Breaking Points & Super Powers

I'm sensing a theme in my life lately. If my life was a book, the reader would almost scoff at how obvious this recurring theme is. This theme is busyness. My schedule yet again looks like a kid playing with colored blocks. I thought I could handle it; five classes, two jobs, a play, two radio shows, and growing relationships. After a pretty lazy month, I was glad to be busy again.

I went to the first few days of class last week, excited for everything. But, my hours for both of my jobs started to increase and a few classes (if not all) proved to be much more difficult than I had planned on. "Oh well," I thought, "I can so handle this. I've done it before; I just need to get into a routine." After three days, though, I finally admitted to myself what I should have known all along: I am not Superwoman. However much I would like to think so, I have breaking points. Sometimes the most awesome thing ever may not be the best thing for me. Maybe that 400-level course isn't such a great idea this semester; maybe working 20 hours - even if I do finish by 5pm each day - will push me beyond my limits. I have a breaking point; I should acknowledge it and do this to avoid getting to that point.

I have a theme in my life, yes. But the conflict and resolution of such a theme may not always have to be the same. The conflict doesn't have to be a full out war against myself; it can instead be me against the forces of evil in the world. Maybe in that sense, I'm Superwoman, but I think I'll try to stay away from thinking I have super powers. 'Cause last time I checked, I can't walk through doors or fly across campus.

Peace!

-Nicole

The Study of Women

"Well behaved women rarely make history." -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


Hellooo, sorry it's another late night post.  hope you are well.

I LOVE my Women's Studies class.  It is one of the best I've ever taken at Concordia and am so glad it's a minor for me.  Honestly, if Concordia offered a major in it , it might be my second major.  It has introduced so many concepts, caused so many "Aha!" moments, and has caused me to reconsider specializing in Gender Psychology.


It's a lot of learning though.  And that's definitely a great thing, but learning can also be uncomfortable sometimes.  It's hard to take a class where we read a lot of writers who have a keen awareness of inequalities still present today.  I mean, it is a great class.  Great professor, great classmates, great subject matter.  Still, when you learn about things that maybe ought to be fixed in your society, it can be a bit disheartening to realize that there's still a lot of things that need improvement. Even worse is the realization that you yourself are a part of some of those systems responsible for inequality.  To realize that your own thoughts contribute to a social construct that marginalizes and condemns people is sobering.  You begin to see things everywhere, and it's happening to me not only in the context of Women's Studies, but in the context of my Developmental Psych class as well.  I can't look at a child without having stage theories of development and certain milestones pop into my head.

I guess that's ultimately what are education is about though.  No one ever said it would always be comfortable, plus the very point of education is to fight against our natural ignorance of some things.  Sometimes we just aren't naturally exposed to information and that's why it's important to actively seek out knowledge.  

In my religion class we just covered Genesis, and of course the concept of Original Sin.  My professor is a firm believer that sin took place not because of willful disobedience, but of ignorance and immaturity.  After all, isn't it all based in the desire for knowledge.  The God of most faith traditions is an omniscient being and we desire to be more like God. 

I am being exposed to many, many things here at college.  Being exposed to my own ignorance as well as other viewpoints may be uncomfortable at times, and it comes at a pretty steep price, but if anything is worth paying for, it's knowledge and awareness.

Have a wonderful week and please enjoy the remainder of Autumn.
-Megan