As part of my “purging” (cleaning my house) I have been cleaning out the office cupboards behind my husband’s desk. Stored there is the accumulation of twelve years of seminary papers, teaching supplies, training materials, old CES videos, church magazine articles I copied to save, and my homework from BYU continuing education classes I took several years ago. So in other words, the cupboards were full!
It was sad for me to part with the seminary supplies, but what really depressed me was reading my homework assignments.
When did I go brain dead?
And how come I didn’t notice before now?
About eleven years ago, I decided I needed more in my life and made the decision to take classes online from BYU. I took two classes a year for four years, and then quit when motherhood and seminary squeezed out all extra time.
But for two hours yesterday I sat in the office and viewed assignments I completed in biology, geography and teaching, and papers I had written for classes in English, humanities, political science and history. I had papers on the “Feminization of Poverty” as well as the decreasing role of the father in the modern American family. I analyzed music from Chopin, wrote a critique on several published articles, wrote a ten-page comparative analysis on John Adams and Abraham Lincoln, and a five page paper on the influence of the media in modern politics. I studied philosophers from Socrates to Voltaire, wrote a paper on existentialism, and the list goes on.
I was shocked, really. Most of my assignments were well thought out and the papers were well written. Seriously, I don’t remember ever thinking like that or being able to write like that.
Somewhere in the past seven years, I must have lost my brain.
Sure, it takes some deep thinking and creativity to teach the gospel every day to 14 year olds, but I don’t think I have really had to think so analytically, or write so persuasively since I quit taking classes.
I have let my mind get lazy.
One solution may be to go back to school, but I am not sure this is a good time for me to do that. However, somehow, I need to get my brain back!!
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7 comments:
Boy, can I relate to this! Unfortunately, I don't have the answer...
=)
I have similar thoughts.
"I used to be smarter!" lol
I chalk it up living life instead of thinking about it...or something like that. You get my gist.
It's more time consuming to DO and BE than to Sit and Think...at least that's what I tell myself.
I totally relate to this and have been considering taking an online course myself. I have also dabbled with the idea of enrolling to do my phD, which I want to do eventually. I just don't think we have the money to do it now.
But in the meatime my brain cells are shrinking by the minute.
Whatever. You don't need school to be smart (just don't tell my students that :)
I wouldn't talk to you so much if you weren't full of so much sense and brilliance.
Oh you are speaking to my heart! I just cleaned out my "Seminary cupboard" and threw away all my old supplies. My study habits have wned since being released. But what is sadder, is that I DON'T CARE! How awful is that? I'm just too tired to care.
You're using your brain all the time when you write such beautiful posts for your blog. I'm sure you're thinking more than you realize. =)
I've had the same thoughts when I've reread my college papers! It's amazing what assignments and deadlines can help us produce!!! If we've done it once, we can do it again...someday!
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