Thursday, August 25, 2011

Love

I am a sappy fool.

That's not a bad statement.  I think we as a society look too harshly on the fools in our world.  I don't think I'm an idiot, per se, just that I tend to behave and think in ways that are foolish when it comes to romance.  I toy with thoughts that are outright dumb, knowing fully well that they are dumb, and in the right moment of passion am prone to falling for them.  Sometimes I might fall for them even as I think completely and rationally about my choices, knowing it's probably not the best for my sanity or my life.  I make them because even as they are excessively foolish, they are also brilliant.

I adore romance, but not the too-serious kind.  To me the world of the heart should never be taken with too much gravitas, because such strong feelings can only be countered by a whimsical joy that pervades it.  You have to know that what you're writing, thinking, or doing is sappy, that there's a silliness to it, or the game is ruined.  To ignore the silliness in love is to risk disaster.

At least that's my take on things.  I think I've been hiding that romantic side in me for too long, not really expressing it to the world.  I've been burned many times, leaping too far or making too foolish a move at just the wrong moment, but I think in the end it was worth it.

Love, ultimately, has always been worth it.

(And no, I'm not changing my facebook status anytime soon.  I just had a long talk tonight that really put things in perspective for me.  It was good.)

Sunday, August 14, 2011

School Days, School Days...

School will soon be upon me.  As a child I might have seen the return to school with a sense of dread and fear.  Gone would be the sense of freedom, gone the days of careless play and weeklong camping trips.  These days I look with excitement.  Gone will be the sense of listlessness, gone the days of job searching and wishing I could afford to do more things.  I laugh a little as I realize I am so mad that I want to pursue effectively a career in being in school, constantly studying and refining my knowledge of the world around me.  I'm legitimately excited about this semester.  It should be fantastic.

My schedule this semester is going to be light, class-wise.  I'll be taking Virology, Invertebrate Zoology, and General Chemistry 2.  That's it.  Three classes, plus a lab.  With the way my graduation path is lined up, I'll only be taking roughly three classes a semester until I graduate.  Virology is with the same instructor I took for Genetics, and is effectively an advanced genetics course.  Since I love both the professor and the subject, it should be great.  I haven't taken a class from my Invertebrate Zoology professor, but invertebrates are interesting and I've heard good things about her.  The last class, Gen Chem 2, worries me.  It worries me a lot.  Not because I don't know or like the material, but because I don't know who the professor is yet.  The last time this happened I got stuck with one of the most boring instructors in the department, one who also happened to take roll and taught a subject I was intimately familiar with.

So this semester should be good, all told.  Add on that I'm working in the student labs (for free) doing independent research/study with my absolute favorite teacher, and this semester keeps sounding better and better!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Way to go, Matt Damon

I have to admit, I'm a big fan of Matt Damon.  Everything I've heard him say outside of acting makes me like him.  This recent video I am happy to include among the evidence for "Matt Damon is awesome:"


Reason.tv is a libertarian organization.  I've had some people suggest I might be libertarian, but this video is evidence to the contrary.  Having (mostly) gone through the teacher program at my university, and having several good friends who are teachers, I wholeheartedly agree with Matt Damon's approach.  The idea of taking away "job security" among teachers is silly.  I don't know exactly where I stand on the pension issue, exactly, but it seems like the gut reaction most people have when there are education problems is to blame the teachers.  Yes, there are bad teachers.  Yes, we should try to figure out a way to encourage good teachers and teaching habits.  The issue is minor compared to many other driving issues in education.

I remain hopeful for education, even if I'm going going into the career anymore.