C25K

I just had my first couch to 5k experience. Day 1 of week 1 is to alternate walking for 90 seconds then jogging for 60 seconds for like 20 minutes. Something like that. Boy, that was hard. I haven't exercised.. really ever before. Well in college, I did the elliptical for 30 minutes every so often. Anyways, I couldn't finish the 20 minute workout today- I got to minute 13 and felt like throwing up. I've cooled down, but my head feels like it's going to pop off and I want to go back to sleep. The next time I go walk/jog, I should be able to finish the workout and not feel so bad.

-End bout of exercise complaints-

Halving My Belongings

My organizational projects are mostly overwhelming. I don't like cutting them up into bite size pieces. I'd rather rush to clean my living space all at once in an adrenaline-induced flurry instead of picking up a few things here and there. 

So right now, I have a crazy goal. For the sake of floor-space and mental clarity, I want to get rid of at least half of my belongings. It's something I've been thinking about since I last moved. I don't like having so much stuff! It makes me feel claustrophobic. My room in the new apartment is terribly small, too. In order to go through my things, I would have to unpack them from where they are stored. It'd mess the whole room up. I would have to move my desk and a few other things into the living room to make space. Ugh. That reminds me- I need to buy a dresser. Most of my clothes (including articles I want to sell & donate) are still packed in boxes.

As horrible as it may seem, I think if I were to lose all of my possessions in a fire, it would be a very positive and freeing experience. 

It's Wednesday, not Wednesday..

Christina Ricci's dream role is to play a psycho-killer. Off to the typewriter, brb.

The Long-Winded Answer to "What can you do with an English degree?"

The short answer? Subjects like English teach *how* to think... whereas engineering/math teach exactly what you need to know to do your engineering/math job. English is all-encompassing, whereas engineering/math is specific.

As a lovely lady with an English degree, I can tell you full-heartedly that a well-rounded liberal arts degree facilitates creative problem-solving, abstract critical thinking, and the ability to "connect the dots" within most contexts without much effort. It encourages lifelong learning and makes it easier to wrap your mind around new subjects and theories. I'm good at math and science, but they could never excite me as much as language can. Unlike English questions, math and science questions always have a correct answer. I do miss that.

In college I had explain myself almost constantly to engineers and math majors. But those equipped with math-heavy degrees have a hard time bending their mind around this concept: There is more than one way to live and everyone processes stimuli differently. In my experience, the engineer and math majors don't debate to understand the liberal arts major's plight or to expand their horizons. They do it to imply their superiority. Typically, they are unwilling (or possibly unable) to put themselves in a different situation than their own.

Onto your question: What can you do with an English degree? The short answer is whatever you want. Law, Publishing, Media, Marketing, Advertising... basically anything except engineering jobs that require a specialized engineering degree. I want to be a Production Designer- the person who creates and tweaks everything from sets to lighting to camera and editing style in order to make the film come alive with a unifying tone and presence. I could have gone the route of getting a film degree, but decided against it. Kids with film degrees are stepping all over each other. Meanwhile, I have an English degree. It sets me apart. I can connect different factors of the film as if it were a Rubik's cube. I can disconnect them, analyze them, turn them over and out and reintroduce them to the film in a completely new way. There are tons of film majors who understand what they need to change, but would not be able to express it to a large group of people. Like I mentioned before, everyone thinks differently. I observe, analyze, understand, and articulate well.

"It's Called Work for a Reason"

My biggest goal in life is to love my career to pieces. I'll spend extra hours at the office, typing profusely and crossing off tasks. I've been working in retail for a short while, though, and it's already taking a toll on my spirits. Is it supposed to feel like this? Even the best of jobs are sometimes disheartening, but if you love it, it won't matter. I've worked 13 hour days on film sets before, but I never watched the clock. I really loved it. I wish entry-level film work paid more than a sandwich a day.

I think back to another popular phrase: 'Relationships are hard. Relationships take work.' It kept me going for a long time in an unhealthy relationship for a good while. His bipolar mood swings kept me on a somewhat random Pavlovian cycle. I tried leaving him a couple of times, but then he'd be so sweet and apologetic. I felt needed and my feelings were accepted, if only for a little while.