 |
| Gif Source |
Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.
~Benjamin Disraeli
Do you have days where you just feel happy? For me, that was the week of September 16 to September 22 (a.k.a. last week). When you’re having a good week, you remember things more easily, and I have vivid memories of the adventures I had.
1. LC Student Staff Retreat
On the 17th, I helped set up for the LC staff retreat. Organizing and arranging notebooks on the tables was enjoyable. I couldn’t let them remain random, everyone needed a fair chance of obtaining each notebook design. I chose a peachy pink notebook with the quote Live, Love, Flowers because it reminds me of the Alpha Gamma Delta motto Loving, Leading, Lasting. All the notebooks were paired with colored pencils, so we could color the pages. Yes, they were coloring book-notebooks. If you love stationary you understand why this was a big deal. I was in charge (until Crystal showed up) and needed to set up the PowerPoint on the computer, but there was no monitor. Surprise, I ran back to my dorm for nothing; the projector was the monitor.
2. Astronomy Homework Session
I love science, but I also hate it and think it’s a waste of time. Why the contradiction? I’m a psychology major. I want to learn more about people and how they [we] work. I’ve been taking STEM since preschool, and I’m over it. There are always things that you can learn in every situation, but it’s tricky when you don’t want to. I love the stars, but astronomy involves a lot of rote memorization and I’ve also sucked at that. I just can’t wrap my head around the moon phases and what each phase looks like on Earth, depending on your right ascension and declination. Our professor called us out on not wanting to think about the lessons, which is a requirement for passing the exams. To help resolve these issues, I met with my friend in the Pub and we held a rant session. Most of the fun with this class is the clever professor (particle physicist) and laughing with your friends.
There were questions on our assignments that we know we never went over in class, and the book was not relevant for the questions. Here’s the thing, I need a lot of discussion and practice with terms for me to remember them. That’s simply not what this class is about.
3. LGBTQA+ Presidential Forum
I got my ticket the moment I received the email about the event. At the CoeVotes session with the presidential candidates team, I learned from everyday citizens why they were supporting their candidate. I had a really great conversation with the Pete Buttigieg team - about things you only understand if you’ve lived in Indiana - and wish I asked for their contact info. The Cory Booker team was by far the most friendly, genuine women I’ve ever seen.. They walked in and smiled at everyone, and were so polite. I had to tell them how awestruck I was. I saw them again the next week, where they registered students to vote. Once again, I wish I was able to get their contact information. Now, I have a working phone, so I just have to wait for the day I see them again.
The line was so long to get into Sinclair, and news reporters flocked to get the latest scoop on the event. With my purple heels, purple long-sleeved t-shirt, and afro-styled hair, I felt very confident that day. Seeing all the candidates in person helped me see them as human beings, and I feel far more comfortable with my position on which candidates appeal to me. I won’t open up that can of worms here, but if you see me at the front desk, we can chat about it.
3. Twist Out and Wash Day
Washing my hair takes an entire day, maybe the entire weekend if I want to properly style it for the week. With all the events and temperature changes, my hair needed some love. I wore it out in an afro-twist out style, so I saved time by not having to take all the twists out. If you see me around campus, more than likely I’m rocking a protective style, and I have it in a ponytail (which damages the hair) to keep it out of my face. I hadn’t let my hair fly free since freshman year. I received more attention than I expected freshman year, and I was very uncomfortable. Our dorms are way too dry for me to wear my hair out frequently, but maybe over the summer I’ll be more adventurous.
4. Early Morning Rising
No more late nights. No more midnight snacks. No more episodes of Queer Eye before bed. I need to get back on a proper sleep schedule, so this past week I began waking up at 7:15 am. I had no choice but to stay up late for my closing shifts, but now I can go to bed before midnight in my fight for eight hours of sleep each night. It’s an attainable goal, but it will take some time. For starters, I’m a light-sleeper and need complete sensory deprivation to get to sleep. I have my eye mask, my earplugs, and my comfy blanket to keep my arms warmer and my feet cooler, so I don’t overheat. Watching tv in the early morn has been great for my stress, because I’m able to ease into the day. When you have a ton of work to complete, going to bed early can be a challenge, but I hope that this new habit will help ease that workload.
---
The way the past few weeks have been, I wasn’t hoping for much improvement to my mental health and sanity. I focused on completing my work, and reaped the benefits of my effort. I enjoyed myself and am proud of the decisions I made. There were ups and downs, as always, but I focused on the bright side of things, and feel happier because of it. Even though it was difficult, I allowed myself to be honest about my feelings and my responsibilities so I could keep moving and reach my goals. Have you found your happy medium this semester? Tell me about it in the comment section down below.
Sources
No comments:
Post a Comment