First day of class at UNC, pre-exhaustion.
by Laura
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been doing a lot more UNC -related work than blogging. Apparently, I am enrolled as a student. Who knew? But I’m sure that all of our brains will welcome a respite from the Serious Business of the World when it comes to indulging my latest musings:
1. Even though I’m not a working mom, I really appreciated this article (which I read shortly before setting my alarm clock for 5 a.m … at 1 a.m.). Thank you, Ms. Realistic Author, for acknowledging that most self-help tips are too perfection-oriented to be useful!
I also recently read that being content was a much better goal than being happy, and I totally agree. No one is going to be happy 100% of the time, unless they’re someone like a children’s television character. And those people tend to go insane, if they weren’t already. Even Noodle the Poodle has days when her dog food is not blended and prepared in just the way she would like it. But, Noodle is content, because she has learned that this is all she’s getting, and while we’re asleep, she can just sneak into the pantry & steal all the bacon treats anyway.
(In other news, Noodle actually did this last week, and got the bellyache of the century. Unfortunately she took revenge on our futon & carpet, and then got sick again, from rubbing her face in the cleaning fluid. I’m hoping her brain cells are well developed enough to make this a lesson learned, but somehow I doubt it. Lesson learned by her owners: we need a top shelf harder to get to than the top shelf.)
#2) The Prep School Negro was super thought-provoking. Go see it if you can! (Even though I did have to sacrifice and skip Larry Flynt’s lecture in order to attend this screening. Tragic.)
#3) The annual Banff Mountain Film Festival is not always super thought-provoking, but it does involve footage of a lot of people being all crazy and extreme in the great outdoors. And, it’s probably coming to a city near you! Ironically, I’m debating if I’m hardcore enough to make the trek (via car) to see it in High Point. Maybe I’ll go on a nice hike around a well-manicured loop next to a visitor’s center to make up for it.
#4) Finally had a chance to join Harold at one of Duke’s weekly jazz events, and I had to agree with a student who said it was one of the best things that the university does. Free food, free music, drinks on points, lounge space to hang out with friends - win, win, win, win. Luckily I work best with a little bit of noise around me, and managed to bang out an entire paper while listening.
Next week, I plan on being totally content and at peace with grad school, even when it prevents me from attending activities like the ones above – because on Friday, spring break begins, and I’ll soon be off to Vegas. See? Work. Life. Balance!
Laura
Harold
