Skip to main content

Back to School

For the past few years, since departing sometime in late '04, I have planned a return back to school to obtain an ever-elusive degree in English or Literature or Journalism. The fact is I will never be satisfied with whatever success I may inherit due to writing without earning an education like most Americans. And for that matter, the aforementioned success may turn out to be very minimal without this education. It is turning out that these two things are hand-in-hand.

I have always been very distractable. It would make sense for me to turn the Orioles game off, tell my lady love I'll call her soon and set my phone to vibrate, and keep my head in my laptop where I can concentrate ever more with getting this first novel and my query letter perfect. My perfect. I'll know when they are perfect, and as of this moment, they are not perfect. Far from it.

But I never do that. And this upon the heaping pile of school work I will soon be knee deep in worries me that I am still not completely commited to my education. But this Fall I will once again try to prove to myself--as well as my friends, family, you--that I am worth more than what I currently have produced. Which is to say crap little.

I have aspirations that are well beyond my capability as of today. Working retail is not my idea of a career, but writing for the magazine and publisher of my dreams is just out of reach for someone with simply a high school diploma.

And as always, I'll post my triumphs and bumpy roads here.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Small History on Halloween in the States

Here's a link . This is a quick little read about Halloween and its development in the "New World". I've been a stanch believer that Halloween in America today is well and truly crafted here, though very much of traditions from the "Old World". But the conglomeration of the holiday is well and formed here in the States, from the carving of the first jack-o'-lanterns to trick or treating as a homegrown manifestation. A lot of these Halloween traditions were simultaneously developed up north with our Canadian cousins too, I'm sure. But with the bigger population Halloween became larger here in the States. And this story gives us some insight into the idea that while Halloween has some traditions that date back to pre-Christ times, what we celebrate here today in America is very much a melting pot of our own construction. This is important to me as this holiday is very much a part of the American experience and identity. If I have to say it aloud, I hav...

Jack-o'-lanterns in November!

Today most of America seems to have forgotten that the venerable jack-o'-lantern is not only an important symbol of Halloween, but also of Thanksgiving. As a kid this icon of Thanksgiving was a decoration you would see in people's yards throughout October and November; through most of autumn. Today you don't see it as much, with folks settling for simple uncarved pumpkins on the steps on the porch, or on bales of hay. I bring this up only because I'd like to see a return to the pumpkin-headed scarecrows staying around for more than one holiday. I'm keeping my jack-o'-lanterns out in the yard and on the porch until the day after Thanksgiving. It's time we keep the pumpkin-head scarecrow around all fall. This is a perfect way to repurpose your jacks into November, instead of letting them get tossed by some teenagers post-All Hollows Eve! However, there is something to be said for rotting jack-o'-lanterns after Halloween that just screams cool. Aging jacks ...