Of Passports & Lectures
I have been waiting forever for inspiration to hit me right between the eyes but I guess I will just have to make do with rambling and babbling away or else I will have to wait for another forever for that inspiration to come. Do not therefore expect words that are constructed ever so carefully and said nicely because whatever comes to my frazzled mind will my fingers obey to put down.
Not that I have been having bad times, No! To the contrary actually. Well, I haven't been having a blast either but the last few days have been good. What about the many weeks you were invisible, you'd ask! Well, those were a blur so let's not go there. :-)
I was invited to attend a confab out of town so I started looking for my passport. I knew I put it in the safest place possible but now that I'm gonna need it, I can't find it. I searched in all the nooks and cranny in the house, the neighbor's house even; I scanned pages of books in the shelves, and took out contents of folders and envelopes one by one, opened and closed drawers and cabinets I can find, but still I was not able to find my elusive passport so I decided to go ahead and get the things needed to reapply. It was such a hassle and so for the last time, I told myself I'll try to locate it and then if I don't find it then I'll have my requirements for passport replacement picked up by the courier. Before I did, I stopped for a moment to determine where to start. It must be Divine Intervention that it came to my mind to look in my old shoulder bags, the ones I already junked, ready to give away to anyone interested in bags that are peeling on the outside. I felt in the lining of one old bag with my fingers and there was a hard cardboard-like something in one of the pockets. I took it out and presto, there was my passport. I gave out a loud yelp that my husband thought I fell off a chair or something.
It happened that I did not really hide my passport. When I arrived from one of my Mindanao travels two years ago, I just took out my stuff from the bag and put the bag away with my passport in its inside pocket. And there I was laughing at myself that I hid it too good now I can't find it. But I did.
Last Tuesday, I finally made the resolve to start doing my school work seriously. I have been working on it a little bit at a time these last two months but haven't really gotten myself immersed in it. I kind of dreaded the endless pages I have to read, the monotonous audio lectures I have to listen to and the unbelievable required papers I need to write and turn in before the deadline. So I procrastinated (old news) until I can't any longer. It's a good thing the electricity went off for the whole day last Monday and so there was nothing I can do on my computer. I was therefore forced to open one of my books and started to read. By the middle of the book, the concepts got really interesting that I started to seriously take notes and mark things I wanted to think about more and ideas of the author that I agree or disagree on.
Next day I started listening to lecture number one of the 24 lectures I ought to have listened to months ago. Before I knew it, I was getting very excited about the ideas of the speaker that I finished listening and taking notes to four 43-minute lectures in one day. The next day I did five, the next I did six, and last Saturday, I did seven and this morning I listened to lecture 23. I only have one more to go and can't wait to start writing my reflections.
It's the grace of God that I even have enthusiasm to do this. I was telling myself, "Oh, you have to finish reading this and that translation! You have to get started on that other thing someone asked you to do." And honestly, I was even thinking about dropping one or two of the least interesting courses. Thank the Lord, He lead me to start on this subject that was not just a mental exercise but that which teaches something that I needed at the time, at this time. So I am glad and thankful that I am halfway done and happy about doing it. I still have a lot more to do but at least, the pace was established, the wheels of my mind are now oiled and I can almost see them spinning.
I am encouraged by what I have read and listened to so far. For this I am joyful and thankful.
Not that I have been having bad times, No! To the contrary actually. Well, I haven't been having a blast either but the last few days have been good. What about the many weeks you were invisible, you'd ask! Well, those were a blur so let's not go there. :-)
I was invited to attend a confab out of town so I started looking for my passport. I knew I put it in the safest place possible but now that I'm gonna need it, I can't find it. I searched in all the nooks and cranny in the house, the neighbor's house even; I scanned pages of books in the shelves, and took out contents of folders and envelopes one by one, opened and closed drawers and cabinets I can find, but still I was not able to find my elusive passport so I decided to go ahead and get the things needed to reapply. It was such a hassle and so for the last time, I told myself I'll try to locate it and then if I don't find it then I'll have my requirements for passport replacement picked up by the courier. Before I did, I stopped for a moment to determine where to start. It must be Divine Intervention that it came to my mind to look in my old shoulder bags, the ones I already junked, ready to give away to anyone interested in bags that are peeling on the outside. I felt in the lining of one old bag with my fingers and there was a hard cardboard-like something in one of the pockets. I took it out and presto, there was my passport. I gave out a loud yelp that my husband thought I fell off a chair or something.
It happened that I did not really hide my passport. When I arrived from one of my Mindanao travels two years ago, I just took out my stuff from the bag and put the bag away with my passport in its inside pocket. And there I was laughing at myself that I hid it too good now I can't find it. But I did.
Last Tuesday, I finally made the resolve to start doing my school work seriously. I have been working on it a little bit at a time these last two months but haven't really gotten myself immersed in it. I kind of dreaded the endless pages I have to read, the monotonous audio lectures I have to listen to and the unbelievable required papers I need to write and turn in before the deadline. So I procrastinated (old news) until I can't any longer. It's a good thing the electricity went off for the whole day last Monday and so there was nothing I can do on my computer. I was therefore forced to open one of my books and started to read. By the middle of the book, the concepts got really interesting that I started to seriously take notes and mark things I wanted to think about more and ideas of the author that I agree or disagree on.
Next day I started listening to lecture number one of the 24 lectures I ought to have listened to months ago. Before I knew it, I was getting very excited about the ideas of the speaker that I finished listening and taking notes to four 43-minute lectures in one day. The next day I did five, the next I did six, and last Saturday, I did seven and this morning I listened to lecture 23. I only have one more to go and can't wait to start writing my reflections.
It's the grace of God that I even have enthusiasm to do this. I was telling myself, "Oh, you have to finish reading this and that translation! You have to get started on that other thing someone asked you to do." And honestly, I was even thinking about dropping one or two of the least interesting courses. Thank the Lord, He lead me to start on this subject that was not just a mental exercise but that which teaches something that I needed at the time, at this time. So I am glad and thankful that I am halfway done and happy about doing it. I still have a lot more to do but at least, the pace was established, the wheels of my mind are now oiled and I can almost see them spinning.
I am encouraged by what I have read and listened to so far. For this I am joyful and thankful.
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