Prayer Before Study

Reblogging because FINALS.

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas before Study

 O ineffable Creator,

Who, out of the treasure of Thy wisdom,

hast ordained three hierarchies of Angels,

and placed them in wonderful order above the heavens,

and hast most wisely distributed the parts of the world;

Thou, Who are called the true fountain of light and wisdom,

and the highest beginning,

vouchsafe to pour upon the darkness of my understanding,

in which I was born,

the double beam of Thy brightness,

removing from me all darkness of sin and ignorance.

Thou, Who makest eloquent the tongue of the dumb, 

instruct my tongue, 

and pour on my lips the grace of Thy blessing.

Give me quickness of understanding, 

capacity of retaining,

subtlety of interpreting,

facility in learning, 

and copious grace of speaking.

Guide my going in, 

direct my going forward, 

accomplish my going forth; 

through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Dust unto Dust

The men of the East may spell the stars,
And times and triumphs mark,
But the men signed of the cross of Christ
Go gaily in the dark.

The men of the East may search the scrolls
For sure fates and fame,
But the men that drink the blood of God
Go singing to their shame.

-- G. K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse

Social Networking

Humans are social creatures, and women in particular are fond of conversation and an all-encompassing exchange of information -- who's dating whom, who's broken up with, what they wore and why they did it. We just like to know what's going on in the lives of the people around us. I've just been wondering lately -- when does a normal conversation about what other people are doing and thinking cross the line and become gossip?

There is an obvious divide between talking about the latest social event and a no-holds-barred catfest, but what about the gray areas in between? When do you cross the line between honest discussion and gossiping? It's easy enough to give some universal principle, but the practical application is a far more slippery beast. Thoughts?

The Joys of Confession

(My peeps, I am here to trumpet the virtues of a much-maligned sacrament. Bear with me while I make sweeping generalizations about the human race with little to no apparent scientific backing. Also, my theology is not the most profound.)

Society at large is fond of dissing confession. It tells us that reciting one's personal failings to a man in a dark little room is weird and twisted (then promptly heads off to its therapist's couch). Not so, gentle readers, not so. The human being is wired for guilt when wrong has been done -- it is not the sole province of Catholics. So, after accumulating guilt-burdens in assorted sizes, humans feel the intense need to tell all, whether that be through memoir, drunken family-reunion tirade, or psychologist's probing. Fortunately, we Catholics have a simpler (and cheaper) way out: confession.

It's a basic formula, really. Humans, as the fallen, flawed creatures that we are, screw up. This should not surprise us, sad as it is. We fall, we feel guilty, and, on a purely minimal level, we try to make the guilty feeling go away. Except with confession, it's not just the relief of letting the cat out of the bag, it's also actual, honest-to-goodness forgiveness from someone (i.e. God) who has the power to forgive you. Sure, there are still consequences and penances to be dealt with, but that's as it should be. Warm fuzzy feelings don't fix broken windows.

(No, duh, disclaimer: of course you should regret your wrongdoing because it is a sin against God as well as against your fellow-humans, and if we were all saints, we would all have perfect contrition every time we went to confession [or for that matter, if we were all saints we wouldn't need to go to confession because we wouldn't be sinning. But I digress]. But we're not, and I'd just like to point out the fact that, given that oddly persistent reality that Man is body AND soul, confession works wonders not merely moral [although that in itself is reason enough to go], but mental. This is just the way being human works, people.)

How does this relate to little ol' me and the college life? Because, like I said, confession isn't exactly the most popular sacrament. First Communion cakes, dresses and parties? Check. First Confession cakes, dresses and parties? ::crickets:: Confession naturally precedes Holy Communion. It's like washing your hands before dinner -- elementary and essential. But, because we are human and easily lose track of what is important and what is not, confession quickly falls by the wayside. It can be icky and awkward, although less so than you think. Come on. He's a priest. How many times do you think he's heard the same litany of sins over and over again? Unless you're an exceptionally wicked person, nothing you say will shock or scandalize him. Still squeamish about spilling your less-than-stellar beans? Go read the life of St. John Nepomucene.

Minimal wince factor aside, confession is incredibly liberating. Picture this: you've just made an honest, humble confession, said your penance, and, as you're walking out of church, you get squished by a falling piano. (This could totally happen) What now? Well, unless you committed a sin between penance-saying and piano-squishing, you go to heaven, and, even if no wayward instrument snuffs out your life, you're still on good terms with God and full of grace. This is an incredibly good place to be, and all for the time investment of roughly fifteen minutes. Eternal life for fifteen minutes? I think it's worth it.

Starting Over

The new school year has begun, at least for me, and as we all know, the start of anything is an excuse to wipe the slate clean, conveniently forget any mistakes made last year, and work on implementing the good habits that we somehow never got around to forming the previous semester. Take Daily Mass, for instance. Indisputably a great good for the soul, yes? And yet how often did I excuse myself from that half-hour in the chapel with a list of chores and homework that absolutely-had-to-be-done-right-this-very-instant-and-couldn't-wait-even-two-seconds? The answer: waaaaay too often.

But that's okay because, like I said, it's a new semester, my very first as shiny upperclassman. After two years of college, I've made a fair amount of mistakes and poor choices (nota bene: coffee only takes you so far during finals week), and this semester I'd like to brush up my habits and straighten out my schedule, even if it's only in little ways, like getting to bed before midnight, and not wasting my entire weekend watching movies. I know my Mom's told me this a hundred times, but life, especially college life, really is way easier when you have a plan for balancing classes, exercise, spiritual life, etc., and you stick to it. Eventually, the little and not-so-little choices made every day add up into habits firmly cemented in our lives. A bag of Doritos is not a meal sufficient unto itself, and, yes, you will regret it later. Trust me. Even if it means getting up ten minutes earlier, morning prayer really sets the tone for your day, and maybe with a little heavenly perspective, getting shampoo all over your school books won't seem like quite such a tragedy. You may even recognize that it's sort of funny.

Embarking on Adventure

"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered." ~G.K. Chesterton

So, I'm sitting in the basement of my dorm, waiting to find out where I'm going to room next year. And I was grumbling under my breath: " blarrrggghhhhh" And then I thought, "What a major inconvenience." And then I thought: "Correction: what an adventure." And it definitely is an adventure. Coming in freshman year and having your roommate for the year randomly chosen for you is also an adventure. I've been lucky enough that my roomie's been a comfort and a support this year. Who doesn't mind when I accidentally knock over trash bins in the room when I come in at 2:00 in the morning. That's called patience, my friends. And I think it takes a lot of that stuff to live with me.

So, now the adventure continues. So, here we sit. Casting dirty looks at any girls who mention thinking about considering eyeing the rooms where we want to live. Stressing out about how many doubles are left. Fretting. Worrying. And then, at some point, a giant wave of apathy slides over us and we cease caring. Stressing out is exhausting.

That said, it's much easier to stress out about an inconvenience than to turn it into an adventure. It's much a much lazier choice to stress out about life and it's little sorrows and setbacks than to think of them as steps of an awesome journey. Ever since the beginning of the semester, I've felt that God's leading me to a grand adventure. And then I realized: right now is the adventure. All the little triumphs and sorrows of daily life are the adventure. As Jo sings in the musical Little Woman: "My great adventure has begun." My adventure is well-underway. I'm entering into the last quarter of freshman year. This adventure has started. And I'm ready for it.

Reflections on Pizza...

College=pizza.




There is nothing more attractive to a college student than free food. Being a cheapskate in search of free food is part of what it means to be a college student. When I was a senior in high school, I witnessed a friend of mine, who had recently become a college freshman, stuff five packs of Nutter Butters into his pant pockets. I was baffled by his uncharacteristic behavior, and I marveled at the sight. His reply: "Just you wait a year." A year later, I now sneak food out of the dining hall like a champion. It's indisputable and undeniable. College is filled with free food, and more specifically- pizza. Everywhere you turn there are events posters using the magic phrase "FREE PIZZA" to lure students to attend events.
"Come to hall council! FREE PIZZA!" "Come weave baskets with the multicultural club! FRE PIZZA!" "Come to a lecture by Professor Collons on the biological composition of stars! FREE PIZZA!"

But why pizza?

Theory 1:
Pizza is cheap. Thus, the establishment, wishing to provide free food for their students, provides endless amounts of pizza, because it costs next to nothing and is filling.
Theory 2:
College kids love pizza. Thus, groups cater to the tastes of their audiences and provide what they want-pizza.
Sub Theory A) College kids like pizza no better than any other food, but the ready supply of pizza available to them has conditioned them to love pizza.
Sub Theory B) College kids like pizza because it is essentially cheese and bread-two of the most mild, basic, universally-liked foods known to mankind.

Surviving College

Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas before Study

 O ineffable Creator,

Who, out of the treasure of Thy wisdom,

hast ordained three hierarchies of Angels,

and placed them in wonderful order above the heavens,

and hast most wisely distributed the parts of the world;

Thou, Who are called the true fountain of light and wisdom,

and the highest beginning,

vouchsafe to pour upon the darkness of my understanding,

in which I was born,

the double beam of Thy brightness,

removing from me all darkness of sin and ignorance.

Thou, Who makest eloquent the tongue of the dumb, 

instruct my tongue, 

and pour on my lips the grace of Thy blessing.

Give me quickness of understanding, 

capacity of retaining,

subtlety of interpreting,

facility in learning, 

and copious grace of speaking.

Guide my going in, 

direct my going forward, 

accomplish my going forth; 

through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Retrospective Introspection

Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody. ~~Jane Austen


Right now college means one thing to me:

applications

which of course equal:

loads and loads of work.

Writing essays, I'm fine with. What was really starting to get to me was the never-ending checking boxes, filling out the SAME information over and over, squeezing words into limited spaces, number crunching, etc., etc., etc. in never ending succession!

*insert plaintive sigh here*

And furthermore, the endless and monolithic process known as "APPLYING TO COLLEGES" takes up lots of TIME.

*insert groan here*

Time that could be spent enjoying oneself, laughing and talking with friends, scrapbooking, journaling, going for a walk, or any other infinitely more enjoyable activity.

So. Those were my feelings up until about 5:00 today.


As I look over these words that I originally wrote here, I can't help but smile. I remember exactly what had happened the day I wrote them, the emotional state I was in, the frustration I was feeling, the heartbreak, the happiness, and the beauty that abounded.

Senior year.

There's absolutely nothing like it.

If you’ve already experienced it; look back on it and savor your memories.

And smile.

If you’re on the verge of it: get ready. You’re in for the adventure of a lifetime. I promise you you’ll be stressed out of your mind, you’ll get pushed to places you never knew you could go, and you’ll grow in unbelievable, incredible and beautiful ways. Oh, and you’ll have fun, and lots of it-even while filling out applications- as long as you make up your mind to enjoy the bumpy ride. It’s like a roller coaster-you can spend the whole ride worrying about flying off the tracks, and being scared out of your wits. Or else you can just let go, scream, laugh, put your hands in the air, and have fun on the Ride God’s put you on. Because there’s really no point in riding a roller coaster unless you’re willing to relinquish control.


So, on the way home from my show this afternoon, I stopped by my church's Eucharistic adoration chapel. It was lovely and peaceful, and I sat in front of Jesus, finishing up my calc homework. I've always found the adoration chapel is the best place to work through my problems. I now know that math problems can be worked out there as well.

Moral of the story: the Eucharist is indispensible, irreplaceable, and incandescently incredible. And so healing. The Eucharist is definitely what got me through Senior year. He’s the fix for every problem:

When you’ve got too much calculus homework-go to Adoration.
When you want a good cry-go to Adoration.
When you want to share good news with someone-go to Adoration.

I think you get my drift… :)

My favorite is when you don't really have anything to say to Jesus, but you just pop in to say hi real quick. Basking in the glorious warmth, joy, and love pulsating from Him, you just plop yourself in front of the Eucharist, and let go of your problems. It's lovely. Which is basically the reason I chose to go to Notre Dame-there’s a chapel in each dorm. Jesus lives in every dorm, folks. How wicked awesome is that?

Then, I got home, and I sat down at the computer and I got my first college application submitted! One down. Five to go. I can do this.

And, I realized I've been letting my laziness get in my way. There were some points over the past week I was debating whether college was really worth it or not. In reality, though, I was just bogged down in the mire of applications, and also, scared of leaving home, friends, and family. Then, I realized how absolutely stupid I was being. Because, I AM excited for college-I know it'll be awesome. Anything that is awesome won't come without hard work; and I hate to admit it, but hard work is an acquired taste for me. I have to teach myself to enjoy it.


Oh boy. I'm going to have to work harder this fall than I ever have before. But I'm so excited for it. I'm so ready to take on the challenge, and as Hamlet would say: the readiness is all. I'm so glad that I found the courage to choose to leave home back in May. Now, I'm realizing that life at home is going to continue without me. It's not as if your friends and family magically put their life on "pause" while you're gone-they continue on with their lives. Without you. Not gonna lie, my friends, that thought often saddens me. But then I recall my life's not going being paused either; it’s barreling on full-speed ahead. As C.S. Lewis would say: we’re all travelling into the future at the rate of sixty seconds per minute, whether we would wish it or no. Peace comes when we cease to resist that fact; we lift our hands in the air and enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the Ride.

There are certain parts of ourselves that we want to choke out of existence: the parts of us that snap sassy retorts to our parents, or groan instead of grin when asked to clear the table. There are other facets of our selves that we cultivate and nourish. I'm so excited to nourish the artist within me, to push myself, to explore, to tell stories, to drink in the joy of performing, the joy of art. I love it. And I can't wait to cultivate the scholar in me. The scholar who thirsts for knowledge. The student who relishes the victory of completing a laborious assignment. The student who grows in appreciation of her art. The student who thirsts for God and hungers for Truth.

Thankfully, we stopped at my Grandma’s house on our way down to Notre Dame. There’s a painting hanging up in my grandma’s house. I noticed that simple little drawing for the first time; and hidden in that picture I found the words Psalm 37:4. So, I looked up the verse in the Bible, and this is what I found:

Find your delight in the LORD who will give you your heart's desire.

And it’s definitely what I needed to here. Often, College overwhelms me with the limitless opportunities that lie before me. What passions of mine do I pursue? How do I make sure no hidden talent or facet of my person go unexplored? How do I become Balanced and Well-Rounded? The answer is simple.
Go to adoration.
Pursue God.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you, and all that jazz.
I love God-He’s awesome sauce. For many reasons, of course, but one of the happiest being that He sends us the answers when we least expect it.
Have a beautiful autumn/first semester, everyone!

Commencement

The best way to begin any story is to say:

"So, I was at Target today..."

Everyone knows that any story that begins with the words:

"So, I was at Target today..."

is going to be a ridiculously awesome story. Or, at least, your audience will be fooled into thinking that it's a ridiculously awesome story, because they are still not over the ridiculous awesomeness of your opening sentence:



"So, I was at Target today..."


That, my dear friends, is called strategy. More specifically, it's called good strategy. I most ardently urge you to employ it as ubiquitously as possible.


So.

I was at Target today.

My little brother and I were shopping for birthday cards, graduation cards, and water guns. That's right, water guns. Gotta love going shopping with the seven-year-old midget child.


So, I'm browsing through all the numerous graduation cards: college graduation cards, bad humor graduation cards, graduation cards with the Obamas on them, sappy graduation cards, kindergarten graduation cards, and graduation cards of penguins wearing mortarboards (<<mais pour quoi?>> as our French brethren would say...)...Then, my little brother asked me:
"Why don't they have graduations going into highschool?"
Putting away the graduation card with the cute duckling on it, I responded: "Pardon?"
He explained, "They have graduations going into college, but not going into highschool." And I said, "No, no, dear, graduation is at the end. It's at the end of highschool, and then the end of college."

Then, as our conversation turned to other matters, I let the matter rest. But, then I realized that it's not called "commencement" for nothing. When I was younger, the word commencement always confused me, because I knew there was that-thing-that-happened-at-the-end-of-high-school, called commencement, so I always assumed that commencement meant "the ending." But it means beginning.


Commencement is a time of new beginnings, of fresh starts, of new adventures.
Commencement celebrates the adventures you've already had, your accomplishments and achievements, but it also invites you into a new world, full of new lessons, journeys and a new stage in life. And that, my friends, is something to celebrate.

Mark Twain (an author whose writings I thoroughly detest [sorry, Mark, dear]), has an absolutely beautiful quote: "To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with." I've been waxing nostalgic the entire weekend, as I've collected photos for photo boards, hugged friends, smiled, laughed and reminisced. And I've been thinking often about the girls who write this blog. And I'm so thankful for them. For their friendships. Because all the tears, giggles, hugs, pie nights, and beautiful experiences would mean nothing without the people we share those adventures with.


The world beyond commencement is a brave new world. But I know we can face it as long as we have our awesome-sauce friends by our sides.

Dangerous

When you have a 1500 word philosophy paper due in less than a day, do NOT visit this blog. You will get sucked in. So many pretty, shiny books! I'm going to read this one, and this one, and oh look! My TBR (To-Be-Read) list is now 300+ books long!

Lenten Reflections

As Lent passes by to a close once again (Really? Could six weeks have really passed by in such a blur?), I'm tempted to pause among the joyous celebrations of Easter. I look back at all the emotional highs that filled me on Ash Wednesday, at the resolutions of prayer, fasting, and sacrifice, at all of the potential for spiritual growth that this Lent held for me. Of course, not all of those things came into reality. The rosy promise of reform and repentance from ingrained sins and bad habits didn't play out in quite the way that I had expected, but this Lenten season proved to be fruitful in an unforeseen way.

For countless Lents the routine was always the same: as a family, we abstained from watching TV, and each individual then practiced their own private penance in addition to the communal one. It usually involved some variation of sacrificing sweets, computer games, or (the hardest thing in the world for me) extra reading time. This year, with a little extra prayer and a gentle nudge from God, I tried out something new. I sacrificed my day-dreams. Everyone has them, and in mine I took refuge from the dreary realities of Euclid, work-study, and cafeteria food. So I gave them up.

Every time I caught myself daydreaming, I offered a little prayer to God, and tried to think of something else. Theology class. Finding a roommate for next year. Studying props. Doing laundry. Ordinary things that all needed to be done. I tried to ground my mental life in reality, no matter how boring and mundane it was, because God has put me here and now for the purpose of being a good student and daughter with the ultimate goal of reaching heaven one day. Sounds like a noble mission, doesn't it? The problem is, all too often it's far more interesting to indulge in fantasies.

So I ended up learning a lot about myself, where I am spiritually, and just how much I need to rely on God's grace if I'm ever going to accomplish anything worth-while. I am not saying this trying to be modest -- it is the simple and literal truth. Without God's grace, I'd be a spiritual and mental wreck, and life wouldn't be worth living. I constantly need to be reminded of that fact.

Throughout this first year of being away from my family, of being responsible for balancing my life and all that is contained therein, I've come to a much deeper realization of just how easy it is to fall away from God -- not in a dramatic fashion of murder, or another "big" sin, but rather in the temptation to indifference. So many times, it became a choice between studying an extra 30 minutes before math class or going to Mass. A choice between an extra 10 minutes of sleep or a humble and complete morning offering. A sloppy confession squeezed in between work-study and dinner or a well-prepared one in the quiet before Mass. A series of little and seemingly-unimportant decisions accumulated into a semester's-worth of choices and habits, some good and some bad.

I've never been more aware of my spiritual frailty, yet at the same time, I am not filled with despair at the inevitability of failures and sins. In some ways it's just a resignation to the fact that I'm human, and as long as I'm alive here on this earth, losing God's grace through sin is a very real possibility. In another way, this awareness has allowed me to wrap myself more fully in the certitude of God's love for me -- the fact that no matter how many times I sin, over and over again, God will always be there ready to forgive me and shower me with his love and grace. And that is a humbling thought indeed.

Of Mozart and Midterms

There is just something about the breathtaking beauty of Mozart's Requiem that stirs the soul. These dark days during midterms require something to remind us students that we are not going it alone.

Lacrimosa


Domine Jesu


Kyrie

On the Question of Being

An earnest young freshman: "We can know what something is without it actually existing. We know what a vampire is -- but vampires don't exist. Edward Cullen doesn't exist."
Equally earnest philosophy professor: "What?"

In similar news, seminar class this evening yielded a fruitful debate on the merits of Viennese vs. Turkish coffee.

When God Closes a Door

Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

(Psalm 127:1-2)

As any of us can attest, life can be an extremely stressful experience. College is no exception. So, when I came across Psalm 127 while studying for theology class, I couldn't help but wryly smile at the ways in which God chooses to speak to us. I certainly wasn't looking for a message from God, yet it still spoke to me in a unique way. This second semester has been rather rough for me in some ways, and it was an unexpected reminder of God's Divine Providence to read this passage of scripture.

I certainly have risen early, gone late to rest, and eaten the anxious bread of toil during my first year of college. Most days, God seems so remote that it is difficult to believe that even the smallest of circumstances come from His loving hand. Certainly, just looking back over the past few weeks, nothing special or extraordinary stands out; those weeks were just a series of ordinary, regular, often frustrating moments. How could the almighty God speak through such mundane and unpleasant messengers? And yet He does.

God may not speak to me via angel, earthquake, or burning bush, but each and every event of my tangled life points toward some greater reality. Unless the Lord builds, how can anything stand? Surely, if God took the care to bring me into this world, He will not leave me without a few directions on how to reach the final destination. Who am I to deny that God sends those directions through the most unexpected ways?

Stealing Rose's Idea...

Rose did this on A Rose in Bloom (an excellent blog that you should all visit, by the way.) And I can never resist stealing a good idea when I see one. Thus, I continue:


Date... Sunday, January 10th, 2010 (2010 already-eep!)

Starting time... 2:10 AM (I have no idea why I'm up at this hour...)

Mood... Decidedly overwhelmed

Outside my window... Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow, oh and yes, more snow. (Maybe there's some ice thrown in there for variety. Love winter. Can't you tell? :) )

I'm thinking... Break is over :( ... I've gotta do columbinus research...scholarship apps...how on earth am I going to schedule Monday...Shakespeare paper? GAH!...interview...cinnamon rolls...blog posting...facebook...sleep? Naaaah... But, Hallelujah, praise the Lord! Return to Cranford is airing at 8:00 PM tomorrow evening! Mark my words, I will be glued to the telly as long as that delicious vision of a show is on the screen. Yes, that will definitely allow me to get through the week.

I'm reading...Re-reading Sense and Sensibility (It just gets better and better!) Red, by Ted Dekker-slow so far, not as compelling as Black, but I'm sure it'll pick up.

I'm listening to... The water seep through the aquarium filter...

I'm wearing... Green t-shirt, and lovely, warm, cozy fleece pants.

Yesterday, I... Had coffee with some lovely young ladies, went to work, then Mass, then played Trivial Pursuit with my family. Good day. :)

I'm excited for... Return to Cranford!!!

I'm sad because... Break is over and people are going back to college...This is simply not okay. :(

I'm hungry for... cinnamon rolls, gingerbread, or a corn dog.

The song stuck inside my head is... Invisible, by Taylor Swift

I want... Scholarship application essays to write themselves. Please.

I love... life, love, laughter, Balderdash and SNURGES!!!

I loathe... people who put up fronts.

This week, my goal is...to pray the Liturgy everyday. No slacking. And to get scholarship apps done. And to make it through the week.

Did I meet last week's goal?... Thankfully, I didn't set any for last week. :)
Ending time... 2:20 AM

Warning: Finals Approaching

A short apology for not posting more frequently: I've been sick, there's always a load of homework, and no internet access over Thanksgiving being just a few of my excuses. And, with finals swiftly approaching in a week and a half, I probably won't be back to posting until I'm home over Christmas break.

That being said, I do have two projects in the works: a review of Pan's Labyrinth and my thoughts on Lord Peter Wimsey (preview: I love him!). They may even get posted earlier if I'm feeling rebellious and don't want to study my Harvey. I may even throw in my thoughts on The Barber of Seville (I'm going to see it on Sunday). You have been warned.

This is a little late, but.....

...as of Saturday evening, TAC has a new president, Dr. Michael McLean. Although I never knew Dr. Dillon, his reputation is formidable, and Dr. McLean has large shoes to fill. Although I'm sure he'll do just fine :).

There is a nice, albeit brief, piece in a local paper.

College...

College

Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody.
Jane Austen
Right now college means one thing to me:

applications

which of course equal:

loads and loads of work.

Writing essays, I'm fine with. What was really starting to get to me was the neverending checking boxes, filling out the SAME information over and over, squeezing words into limited spaces, number crunching, etc., etc., etc. in never ending succession!

*insert plaintive sigh here*

And furthermore, the endless and monolithic process known as "APPLYING TO COLLEGES" takes up lots of TIME.

*insert groan here*

Time that could be spent enjoying oneself, laughing and talking with friends, scrapbooking, journaling, going for a walk, or any other infinitely more enjoyable activity.

So. Those were my feelings up until about 5:00 today.

After having to cancel my second outing with a friend this week, I decided that if I was going to have to stay home and work on these college applications, I jolly well would. And I would finish my calculus homework, even if it killed me, and I would not waste the afternoon on Facebook or the forum; I would sit down and get stuff done. I was not going to sacrifice my time with friends just to waste more time. So help me, I was going to get some actual work done.

So, on the way home from my show this afternoon, I stopped by my church's Eucharistic adoration chapel. It was lovely and peaceful, and I sat in front of Jesus, finishing up my calc homework. I've always found the adoration chapel is the best place to work through my problems. I now know that math problems can be worked out there as well.
Then, I got home, and I sat down at the computer and I got my first college application submitted! One down. Five to go. I can do this.

And, I realized I've been letting my laziness get in my way. There were some points over the past week I was debating whether college was really worth it or not. In reality, though, I was just bogged down in the mire of applications, and also, scared of leaving home, friends, and family. Then, I realized how absolutely stupid I was being. Because, I AM excited for college-I know it'll be awesome. Anything that is awesome won't come without hard work; and I hate to admit it, but hard work is an aquired taste for me. I have to teach myself to enjoy it.

And as for leaving friends, one of my favorite new quotes I discovered is Eleanor Roosevelt's: “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” I can leave home and all the people I love and care about won't leave me-their footprints will be in my heart.

*insert violin music here*

Now, I'm feeling ready to tackle these remaining applications with all my heart. Wish me luck! And when I get to the end of this adventure, let's have coffee together. :)

The Quintessential Conglomeration of College Quotes

The fool doth think that he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.

~Touchstone, William Shakespeare's As You Like It

Why must Portia and Desi have all the fun of writing down chuckle and giggle inducing quotations? I must have my share in this lingual romp!

"My apple is bipolar." ~ Catherine

"I want to be a cadaver when I grow up." ~ Matt

"Check out my knee!" ~ Meg

"My fish committed suicide" ~ Matt

"What a creepy creeper" ~ Jenna

"What is a cross between an elephant and a rhinoceros?" ~ Michael

"A termite" ~ Katie

"Ooh, a stairwell! We should sing something!" ~ Michael