Yes, once again it has been a long time. I have been busy, I promise.
Somewhere on my laptop is the rest of the Continuum 8 stuff, but it’s been so long now, why bother?
Not long after June last year, a job came up that should have been something I wanted. The job was training officer for the entire area, and a second-in-charge into the bargain. Given all of the terribly exciting palaver of the Cerner project, it’s the kind of job I would have thought I’d leap at.
Instead, I found myself checking my pulse as I read the ad (strategically left on the boss’ desk). Hmm.
So now I’m doing an arts degree instead. Technically, it’s a bachelor of communications, but a rose by any other name; as you were.
I’m only a few subjects in now, and it has been terribly interesting. I’m learning all sorts of new things. Unfortunately I’ve rediscovered the less-than-lovely feeling of impatience with the “why do we have to write it this way/to this word count/in this format” brigade.
Sigh. Because that’s the job, or will be if you get far enough in. Please just do the work and spray your displeasure on facebook. Or twitter. Or not.
I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying it, but I’m more surprised at how gosh-darn organised I’ve been. For my diploma and science degree, it was night-before-chocks-away all-nighters to hand in assignments. I’ve either grown up (naaaaah), or have too many other things to do these days. Funny that.
I have a few friends studying as well (at our advanced ages of late thirties or so), mostly because we can now or just want to; why not if we can fit it all in? What I find amazing is these ladies manage it around multiple children, jobs, and gym visits. I only have one child, a night job (that means I can read if my eyes don’t slam shut), and I don’t go to the gym. Small lad isn’t interested in sport, either, so there are no weekend commitments for us at all. I have it pretty easy.
I’m not terribly disciplined about the other things I want to be doing, but I’ll get there in the end. The one drawback about the uni work is that sometimes my brainpower is tied up in the uni work, and I don’t have leftovers for this blog, or very much other writing.
My current subject is semiotics, and I’ve never thought about any of these things before in quite this way. The first week did my head in, and to my chagrin I found myself doing the recommended chestnut: housework. Let my brain chew it over. Oh good.
A lot of writing guides will suggest housework as the kind of thing to do when you’re stuck. I discovered last week that it’s true, as far as it goes, but it doesn’t work for me in writing. Only writing does that. Stuck on a concept, though? I can testify, sisters (and brothers), mindless busywork works. Much better than playing games on my phone. A pity with all the hours I’ve wasted doing that.
This is one of my more boring entries, friends, Romans, internet-heads; I promise to be no more interesting next time. Although if I had my gigantic dictionary handy, I’d give you some good words to go out on. I have some more reading about the male gaze in advertising and some arm-waving horror from fellow students about a pro-feminist article written in 1972. The language sounds uncomplimentary to us girls, but I found it diplomatic (for the lads) once I’d read the publication date. Instead, let me leave you with D.H. Lawrence.
