Change of Pace

Here are some strange and funny things that have happened and occurred to me during the last few days:

1. In my economics class

On Wednesday, I sat behind a guy who took notes by taking a picture of the Blackboard every 2 minutes with his digital camera. I didn't sit in my usual spot that class, and I am wondering if he did that all year. Very strange.

2. In my Art class
On monday, we looked at and talked about each other's cardboard sculptures. As if that wasn't bad enough, I'd slept only a few hours the night before- do you know the feeling when you're so tired that you start raising your eyebrows in the hopes of your eyelids staying open that way?
In one of my more awake moments, I heard my art teacher say this about another student's work:

"Wow. I mean, wow! You totally captured, like, the essence of cardboard!"

Of all the things I had hoped to accomplish in my life, he had to beat me to this. Damn you, capturer of the essence of cardboard!

When conversation turned towards my piece, which I had started and finished in one class-everybody else had used three classes, but I kind of skipped the other two- he said the following:

"Hmmm."

He walks around, leans head to the left. Walks around again.

"Hmm...yeah..."

Turns it upside down to see if it improves. Steps back, looks at it. Turns it back into its original position.

"This is kind of awkward here..."

I nod gravely.

"Any comments about Catrin's?"

Silence.

"Do you have a title, Catrin?"

"Oh, yeah. I named it after a Neil Young song."

"Really? That's interesting. Which one?"

"Piece of Crap."

3. In my writing class

Last class ever today. How sad. One last comment from him:

"You know what I just realized? I am younger than Johnny Depp. I am younger than Brad Pitt."

A look of confusion crosses his face.

"I must be eating wrong."

Oh, and this:

"Sometimes I go to the bookstore, and read the appraisals by the New York Times on the back of the cover of books, substituting the author's name with Lahey. It makes me feel good."

4. In my Sociology class.

I am a Hippie. There, I said it. Sue me. I want to live, not spend.

I'll leave you with a quote:

"One of the most baneful assumptions of our materialistic industrial society is that all men should spend at least one third of the twenty-four hour day in some productive occupation...If men still have leisure[after needs are satisfied], new luxuries must be invented to keep them busy and new wants must be stimulated...to take the luxuries off the market and keep the industries going. Of course, the true and rational doctrine is that when men have produced sufficient necessaries and reasonable comforts and conveniences to supply all the population, they should spend what time is left in the cultivation of their intellects and wills, in the pursuit of the higher life."
-John A Ryan, catholic social activist and priest, 1869-1945

I've always thought that if they were a bit more inclusive and a bit less hypocritical, the catholic church could make for some awesome activism.

That said, I am off to write a paper about the Voluntary Simplicity Movement- you should read about it, it's fascinating.