I'm going to go ahead and warn you upfront, I have no idea what this post is going to be about. But I told myself I'd keep a blog going, so keep a blog going I shall. Even William Wordsworth wrote without a clear purpose in mind firsthand:
"From such verses the Poems in these volumes will be found distinguished at least by one mark of difference, that each of them has a worthy
purpose. Not that I always began to write with a distinct purpose formerly conceived; but habits of meditation have, I trust, so prompted and regulated my feelings, that my descriptions of such objects as strongly excite those feelings, will be found to carry along with them a
purpose."
Although he didn't always know what message his poem was going to convey as he sat down to write, through meditation and revision he molded his poetry to have a clear message and purpose.
That just might be what I have to do.
So, since when did I become enthralled with Wordsworth's writing process? I'll let you know when that happens, but I do admire some of his ideas regarding writing and poetry (though his Preface to
Lyrical Ballads is almost painful to read at times). I'm taking English 206 - English Literature - if that clears anything up.
I love my classes this year. My English class is taught by an incredibly laid back young guy who takes his tennis shoes off at the beginning of each class and wears dark-rimmed glasses. I find myself appreciating his dry humor and quiet enthusiasm for English literature. I'm also taking a geography class (which is not at all my favorite, but I've taken worse classes), an online cultural anthropology class (very interesting stuff!), and an intermediate Spanish class (also awesome).
If there's one thing that I've learned this week, it's that I take myself way too seriously and that I need to really start living. Oscar Wilde said, "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." Well done, Oscar, well done. Step number one to living life to the fullest: slow down and get some freakin' rest. I'm always on the go, my mind is always racing, and I'm never satisfied with just sitting around. But I think sometimes our bodies just need some R & R to regroup. We need to plug ourselves into the wall and recharge. Or at least, I know I do.
It's hard for me to think of things to write about lately. I can never decide what to write about or what I feel comfortable with sharing. Some things just shouldn't be posted for the entire world to see. I'm learning that. Damn online self-publishing platforms. Makin' me think I need to share my life's story to feel like I contributed something to this world. Here's the honest-to-goodness truth: Journals can be your best friend, but only when you stop writing for an "audience." Some things are best written for you, the paper, and your pen. And if you do decide to share some things, wait until enough time has passed that you feel a bit removed from the situation and can look at it with fresh eyes. Write it as it happens, then meditate and comment on it later. Words need time to ripen, like fruit...or..cheese. Or just fruit.
That is all.
(by the way, thanks guys for the encouraging comments!)
1. Lucid Dreaming: Inception captivated me, and I did a little research to see which parts of the movie are accurate. While it's not exactly possible to hack peoples dreams as they did in the movie, some people are more inclined than others to experience dreaming in which they are aware that they are dreaming and can therefore manipulate certain elements. Allegedly, you are supposed to be able to "train" your mind to be more capable of lucid dreaming and must practice techniques to improve. Sounds cool to me.
2. Rock climbing: I bought a "Living Social" voucher for a really awesome rock climbing studio visit. Fifteen bucks for a two people, all-day pass, shoe rental included. Yay for frugal Dani! If I like it enough, I'll go more often and maybe even join the studio on campus (and, even further, I think real rock climbing would be super fun if I trained for it). 