Think Outside The Piggy Bank

7 links to keep you busy

I promised you links to worthwhile sites a couple of posts ago, and they're up and running now. Just scroll down the left-hand column until you hit Smart Reading. Here you'll find tons of ideas covering creativity, productivity, personal development, happiness, organization, purpose, passion, growth, and ways to keep more of your dollars in your wallets. There are of course countless blogs devoted to any one (or all) of these topics, but if you're like me and easily get overwhelmed by the sheer number of sites you could potentially follow, then these select few are all you'll need to get started. Enjoy!

update: school

I mentioned in a December post that I was thinking of going back to school come September, and my plan had been to see if I could gradually finish my fourth year of an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Now that particular plan is going to be put on hold seeing that I'll be moving because I think transportation would be too much of an issue given that I don't drive. But another option has recently occurred to me that I'm seriously considering. My local community college offers a multidisciplinary certificate in Gerontology, which I can very conveniently take on-line. Ah the beauty of the Internet! Again I would be doing it one course at a time, and the courses themselves look quite interesting (e.g. Mental Health Aspects of Aging, Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Aging, Assessment and Planning). It would fit in quite nicely with both my previous education and work experience, and I figure that any schooling dealing with seniors won't be wasted given our aging population. Besides, this way yours truly can make sure the old noggin doesn't get too rusty. Snort.

speaking of time...

Where did it go? Last time I looked it was still 2008! And I've always thought that time is strange anyway. It speeds up when you're having fun or are engrossed in something, slows to a crawl when you're bored or waiting, and definitely feels different the older you get. And time travel? Don't get me started. I should know by now not to watch any movies featuring this theme as I go crazy trying to figure out the logistics. So in a way I felt somewhat comforted when I read of the physicist Julian Barbour who doesn't even think that time exists, that it's simply an illusion and a product of human perception, but the comfort didn't last, and wasn't shared, snort.

But I digress. I meant to say that it's that time of year again to break or forget all those resolutions! Not. I actually don't believe in making resolutions, although I do like to take stock of the year that went by, think of whatever had been accomplished or that I'm grateful for, and then figure out what my hopes are for the upcoming year. Doable goals make a lot more sense to me, and over the years I've learned that being clear about your intentions is often the quick start that's needed. I haven't quite decided yet what my aims for this year are, although I think finding another job and possibly going back to school are on top of the list. I say possibly for school because I believe you're not allowed to do the fourth year part-time (I'll be checking next week), and since I don't want to do it full-time, I may have to nix this goal. What I do want to change though is getting back on track with my three blogs and Flickr. For various reasons they've been getting short shrift, and that has got to stop.

What about you? Have you thought about what you'd like to see change?

I might go back to school!

Yep, the idea hit me last week, and I'm investigating options. What brought this on you might ask? And a good question it is as I graduated over twenty years ago and never once thought about going back until now. I guess what may have triggered it is the test I took last Monday in order to become a certified food handler. Consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions (you had to get 35 right in order to pass), it was trickier than I thought it would be, and I had to really think through the 15 that I initially left blank. Of course leaving 15 blank made me a bit nervous at first as it occurred to me that I could only get that many wrong if I wanted to pass. But as I was going along, I realized that I was actually having fun trying to figure out the right answers. So much fun that I didn't care that almost everyone had left already, including the ones who started after I did. And taking that much time to complete the test actually paid off because the instructor offered to mark it for me right on the spot rather than having me wait two weeks for the results. What WAS the result? I only got 1 answer wrong! Couldn't believe it.

As I was walking home, and still not quite believing that I had gotten 98% on the test, I remembered how much I actually liked taking tests when I was at school, liked studying, and liked getting good marks. So what happened when I went to university? I started a four-year Honours Sociology degree, did well the first two years, and then my personal life got really messy before depression took over. My A's and B's quickly turned into D's and F's because I couldn't be bothered with writing term papers. I literally didn't care. In fourth year I picked myself up somewhat, and managed to take a couple of courses and get enough C's to at least earn a three-year general BA. But it always felt like I hadn't really completed what I set out to do, and I didn't even go to my graduation. Maybe because I felt I hadn't earned it?

The other factor is that a couple of nieces are now attending my alma mater! And another niece (of whom I'm extremely proud) was invited to study and teach Linguistics at UCLA. So I think these youngsters (now if that doesn't make me feel and sound old, snort) have maybe stirred up educational longings that I long put aside. But for whatever reason, the thought popped into my head that I should see whether I can go back and get that Honours degree after all. I would have to make up a couple of prerequisites, but then I'd get to take a bunch of fun-sounding 4th year Sociology courses. I'd do it part-time (because I don't like doing ANYTHING full-time), and even if it took five years or so, taking one course per semester would no longer break my piggy bank.

So yeah, I might go back to school! Let's see, I want to take at least a few of these fourth-year courses:

• Selected Topics in the Sociology of The Family
• Selected Topics in the Sociology of Culture
• Issues in the Sociology of Aging
• Individual and Society
• Sociology of Cyberspace/Internet, and
• Self and Identity

That last course sounds especially good: A consideration of theoretical and empirical questions relating to self and identity viewed from historical, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary perspectives.

Neat huh? I'm hoping that maybe I can start next September. After that, who knows!

missing in action?

I'm not sure either! I'll let you know when I know, snort. For now though let me leave you with this:

I feel very rich when I have time to write and very poor when I get a regular paycheck and no time to work at my real work. --NATALIE GOLDBERG

(I completely get what Natalie is saying, even though blogging is my only form of writing these days.)

And this:

What you do instead of your real work is your real work. --ROGER EBERT

What about you? What is your real work?