This is the day: the morning spent studying before the sun was really up; the mid-morning spent babysitting, pushing a stroller around a lovely, idyllic neighborhood with brick houses that are all different; a trip to the library to pick up books on philosophy. Simona told me about these little So-and-So in 90 Minutes books, so I grabbed all our library had—Spinoza, Kant, Schopenhauer, Hume, and Sartre. Plus, The Essential Kierkegaard, partly because I’ve read him before and want to read more, and partly because I am in love with his name. Sometimes I say it quietly to myself, just because I love it so much. Kierkegaard. Ah!
Lately, I’ve felt this drive to learn. Maybe it’s being out of school for the longest time, well, ever. A year and four months now since the MFA was finished. I’ve embarked on a personal quest to study the book of Luke forward and backward, and that’s part of my morning study. I also want to learn more about philosophy, about physics, math, history. It’s an almost frantic drive, like there’s something I’ve got to catch up to, but it’s the exact opposite of unpleasant.
Have you heard of iTunes U? I just found it today, and I am beyond thrilled. Tons and tons of courses from a variety of universities and colleges, all for download on iTunes, free! Well, I don’t know if they’re all free, but the ones I was looking at were. I downloaded a seminary course on the Gospels and Acts this morning—forty-some lectures about forty-five minutes to an hour each. And on them, you can hear the professor writing on the white board! I just about died with happiness.
Now I’m listening to the Beatles, Elton John, and Simon and Garfunkel on Pandora, getting ready to make a sandwich for lunch and maybe crack open one of my new library books or keep browsing iTunes U for more “classes” I can take. Oh, what a lovely Friday.
7 Comments
I’ve been re-reading “Why We Can’t Wait” all week. And I keep bugging my co-workers about lesson plans and educational crap. Must be some sort of awesome get-smart flu in the air.
You should also search for “Opencourseware”. A ton of schools offer syllabi and documents, even lectures, for free online. You can basically take the class on your own. I love it! I know M.I.T., Harvard, and Yale do it, just to name a few.
Maybe it’s because it’s fall — back to school time! I wish I had more time for such projects. By the time I get done staring at the computer at work for 8 hours, I don’t feel like doing anything else productive (other than cooking dinner and reading a book for pleasure!).
P.S. Why is this website now asking me to put in my email? That’s new and not appreciated. Grrr…
Jarvis: Maybe the smart flu precedes the swine flu?
Dave: Brilliant! I’ll check it out.
Yana: Maybe I’m so programmed to associate fall with new classes that I am subconsciously continuing the pattern… I know what you mean about work, though, especially when you’re taxed by the end of the day.
Which website do you mean? Are you meaning the comment section? It has always asked for emails, as far as I know–I don’t know why. It doesn’t post them, but when I get the little notifications that someone has posted a comment, it gives me the email entered. It does seem unnecessary, and if I knew how to get rid of it I would.
Wittgenstein is another fun one to say. It’s a “V” sound at the beginning.
I’ve been trying to reread my philosophy books. It feels like I’m forgetting all those theories I allegedly “memorized” in school. I’m going to check into those programs you mentioned. I’ve been meaning to learn about the history of music for some time.
Erin, that sounds so idyllic, you have no idea. Working on my thesis is taxing me so greatly that I’m almost completely burnt out. And, in a few months, I have another degree to finish! And a wedding! And a play (did I mention that…went to an audition with Ein’s little sister for emotional support, and got offered a lead role – so now I am working full time, finishing up grad school, planning a wedding, and memorizing lines, oy!)! Getting up and studying, baby-sitting, learning whatever I want to learn…that honestly sounds like the ideal life right there. You really need to spend time each day that you get to appreciate that schedule just pausing. Pause, take a deep breath, and just make a conscious effort to remember what a beautiful day like that feels like. People have been telling me that on my wedding day I should do that. At different periods throughout the wedding, just remove myself from the moment consciously, step back, make a conscious effort to memorize the feelings, and the sights and sounds, and just all of the happiness. I’ve been trying to use that method as of late – whenever I have a really good day, or a really good moment, I remember how that felt, what the occasion was, etc. It’s really nice to have in the memory banks on a crappy/busy day. Just to take a moment to remember that life is peppered with all of these incredibly blissful moments. Moments that God gives us to cherish. Little blessings.
I hope you enjoy your little blessings. Oh, and please, enjoy them for me too!
Mike: Now I will wander around saying “Wittgenstein.” Thanks!
Becki: Yes, for sure there is so much about my current set-up that’s quite idyllic. I will try to enjoy it enough for the both of us! I have no idea how you manage all the things on your plate right now–that’s so cool about the play, though. You’ll have to tell me more about it!