Remember when you would sit down for dinner with your family and your dad or your mom would ask, "What did you learn today?"?1 As an adult, I don't get asked that question very much, nor do I really think of my life as series of things learned. As a kid your job is to learn, and then as an adult your job is to go out and do something with that learning.2But it goes without saying that even once we stop attending classes and begin accumulating degrees and head off to become productive members of society, we don't stop learning. I am learning something new every single day, and so since I have been slogging lately, I thought I'd fill in some of the blank space on my blog by sharing some of the things I have learned recently in all this time that I haven't been writing.
I am still in school, and I do love to read, and I go to church every week, and I try to keep up to date on what's going on in the world, so of course in the last couple weeks I have learned plenty of stuff through the typical means. I've learned about the costs of attending community colleges in four different states, and Barak Obama's plan for reforming health care, and the benefits of being lazy, and the role of music in church meetings, and the impact of American jazz on European music in the 1920s, and the science behind my M&M cravings, and how hookworm can cure asthma and alltergies (eww...).
But I expected to learn all of these things3 by virtue of what I chose to focus my attention on in terms of reading and listening and studying. Aside from that, I also inadvertently picked up lots of little pieces of surprising and not-so-surprising information in the living of my day-to-day life. For example:
- Canine digestive systems cannot break down Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers.
- Drew Barrymore looks much shorter in person than she does on screen.
- Michigan can be made to look a lot like Austin, Texas.
- Kroger brand vanilla yogurt is made approximately 50 times better by the addition of a handful of fresh raspberries.
- Norway is not located in or near Canada, and is definitely not within driving distance of Michigan.4
- When you don't own a vacuum cleaner, vacuuming becomes the most exciting and fulfilling of all household chores.
1 I don't know if the double question mark is grammatically appropriate, but it seemed like the thing to do in that sentence. Also, this is my least favorite opening that I have ever used on my blog. Ever.
2 Haven't gotten to that point yet...
3 Okay, maybe not the hookworm bit.
4 It took a very long, involved dream to figure this out and alas, when I woke up I realized that I already knew it.
5 "Dreaded" because sometimes asking for comments guarantees that people won't give them to you. And I really, really like it when people comment on my blog. And don't let my telling you this make it less likely that you comment on this blog post because you think that I'll think it's a pity comment. A comment is a comment, no matter what the motivation.
10 comments:
1. You don't need the double question mark; just leave it in the quote marks. If it's a question but the quoted phrase is not a question, the question mark goes outside of the quotation marks.
2. I learned that I can use sex appeal to my advantage. I don't know how I missed this lesson in high school.
3. I learned that blowing off church altogether is definitely something I don't need to start doing.
4. I learned that the best thing I can do to find unity would be to stop avoiding socialization in community settings (i.e. church). And, something something go to Utah it doesn't have to be permanent.
5. I learned that computers make my eyes tired...and I still haven't started looking at the math and poetry units I'm teaching (designing).
Also, I learned that you can use footnotes in blogs (which I think is super cool).
Amy I have to quote a Hallmark card that I have in my room but haven't sent to anyone yet.
"I have to disagree with the notion that we learn something new every day. I think I've had several days in a row where I haven't learned anything and even forgotten some things."
This is often more appropriate of how I feel at my most tired times. I do love the footnotes though - fantastic use. Also, did you learn about hookworms from the parasites podcast on radiolab? That one made me queasy about 5 min into the cast...
I would like to point out that vacuuming can be fulfilling activity every day regardless of one's access to a vacuum cleaner.
After reading my last three books, I've learned that I'm incredibly glad and GRATEFUL I didn't grow up in Mao's China, Stalinist Russia and most definately not in AD 79 Pompeii. (I may have to do some lighter reading).
I've also learned that dad and I are capable of installing a ceiling fan and, wonder upon wonders, it will actually work!
Finally, I've learned that the idea of using bold interior color schemes in your own house can be intimidating (as fun/wonderful/exciting as they may look in others' homes). I've not yet learned if I'm capable of overcoming the intimidation. We'll find out shortly.
Today's list includes:
1 - I found another consistent runner at 7 A.M. as I passed him at the exact same spot as last run.
2 - Some possible insights into 1 Nephi 9:1, but would take too long to expound.
3 - Events in Paris around 1800 and its influence on Berlioz and the art community in general.
4 - Daily habits and practices of one who practices Zoastrianism.
Left to do
5 - Influence of Gluck opera on Berlioz.
6 - Weburn Piano Variations analysis. I wonder if you'd enjoy stuff like that. Number crunching atonal pieces.
7 - Find out what I'm teaching for tommorow.
Things I've learned recently-
- The proper use of the word Saponification and how it might apply to a Saponification calculator
- That I instinctively believe anything that Mark Bittman or Michael Pollan say about food. And most anything else. If they ever start a cult together, you'll know where to find me.
- That not doing much and getting paid for it isn't nearly as exciting as one might think.
- That nervious talking and nice guy attitudes don't always work out for the best
- That my health care providers are still convinced that I have chronic lower back pain, even though I don't (maybe I do, and it's just a whole lot less painful than I would have imagined) and have opted out of their healthy back maintenance program three times.
- That you can in fact sell baked goods on etsy.com.
- That the church just published an official version of the Santa Biblia, complete with cross references to the entire Standard Works
I've learned today that:
1. Never ever EVER be afraid to call someone if you need a hand. Don't be too proud. By receiving a favor you are encouraging service, right?
2. Japanese post offices are AMAZING. You can pay your bills there, have a bank account through them, the workers are the friendliest people alive, AND you can send your mail.
3. I have so much more respect for teachers now that I am one. Teachers mold kids as much as their parents do.
4. I'm glad I never settled. I love learning, growing, trying new things, going new places.
This week, I learned that alcoholism is a handicap, so you have to make accommodations in many things.
I also learned that I never want to go skiing again (if I get injured, I have no case)
I learned some crazy things about contracts and property, but it's not really worth putting here.
Free food always attracts people.
I don't like jello. (ok, I already knew that one)
Another thing I learned. I can send my IPod shuffle through the wash and it will still work perfectly. Maybe what I really learned is just how little water an HE washer uses (scary).
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