5/4/09
Help I'm Alive
Not only is this the title of one of my new favorite songs, it happens to be the phrase I'd choose to describe my life right now.
Some things to consider (that i've been considering):
Same-Sex Marriage (CNN)
Switching Sides (The Onion)
Ken Robinson: Does School Kill Creativity? (ted.com)
Besides constantly reading articles online and watching videos on TED.com, I go on youtube. I watch spoken word poetry videos in my free time that isn't really as free as I pretend. Basically, I do math homework and I sit on my bed wondering if the motivation to do ACTUAL homework that matters will ever magically appear, perhaps on a highjacked jet-brain or through interpretive dance. It never does. I watch slam poetry instead. All. the. Time.
Some may think that I am lazy, but is it laziness that drives me not to do homework or do i feel that I should be doing something more useful with my time? As an aspiring writer/poet, youtube is my choice.
For your viewing pleasure, some spoken word that I have enjoyed:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I used to be a wire news (AP/Reuters/APF) junkie via Yahoo News, along with the tech news aggregators at pcworld.com. The New York Times has now replaced my wire news, and through The Times's varied content, I've tried to expand my interests. But poetry? It's a new language to me. I was really, really drilled in grammatical structures, and, even though I've forgotten the names (and how to use them properly) I still construct my thoughts, and read other people's thoughts, in the devices composing what I now know as "prose."
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have time to watch Sir Ted just yet--I have some chores to do. But usually there aren't many to do, and when I come back here later, I'm probably going to read a few more of the tabs I've got open for reading. Why don't I just jump into the Spanish vocab or the American film questions or, even, the AP Language studying. I need to do all this stuff at some point or another--but I find that at this moment, I really don't have a great need for these things. Now, I'm not "dissing" Paskas, Ms. Reedy, or AP, but in a hierarchy, I'll put "Keeping Up With The World"--where I conveniently throw The Times, this blog, and whatever else interests, stimulates, and expands horizons--before, for example, learning languages not needed at the moment, so I don't become some class of a technocrat or just another blind wanderer through human existence.
So to answer your question, we might be a little bit lazy--since math homework and Spanish vocab will ultimately allow us to get diplomas, go to college, get jobs (or get published, in your case). We have to get our work done, or else we'll starve in some sense. At the same time, we can't be lost to the assignment, the job, the career advancement. The Times tells me about the world; I'm sure that poetry tells you beautiful things I can't even begin to appreciate. In the end, that makes us the man and woman we want to be. I think, then, it makes us human.
I mean...Sir Ken...I hate typos. I'm looking at this TED site and wondering how the hell I could possibly ever fit this site into my daily or extended reading routines...
ReplyDeleteYou obviously have much more stamina than I...
Monk, I, too, struggle to find the motivation for such assignments for AP, French, and the occasional Math problems. I am more interested in reading a book of poetry, a biography of my favorite author/poet (at the time), the most recent bit of news on CNN/Salon/etc, an interesting new video on TED (which I cannot do too often in fear of getting sucked in and stuck in for DAYS), some new music reviews from Pitchfork, or just finding a new blog to follow and enjoy. All of this trumps schoolwork and, unfortunately, often leaves me groping for time's imaginary light switch. I've always said that if i could chose one superpower to have it would be to stop time to catch up with the world's news.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! I'll try to keep this updated every so often. As time, the immortal commander of my life, allows.