Well it seems like a good time to start exercising my blogging muscles again. When we first came to Qatar, and I was going to go from a job and a half to no job at all, I think I was nervous about all that open space in the calendar. I’m a busy person. I like to be busy. Correction – I’ve always liked to be busy. Something has shifted though…I suspect it has something to do with the shifts that have taken place in my body over the years. I’m either getting old or wise I’m not sure. Hopefully both.
So when I was staring down the free time in my calendar I decided that now would be a good time to take some university courses that I’ve always wanted to take. Why not, with oodles and oodles of time coming my way?
What I didn’t expect was that I was going to absolutely love all that space in my calendar. Days went by, spent in complete silence, with no need of voices or music or even much reading. I’m not sure what I did exactly, although now that I’m working full-time again our house and our meals reflect what I was doing. It was easy to spend a day sorting and organizing and re-connecting to my love of cooking and baking. I would sometimes feel so amused at the ‘new me’. I would try to put on music (because finally I had time to really listen) but would only last a few minutes, preferring the peace of the silence. It was very strange and very unlike me. I let it be what it was and wondered how long it would last. I predicted a couple of weeks. Maybe I was detoxing from my busy life. Shockingly, it lasted about 3.5 months.
The two courses I decided to take (Intro to Sociology and Intro to World Religions) were neglected. Sociology had the first due date and that was March 31st. I had to have all assignments in and write the exam by that date. I wrote the exam on that date, finishing the final big essay about 4 days before that. Some things about me haven’t changed one bit (right Mom?).
The course was great. Of course if I didn’t rush it I would have learned even more. Each person is assigned a Tutor to help out and she is the person who marks my assignments. She, unknowingly, spurred me on to keep blogging.
My final essay was a huge rush and wasn’t given anywhere near the time it should have been given. In the end, I had to push the ‘submit’ button and get it in because the exam deadline was looming. I didn’t feel that good about it.
*bragging alert…shameless bragging about to happen
I got a shocking (to me) 100% on the essay. I didn’t know they were even allowed to give those out in University. But the tutors’ comments meant even more to me.
“Thank you for an excellent read. Probably the best such submission I have yet received in this course. [Your writing style—phraseology, use of words, insight and analysis are excellent. I wonder whether you have considered writing as a career?]”
Now, don’t be offended. I know there have been plenty of you who were complimentary about my writing…but you know me and like me, for some reason that makes it count less.
And so on that note….I think I’d better pick up the blogging gauntlet again and keep practicing.
Thanks for your patience while I’ve been off writing other things.
The World Religions deadline seems so very far away (end of September). Note to self…IT’S NOT SO KEEP WORKING!!
