Perspective
Time to get some perspective. I mean, really. I think sometimes its so easy to get all wrapped up in the moment to moment worries that we lose the big picture. Missing the genitals for the pubes, if you will. Or, if you would like a more traditional cliche, go with forest, trees, all that jazz. (C'mon babe, why don't we paint the town... and All That Jazz!) Spontaneous breaking into song aside, lets tick off the little things that are hacking me off, against the little and big things that are good.
Bad things
1. I hate the graduate program I'm in. I mean, serious dislike going on here. Imagine how I feel about the RNC, and make the dislike SLIGHTLY less visceral, and you'll get the idea. Considering that I have to deal with it on a daily basis, you might understand how this can cause great annoyance fairly regularly. While there could be a small laundry list of things wrong with it, I think that one of my biggest problems is that political science, as it turns out, has less to do with actual politics and governing than one might think. Yeah, I know. I was surprised too.
2. I'm currently working for two people, and neither is easy to work for. One has a reputation for stomping around and being grumpy and generally causing those who work for him to curl into a fetal ball of frustration and self-loathing. I'm not keen to put up with this and have thus far nipped it in the bud. The other person is just incredibly vague in giving instructions, leaving one constantly questioning if one is actually fulfilling one's duties or not.
3. I have a whole year before I can go and actually start what I feel like is the real beginning of my life as an adult. This makes me feel like I'm mostly just marking days off a calender and finding something to fill my time in the meantime.
Good things
1. I'm applying to law school very soon, and I'm pretty certain I can get into a decent one. This makes me happy, because along with writing, philosophy, and history, law and government are major areas of interest for me. This makes the afore-mentioned program more or less irrelevant to my professional ambitions. Truth to tell, the only reason I am even in the afore-mentioned program is money, as in I would still owe them some if I were to leave now.
2. I have some good friends around here, including Vernon, who just returned from the Army. This is definitely a cause for celebration. (And the people rejoiced.) There's also his wife Jenn, and of course everyone else I've mentioned thus far.
3. My mom is awesome. I know I haven't really mentioned her, but I think that's because I had an extraordinarily good childhood, with excellent parents who had a deeply committed and loving relationship. Seriously, who wants to hear about that? These days we hang out, drink together, go see bands together, and talk about just about everything.
4. I have, bar none, without doubt, hesitation or contest, the most amazing and wonderful girlfriend in the world. There is no way to express how lucky I am to have her, so I'm not really going to try. I don't know what to say except "I'm in love" and that doesn't do it justice. And that's as far as I shall expound, as I can already hear some of you preparing to chonger (or, for the more genteel among you, "womit") in my general direction. But, just so you know, seriously lucky and seriously happy.
So, I think its safe to say that on the balance my life is pretty damn good. So yay me.
Bad things
1. I hate the graduate program I'm in. I mean, serious dislike going on here. Imagine how I feel about the RNC, and make the dislike SLIGHTLY less visceral, and you'll get the idea. Considering that I have to deal with it on a daily basis, you might understand how this can cause great annoyance fairly regularly. While there could be a small laundry list of things wrong with it, I think that one of my biggest problems is that political science, as it turns out, has less to do with actual politics and governing than one might think. Yeah, I know. I was surprised too.
2. I'm currently working for two people, and neither is easy to work for. One has a reputation for stomping around and being grumpy and generally causing those who work for him to curl into a fetal ball of frustration and self-loathing. I'm not keen to put up with this and have thus far nipped it in the bud. The other person is just incredibly vague in giving instructions, leaving one constantly questioning if one is actually fulfilling one's duties or not.
3. I have a whole year before I can go and actually start what I feel like is the real beginning of my life as an adult. This makes me feel like I'm mostly just marking days off a calender and finding something to fill my time in the meantime.
Good things
1. I'm applying to law school very soon, and I'm pretty certain I can get into a decent one. This makes me happy, because along with writing, philosophy, and history, law and government are major areas of interest for me. This makes the afore-mentioned program more or less irrelevant to my professional ambitions. Truth to tell, the only reason I am even in the afore-mentioned program is money, as in I would still owe them some if I were to leave now.
2. I have some good friends around here, including Vernon, who just returned from the Army. This is definitely a cause for celebration. (And the people rejoiced.) There's also his wife Jenn, and of course everyone else I've mentioned thus far.
3. My mom is awesome. I know I haven't really mentioned her, but I think that's because I had an extraordinarily good childhood, with excellent parents who had a deeply committed and loving relationship. Seriously, who wants to hear about that? These days we hang out, drink together, go see bands together, and talk about just about everything.
4. I have, bar none, without doubt, hesitation or contest, the most amazing and wonderful girlfriend in the world. There is no way to express how lucky I am to have her, so I'm not really going to try. I don't know what to say except "I'm in love" and that doesn't do it justice. And that's as far as I shall expound, as I can already hear some of you preparing to chonger (or, for the more genteel among you, "womit") in my general direction. But, just so you know, seriously lucky and seriously happy.
So, I think its safe to say that on the balance my life is pretty damn good. So yay me.