Graduation thoughts

I received my degree in January.  As exciting as it was, I'm thrilled I decided to do the actual commencement ceremony.  Originally, the only reason I did this was to make my mom happy.  Now I'm glad she made me because it felt so darn good walking across that stage in the cap and gown!  There really is something to walking across that stage and shaking hands with the head of your college as you take your degree.  Joseph Campbell wrote extensively on the importance of rituals and how it transforms a person.  We need rituals in our lives push us to the next stage of life.  I can see, no, feel, the importance in the commencement ceremony/ritual.  Having already had my degree for five months, I thought it would just be some typical walk across the stage, but I really was beaming that I received some acknowledgement from a crowd.  I didn't care if only six people in the crowd knew who I was, but gosh darn-it every person in that center knew MARLANA WEBER graduated with her Bachelor's Degree!  You may not know my story or anything about me, but I did it, and you know it!  Afterwards, I swear I was standing taller and felt a little smarter.  I feel initiated into some deluxe group of the college educated.

It really is inspiring to see those higher-ups give their fancy speeches.  Maybe now that we are educated people, we can sit and appreciate what these people are saying to us.  Maybe it's because we just spent the last 2-4 years of our lives working towards this degree, and we sit there and think "You darn well have something good to say to me!"  Perhaps they realize this is a huge milestone in our lives, and as anyone crossing that threshold in our life's journey realizes it may be terrifying and therefore are trying to give us some words to encourage us on our next steps.  I felt the pride when our President explained how great of a school National University really is: second best non profit school in California, twelfth in the nation.  I found comfort hearing Ben Stein, our guest speaker, tell us how important it is to never stop learning, and that it is our own hard work and determination, all of which we just displayed, that will get us through the hard times our society faces now.  Now that we have our degrees, nobody can take away what we learned -- EVER!  Better yet, we have this amazing knowledge and can share that with the world.  Whether it is in our own personal world, or if we become world leaders one day, we have this amazing gift of knowledge to share.  It makes me realize, I don't want to stop learning, and just because I have my degree doesn't mean I need to stop learning either. The world is filled with opportunities for us to grow and learn, and to share that with others.   We don't have to go back to college to learn, necessarily, there are plenty of ways we can learn each day.  This may sound cliche, but we really are the future!

The world needs us. When I look around and see so many people who have just thrown their hands up, while, at times, I can't blame them, I also realize that's not what our society needs right now.  What we need is a hero, and we are all heroes.  Each and every once of us faces a challenge every day; we face big challenges many times in our lives.  Every time we conquer that challenge, we learn something; we cross the threshold and have new knowledge, a boon, to share the with the world (or at least those around us).  That makes us a hero in our own right!  You are probably looking at me like I'm crazy now, thinking, "Marlana, I am not some super hero who saved the world."  Yet, you are!  Any accomplishment you celebrate is something big to you, and conquering that changes you.  In Campbell's theory, that makes you a hero.  You cross a threshold, you conquer what needed to be conquered, you return a hero, and now, most importantly, it is time for you to share that with those around you.

Who knew how much that first class in my English program would transform me? As hesitant as I was, I stepped back into the world of school.  I was excited and nervous all in the same breath.  This Myth, Metaphor, and Symbol class really taught me not just about myths, but about life.  I am sure God has his ways of knowing how to teach us, and by learning about The Hero's Adventure in my first class, it opened my eyes to understanding the importance of our struggles, how we must fight those things that hold us back, and when we do, we emerge a transformed person.  Step by step, those triumphs make us who we are.  When facing challenges during my classes, I could think back to Joseph Campbell's teachings and know this is just one challenge in my adventure. If I can just get to my inner strength, my physical strength, my mental strength, and pull all my resources, it will pay off.

I'm proud to say, it did.  I'm here.  I'm proof.  I made it through!

Basically, we have crossed that threshold, we need to take pride in our accomplishments, and from Campbell's perspective, it is time to step up and be the heroes we have become.

"The modern hero, the modern individual who dares to heed the call and seek the mansion of that presence with whom it is our whole destiny to be atoned, cannot, indeed must not, wait for his community to cast off its slough of pride, fear, rationalized avarice, and sanctified misunderstanding. 'Live,' Nietzsche says, 'as though the day were here.'" 

- Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces

ONWARD!

M

Thanks to all my "supernatural aid" ... I couldn't have done it without you: Patrick, Mom, Dad, Elijah, AJ, Christy, and of course all my professors and teachers.

The powerful play goes on

One of the greatest letters ever received...

Project 365 / Project Life - Jan 8

After all the blood, sweat, and tears -- (okay, more like writer's cramp, Starbucks, and tears) -- I see all my hard work paid off. It all went to this moment, seeing that glorious "Congratulations!" Still, I remember feeling like the day of -no more school- would ever come. It feels good to say, "I'm a college graduate." I'm smart and I've worked my ass off the last few years working for this.

Everyone asks, "What are you going to do now?" Sometimes I simply respond, "What do you mean What are you gonna do now??" -- Exactly what I am doing! What is so wrong with working in a retail job? It's a good job, something new every day, good benefits, friendly coworkers, and pretty decent pay as far as I'm concerned. I suppose it is beyond some people that working so hard for my degree wasn't really about "What are you going to do now?" -- it was about personal achievements. It was a goal I set for myself years ago and I didn't want to fail. I loved learning all along the way. Within the English program, I discovered who I am. I found my bliss. Sure, having my degree may (or may not) help advance me in the working world, but that's not what my goal was about.

I don't understand how some people view: career = life. What I do for a living is not who I am. Therefore, getting my degree is not necessarily about where it will take me in the future. While it may help, it was something I needed to do for me. I love the satisfaction of saying that I am a college graduate. I'm smart; I made it; I worked so hard for this and now I have achieved it.

In response to: "What are you going to do now?"

I'm going to revel in my triumph of attaining my BA in English.

I'll also flaunt my knowledge of poetry and leave you with a beautiful poem from Walt Whitman that sums up life:

O Me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;

Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;

Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

....

Indeed, Walt. I will contribute my verse.

Victory is MINE!

Remember what made me MIA this last month? That Literary Theory class I was taking? The boring boring textbook? I finished the class May 1st!

AND GUESS THE BEST PART...

I GOT AN A- IN THE CLASS!! WHOOOHOOOOO!!

How's that for round two?!

Now that I've allowed myself a brain-dead two weeks, I'm rejoining the blogging world. It was a nice break, but I feel my writing brain cells slipping away as every day goes on.

I'm back!

Round 2

"You may delay, but time will not."

Benjamin Franklin

Now ain't that the truth? Let me tell you, I can be the biggest procrastinator. I can also go the opposite extreme with "I gotta do it NOW" syndrome. When it comes to all-things-boring, though, I procrastinate.

This is the month of April, and I'm retaking Literary Theory, LIT 360. That's right, retaking. Now, this was the only class I probably have a somewhat decent excuse for failing. I took it last May, and every single one of us happened to get sick that month. And could we all get sick in the same week? Nope. We spanned it out week by week... if I was a smart person, I would have taken the "W" to Withdrawal. Did I? No, of course not. Here I am now, trying to replace that F. Procrastination has given me a few other F's... (no excuses those time, just lack of planning) and I'm finally learning: hey, don't procrastinate. Plan ahead!

Wow, what a concept.

Back to Lit Theory. Knowing I had to retake this class is like the bane of my existence.

Would YOU like to read this book?

Yes, it really is that thick. I put it next to the laptop as a reference point.

Now you tell me, does this book look appealing to you? I mean, look at that cover. Look how BORING it is. They didn't even TRY to spruce it up. The cover alone just screams, "I'M BORING. YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ME!" At least all the other Literature books put some nice painting, ancient sculptures, etc. But no no, not The Critical Tradition.

To David H. Richter, you didn't have to take Plato's Republic so seriously when designing the cover of this book.

And it's in tiny size print

Paper thin, bible like pages.

Well, I'm proud to say, I'M AHEAD. Yes, for once in my life, I'm ahead of the game. Class started Monday, so first thing Monday morning (knowing what I was in for this time), I got to reading the class lectures right away. I've pushed, I've cranked, I even dreamed about Aristotle. In two days and a half days I finished all the readings for Unit 1, PLUS all four Discussion Board posts. That's right, I read Plato, Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus, plus four DBs... and the last two readings and DBs weren't due until Friday.

WOW. I must say, it feels so good. Franklin had it right; we may delay, but time will not. This time around, instead of being so compulsive, or not well planned... I'm thinking ahead. I planned out (and shopped) for two weeks worth of groceries, baby wipes, and diapers. I have no reason to make those little runs to the store for my lack of planning. That said, I've been able to put much more effort into the reading assignments and get AHEAD. Now, instead of thinking all I could be doing at this exact moment (i.e., procrastinating), I'm thinking if I get ahead... just imagine all the wonderful things I can do at the end of the class, STRESS FREE! While all the other suckers are sitting there making posts at 11:59:59PM... I'm sitting here enjoying my Wednesday night, blogging away.

What if I try to put it at an artsy-like angle, with candles and a delicious dinner in the background...?

Nope. Still dull.