TED

You can, if interested, find some fantastically thought provoking, short lectures, here: http://www.ted.com/talks

Most of the lectures are 15-30 minutes.

Time

I desperately need something to occupy my time, yet I shall be in some measure inconsolable when my time is no longer my own. My days are spent alone in my apartment, repeatedly checking email and Facebook, and reading. This is not exciting enough for me! Landmarks: one week, then two weeks!

Full Moon

Admittedly, this post is being written mainly to keep the streak going. Here I am in Pittsburgh. Nothing much has changed. Today was a pretty good day in which I got out more than I have all week. I took a drive, finally rode the bus, and visited two libraries and the grocery store. I am sleepy! Reading and bed...

Warm, Fuzzy Thoughts (AKA Hard Reality)

Don't complain too loudly: this is again a series of links. I stumbled upon several intelligent articles regarding graduate study in the humanities.

Original Jumping-off point Here are posted responses, to the following linked article, by several Christian Ph.Ds

Original Chronicle article, part 1

Original Chronicle article, part 2

Here are links to two longer responses to the above article:

Brett Foster

Carmen Butcher

Being and Becoming

Recently I began reading a book, Twentysomeone, that was loaned to me back in April. Early in the book, the authors emphasize the importance of taking time to find out who we are as people (human beings) before becoming intent upon filling our lives with activity. While not exactly directly correlated with their point, their argument made me think of the ancient philosophical dichotomy of being and becoming. I have spent much of this summer being: reading and thinking about myself and my life, without engaging in lots of activity. I am headed into a year that will not easily again afford me so much time for reflection by the time I satisfy the demands of school, an internship, and a part-time job. Perhaps I am headed into a time of becoming? But I think that reflection is also critical to the process of becoming: mere activity itself will not suffice. So much, at times, and so little, at others, has happened during the past year (August-August). I wonder, what does this coming year hold?

Mistakes

I need the freedom to make my own mistakes!

A Parable by Thurber

Nostalgia

When I moved to Pittsburgh on Saturday, I brought with me 9 small jars of canned peaches and one jar of applesauce that Mom gave me about a year ago. I have decided that I'll eat them, one by one, when I feel lonely and homesick. Then I began to wonder if I'll ever feel lonely and homesick. I know that I will miss certain people, but will I miss Lancaster? The question really is whether I will be consciously aware of such feelings, or simply experience periods of crankiness and the blues without realizing the cause.
The couple that moved out of my apartment left a few scattered cleaning supplies. I found a Softsoap dispenser, with the fishy sticker, and some Target liquid hand soap under the bathroom sink. It was a powerful reminder of the days at 25A W. Cottage with Scott, Scott, Danny, and later, Jon.

Loans and Lemonade

This is my second full day in Pittsburgh. At present I am recovering from a 10 mile bike ride about the city. Some places there are bike paths; on some roads they are absent. According to my brother's observations on a recent walk through Crossgates, I am too heedless of danger. He couldn't believe that I kept walking on the road instead of moving into the grass when cars went by.

I have finally got my loans finalized, so the first term's tuition will be paid as soon as they are disbursed. I feel like I'm gambling and hope that I'm making a wise decision, not wasting time and money. As I started out on my bike ride, several young boys manning a lemonade stand on my street solicited my business. I told them, "Maybe when I come back!," so when I returned, hot and tired, I stopped by their card table. They had 3 sizes of plastic cups. I settled for a "large," which got me 10 ounces of icy lemonade for $.75. Capitalism lives among the young! They said they'd made $24.00 so far.

I wonder how many people will come out here to visit me in the course of the next year (August to August)? I predict, for the record, that no more than 4 people, not to include my parents, will.