Okay, I know, I'm waxing philosophical. I think it must be a phase, and presently I shall return to comments on matters such as the flotilla of mini pirate ships on my dresser or the many reasons I dislike math. However, this is the helping of my thoughts that I release today into cyberspace.
Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) I played a large game of Lord of the Rings Monopoly with all but one of my family members. (The missing one has what one or two of his friends refer to as a 'jewfro', and memorizes phone numbers by remembering which hockey players' numbers they correspond to.) Afterward, I relented to pleading from my two smallest siblings and played an hour or two of Twilight Princess. I accomplished quite a lot, and I am halfway through the Temple of Time. About this point, shortly after dinner, I remembered that on Sunday afternoons, I normally get started on this week's quizzing material. "Okay, whatever," I thought. "The sections haven't been as long lately, so I probably don't have much to do. I'll just slip it in before we start on our normal rounds of Sunday night TV."
Five minutes later, I was staring gloomily at Luke 10 - a whopping FORTY-TWO verses that I hope to have memorized by Wednesday.
Here we pause. I didn't regret the three or so hours of Monopoly, nor the Twilight Princess. I skipped the first TV show, Heartland, and paced my bedroom repeating verses to myself, and then wandered upstairs to watch America's Funniest Home Videos and The Amazing Race. I could have watched House with my mom afterward, but by that time I was rather sleepy and had a couple more verses to memorize, so I didn't. (But really, as she pointed out, missing House is far preferable to missing, say, NCIS or Bones or The Office.)
I do have a point here. And the point is - I could have spent all afternoon catching up in music history, brushing up on my piano technique, getting a head start in quizzing, or sundry other 'productive' pursuits. Instead I played Monopoly and Zelda. I don't feel guilty, because yesterday I think I realized something more important.
I'll never be seventeen again. Heck, as of next August, I get to be an adult for the rest of my life. Do I really want to spend this year immersed in academic pursuits, and miss out on the more important things? Because yes, some things ARE more important. Like playing Lord of the Rings Monopoly and witnessing my mom refer to Valinor as Edoras. Like wildly waving a Wii controller while Grace and Will shout, "Kill him! YEAH!"
Okay, maybe I don't get 100% on every Chemistry test. Maybe I take mini-breaks between school subjects to read fan fiction about Elves and the CIA. Maybe I'll never go to Harvard, maybe I'll never be famous, maybe I'll never land a job that pays a million a year. Maybe, heaven forbid, I'll have kids instead of a bigger house or a newer car or an expensive vacation. But you know what? That's okay.
Because I'm happy. Exactly like this. There is a time to be 'productive', and there is a time to kill hairy spider-things with your Master Sword.
4 comments:
Melda. That. Was. Brilliant.
You echoed so many of my thoughts on this matter! One of my favorite soapboxes is how stinkin' academically minded homeschoolers have become... not like that's a bad thing! It's just we've lost sight of the 'home' in homeschool... and push ourselves to be brilliant little perfectionists. I, for one, can look back on my schooling years with smiles and pride. Sure, I never exactly mastered the periodic table of the elements. I didn't ever learn Latin, and I can't play Rhapsody in Blue. But I built LASTING relationships with friends and family... that's what matters more. :) I can never regret all the times I threw school to the wind so I could play a game of chess with a nephew or bake a cake with a niece.
I love the "Heaven forbid" line... because that is radically right on. You go Melda.
*makes rock on sign*
I inherited my perfectionism from my dad... and I seriously wish I hadn't.
It's quite awful, being a perfectionist, and I hate myself for it sometimes.
It IS good motivation, however, especially when I do like studying, but it's hard not to do it for the right reasons.
Though lately I've found myself not caring as much and instead taking time to play with siblings instead of spending the evening studying.
Plus, when you think about it, and think about how much your grades are going to matter in how you change the world, especially for someone like me, who plans on staying home from college and instead learning how to be a home maker, suddenly grades don't matter as much as love.
Congrats. It's always an important moment when you come to that realization.
Your life will never be the same.
Take that as a good thing or a bad thing. Either way works really.
But while I do approve of this blog entry, it does sound a tad like me, and I have never seen myself as what some would call, a good example.
But hey, I got a 54 in grade 12 math, and I'm still on my way towards a successful career.
On the street. In a box. With all the other musicians.
The voice in my head is telling me to stop talking now. We must catch up sometime. =)
Yes! Your blog is great, and I know something about the night elves, they are the race I WOW power leveling when I get my first account:The reclusive Night Elves power leveling[ were the first race to awaken in the World of Warcraft Power Leveling. These shadowy, immortal beings were the first to study magic and let it loose throughout the world nearly ten thousand years before Warcraft I. The Night Elves' reckless use of magic drew the Burning Legion into the world and led to a catastrophic war between the two titanic races. The Night Elves barely managed to banish the Legion from the world, but their wondrous homeland was shattered and drowned by the sea. I love this race and suggested everyone that start their WOW power leveling a rogue or druidof night elf
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