Just keep swimming.

[clarinettie]

Back in Athens, back to the same old stuff. I'm at work, because clearly the only time I can update my journal is when I'm getting paid to do it. I'm not taking that many classes this quarter, but you'd never know it from my schedule. Between work, class, SAI and schoolwork, I feel like I barely have time for anything. I've been stressed about the thesis, REALLY stressed about the jury/grievance/whatnot, and everything else has kind of taken a backseat. I just need to pass the rest of my classes, so if I don't get great grades, I won't be overly concerned. It's not a great attitude, but it's not like 14 credit hours are really going to affect my GPA. I was thinking this morning on my way to work about all the time that I've put into SAI, and all the time that my friends put into their organizations, and I'm wondering what on earth it is that compels us to do this. Generally we are all successful, mostly happy people, but we spend so much of our time being stressed out about random events and organizations that ultimately don't matter all that much. In the long run, no one cares what happens with a small Greek music group in a college town in southeastern Ohio. But we fret and stress and lose sleep anyway. I spent all day Saturday at SAI province day in Columbus. Then on Sunday I had a 2 hour study session with my new SAI girls before going to (you guessed it) an SAI meeting. Monday, another 2 hour study session. Tuesday I cancelled the study session, but fielded some questions via IM and email. Wednesday I gave one membership exam at 2, another at 4:30, and another at 5 (so that I could accomodate all of my girls). So I proctored the exam on and off from 2 until 7 yesterday. Tonight we're having One Voice, a benefit concert celebrating women in the arts. It's a good time and a good cause-- 10pm- midnight tonight. Tomorrow is an SAI-free day, but then Saturday I'm working a fundraising table at 10am (after my goddamn 9am "make-up class" for Chamber Lit. It should be illegal to hold a class at 9am on a Saturday). And then back to Sunday for another SAI meeting. Meanwhile, I've completely flaked out on some other SAI responsibilites this week--I haven't done any promotion for One Voice and I missed out on painting the graffiti wall last night. So not only has my life been consumed with SAI activity, but I haven't actually done all of the things that I wanted/needed to do this week. Bah. Which brings me back to the original question--why are some people compelled to spend all this time, money, and energy on organizations in college? We're certainly not padding our resumes the same way we were in high school. Frankly, I don't think anyone outside of Athens or SAI would care. But I do it anyway of my own free will and then think about all the other ways I could be spending my time. Anyway, that's my boring little rant for the morning. In other news, my best friend from high school was robbed at gunpoint this week, which was more than a little disconcerting. I'm sending him an "I'm glad you're not dead" care package today. Beyond that, it's been pretty much the same old stuff. I'm going home for Easter next weekend, now that my supercool co-worker traded me shifts for the weekend. The weekend after that I'm going to Boston/New Hampshire/Maine with Dave to check out our jobs with City Year. We're going to stay in Boston for a couple nights with Dave's family, and we'll get to stay with hosts from City Year in Maine for a night. We'll get to see a normal work day that Friday and then Saturday is a day of service, so we'll work with the current volunteers and (hopefully) meet some other confirmed volunteers for next year. I'm looking forward to seeing what I'll be doing for 10 months of my life, and where we'll be living. We'll be gone from Thursday until Sunday, and then that Monday is my birthday! Hooray! So I suppose things are looking up a bit from where they were last week.
I guess that's it. Better find something else busy-looking to do at my computer for the next couple hours.