I have always asked myself… “How can I do the bare minimum to get an A”? Not because I am lazy but because I have always done sports, music, and been involved in church. I would have to prioritize what assignments I have to actually do, what lectures I have to actually pay attention to, etc. etc. Because that’s what you do when your life is in a constant time crunch. And I wouldn’t have it any other way I suppose. Recently I just agreed to take on a new leadership position as Worship Leader at a churchJ I am so thankful for it but it also means less time to do homework. So I did what I know to do… which is sit down and reprioritize how I am going to be using my now limited time for school. But I don’t think that’s going to work (at least not the same as it did at other schools). Of course putting a list together of our assignments I could say that I should focus on the final essay, journals, and interacting during discussions. But truthfully, I want to interact with it all! I love the Proust book and I actually enjoy the discussions.

Evergreen, and the way it teaches one to critically think, to actually engage, to blend subjects (because that’s actually how life works)… I think it’s brilliant. Sometimes I walk away from class with something distasteful in my mouth… but I think it’s just a little dust on account of my walls falling down. I don’t think everything in my life needs to be so pleasantly tasteful (if you couldn’t tell from my incredibly untasteful prose).

As for the Proust… his work continues to move me. To confuse me. To challenge me. I find myself searching for the truth I perceive that Proust holds and so slowly reveals to us. It has been a healing book for me as I can personally relate to so much of it. Having anxiety and getting over someone I loved have been two of my biggest struggles in life. The narrator and Swann so accurately live these struggles; indulging in the moments of freedom from them and feeling every ounce of the uncontrollability and lack of control these struggles bring into one’s life. Proust, or at least the characters he has created, have been wonderful and relatable friends to me. It’s true that you get to know book characters on such a deeper level than most human beings. Unfortunately they don’t listen to me when I have something to say. Well at least you guys do.

It bothered me when we had that discussion about the pay-off of Proust. Or maybe bothered is the wrong word… I just don’t relate. “It’s the climb” people! Cause I know Miley Cyrus is a credible source. But I guess I am just getting SO MUCH out of Proust so far… I can’t even imagine that a hurrah moment at the end could be better than the several little hurrah moments I have already experienced throughout.

So yeah… I guess I am going to keep going. No doubt I will have to compromise things and stuff but I’m going to give it my best.

To giving it our best! Cheers classmates.