Another quote from Wise Child by Monica Furlong, pg 57
When I had finished my astronomy, I turned unwillingly to the herb beds.
"I thought if you were educated you didn't have to do boring things," I had said to Juniper the day before.
"There are people who think like that," Juniper had said. "Such a pity. Boredom is so valuable." I could not imagine what she meant.
Now that I think about it, if I didn't get so bored during the summer, I wouldn't be so happy to go back to school. If I never got bored, I'd never want to work. What would be the point?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Icky, Horrible, Hateful Work
Quote from the book Wise Child by Monica Furlong pg 36-37
After breakfast Juniper began to wash up the dishes, and she asked me to sweep the floor. I fetched the broomstick to humor her, but I thought I'd better have the housework problem out with her right away.
"I don't like cleaning or dusting or cooking or doing dishes, or any of those things," I explained to her. "And I don't usually do it. I find it boring, you see."
"Everyone has to do those things," she said.
"Rich people don't," I pointed out.
Juniper laughed, as she often did at things I said in those early days, but at once became quite serious.
"They miss a lot of fun," she said. "But quite apart from that--keeping yourself clean, preparing the food you are going to eat, clearing it away afterward--that's what life's about, Wise Child. When people forget that, or lose touch with it, then they lose touch with other important things as well."
"Men don't do those things."
"Exactly. Also, as you clean the house up, it gives you time to tidy yourself up inside--you'll see."
After breakfast Juniper began to wash up the dishes, and she asked me to sweep the floor. I fetched the broomstick to humor her, but I thought I'd better have the housework problem out with her right away.
"I don't like cleaning or dusting or cooking or doing dishes, or any of those things," I explained to her. "And I don't usually do it. I find it boring, you see."
"Everyone has to do those things," she said.
"Rich people don't," I pointed out.
Juniper laughed, as she often did at things I said in those early days, but at once became quite serious.
"They miss a lot of fun," she said. "But quite apart from that--keeping yourself clean, preparing the food you are going to eat, clearing it away afterward--that's what life's about, Wise Child. When people forget that, or lose touch with it, then they lose touch with other important things as well."
"Men don't do those things."
"Exactly. Also, as you clean the house up, it gives you time to tidy yourself up inside--you'll see."
Sunday, April 4, 2010
How Bad Can I Be?
I drive a lot. It takes me twenty minutes to get to school every day (forty minute round trip) and once a week I drive to the city, which takes me fifty minutes. Since I’m not big on listening to the radio and I don’t have a CD player in my car, I end up thinking. A lot.
After the work day is over, I feel exhausted and drained so I watch some video on the internet to “renew” my strength before I start on my paperwork. But so often, a quick fifteen minutes of TV turns into an hour, two hours, even three hours.
Every time I “mess up,” I leave school hating myself. But the funny thing is that as I drive home, all I’m doing is trying to figure out exactly how badly I messed up. Yes, it was a little bit wrong, but at least I only watched TV for an hour. Or, Yeah, I needed a break, I was brain fried and without TV I wouldn’t have been able to do any work at all—fiddlesticks!! It seems that every time I feel guilty I waste all my time trying to figure out exactly how much scolding I deserve. But all I’m really doing is trying to justify my actions, make them seem ok when they aren’t. It doesn’t matter if I watched TV for a half hour or three hours. It’s still wrong. The whole attitude is wrong. Jon Bytheway named it, “How bad can I be?” Or, “How good am I ‘sposed to be?” Both attitudes are miles away from the correct attitude—“I will do what is right.” What am I doing trying to figure out ‘Oh, I was a little bit bad’ or ‘I only did it for a short time, it’s okay. I’m still a good person.’ It’s all an avoidance technique because I’m still not doing what I know is right.
Why am I wasting time and energy justifying actions that I know are wrong? I just need to decide to do the right thing and spend my time and energy doing things that will build me up instead of tear me down. I hate guilt. Doing the right thing is so much easier and feels so much better.
After the work day is over, I feel exhausted and drained so I watch some video on the internet to “renew” my strength before I start on my paperwork. But so often, a quick fifteen minutes of TV turns into an hour, two hours, even three hours.
Every time I “mess up,” I leave school hating myself. But the funny thing is that as I drive home, all I’m doing is trying to figure out exactly how badly I messed up. Yes, it was a little bit wrong, but at least I only watched TV for an hour. Or, Yeah, I needed a break, I was brain fried and without TV I wouldn’t have been able to do any work at all—fiddlesticks!! It seems that every time I feel guilty I waste all my time trying to figure out exactly how much scolding I deserve. But all I’m really doing is trying to justify my actions, make them seem ok when they aren’t. It doesn’t matter if I watched TV for a half hour or three hours. It’s still wrong. The whole attitude is wrong. Jon Bytheway named it, “How bad can I be?” Or, “How good am I ‘sposed to be?” Both attitudes are miles away from the correct attitude—“I will do what is right.” What am I doing trying to figure out ‘Oh, I was a little bit bad’ or ‘I only did it for a short time, it’s okay. I’m still a good person.’ It’s all an avoidance technique because I’m still not doing what I know is right.
Why am I wasting time and energy justifying actions that I know are wrong? I just need to decide to do the right thing and spend my time and energy doing things that will build me up instead of tear me down. I hate guilt. Doing the right thing is so much easier and feels so much better.
Everybody's a Nerd
I met a guy last week and we were talking about writing and I was talking about how I write for fun and he said, “So, you’re basically a nerdy girl.” And I replied, “Yes. I love being a nerd! It’s so much fun!” Writing and reading are my passions, so I love doing anything associated with them—including essay writing and analyzing the plot structures of Saturday morning cartoons. In fact, I love analyzing the themes in Star Trek episodes and figuring out why the villain was lame in the new Percy Jackson film. I talk about depth, character, and subplots. I talk about writing business letters to my favorite cereal company. Am I a nerd? Most definitely YES! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As I thought about that phrase, ‘so you’re a nerdy girl?’ some more, I told my sister, “Everybody’s a nerd!” Some people are nerds about hunting or fishing. Some people are nerds about football and college rivalries. Some people are nerds about motocross racing. How do you spot a nerd? You mention a certain topic and suddenly they are talking your ear off about that subject and asking your opinion on the competition last week and who you think will win the championship next month. They start speaking a different language about full backs and hole shots and draw weights on compound bows. Nerds love that nerdy language.
Unfortunately, being a “nerd” in our society is often the same thing as being a “loser.” They are seen as socially awkward, totally lacking in common sense and too obsessed with their passion to notice the world around them (such as, current fashion trends?). But what about those men who watch football all the time? Or people who spend every weekend on four wheelers? They aren’t seen as “losers,” but they are just as committed to their passions as the computer geeks. For some reason, if you are a nerd about sports or outdoorsman stuff, you’re cool. But if you’re a nerd about English, science, or anything academic and “boring,” the world sees you as a socially handicapped “loser.” Which is kind of funny since the computer “losers” are having just as much fun as the four wheelers, and are probably making more money. Bill Gates is a case in point.
Be careful in how you judge a nerd. Just because a person likes to read doesn’t mean they don't have any fashion sense. Just because someone plays basketball doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy poetry, too.
But seriously, being a nerd is fantastic fun! Find your passion, stick to it, and have a blast!!
As I thought about that phrase, ‘so you’re a nerdy girl?’ some more, I told my sister, “Everybody’s a nerd!” Some people are nerds about hunting or fishing. Some people are nerds about football and college rivalries. Some people are nerds about motocross racing. How do you spot a nerd? You mention a certain topic and suddenly they are talking your ear off about that subject and asking your opinion on the competition last week and who you think will win the championship next month. They start speaking a different language about full backs and hole shots and draw weights on compound bows. Nerds love that nerdy language.
Unfortunately, being a “nerd” in our society is often the same thing as being a “loser.” They are seen as socially awkward, totally lacking in common sense and too obsessed with their passion to notice the world around them (such as, current fashion trends?). But what about those men who watch football all the time? Or people who spend every weekend on four wheelers? They aren’t seen as “losers,” but they are just as committed to their passions as the computer geeks. For some reason, if you are a nerd about sports or outdoorsman stuff, you’re cool. But if you’re a nerd about English, science, or anything academic and “boring,” the world sees you as a socially handicapped “loser.” Which is kind of funny since the computer “losers” are having just as much fun as the four wheelers, and are probably making more money. Bill Gates is a case in point.
Be careful in how you judge a nerd. Just because a person likes to read doesn’t mean they don't have any fashion sense. Just because someone plays basketball doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy poetry, too.
But seriously, being a nerd is fantastic fun! Find your passion, stick to it, and have a blast!!
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