good for you too, last choir tour I came out with 4 or 5 posts. I'm so very excited.
I could write out a long explanation of everything that has happened to me in the past week. I could talk to you for hours about all of the papers, tests, quizzes, and more papers that I turned in, and or took early. But I won't. All you need to know is that it was all worth it. Tomorrow, I leave for choir tour. While I am on that choir tour, I want you to bear in mind that EVERYTHING that I miss, I have already made up (with the exception of 1 test). Yes, that is correct. I have made up a whole week of school early. I feel pretty good about myself. I am utterly exhausted. My brain has not been able to function on anything other than schoolwork for the past week and a half. But it doesn't even matter anymore - I'm missing a whole week of school.
I have reserved this night for fun only.
I'm going to take a nap.
I'm going to go out to eat at my new favorite place to eat (more details coming soon)
I'm not going to pack at all. I'm a quick packer, I can do it all tomorrow.
I'm going to watch movies. Good movies.
I'm going to sleep in.
I'm going to relax - without once thinking about schoolwork.
I feel like I can breathe again. Sweet, sweet relief.
This should be good for you too, last choir tour I came out with 4 or 5 posts. I'm so very excited.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
A Night at the Symphony (with apologies to the Marx Brothers)
I went to the symphony last night. To fully explain this post, we must start off with the background. I've split them up into 2 separate but equally important views.
Background view 1:
I was talking to a girl a few weeks ago. She is a Music Ed. major. I asked her what I thought was a very simple question, "Are you going to the symphony?" Her reaction, was not so simple. She recoiled, a look of disbelief came upon her face, she opened her mouth and the most shocked voice came out, "For entertainment?" She dragged out the word en--ter--tain--ment as if to accentuate that entertainment has 4 syllables, or maybe she was unsure of how to pronounce the word (each are valid options). I was surprised. I said, "You are a music major". She answered, "I'm not like that." I didn't press her to find out what "like that" meant, since I am assuming it meant listening to classical music of your own volition, or something equally stupid like that.
But now, in true Joanna form, I have re-thought this conversation. I wish I had not gone down the music major path, that path is weary, downtrodden, and most of the time (sister excluded) it doesn't deserve to be defended. I do wish, however, that I had gone down the entertainment path.
Background View 2:
In the past few weeks, I have been an unwilling observer/listener/half-participator of people's conversations about movies. Now, you know I like movies. We go over this on a regular basis. But you may not know this: I like movies so much, that I purposely do not talk about them with certain people.
And within one week, I have had 5 conversations about movies, 4 of which were with people that I don't talk about movies with, and only 1 out of those 5 was I was truly participating in.
[Note: When I am not participating in a movie conversation, I usually listen, and make sarcastic remarks about movies mentioned. I offer some good movies for people to watch, see how they are accepted/rejected, and then back down. Listen to people talk about actors/actresses and decide whether I will ever speak to this person again. I also tend to stay far away from recommending movies in groups. That doesn't follow the holy rules of recommendations (previous post). I usually listen more than I talk, laugh more than I should, and hear more than I ought.]
I promise you, I did not start these conversations. I did not want to hear these people talk about movies. But they did. And I heard it. And I thought about it. And here I am.
Conclusion:
The greatest problem in America (don't worry, I'm not starting another series) is our conception of entertainment. That conception is why people are stupid. It is why people don't read real books. It is why people have horrible movie choices. It is why people don't go to symphony concerts. It is why people can't converse about the election intelligently. (which, hallelujah is over). And it is why I don't talk to you.
We have such a weak view of entertainment. We hold books/music/movies to such a low standard. That standard is only a momentary amusement or enjoyment. That's all we're asking for out of our books/music/movies. And then, the few, rare, options that come across our path that are on a slightly higher plane, we appreciate them only because they make us feel wise. But that, right there is the problem. The real versions of books/music/movies don't make us feel wise, they actually make us wise.
True "entertainment" is not a diversion. It is a thought process.
You don't go to the Symphony for entertainment, you go because you need to be reminded of how powerful music is.
You don't read a book for entertainment, you read a book because you need to see characters come alive, you need to hear thoughts that you haven't thought before, you need to go where you haven't gone before.
You don't listen to music for entertainment, you listen to music, because at times, there is nothing else in the world more important to do.
You don't watch a movie for entertainment, you watch a movie because you need to learn.
It's not about entertainment, it's about education. And it's become clear that many people are sorely in need of one.
Background view 1:
I was talking to a girl a few weeks ago. She is a Music Ed. major. I asked her what I thought was a very simple question, "Are you going to the symphony?" Her reaction, was not so simple. She recoiled, a look of disbelief came upon her face, she opened her mouth and the most shocked voice came out, "For entertainment?" She dragged out the word en--ter--tain--ment as if to accentuate that entertainment has 4 syllables, or maybe she was unsure of how to pronounce the word (each are valid options). I was surprised. I said, "You are a music major". She answered, "I'm not like that." I didn't press her to find out what "like that" meant, since I am assuming it meant listening to classical music of your own volition, or something equally stupid like that.
But now, in true Joanna form, I have re-thought this conversation. I wish I had not gone down the music major path, that path is weary, downtrodden, and most of the time (sister excluded) it doesn't deserve to be defended. I do wish, however, that I had gone down the entertainment path.
Background View 2:
In the past few weeks, I have been an unwilling observer/listener/half-participator of people's conversations about movies. Now, you know I like movies. We go over this on a regular basis. But you may not know this: I like movies so much, that I purposely do not talk about them with certain people.
And within one week, I have had 5 conversations about movies, 4 of which were with people that I don't talk about movies with, and only 1 out of those 5 was I was truly participating in.
[Note: When I am not participating in a movie conversation, I usually listen, and make sarcastic remarks about movies mentioned. I offer some good movies for people to watch, see how they are accepted/rejected, and then back down. Listen to people talk about actors/actresses and decide whether I will ever speak to this person again. I also tend to stay far away from recommending movies in groups. That doesn't follow the holy rules of recommendations (previous post). I usually listen more than I talk, laugh more than I should, and hear more than I ought.]
I promise you, I did not start these conversations. I did not want to hear these people talk about movies. But they did. And I heard it. And I thought about it. And here I am.
Conclusion:
The greatest problem in America (don't worry, I'm not starting another series) is our conception of entertainment. That conception is why people are stupid. It is why people don't read real books. It is why people have horrible movie choices. It is why people don't go to symphony concerts. It is why people can't converse about the election intelligently. (which, hallelujah is over). And it is why I don't talk to you.
We have such a weak view of entertainment. We hold books/music/movies to such a low standard. That standard is only a momentary amusement or enjoyment. That's all we're asking for out of our books/music/movies. And then, the few, rare, options that come across our path that are on a slightly higher plane, we appreciate them only because they make us feel wise. But that, right there is the problem. The real versions of books/music/movies don't make us feel wise, they actually make us wise.
True "entertainment" is not a diversion. It is a thought process.
You don't go to the Symphony for entertainment, you go because you need to be reminded of how powerful music is.
You don't read a book for entertainment, you read a book because you need to see characters come alive, you need to hear thoughts that you haven't thought before, you need to go where you haven't gone before.
You don't listen to music for entertainment, you listen to music, because at times, there is nothing else in the world more important to do.
You don't watch a movie for entertainment, you watch a movie because you need to learn.
It's not about entertainment, it's about education. And it's become clear that many people are sorely in need of one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)