Last Day of Class: A Reflection

Last Day of Class: A Reflection

Today was the last actual class day for the semester. Now all I have are three days of final examinations. As I closed up the semester with this final class, I feel strong. I feel gooooood. Not just because in the light of recent events, but also because I took on a challenge this semester. I started out 2004 by diving head first into a deep pool. I originally, foolishly, thought that since I had no science/math classes, I can pack on the liberal arts courses and they would be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong.

15 units of class is a lot for a student who's just a student. For me to take on those 15 outrageous units while working 35 hours a week was a ridiculous idea, but I enjoy challenging myself, and I am slightly masochistic: I love to brutally work myself to death.

I was lucky. I was lucky because I had wonderful professors who had a zeal about teaching, and I was lucky because four of the five classes I took kind of meshed and overlapped, and I was able to get a synergistic effect from the array of information taught to me. Reading Homer brought a deeper connection to the Greek art from art history class; the anglo-saxon art brought me background history to the Beowulf I had read for English literature; Covering John Donne as an individual poet in Critical Analysis class aided in my understanding of John Donne as a metaphysical poet of the English Restoration period for my English literature course; The history of Constantine and the early Christian/Byzantine art helped me understand the spread of Christianity that I had learned in my world mythology course. It was a wonderful experience being imbued in history, art, and literature. I can't say that my education in these fine things are near complete. But I have been thoroughly, most completely inspired to appreciate the vast world out there for me to delight over.

Between two English classes and a humanities (world mythology) class, I was writing day in and day out; After a semester of doing so, writing essays come second nature to me. I am sensing that even as a blogger, my entries have grown richer in its contents. I still had energy and wonderful humor and passion when I started blogging... but now my blog posts border on good writing. I have allusions and figurative languages. I have some favorite sayings in Latin too, other than the cliche "Carpe Diem." My personal favorites: Homo fuge and noli me tangere. Of course, much more explanation is needed about that, but that will come later.

I had an incredible amount of readings assigned to me by each class. I probably read more this semester than I have read since High school graduation. These readings don't make me special. They don't make my legs look sexy, or make my nose an aqueline nose. They don't give me more money or power or fame. They don't give me more friends or make me be loved more by my family. But they make me feel so rich, like a fertile land neighboring a softly flowing river, rich in resources, just lying out there like a vast stretch of green sea with the most gentle waves. Birds chirp and trees grow, and children chase after butterflies in a field of sunflowers. Their laughter permeates the air with a sweet scent of luxurious honey, or perhaps like an orchard full of virginal cherry blossoms.

A sudden fear swept over me just now: perhaps I am enjoying too much of my life now. Perhaps I am just loving so much of my life, that it will be taken away. But... but... oh fie. Let tomorrow come and do its worst. I will be blithe today.