This past weekend I did something I haven't done for a long time: I wasted time by reading! It was such thrilling and gratifying experience that I almost don't consider it a waste of time (except for the fact that my stack of ungraded papers is now almost an inch thick).
When I was little I was an avid reader. My grandma, a teacher, used to make me feel so proud when she told me I was "reading at such-and-such grade level" when I was only eight. When I wasn't playing outside, I was reading. Granted, I wasn't reading things like the Iliad (which, I happen to know, some little kids actually read), but I was reading - engaging my brain. In high school between school and ballet there was little time to read for fun, which is when reading became my time-waster. I still enjoyed it, but I didn't get to increase my abilites.
Then my reading came to a screeching (yes, screeching) halt. With unlimited access to my own computer in college, I quickly shifted my time-whittling energies to the internet. First it was instant messenger, then Facebook, then the blogosphere. And all along were the movies and TV shows that suddenly became accesssible to me. Most reading, even relatively easy stuff, was edged out. I can think of one book that I read from start to finish during my college years. It was a good book, and I remember feeling refreshed by reading it, but it was the exception.
So I finally took some time out to read. It wasn't great literature, but it was substantial reading. I added back a part of myself that I had lost. My life is now a little less like white bread and a little more like whole wheat. Yay! I look forward to a lot more adventures in reading.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Worth the Move to Another State
After our upper school staff meeting this afternoon I drove home to drop Laura off, then rushed over to the MVA. After making two wrong turns I walked in exactly one minute before it closed.
When I got there I proudly produced everything demanded of me to obtain a Maryland driver's license: Tennessee license, proof of identity, and two proofs of Maryland residence. The lady took one look at my proof of identity, my passport, and said "This is not valid."
"Oh." I said, a little shaken, but not thwarted from my goal. "That's okay, I have my birth certificate." And I did. But I asked her anyway why on earth my passport wasn't valid, she pointed to the signature line which is labelled "Signature of Bearer" and "Not Valid Till Signed". Apparently she wouldn't just let me sign it and accept it as valid. So fortunately I had my birth certificate.
Then I took my number and waited. For only five minutes. Really, I have had very little trouble at the MVA office of Annapolis. And today made it best of all, because I got a semi-flattering driver's license photo. I had almost forgotten that step of the process, but when the lady mechanically said "Please stand in front of the blue cloth" and I repeated "Stand?" I realized what must inevitably occur. But it turned out so well! I was really quite shocked. All thanks goes to my hair stylist. I am also glad I blow-dried my hair. Also I see a lot of resemblence between me and my mom in this picture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
De Gaudiis Legendi
This past weekend I did something I haven't done for a long time: I wasted time by reading! It was such thrilling and gratifying experience that I almost don't consider it a waste of time (except for the fact that my stack of ungraded papers is now almost an inch thick).
When I was little I was an avid reader. My grandma, a teacher, used to make me feel so proud when she told me I was "reading at such-and-such grade level" when I was only eight. When I wasn't playing outside, I was reading. Granted, I wasn't reading things like the Iliad (which, I happen to know, some little kids actually read), but I was reading - engaging my brain. In high school between school and ballet there was little time to read for fun, which is when reading became my time-waster. I still enjoyed it, but I didn't get to increase my abilites.
Then my reading came to a screeching (yes, screeching) halt. With unlimited access to my own computer in college, I quickly shifted my time-whittling energies to the internet. First it was instant messenger, then Facebook, then the blogosphere. And all along were the movies and TV shows that suddenly became accesssible to me. Most reading, even relatively easy stuff, was edged out. I can think of one book that I read from start to finish during my college years. It was a good book, and I remember feeling refreshed by reading it, but it was the exception.
So I finally took some time out to read. It wasn't great literature, but it was substantial reading. I added back a part of myself that I had lost. My life is now a little less like white bread and a little more like whole wheat. Yay! I look forward to a lot more adventures in reading.
When I was little I was an avid reader. My grandma, a teacher, used to make me feel so proud when she told me I was "reading at such-and-such grade level" when I was only eight. When I wasn't playing outside, I was reading. Granted, I wasn't reading things like the Iliad (which, I happen to know, some little kids actually read), but I was reading - engaging my brain. In high school between school and ballet there was little time to read for fun, which is when reading became my time-waster. I still enjoyed it, but I didn't get to increase my abilites.
Then my reading came to a screeching (yes, screeching) halt. With unlimited access to my own computer in college, I quickly shifted my time-whittling energies to the internet. First it was instant messenger, then Facebook, then the blogosphere. And all along were the movies and TV shows that suddenly became accesssible to me. Most reading, even relatively easy stuff, was edged out. I can think of one book that I read from start to finish during my college years. It was a good book, and I remember feeling refreshed by reading it, but it was the exception.
So I finally took some time out to read. It wasn't great literature, but it was substantial reading. I added back a part of myself that I had lost. My life is now a little less like white bread and a little more like whole wheat. Yay! I look forward to a lot more adventures in reading.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Worth the Move to Another State
After our upper school staff meeting this afternoon I drove home to drop Laura off, then rushed over to the MVA. After making two wrong turns I walked in exactly one minute before it closed.
When I got there I proudly produced everything demanded of me to obtain a Maryland driver's license: Tennessee license, proof of identity, and two proofs of Maryland residence. The lady took one look at my proof of identity, my passport, and said "This is not valid."
"Oh." I said, a little shaken, but not thwarted from my goal. "That's okay, I have my birth certificate." And I did. But I asked her anyway why on earth my passport wasn't valid, she pointed to the signature line which is labelled "Signature of Bearer" and "Not Valid Till Signed". Apparently she wouldn't just let me sign it and accept it as valid. So fortunately I had my birth certificate.
Then I took my number and waited. For only five minutes. Really, I have had very little trouble at the MVA office of Annapolis. And today made it best of all, because I got a semi-flattering driver's license photo. I had almost forgotten that step of the process, but when the lady mechanically said "Please stand in front of the blue cloth" and I repeated "Stand?" I realized what must inevitably occur. But it turned out so well! I was really quite shocked. All thanks goes to my hair stylist. I am also glad I blow-dried my hair. Also I see a lot of resemblence between me and my mom in this picture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)