The world has really changed a lot since I used to seriously blog, say, back when I was in my undergraduate days, or even when I was in high school. Heck, in high school, there did not even exist blogs. I created my own. Too bad I did not invent something like Blogger or Moveable type back then. I could have really hit it big. Now, though, there are blogs, wikis, YouTube, and Facebook. It makes me ask the question: do people even read blogs anymore? I mean, blogs about people's lives. Not, per the usual these days, blogs about the latest Hollywood gossip. I must admit, I have not read someone's personal blog in quite a while. I wonder what people are talking about these days? Do people still write journal entry type blogs, or only short status updates? It just makes me think that maybe times have changed and this blog is not even relevant anymore. Maybe I am wrong? Just questions to think about, more so than any real conclusion about whether or not there is much stock in updating this blog. But, because I miss it like usual after a few months, I will give it a go at updating about the happenings of my (tragicomic) life.
I finished my first semester of my doctoral program and, boy, does it feel good. Aside from being under the weather this whole past week, which thankfully I am slowly but surely pulling through, I finished strong. Like any new endeavor, the beginning is always a test to see how up to the challenge you are. And this definitely has been a new chapter in my life. I went from working all the time in a job I loved and being surrounded by friends who I miss dearly to moving to a new place, knowing no one, and going back to school full-time. Things like establishing new friendships, losing a sense of professional identity, and transition issues became themes in the past six months that I had thought about in preparing for this change, but were harder in certain ways than expected. I am still working on these areas, but finishing this semester feels like a step in the right direction.
I was watching the Oprah Winfrey Special at the White House tonight (which my best friend who loves her would be so proud!) and really appreciated the honesty that First Lady Michelle showed when answering Oprah's question about President Obama's and her relationship being envied by others. To paraphrase, Michelle basically said that they are at a great place now, but that to young couples there will be times of great challenge, as there were for them. It's about working through those times that really matters. Seeing as how I do not fall into the category of young couples at the moment, but am younger, I took away the message that everyone has to go through challenges to get to a "good" place. It came across as very honest to admit that whatever envy others may have of their relationship, where they are as a couple now came through making it work.
Right now, I am definitely at a challenging moment in my life, both academically and personally, and through this I can get to a good, even better place. Isn't that really the goal of why I am doing this, any ways? I admit this, because, well, when people who I have not talked to or seen in a while ask me how I have been or what I am doing these days, I usually tell them about my education, about my career, and about the good things that are going on, which usually generates a response of encouragement and support. I mean, that's great, right? At the same time, though, it only tells some of the story. Nothing is ever always rainbows and butterflies and this is no different. I have my challenges, I have my worries, and I have my struggles. I think we all do. I think there is a balance in life that with all the good, always comes some bad, or with all the bad, always comes some good. You can't have just one or the other. You have to have both. And, I can be honest and real enough to admit that things are both right now. Good and bad. More good, than bad, but both nonetheless. I think in bad times, you have to look for the good to keep you going, and in good times, you have to be humbled by the bad to keep you in check.
My site really could not be named better for my belief in life, if not in general but just my own. That life really is tragicomic!
P.S. As you may notice (or not if you have not been checking back often, which I don't blame you because I rarely update), I had to disable the comments. Why, you ask? Well, I had so much spam through my comments that it was ridiculous. Yet another thing that has changed about blogs--now spammers comment more than real, actual people. Seriously? So, if you ever want to comment on something I write, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. I would most certainly like that!
I finished my first semester of my doctoral program and, boy, does it feel good. Aside from being under the weather this whole past week, which thankfully I am slowly but surely pulling through, I finished strong. Like any new endeavor, the beginning is always a test to see how up to the challenge you are. And this definitely has been a new chapter in my life. I went from working all the time in a job I loved and being surrounded by friends who I miss dearly to moving to a new place, knowing no one, and going back to school full-time. Things like establishing new friendships, losing a sense of professional identity, and transition issues became themes in the past six months that I had thought about in preparing for this change, but were harder in certain ways than expected. I am still working on these areas, but finishing this semester feels like a step in the right direction.
I was watching the Oprah Winfrey Special at the White House tonight (which my best friend who loves her would be so proud!) and really appreciated the honesty that First Lady Michelle showed when answering Oprah's question about President Obama's and her relationship being envied by others. To paraphrase, Michelle basically said that they are at a great place now, but that to young couples there will be times of great challenge, as there were for them. It's about working through those times that really matters. Seeing as how I do not fall into the category of young couples at the moment, but am younger, I took away the message that everyone has to go through challenges to get to a "good" place. It came across as very honest to admit that whatever envy others may have of their relationship, where they are as a couple now came through making it work.
Right now, I am definitely at a challenging moment in my life, both academically and personally, and through this I can get to a good, even better place. Isn't that really the goal of why I am doing this, any ways? I admit this, because, well, when people who I have not talked to or seen in a while ask me how I have been or what I am doing these days, I usually tell them about my education, about my career, and about the good things that are going on, which usually generates a response of encouragement and support. I mean, that's great, right? At the same time, though, it only tells some of the story. Nothing is ever always rainbows and butterflies and this is no different. I have my challenges, I have my worries, and I have my struggles. I think we all do. I think there is a balance in life that with all the good, always comes some bad, or with all the bad, always comes some good. You can't have just one or the other. You have to have both. And, I can be honest and real enough to admit that things are both right now. Good and bad. More good, than bad, but both nonetheless. I think in bad times, you have to look for the good to keep you going, and in good times, you have to be humbled by the bad to keep you in check.
My site really could not be named better for my belief in life, if not in general but just my own. That life really is tragicomic!
P.S. As you may notice (or not if you have not been checking back often, which I don't blame you because I rarely update), I had to disable the comments. Why, you ask? Well, I had so much spam through my comments that it was ridiculous. Yet another thing that has changed about blogs--now spammers comment more than real, actual people. Seriously? So, if you ever want to comment on something I write, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. I would most certainly like that!
