Sunday, November 27, 2005

Mushbrain

I had a reminder tonight of why I'm glad I'm no longer in school, and yet, in a way, I wish I was still there. Let me explain...

A friend of mine is in his senior year and is coming to the end of the term. I was talking to him on MSN tonight as he was struggling with a number of English Lit papers - one on Milton's Paradise Lost and another on Chaucer's Cantebury Tales. Just for fun, I took out my Norton Anthology and looked up Paradise Lost. I studied it briefly in second year, but that was a long time ago now! My friend asked me some of the questions he needed to write on, and it made me realize how far removed from university life I've become.

These days I'm not challenged to think critically in my job in the same way that I was at university. Granted, there are a whole lot of other pressures in my job to deal with, and I don't miss the papers and the midterms, that's for sure! But in a way, I miss that depth of study and discussion. I don't feel as sharp as I used to. (Yes, yes, I'm sure I'll get all kinds of jokes about that comment! Hardy har har! ;-) I think I need to start looking for ways to give my brain a better workout!

What do you do to stay sharp?

3 comments:

Stephen said...

Hi Hillary,

Thanks for accepting my blog as your new tenant...much appreciated. My blog is basically about sharing my introspections and observations on how to live a life that matters. It's a critical review on what's important and what's not...in my life, and in my relationship with God and with my fellow human beings.

Clint said...

um..i wish i was sharp.

Anonymous said...

It is so hard to stay sharp once you are out of school! I run an e-zine that bends my brain on occasion, though these days it practically runs itself (www.mosaicminds.net). I have taken up quilting, and I find that makes me think a lot. Who knew crafty stuff required math? I hate math! Other than that, I kind of feel like a big blob most of the time and keep playing around with the idea of taking some kind of evening classes, but have never done it and it seems unlikely now that I have a baby.