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Anything Right
Here it is, a Friday night. The night that folks just relax and let the tight ropes they’ve been clenching through the week go like a kite. Cause really, why fight the wind? That turtle kite wants to be free.
Okay so yeah, I’m sitting here listening to P.O.D. Because face it, they know how to rock it. Not that I’m a huge fan but there are times that they scratch that cacophonist fix itch.
W. is out tonight at a Stamp party that one of her co-workers is hosting for a friend. These social intricacies aren’t things to be taken lightly. You back your friends. And if that means driving an hour to sit through another party, sipping white wine that wouldn’t normally, and spending money to show your support…well, you do it. And she is. W., I don’t care if anybody says otherwise. When it matters you are there.
Maybe I should be working on homework, drafting the text for that final report. Maybe framing that presentation. But I’m not. Not that I’m worried as tomorrow and Sunday will disappear when I bend myself to the task of arranging words and thoughts into some organized semblance of learning so I can spew it out next week. So it goes. It’ll be fine.
There is this guy in my professional proximity that has expressed an interest in starting a blog. His wife has been blogging since their children were born and I think he has witnessed the effect this has had. We were chatting about it today and I got an idea later that I thought might be his catalyst. When people consider blogging they think there has to be a focus and admittedly, it helps. For me it was going back to school…but that is just my excuse, my facade of reason to write. To channel this electricity in my brain. For J., I think I have his focus. J. is in a band and has been for some time. I have no idea what type of music they play, but I understand he practices regularly and does gigs and stuff. At least I think he does. Regardless, J. is a programmer nerd like me during the day but apparently a budding rock star at night. So why not start a blog that follows the experiences and such of your band and your music? Even a post once a week, from the perspective a someone trying to doing something organized with noise, would be worth reading. Just say the word JVE.
Image: I took this in the Rackham Graduate School building last night when I was waiting for my group to show up for a meeting. This building is pretty cool. This picture was looking out toward the clock tower. The reflection of the room behind combined with the clock tower rising outside in the darkness made for an interesting shot.
Wait for it…
Today was another mad rush through life the universe and everything. Juggling and plate spinning at work whilst trying to avoid the political potholes that seek to bend my rims of idealistic thinking. At least I think it’s idealistic. Could very well be lame, mundane and out of date. So hard to tell when you hear so often “this is the future of ______.” Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.
After class tonight we met with our instructor to get his input on our group project1. He gave us some interesting perspective and lots to think about but the way it was delivered got me thinking on the way home.
He would give his impression, pose a topic, we would chat about ideas then there would be this long pause. The type of pause that you expect to be followed by a closing comment or some sort of final mention. Maybe a hug and “we’ll see you guys next Christmas….” But it wasn’t. After we suffered through a couple of these long moments of contemplative silence I realized that is exactly what it was. Contemplation. Thinking. The wheels were turning, silently, deliberately, waiting to see what would result. The moments of silence allowed ideas to grow.
This reminded me of a professor from last year. When the lecture was finished and he and the professor he lectured with would ask if students had questions or comments. There would be the normal tense silence filled with silent prayers that class was over. But no questions or raised hands. Shuffling would slowly commence. The wise professor would smile and say, “I realize you need a moment to think about things…we’ll wait for it.” And they would. They would stand there, relaxed, waiting, smiling their wise “we know you’ll think of something” grins while searching the class for that raised hand. And sure enough, it would happen.
So this lesson wasn’t necessarily the lesson that was intended, but it was a lesson none-the-less. Sometimes you need to let things sink in. Allow some pauses. From these pauses come new material, ideas, questions, insights.
Image: I took this last weekend at a group meeting. We were working hard to herd our ideas into something that resembled organized thought.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the MITalkers group project aimed at providing online mental health education modules to University Students. [↩]
Cold and busy.
I’ve done a little (hasty) research over the last few days on how to write interesting blog articles. I’ll give some of the suggestions more thought when I’m not so doggone tired.
Hanging over my head like a fat sweaty storm cloud are the next two weeks of school. Two large writing assignment, two presentations, and a number of sketches all need to be completed. I’m sure things will work out fine but only because I know there will be more late nights like this one. Look at that! Am I learning?!?
W. continues to be supportive but the pending holiday madness is already threatening to take us down and whitewash our rosy faces while shouting Christmas carols.
Must be optimistic…must be positive. Must go to bed.
Image: Took this picture after my Monday lecture on social tagging. It was cold and had been snowing most of the afternoon. It was our first ground covering of the year. Not enough to fire up the snow thrower but that didn’t stop me from thinking about how fun using a gas powered snow thrower can be.
Bracing for the last push
In three weeks this semester will be over. Within that time I need to work with my two groups to complete our final reports and give a presentation detailing our effort during the semester. While I’m not sure exactly how that will all come to pass, I’m confident that we’ll put our heads together and everything will turn out fine. And yes, it will be a little stressful. I probably have a few late nights on my horizon. But then the semester is over and I have a couple weeks where I don’t have to think about school at all.
Most of today was spent circling and authoring some of a final report for my CSCW class. I also spent a few hours working on my sketchbook. For some reason I have to push myself to draw, but once I’m drawing, its pretty relaxing and just works itself. But I’d never say it was easy. However, it does get easier the more I do it. Similar to writing. Which is why I’m pounding out this (mostly) meaningless post.
W. and I watched the last half of “The Family Stone” tonight even though we’ve seen it a few times. It is sad, endearing, playful, and unrealistic enough to make you think that just maybe there are families out there like that. A heart wrenching movie but what can I say, Diane Keaton is fantastic as always.
It was very cold today and promises to be cold the rest of the week. High of 39 F every day. Time to break out a heavier coat.
Image: Clouds have this relaxing quality which is probably why I end up using so many as blog images. Know this though, any cloud picture I use will be one that I took. Perhaps minor, but it is an important quality behind sharing a cloud picture. This one was taken over the Pacific ocean as we neared the islands of Hawaii. Looking down on clouds instead of up.
Procrastinating? Perhaps.
It is important that I make some progress on a research paper today. I know what I need to do but am having a hard time finding my focus.
Once I get going on it then maybe it won’t be so bad. I have drawings to do this weekend to avoid getting behind on my sketchbook.
Less than a month left in this semester. This is the final stretch.
Image: This is a brass statue in Hawaii. Life size horses and people in the carriage. An interesting piece of artwork. Really I just wanted to get a post in so I didn’t have to look at that dinner plate from yesterday.