How Valuable Are Letters?

This week I have been thinking a lot about what my first ever blog entry should l look like and I have come up with two conflicting ideas. My first reaction is caress the English language and preserve this space for poetic and brilliant entries. On the opposition I feel I ought to embrace the informal style of a blog using the convenience to funnel the rawness of my daily emotions. I have come up with no conclusion, but instead will simply start writing in hopes that some element of beauty or sparked curiosity will arise.

I have spent a large portion of my semester studying for anatomy. Honestly, I have never studied so long for a test before this course. However there is no fruit to my labor, and I am fighting to achieve a C in the course. Trying hard has always equated to success in my experience and therefore Anatomy is causing me gray hairs. Although in the depth of my frustration this week I began to acknowledge that I have learned copious amounts of information and do find the course work fascinating. Yet somehow I approach the class with such disdain because of my current grade.

The more I reflect on this, the more I become saddened that my satisfaction with academia parallels the grade I get in the course. Does anyone in formal academia learn for pure enjoyment, and is our motivation only based on extrinsic rewards? I know a love for learning is not my number one source of motivation but I also don't want a grade on a transcript to be my motivation either. In a world founded on the value of personal achievement, competition, and instant gratification is it possible to be content? Is it possible to get a C, or even fail a class, and still find the experience positively rewarding?

I draw a blank. I am not sure if I am free enough to negate grades but for now I strive to find a place of contentment. It's strange, and I often feel lazy, but my soul needs a place of resting. I need to find value in something more reliable than the characters of the alphabet.

Things That Are Good In My Life.

-I am 2 pages away from finishing my last major paper of the semester and I feel really great about it!!!
-My boyfriend, while not John Muir, is pretty freaking awesome.
-I saw Ingrid Michaelson in concert last night and she was great. Really funny and (obviously) a great musician. My favorite song of the night: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgRcxbJq63g
Mainly because it is about knitting a hat. :) And love. Two things that are great.
-I had a warm M&M cookie today and thought of you and Martha.
-It is a brilliantly gorgeous day today.
-YOU! You are good in my life. 
There are more good things, but I think I'll leave it at that for now.

Soon to come: Picture-a-day? (Or Picture-a-week?)

Love you.

John Muir would be the perfect boyfriend.

I have been thinking about what to call this blog for a really long time. I wanted to have a name that conveys friendship, but could never think of anything that wasn't beyond cheesy. But just now, I was thinking about how we used to read John Muir out loud and so I googled "John Muir friendship" to see if he had any quotes that would come up and....ta DA!!!

"I am learning to live close to the lives of my friends without ever seeing them. No miles of any measurement can separate your soul from mine."

How perfect is that? This is exactly what we are trying to do, after all. We are attempting to find some way to "live close" to one another's lives when we are many miles apart. Yet again, as with so many times in our lives, good  ol' John says exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.