Monday, May 23, 2011

What is it all about anyway?

I have not picked up a single book in Latin this week. I did read some St. Augustine but that was in translation. (Augustine is tough enough translated; I don't feel like tackling him in Latin.) It has been nice. I wandered out into the garden, baked some Irish Coffee cupcakes, and visited with some friends. I even had a beer last night.
I have some doubts about graduate studies. I think I wrote better when I didn't care about my grades. I am not having any fun and I think studies in the Humanities are changing in ways that make it no longer fun. Everyone in my class last year was groaning about weight gain and not having time for anything but studying, even the one woman who made it to the gym didn't make it enough. I like balance in my life. I don't live to work.
My next post will be back to blogging about the Middle Ages. This week I just felt like smelling the roses.

4 comments:

Tracy said...

I so agree about the work/life balance.
That's why both myself and my partner left our old jobs last year - in our last year it really was all work (especially for him). The pressure from the boss was relentless.

Enjoy your 'holiday' - we all need time to 'smell the roses'

Anachronist said...

Everybody feels the same from time to time. I bought my inline skates to force more excercise during summer months. They work like wonder - I am aching all over but I am already happier and thinner.

You need to break the vicious circle - it will make you enjoy Latin or other professional pursuits even more. Balance is more and more difficult to achieve but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Bake more cake, visit friends, go away for a while if you can.

The Red Witch said...

I don't know if the pressure to get ahead is the same in Europe. Maybe it is becoming so due to the influence of American entertainment but I feel like we are all hamsters in a wheel.

Tracy said...

You just need a complete break *hugs* , just doing something that's fun for a change.

But yes, we're all hamsters in a wheel, only I've finally managed to slow my wheel down to a London Eye speed of revolution (most of the time, it does speed up sometimes!). It only took me twenty years!