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| It's been a long time since I've updated, but I started this Xanga account, and it seems in the last little while, it has started to wear thin. Will this be my last entry? I don't know. But I do know that Facebook is currently superior. That being said...
Ever heard of one of those list people make of things they want to do before they die? The film The Bucket List was based around the entire concept. Well, I think really most of us have one of those lists, we just may not have written it down. So, I decided to start writing mine down. Now, I know I may not get some of these items accomplished, and some are definitely more important than others. But here it is.
One Day I'd Like To:*
Receive a Master's Degree
Receive a Doctoral Degree
Receive a Black Belt in Martial Arts Training
Leave the Country Again
Have a Family
Learn How to Build a Computer
Write and Perform a Song
Get In Shape
Run a Marathon
Design and Build My Own House
Become a Published Author
See Every Stanley Kubrick Film
See 250 Acclaimed Films
Learn to Swim
Work on My Baseball Throwing
Work on My Basketball Shooting
See the Eagles
See the Stones
See Sir Paul McCartney
Rescue the Princess with Help From the Magic Mushroom
Rescue the Princess with Help From the Magic Ocarina
*The List is Subject to Change (Especially Addition) At Any Time
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A new year deserves a new concert and a new post!
Def Leppard!
REO Speedwagon!
STYX!
All in one night!
March 27th, baby!
My Top Three Def Leppard Songs:
3.) Pour Some Sugar On Me
2.) Rock Of Ages
1.) Bringin On The Heartbreak
My Top Three REO Speedwagon Songs:
3.) Keep On Loving You
2.) Take It On The Run
1.) Roll With The Changes
My Top Three STYX Songs:
3.) The Grand Illusion
2.) Blue Collar Man
1.) Renegade
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| I'm so glad I graduated this past December. I plan to attend Spring graduation tomorrow afternoon, and it promises to be all pomp and circumstance ad nauseam. You know, all the speeches that last seemingly for decades and big addresses that are all really cliche and only meaningful on the surface before they are forgotten within hours. My ceremony is much shorter and sweeter, and that was the way I liked it. After all, I worked 4 1/2 years for the degree I received--the ceremony meant nothing compared to the sleepless nights of studying, writing papers, and pushing myself to the limit under sometimes nightmarish conditions.
That being said, I can't help but wonder if I had it all to do over what I would do differently. Now, obviously every experience makes us who we are, and the default answer to any such question is "nothing". Since changing some detail could perhaps change some area or characteristic that has grown or developed because things have transpired the way they have.
Well, for the sake of argument (and to actually create this entry), let's disqualify that answer. What then would I consider doing differently if I had to do it all again? Here's a list in no particular order.
1.) I would have considered transferring after my Sophomore year. Why then? Because I actually went to Milligan partially because I think the Humanities core program is a great way to teach/learn history/literature/art/music/etc. Secondly, although my major's department has many strengths, it simply isn't at the forefront of the college's priorities. Had I remained an English major or further pursued any Humanities, Education, Business, or Art programs, however, that statement would be different. Plus it's just plain cheaper.
2.) Knowing then what I know now, my major(s)/minor would have been different from the get-go. It took me two years to realize I was in the wrong major. When I changed it, my G.P.A. was the first casualty, but my peace of mind triumphed. I should have either finished a double major in Math & English or added a second minor onto my Math major. But once again, that was just one of those things that a person has to experience to see clarity.
3.) I would have spent much more time in front of a piano. It seemed playing was one of the only refuges I had from the hustle and pressure during certain times, and I think if I had played more I would have had less stress, and maybe been better in my area of study. Plus I would have done much better at those recitals! And been less ashamed when I played for my instructor.
4.) I would have asked a lot more girls out much sooner. I know, that sounds cheap and superficial, but I mean it. Not so I could "see a lot of action" or "be a real ladies' man", but so I could have done a lot more things that I simply couldn't as just one lone guy. Plus, I could have gotten to know so many interesting people better in the process. That being said, I don't think any of them would have led anywhere, and I'm fine with that. I'm happy the way things are. But I do wish I could have gotten to know a lot of people better while gaining experience. That interaction is what I'm talking about.
5.) My schedule would have been lean and fit as a fiddle. There are some classes I simply wouldn't have taken. That's all there is to it. They were mostly electives or classes that I had to take to realize I didn't want to pursue their subjects. But if I had the knowledge I do now, those hours could have been freed up for my major(s)/minor(s). Add to that the fact that I would have started taking at least one course during the summers from the get-go, and you have a killer list of possible classes with the same graduation date or one even sooner. And maybe...cross your fingers...a better G.P.A. or less burn out.
But alas, the past can't be changed. And, like I've said, that's just as well. Instead, only semi-serious thoughts like these act as lessons learned in a way--experiences to draw from when new considerations arrive. Hmm...maybe I can draw from them in grad. school...
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