(no subject)
so. guess what? a real update. or realish. on to real writing style...
Family Weekend at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington was AMAZING!!!! I had so much fun! All of Shelby's friends were really nice, and interesting, and intelligent! and cool, and even excited to meet me!!! (at least Eleanor was, but hey that's good enough for me =) I was even inducted into the Whitman Kollege Klutz Klub, and had to pay $.10 for falling down the stairs. Additionally, I helped provide commentary for Alan's video gaming, I learned to juggle, I mocked and scorned Jim Dine (as all rational people should), I went to the corn maze, I got invited to stay at Anthea's parent's house on my train trip next February of March (although Anthea will be in India, her parents just like me that much...what can I say, I'm a charmer!), I went pinging!, and so much more that is still processing. Taco truck. T sports. Shelby's gallery! Rock climbing. Nostalgia shirts. Ice Burg. Bangkok. Going to church, and making offerings! The Lighter of Justice! Shelby's new mailbox. Man, this weekend was amazing. It was all the things that I've never gotten out of college. Or, rather, both things: 1. Friends and 2. Extracurricular Activities. I have let's see...one friend at school that I talk to. Probably won't keep in touch afterwards. (Clearly won't be keeping in touch with my friends in multicultural class, it is too much to post things from Scotland to here...) And what do I do at my school except go to class? Well, between 5:30 and 7:00 on Thursdays I hang out in the library, eat, and/or sleep. And Tuesdays after school I hang out with Lauren and Matt, but that's in Boulder and doesn't count. What else do I do related to school?
Drive. And that's it. Don't get me wrong, I love my classes...especially multicultural class. But really all of my classes! They've been (at least for the last year) immensely engaging, interesting and thought provoking. I've learned a lot about movies, that's for sure. (Just try and stump me at six degrees of kevin bacon....) And a lot about other things, too...the "isms," some philosophy (or at least approaches to literature, which can be used as an approach to life...just ask Jenn...), and I've learned that I'm smarter than everyone else at my public commuter college. This is not a particularly good thing. Jenn seems to constantly astounded by how much she is learning all the time, and much of that seems to come from other people and her interactions/discussions with these people. I don't really have those, except for with Julie, or my brother...but they haven't read the same things/experienced the same classes (or at least ideas) as I have most of the time, so it's less of a conversation and more of a me trying to recall the reading and not just recall it, but interpret it. Would be more fun if I had someone to bounce ideas off of first before trying to explain it!
So, problem number one with my life: uh, not enough intellectual stimulation? I don't know, I think I got off subject. The main point! is that I haven't colleged. I haven't had an interesting class and then gone and discussed it in a coffee shop. I haven't played frisbee on the lawn. I haven't joined a club. And I'm graduating in LESS THAN two months? Whoa whoa whoa. Hold the phone. Back the truck up. Rewind, please, and let me make a better choice about what I want out of school. Let me go into debt (or not move out early, and utilise my father's extensive financial resources), or whatever. I have a degree in two and one half years. Impressive, sure, but 1. it's a degree in movies, and 2. it doesn't matter! Everyone will have one in a year or two. Mine isn't particularly noteworthy, no matter what Latin words end up below my name. (Or above, I'm not sure where it'll be on the degree. Tangential!) I haven't really accomplished much, and I haven't had too much fun doing it. I mean, I've enjoyed my education, but (seriously!) college isn't about that! Or not just that, or at least it oughtn't be. It should be about learning, yes, and friends and experiences and all of that. I don't have any of those. Or at least not new ones. Who do I hang out with now that I didn't in high school? Hrmm. Uh. I hang out with my cousin more, does that count? NO. It does not count. (Nothing against my cousin.) But seriously, when you talk to people about what they did during a semester, the stories involve who they did things with as much as what actually took place. What engaging professor, what new friend, what new dating escapade (even my dating escapades have remained primarily limited to Cinemark employees. What changed about that since high school? Well...uh, now I no longer work there. And thankfully, have stopped dating their employees...which also means I've stopped dating. Moving on!) Basically...my life has not been nearly as fun/interesting/remarkable(remarkable to myself, not in general terms) as any of my friends' lives. My only real new friend is Rachel, and she is only home on breaks because she goes to school in New Orleans (or Chicago, for this semester) having the kind of life that I am not. I'm not jealous, exactly, I just wish that maybe I had made different choices back when I had the chance to.
Which brings me to the next point. What does when do when one graduates before one turns 21? According to Devin and Shelby (and Eleanor, and Shelby's mom) one ought to attempt to salvage what one can from the predicament and move to Walla Walla for a year, hopefully living with Shelby and Eleanor and Sarah Ziff (sp), who I didn't get to meet, but hopefully will someday before I move there. Shelby and I hit upon this brilliant scheme whilst discussing my dilemma. And brilliant it is...I have nothing else to do, and certainly nothing better. I don't have a career-y job, I don't have much of anything else that I'd be leaving behind except for a couple friendships and family...but who didn't leave that when they went to college in the first place? And it probably wouldn't be a permanent move, although I have no idea what I'd do after everyone else catches up with their degrees...maybe it'd be time to start grad school, or get a teaching certificate...or who knows? Maybe I'll meet someone. Maybe I'll die. Maybe I'll..do anything. Too far ahead to plan...my thinking ahead stops at next year, with Walla Walla. This isn't really news to anyone who might read my journal except Paige...so, Paige, happy reading. Oh and Sarah! So, Sarah, happy reading as well =) And anyone else that reads my journal...show yourselves! Eh, just kidding. I know there's no one there.
Additionally: Shelby, if you've made it this far, you ought to give me people's email addresses!! My email these days is tucosgold at gmail dot com, so you can/should/had better/will! email me there, please, so I can keep in touch with folk =)
Family Weekend at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington was AMAZING!!!! I had so much fun! All of Shelby's friends were really nice, and interesting, and intelligent! and cool, and even excited to meet me!!! (at least Eleanor was, but hey that's good enough for me =) I was even inducted into the Whitman Kollege Klutz Klub, and had to pay $.10 for falling down the stairs. Additionally, I helped provide commentary for Alan's video gaming, I learned to juggle, I mocked and scorned Jim Dine (as all rational people should), I went to the corn maze, I got invited to stay at Anthea's parent's house on my train trip next February of March (although Anthea will be in India, her parents just like me that much...what can I say, I'm a charmer!), I went pinging!, and so much more that is still processing. Taco truck. T sports. Shelby's gallery! Rock climbing. Nostalgia shirts. Ice Burg. Bangkok. Going to church, and making offerings! The Lighter of Justice! Shelby's new mailbox. Man, this weekend was amazing. It was all the things that I've never gotten out of college. Or, rather, both things: 1. Friends and 2. Extracurricular Activities. I have let's see...one friend at school that I talk to. Probably won't keep in touch afterwards. (Clearly won't be keeping in touch with my friends in multicultural class, it is too much to post things from Scotland to here...) And what do I do at my school except go to class? Well, between 5:30 and 7:00 on Thursdays I hang out in the library, eat, and/or sleep. And Tuesdays after school I hang out with Lauren and Matt, but that's in Boulder and doesn't count. What else do I do related to school?
Drive. And that's it. Don't get me wrong, I love my classes...especially multicultural class. But really all of my classes! They've been (at least for the last year) immensely engaging, interesting and thought provoking. I've learned a lot about movies, that's for sure. (Just try and stump me at six degrees of kevin bacon....) And a lot about other things, too...the "isms," some philosophy (or at least approaches to literature, which can be used as an approach to life...just ask Jenn...), and I've learned that I'm smarter than everyone else at my public commuter college. This is not a particularly good thing. Jenn seems to constantly astounded by how much she is learning all the time, and much of that seems to come from other people and her interactions/discussions with these people. I don't really have those, except for with Julie, or my brother...but they haven't read the same things/experienced the same classes (or at least ideas) as I have most of the time, so it's less of a conversation and more of a me trying to recall the reading and not just recall it, but interpret it. Would be more fun if I had someone to bounce ideas off of first before trying to explain it!
So, problem number one with my life: uh, not enough intellectual stimulation? I don't know, I think I got off subject. The main point! is that I haven't colleged. I haven't had an interesting class and then gone and discussed it in a coffee shop. I haven't played frisbee on the lawn. I haven't joined a club. And I'm graduating in LESS THAN two months? Whoa whoa whoa. Hold the phone. Back the truck up. Rewind, please, and let me make a better choice about what I want out of school. Let me go into debt (or not move out early, and utilise my father's extensive financial resources), or whatever. I have a degree in two and one half years. Impressive, sure, but 1. it's a degree in movies, and 2. it doesn't matter! Everyone will have one in a year or two. Mine isn't particularly noteworthy, no matter what Latin words end up below my name. (Or above, I'm not sure where it'll be on the degree. Tangential!) I haven't really accomplished much, and I haven't had too much fun doing it. I mean, I've enjoyed my education, but (seriously!) college isn't about that! Or not just that, or at least it oughtn't be. It should be about learning, yes, and friends and experiences and all of that. I don't have any of those. Or at least not new ones. Who do I hang out with now that I didn't in high school? Hrmm. Uh. I hang out with my cousin more, does that count? NO. It does not count. (Nothing against my cousin.) But seriously, when you talk to people about what they did during a semester, the stories involve who they did things with as much as what actually took place. What engaging professor, what new friend, what new dating escapade (even my dating escapades have remained primarily limited to Cinemark employees. What changed about that since high school? Well...uh, now I no longer work there. And thankfully, have stopped dating their employees...which also means I've stopped dating. Moving on!) Basically...my life has not been nearly as fun/interesting/remarkable(remarkable to myself, not in general terms) as any of my friends' lives. My only real new friend is Rachel, and she is only home on breaks because she goes to school in New Orleans (or Chicago, for this semester) having the kind of life that I am not. I'm not jealous, exactly, I just wish that maybe I had made different choices back when I had the chance to.
Which brings me to the next point. What does when do when one graduates before one turns 21? According to Devin and Shelby (and Eleanor, and Shelby's mom) one ought to attempt to salvage what one can from the predicament and move to Walla Walla for a year, hopefully living with Shelby and Eleanor and Sarah Ziff (sp), who I didn't get to meet, but hopefully will someday before I move there. Shelby and I hit upon this brilliant scheme whilst discussing my dilemma. And brilliant it is...I have nothing else to do, and certainly nothing better. I don't have a career-y job, I don't have much of anything else that I'd be leaving behind except for a couple friendships and family...but who didn't leave that when they went to college in the first place? And it probably wouldn't be a permanent move, although I have no idea what I'd do after everyone else catches up with their degrees...maybe it'd be time to start grad school, or get a teaching certificate...or who knows? Maybe I'll meet someone. Maybe I'll die. Maybe I'll..do anything. Too far ahead to plan...my thinking ahead stops at next year, with Walla Walla. This isn't really news to anyone who might read my journal except Paige...so, Paige, happy reading. Oh and Sarah! So, Sarah, happy reading as well =) And anyone else that reads my journal...show yourselves! Eh, just kidding. I know there's no one there.
Additionally: Shelby, if you've made it this far, you ought to give me people's email addresses!! My email these days is tucosgold at gmail dot com, so you can/should/had better/will! email me there, please, so I can keep in touch with folk =)