Journal

Second Week Anxiety

Oh hello there. The second week is coming and going like no one’s business. Things are certainly picking up and I can only do my best to try to stay ahead of them. I’ve had a few surprises, a couple of disappointments, and mostly had some pretty pleasant days. Not bad for a school term, especially considering how the second week’s not even over yet.

I have to admit to being more than a little anxious about a few things, looking ahead, but that always happens, doesn’t it? School manages to do that to you with its distinct blend of repetition, overloading, and quaint unpredictability. You’d think that one would have grown used to it by now, but that really can’t be further from the truth. Of course, the uncertainty is ramped up a little this semester with the final-year project and my other subjects.

My timetable’s mostly fine, though I think that by the time the final-year project kicks up a gear or two, it really wouldn’t matter all that much. I hope I manage to hang onto some of my friends. Figuratively, of course.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Jeff Beck of late, as well as some Freddie King. Two brilliant, brilliant men. Sometimes it’s nice to remind yourself of why this or that musician has such and such a standing among all of your favourites.

Meanwhile I’ve taken a break from reading my literature texts and have started on Kobo Abe’s The Ruined Map. I like it so far, though that’s not very far at all. It’s like an existentialist’s Chandler novel, which sounds like a perfectly good proposition to me. Everyone seems to say that it is all rather “disquieting” and I think that would be right up my alley as well, so I’m fairly optimistic about it. I’ve never read any of Abe’s work before this, so I hope that this turns out to be a good introduction.

Meanwhile, I hope you’ve been enjoying the Youth Olympic Games. I caught the weightlifting the other day and a bout of taekwondo. I also watched a tiny bit of football tonight. I find that I ask very silly questions about sport (as an institution) whenever I watch these things. Like, what exactly are we celebrating/discerning from a competition? Is it natural physical talent? is it a form of artistry? or is it that vague term “the human spirit”? Well, I’m sure it’s actually a combination of things like these, but if we don’t actually know specifically, or if we don’t agree from sport to sport, how do we draw up our rules to represent what we want out of our sports?

Oh, it’s late. I begin to ramble when it’s late. I’ll be back.

d

© 2010 a modest odyssey.