Let's Get Political!

Every now and again I get a little too upset about something and just need to rant about it. It seems this has been happening more and more lately, generally when it comes to those Republicans with their head so far up their asses (now I'm not saying all Republicans are like this, but many of the loudest are) that they can't see the country can't continue without more income and that ought to come from those who have the most to spare...THE WEALTHY! Jefferson supported a graduated system of taxation. There are some people who have more money to give and they should WANT to work for the common good. THAT, my friends, the COMMON GOOD, is actually a foundation of America. Independence and individualism in a sense, but all of these individuals understood that the common good needed to be supported. This is a cornerstone of Puritanism! Actually, I feel like that's probably a cornerstone of Christianity, another idea that these right-wing conservatives like to throw around without actually supporting it. Politicians make a living out of grabbing an idea and using it on occasion, when it supports them (say, in a fight against terrorism) but not when it could potentially take away from them (like helping those who need it).

Now, that, honestly, is not the actual topic that prompted to me to write this entry today. I was reading the book American Insurgents, American Patriots by T. H. Breen today for one my courses and something struck me. The Tea Party (as in the political group that has BASTARDIZED the name of a political event in our history) claims that they can use the name they have chosen, because they want to get back to libertarian principles present at the founding of the country. They claim that the colonists fought the British because they were overbearing and they didn't want to pay taxes. The patriots wanted government out of their lives. Well, to a certain extent this is true; they did want BRITISH government out of their lives for a myriad of reasons these fools could never comprehend, hell I can never comprehend it all and I study this stuff! They, however, wanted their own colonial governments back. The colonists wanted a kind of independence and individualism, but they also knew that this came with a great responsibility to their community, to helping those in need, to supporting the less fortunate and to work for the COMMON GOOD!

There were institutions, during the mid-1770s, that came together and acted as governments for the rebellious colonized. These groups organized nonimportation movements, collected donations for those suffering after the closing of the port of Boston, and put in place PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS! That's right, colonial organizations collected money and put out of work men to work fixing roads in Boston, so they would have money! What else does this sound like? Hmm...perhaps a bit reminiscent of FDR? Perhaps like some of the programs that conservatives continually denounce on principles that they say come from the Founding Generation? Did you know that when local townsmen didn't want to donate (for whatever reason) or spoke against these programs they were harassed for not supporting their fellow colonists in need of help?

Maybe members of the this terrible movement I can't stand calling the "Tea Party" should crack open a history book before they latch onto a fraction of an ideology and run with it. They look like the fools. They are, in actuality, ruining the memory of the events they claim to respect so much. I would prefer that they all suffered some kind of amnesia and could no longer remember the event than to manipulate its meaning in the dreadful ways they have.

Holy Shit! I'm a Grown Up!

Let's get real for a minute. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that I'm no longer part of the "young generation" that I have just been associating myself with basically since going to college. I'm not part of cohort anymore!

I think teaching has made this abundantly clear to me this year. The other day in class my students said something about Titanic and then I told my story of first watching Titanic and how I was in middle school when it came out and they stared at me in disbelief and little smile. That's when I realized, whoa. I'm not THAT group anymore.

I always laughed when my older friends got to this age and talked about younger people this way or about feeling old in this way, but I get it now! It suddenly hits you that you're a grown up. Staying in school for a million years has a way of making you not feel like a grown up, but I am.

Other little things have been happening that make me feel like a grown up. Suddenly, I realized that I'm living alone like a grown-up. I mean I've been living alone, but now it's like "Shit, this is my life!" And then I always think of that episode of 30 Rock in which Jack says something to Liz Lemon along the lines of "You sit at home alone worried that you're going to choke on something and nobody is with you to save you." Yup, I've related to that concern for some time now. It's just Wheezer and I.

I'm also feeling more professionally grown up. For example, on Monday I will be attending a lecture by a rather famous historian with my advisor, after which we will be going to dinner with some other historians, maybe rather famous historian as well. I'm terrified. I mean I have a good time with my advisor and I've always related well to adults, but these are almost my colleagues. And I will be reflecting on my advisor in a professional way. Good thing historians aren't always known for their social skills and graces.

Anywho. I'm grown up. It's weird. I'm no longer part of the phrase "Young People These Days." Well, not that I was really ever part of that phrase in most senses of this phrase. Strange.

Reflections

One strange thing fall does to me (I know, I'm talking about fall again) is put me in a rather reflective mood. I can think of two possible reasons for this.

1. As the leaves begin to fall I get the sense that nature is shedding the past year. It's getting rid of everything that was good and bad (perhaps a nasty bug infestation that ate the leaves) about the prior "green season". It will take a break, rest for the winter and then start again in the spring. I know that trees don't just sit absolutely dormant all winter long. I'm sure they are preparing for a new growing year in ways we can't see. Perhaps they are sinking their roots further into the ground or storing up...hell I don't know. I need to quit pretending I know what plants do for dramatic effect haha. But anyways, that's how it feels to me.

2. Every year since I've started school, fall has always meant the start of my new school year. I've never not been a student, so I have no idea what fall is like without the sense of new year. I always say things like "I'm going to stay more organized this year" and "I'm going to stay on top of my reading" but it never happens.

Anywho those are the only two reasons I can see for this sort of reflective mood. Today as I was getting ready for the day it suddenly hit me. And when I say "it" I mean everything. I'm in a PhD program. I mean, of course I am, but if you would've asked high school Sam (yes I wanted to be a history professor in high school haha)if I would be here now I probably would've said yes, because I wanted it, but I don't know if I actually ever believed it would happen. And not only that but I'm a big state university working with well established historians! That, I never would've believed.

In some ways I don't even know if high school Sam would recognize this Sam. Not in a bad way; I mean I've still retained everything that is me. I still geek out over Harry Potter, watch The Patriot as a guilty pleasure, and enjoy ghostly/paranormal things. But I'm so much less shy than I even was two years ago when I started at Western. That's not to say that I was a terribly awkward individual, but I was quieter and a bit more nervous about meeting people. In high school I never "went out." This was in part due to the fact that I lived in the middle of nowhere, but also because I just didn't. At Ferris I didn't too much either. I eventually started going out at Western, but it took a bit. And I had an awesome built-in hang-out buddy with my awesome roommate. But after a month or two I started going out with history people. Now, however, I'm planning things and going out with people and I was doing so after two weeks of being here.

So, when I'm having one of those dreadful days in which graduate school has totally punched me the stomach, or I just can't seem to muster the motivation to read another book about Thomas Jefferson or something, I just have to tell myself that I'm doing just fine and force myself to look at how far I've already made it.

Soo.....This is What PhD School Is Like

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've just been so busy! I forgot what it was like to have all of these weekly readings and stuff. Yeesh! I'm trying to keep up, but there are a few things that are getting in my way. Teaching this class, for example, or going home for Mandy's wedding. I mean it was fantastic and I loved going home, but it was hard to get my mind off of all of the work I had to do. Now, I'm pooped and have a few more things to get done by the end of Wednesday. Then there are other silly things like sleeping, eating, and the need for some socialization. Damn.

But I am apparently doing a few things right. I like to think I'm rocking two of my classes. I don't feel like I'm going through that period of being nervous to talk in class, or being afraid of sounding dumb, or feeling like everyone is smarter than me. I'm glad I'm not going through that again, because that was rough my first semester at Western. So yay for confidence.

Speaking of Western, I recently received an email saying that Western is FINALLY giving me my degree! I should receive it in ten weeks. I want it now!

So, I am having a serious lack of motivation at the moment. I did some intense work yesterday. I didn't stop for more than twelve hours! And I think because of that I'm very blahhh today. I just can't pull myself together! And I'm concerned I might have some allergy stuff coming up. I usually get something around this time of year and after the past five days, I could understand why.

Oh! And I forgot to tell you all about the code-names for my professors. This will help in the future if I have stories to share or something.
1) Willy Wonka
2) Tommy Lee Jones
3) John Malkovich.
It's really quite a genius method I have here. For some reason I like figuring out what celebrities people I meet remind me of. Or my mind automatically tries to categorize physical, and sometimes, more personality based traits. But mostly physical traits.

Well, I should probably try to get something done. Or just go to bed and get up early. I'm actually starting to get into that habit. It's so weird. I suppose I was able to do this when I was working at Biggby. It was nothing for me to get up crazy early on a morning that I didn't have to open to start getting work done. Even thought I nap in the afternoon when I get up that early I just like the feeling of accomplishing a lot by like 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon. It's like empowering.