The Times Are-a Changin'

Tuesday night, after class, I went home for the first time in quite some time.  Though a short break, the Thanksgiving vacation has always been one I would consider to be a sweet one – something I always looked forward to.  Throughout my undergraduate years, the routine would be rather simple:  Go home and see some people I haven’t seen for quite some time, eat tons of food, and take a break before the rush of finals took its toll on me.

Well, this vacation was surely that – to an extent. I did notice something that was a bit different.  Throughout the years, less and less people go home for Thanksgiving break for one reason or another.  Some people have jobs; others have a significant other that they met in college and spend the break with them elsewhere; and, as each year went on, I noticed that we all would make less of an attempt to see one another.  I guess this comes with age and “growing up,” however, as a graduate student, I guess this is the first year I truly realized how different things really are.

While Adelphi’s five-year STEP is a great program for attaining a master’s degree one year earlier than most people would, it definitely is a “step” out of reality for those in it. Technically, we go to school for five years in pursuit of a certification that would usually take six years.  In reality, however, it seems as if we use that fifth year to stall the reality that is life by still maintaining the same breaks as a regular college student, even having many of the same professors we did during our undergraduate years.

I guess that one argument people would use is that, as teachers, we are going to have very similar breaks as those who are in college.  However, what I realized this year is that the majority of those whom I used to spend Thanksgiving breaks with don’t quite have the same time off that we, as teachers will.

Am I saying I won’t/do love the time off? Of course I do.  Anyone who is anyone should love time off where they can gather their thoughts and prepare for the various other aspects of their life.  I guess I’m just sad to be “growing up” knowing that, while I delayed this phenomenon for one more year, I will probably be building my career and life elsewhere without the comfort of Thanksgiving break – and this concept of “home” before the stress that is finals -- to always remain the same.

Response to Michael’s creative writing tip #4: Never trust your memory

Ah, Michael…your creative tips have truly been enjoyable to read, especially the latest one: Never trust your memory.  I believe that, as writers, there are many times that we all choose to take our ideas, whether it be creative or analytical, and save those ideas for later.  And it is true – to an extent.  Too many times we do find ourselves searching for that thought that we had once before, unable to remember exactly what “brilliant” concept may have risen.

I also do believe that this comes typically when creating a piece that requires creativity beyond a certain realm of fluidity necessary to the creative piece’s words.  While, certainly, some of this rings true for the analytical writers who may try to rationalize or question the certain motives of an author, I do believe that developing a certain proposal to defend an argument or standpoint requires thinking that is not necessarily something that needs to be remembered at a certain moment, but should be thought about over time. 

In my opinion, this way of thinking takes time that is needed in order to construct these viewpoints.  While it may be beneficial to write down the thoughts that enter our minds at a specific moment (when thinking creatively), I believe that the other (thinking analytically) may not require being “written down” right away.

The English Language Arts CST (Yikes...)

Given the ability to choose freely about exactly what to post on this blog is something I do appreciate, especially after the New York State English Language Arts CST I took this past weekend…

I can’t say that I’m the greatest English student to ever graduate out of Adelphi.  I didn’t win any special awards, and I surely lack creativity that makes one a creative writer.  But, in all honesty, I did well.  I graduated with honors in my major and really feel like I had the pleasure of learning everything I could from all of the professors from the English department at Adelphi.

So, I didn’t do too much preparation for this exam.  I purchased the book and basically did all of the practice questions.  To say that I did well on these practice questions would be a stretch, but I still took the time to look up key words and phrases that I didn’t know.  With that, I’d say I spent some time reviewing.  Maybe not enough, but I didn’t go into the exam blindly, not knowing what to expect.

Still, I found myself struggling at points in the exam.  While some questions were fair, others came down to one choice or another (and by others, I mean most of them).  The test was, for the most part, evaluating skills that left me confused, bitter, and tired by the end.  I know I am not the only person who feels this way.  But by the end of the test, I was ready to log onto the website and sign up for another…

While the essay seemed so easy that I thought they mistakenly gave me the wrong exam, the multiple choice part of the exam still left me concerned.  I really hope I passed.  Considering that this is my first time taking it, I won’t be too upset if I didn’t pass, but I do know that I do not want to sit through another three hours taking an exam where I lack confidence for every answer I fill in.  The test was brutal, and I will defend that side of the argument to anyone who wants to challenge it. 

I guess, at this point, I’ve accepted that I may not pass.  The good news is that I can take the exam as many times as needed in order to get that passing grade, so I may just use this experience as a practice test if I don’t pass this time around (which, if you didn’t get the clue already, it means that this time was definitely a time of practice).

Tap. Tap. Tap...

The sound came from inside the closet.  Quietly, I crept toward the door.  But first, I knew I needed to protect myself if it was what I thought it was.

Why would my parents decide to go out to dinner on Halloween night? I’m only 11 years old.  I knew that convincing them that it was okay to go out tonight without me was surely not a good idea.  I realized that there was no time to cry about it now.  I convinced them that I was old enough to stay home alone.  Besides, if I was the one who saved our house from the beast, I knew my parents would handsomely reward me. 

So, with this knowledge, I crept towards the kitchen, not wanting to disrupt the thing in the closet.  I looked around, frantically searching for anything to protect myself.  Across the kitchen, to the left, I noticed the knife I had been dicing carrots with before.  It was roughly at a 45 degree angle, partially inched over the lower-left part of the stove.  Seeing the knife, I slid my way across the tiled floor in my socks, knowing that it would lessen any noise I was sure to make. 

The beast shrieked again. 

I knew that the beast was going to make its move any minute, so I had to make my way over to the closet quickly.  Slower than a mouse, I made my way over to the door.  Holding the knife in my right hand, I motioned my left hand over to the doorknob, still a few steps away. 

It’s now or never.

Inching my hand over to the doorknob, I began to open the door.  It was time to unlock it.  Not wanting to look in what would be the beast’s eye level, I watched my index and middle fingers come together, turning the lock to the right.

With nothing but fear, the door swung its way towards me.  Interestingly, the inside of the closet no longer existed.  The room, which once contained winter coats, scarves, blankets, and shoes, was now a glowing white light that seemed inviting.  Dropping the knife on the floor, I took my first step into the closet.     

My journey was about to begin.