i began my life unconcerned with schoolwork, and i did all my learning without realizing i was learning and by doing nothing more strenous or stressful than watching others work at life. all too soon, however, i came to the chapter in my life that had primarily to do with books, and for the next 17 or 18 years, i learned at the price of effort, stress, limited play time, and textbooks. alright, alright, i still played a lot--at least for 10 or 12 of those years, but it was a lot harder than being an infant. now, however, i find myself at the brink of a new cliff. for the first time since early childhood, i will be spending more than a summer--15 months, to be precise--away from textbooks. and unlike early childhood, unfortunately, i will be spending my time and energy working--most likely two jobs--rather than (just?) gazing at colorful things above my head, rolling over, and relieving myself. i've grown so accustomed to regularly attending classes and completing assignments, and i'm so unaccustomed to paying bills and worrying about money, that i expect it to be something of a shock when august rolls around and i watch from my desk as students register for classes, move on campus, and settle into that familiar routine. i'll get used to it, though, and i'll still be keeping an affectionate eye on fc as my girlfriend, my little brother, and many others i'm close to pursue the same "freedom" with which i'm acquainting myself. and the school life has not yet aligned itself with mine for the last time. the plan is for me to bustle off to grad school for occupational therapy as soon as i've earned a little money and forgotten how stressful and tiring college coursework can be.
if the Lord wills, several exciting things will happen during the next month or so. for one thing, mason broadwell is returning to tampa! mason was my awesome and messy roommate sophomore year, and it will be good to have him back in the area. girls--not all at once. also, rachel, the one girl who should take that last statement seriously, will finally be back after spending the last three months with her family in alabama. woot! and in a few days my sister, who has spent the past month traipsing all over the country, will return to help me ensure that our house retains some carefree and fun-loving ('b'-loving?) children to balance against the brilliance the others insist upon. and that's not an insult to emma--we take pride in our, uh, well-roundedness.
i've read a lot of melville recently (moby dick and bartelby the scrivener), and he's amazing. end of story. in fact, he's amazing at the beginning, the middle, and the end of his stories. it's abundantly clear to me that men like him were meant to write, and men like me were intended to read. next up, i intend to ingest two or three dostoevsky novels. i'll probably give a report when i stay true to my usual pace by producing my next pleo post about six years from now.
i'm off to bed. until next time, be good, and then be better.
Yeah, what he said. I was the only one willing to admit that I enjoyed MD when we read it in high school. Well, I was probably the only one who read any of it... All that to say, good luck with those goals. What will your job be? I'm still so thrilled you're gonna be an OT. You know where to come if you have any questions!
Hi Micah. Mr. B got the raspberry posts pounded in last night and I missed you for his sake. Me - I don't do those! But right now as I dry a bit (very warm here) I'm thinking a lovely cool ice coffee and a long book and a shady spot would be nice. :) Hope you find some cool shady spots in the next 15 months with times to read.
Ahh, Melville is poetry without the messy line breaks. And it goes on for pages and pages--like 400 of them. Moby Dick is awesome in anybody's book, but it should always be its own. And I can't wait to hang out and nerd it up.
She and I went to Starbucks in NYC, but not the one we saw in the movie (I think). It was in Times Square or near it anyhow. Wow, listening and seeing The Phantom of the Opera!
actually, my life consists of laundry, dirty diapers, and sweeping, so it really isn't that exciting, but i'm getting back into the swing of writing for enjoyment. and i like it. a lot. YOU should do that too! :)
now i understand why joakim noah is such a nasty, repulsive individual, and is proving--as everyone knew he would--to be a complete flop as the chicago bulls' ninth pick in last year's draft.
assuming i don't melt first, the following activities will consume my time and attention during this blistering florida summer.
work. starbucks fits my needs well at this point and i plan to stay there through the summer and possibly until next fall, when i hope to leave for grad school. this job is not exactly a pleasantry, but since it is building the necessary financial bridge between undergraduate and graduate work, and providing the car with which to drive across that bridge, i'm very blessed to have it. god is great.
reading. so far: the picture of dorian gray, paradise regained, and parts of a book on forensic psychology. planned: moby dick, how to think about the great ideas, notes from underground, the idiot, and some andrew marvell poetry.
baseball. at this point, i'm impatiently watching the braves and curiously watching the rays. i still think after their disabled list empties, the braves have the best lineup in the east, starting pitching that can match the other four teams, and a bullpen that is only surpassed by the marlins. prediction: they will win the nl east by a game over the phillies, who will be followed closely by the marlins and mets (in that order), and distantly by the nationals. i think the rays will fade by august and trail the red sox by at least 8 or 10 games by the end of the season. i also think they're only going to get better in the next few years, and with the potential increase in revenue from a new stadium and bandwagon fans, they might challenge for the division title next year, and certainly will within two or three.
movies. the list of exciting new releases is unusually long this summer, and begins with prince caspian, which i saw last night. don't worry--no spoilers here, although i hope we've all read the book and thus knew what was coming. anyway, the film was quite entertaining, even though it was a fairly loose rendition of the story. i suppose after three lord of the rings, four harry potter, and one chronicles of narnia productions, i'm used to it, because it didn't bother me terribly. i laughed out loud several times, i enjoyed the music and cinematography, and edmund and reepicheep STOLE THE SHOW. excellent. besides prince caspian, i hope to see indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, batman: the dark knight, and possibly wall-e and kung fu panda.
other. i should get lots of family time--this summer and next year--and i plan to make a five-day visit to huntsville in about a month.
Hey, they've got a nice space center. Sounds like fun. I've debated over whether or not to see PC, as LW&W disappointed me a bit (ok, a lot), but sounds like we'll at least rent the DVD.
Oh Micah!! I enjoyed Dorian Gray - though it doesn't show the best side of man's character. I can say the same of Moby Dick. But both very good summer reads. I wish we couuld get you up here too. Have a good summer - working and money making, traveling and visiting.
Oooooh let me know what you think of dorian gray. And I'm glad you approved of prince caspian. I just got back from seeing it and was pleasantly surprised.
thought i'd post an update a little more promptly than usual, just to say that i'm doing really well--in so many ways--right now. thanks to several who expressed concern about my latest post, which evidently was more morbid than i intended.
spring break is here, my next thesis deadline was pushed back a few days, girl situation is good, we're sampling spenser in great books, which might be the most enjoyable literature i've ever read, and march madness is almost here. oh and i have leftover chinese food in my fridge for a meal tomorrow.
Hello Micah This is Jeff. I just wanted to express my heartfelt sypathies for UNC playing so poorly under the bright lights of the national stage. As they say there is always next year. You can take solace in the fact that Duke got knocked out so early. Be good and enjoy spring break!
Micah, this is Carla now. I don't get it....you bop over to my blog on MY birthday to leave a message to my HUSBAND and you don't even bother to say "Hello Carla" or "Happy Day, Carla" or anything!!! What's with that??? I have all these nice birthday wishes and right in the middle is Micah leaving a message to Jeff. I'm crushed! I thought you loved me!:) (just teasing!) BTW....Jeff says next year won't be any better. Miss you! Please come see us soon!
I have been thinking about you! Congratulations on your accomplishments. Now that you are finished with school for a bit, can't you come for a visit please? We really miss you! Sending you hugs! Love you!
ok, so my monthly updates have become every-other-monthly updates. big deal. with great power comes great responsibility, and with great responsibility comes fewer blog entries.
i find myself in my final semester as an undergraduate, and i feel as though i'm running the gauntlet: moving as fast as i can through an endless line of assignments and papers that are hitting me very hard with whips and baseball bats.
actually, life is filled with blessings. i've made wonderful new friends this semester and i'm frequently reminded, by occasions like lectures and luther visits that i have wonderful friends in other places, as well. i've made exciting new grad school plans. i have the health to get the exercise i love. i have an enjoyable, aromatic job. as an off-campus student, i have an apartment in which to enjoy peace and quiet whenever i need sleep or time for reflection. and god gave me a mind that's able to develop and a soul, which means my whole life i'll have the excitement of increasingly appreciating significant things and the anticipation of finally appreciating those things perfectly.
still, this semester has been one of the hardest times i've had in a while. i've tried to decide why that is, and i think it's because some of the things i love most have been the sources of my stress, which leaves fewer things to fall back on for consolation. i love literature so much, but i'm writing my senior thesis this semester, which means literature is the anvil hanging over my head all the time. a few of the friends i love most, including the girl i care the most about, have been major sources of disappointment recently. immaturity, arrogance, and blindness can put a sharp edge on scholastic stress.
this semester has also been unusual for the simple reason that i can't seem to get healthy. i've never struggled to avoid sickness, and then all of a sudden i haven't felt right a single day this semester. if anything makes studying seem like the most unpleasant thing you could possibly choose to do, it's being sick.
that's all for now. this entry couldn't quite decide whether to be happy or sad--i'll leave it to find itself while i go sleep.
I liked your blessing paragraph also! You should focus on your blessings. Do you have a friend who makes you laugh? Spend an afternoon or evening with them and spend some time laughing. When things get to serious around here I start looking for some good hearted humor. Laughter makes a mountain look more like a hill!!
Sorry to hear its been a rough semester-but the odd thing about it is that sometimes the roughest times are the times we need the most. It helps us remember that this life can never be perfect and God is our ultimate goal. I hope this time helps you grown extraordinarily! I'll be prayin for ya!
you know, the only man who ever successfully completed the gontlet was Richard Gere. So, if you can grow out your hair and rescue a damsel from a rocky underground castle, then the prize is yours.
Um, have you been to a doctor? When I hear someone say they haven't felt "right" a single day in the last six weeks, that's what I think that person should do. We positive people sometimes look at the positive side so much we ignore a problem until it is big, hoping it will just fade away...
Dear Micah. Hang in there and it might be a good idea to just get a general check-up (especially while you are on your dad's insurance). Some of your points though make me remember my last semester as an undergraduate when I really overdid it (especially with drinking about 15 cups of coffee a day and not eating food). I did end up seeing a doctor 2 weeks before the semester ended; probably would have been better to go earlier. Then again, if you could only take a true rest/break you might be re-charged enough to feel healthy. Spring break is coming - any rest in sight during that period? PA appreciates you! (and loves you too :)
Micah - up here a number of folks are realizing celiac is a real thing. Maybe you should do some internet searching about it. I'm planning on experimenting on Mr. B :) shhhh he'll never know until I tell him if I do it right!
I made it out last week for the first time in a while. I didn't go Lectures week at all and last week I was sick, so I missed that, too. I'm hoping to get back into the habit again though.
I checked out your page a week or so ago, and took note of the Thaxter Dickey comments you wrote about. They came in handy yesterday. Thx for posting them. :)
I live in Ft. Worth Texas. My daughter left for Tampa for Falcon Days just a minute ago. Looks like you know the Smelsers. I am friends with Amy. Such a small small pleonast world.
Micah, are you sure that you can't get on that airplane tomorrow with your brother? I really wish you were coming too! We just didn't get to visit with you nearly long enough when we were in Florida. We really miss you (and love you too!) Please come visit soon!
