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elenearielThere's a new commercial playing on one of the radio stations I listen to often that sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it:
[perky female voice] Ahhh....college life! The parties, the studying, the romantic flings!
It doesn't matter what the commerical is for: this perfectly illustrates the modern view of college, and perfectly explans why I laugh at people who tell me that I should go "for the experience!" To pay exhorbitant amounts of money in order to be surrounded by people who sandwich studying between their "parties" and "romantic flings" is not an experience I desire to have, especially when I have no real goal to study for.
I'm pretty sure none of my college-going LJ friends see college this way, and hey, if all of you would get together in one college and comprise the whole student body, then I'd feel a lot more inclined to join you. It seems like it would be a wonderful thing, to study surrounded by other people who also really wish to learn. But that's not going to happen, and I just could not put up with the "normal" college students. People tell me I'm "older then my age" and "mature", and that's not really true; but I have a completely different outlook on life then the shallow, pleasure loving, midriff-baring teeny boppers. I have so little patience with people like that, so incredibly little patience. I would be driven nuts.
You are all free to let me know that it's not like this at your college, and naturally I will try to believe you. But I've seen enough to know that your college would be the exception. Even the very conservative Bible college that my church's denomination runs--where girls wear skirts at all times, jewelry is not allowed, guys wear slacks and ties--even that place is all about socialization and finding someone to marry and having fun. (Although the fun seems to be sneaking out in *gasp* jeans and buying illicit jewelry at Wal-Mart, or so it seems from the comments of a friend who went there.)
So don't talk to me about the experience. *growls in the direction of Certain Relatives and Other Annoying People*
(stolen from Hannah S.)
1. What do you do for a living?
Not quite a living, not yet, but I'm a part-time librarian.
2. What do you like most about your job?
Being surrounded by books, working in a place that is [mostly] quiet and calm, having the knowledge to help people find things when they don't even know exactly what they want ; ), being able to talk to people who love books as much as I do.
3. What do you like least about your job?
The city politics and the enemity between the city council/mayor and the library director, having the put up with a director who has no people skills, patrons who are rude and especially guys who try to ask me out, parents who don't control their children, and people who damage books.
4. When you have a bad day at work it's usually because _____...
It's very slow and there's not much to do, or a stream of stupid people come in. Example:
"I need a book about Washington. I'm going there on a trip."
"Washington DC or the state?"
"Um....I don't know."
"Well, are you going East or West?"
"I don't know."
"Is it the capital of our country?"
"I don't know! I'm just going to help my boss move there."
"Well, what does he do for a living? Is he a lawyer, or a apple-grower?"
5. What other career(s) are you interested in?
If the librarian thing happens to continue to work out, even though I don't have a degree, that would be wonderful. Owning or working in a bookstore would also be nice. =) And hopefully some day I will be married and have children, and won't need to work at all.
(stolen from Bethany)
How to spot Mari in a crowd:
She will be the one who is trying (sometimes successfully) to look confident and in control; very likely she will be wearing something slightly unusual, such as a thin scarf used as a belt on her slacks, or tied around her neck; she will undoubtedly be carrying her snappy little chinese-silk tote bag, and probably will have a book or two in hand or in aforementioned bag.
The nature of Mari:
Quick to judge; easily feels slights, both real and imagined, to herself and those she loves, uncomfortably stiff around those she dislikes. Fond of learning things that are fairly useless (the first king of England was Svein Forkbeard, in 1014). A horder of things that might be handy someday, fond of symbolism, and a believer in poetic justice. Overactive imagination which is used both for good and for evil: is never bored but often thinks she is dying. Finds peace in sunshine and flowers
and leisure time reading books. Has loftly ideals and plans and occasionally actually reaches them.
The real Mari:
Is neither as poetic or tragic as she often thinks she is; is rather vain; delights in confusing people; and feels more deeply then is apparent on the face she shows to the world.
Common reactions to Mari:
*"You're so sweet!" A common mistake. I am nice to the people I like and usually polite to those I don't, but I am more often then not fairly acidic. The things I do that people think are sweet are done not from any inherient sweetness, but because I love the person.
*Beweilderment. I delight in confusing people ON PURPOSE.
*"You're so smart!" Just because I can use big words and generally have correct grammer does not mean I actually know what I'm talking about.
What not to say to Mari:
*"You should go to college just for the experience! It'd be good for you!"
*"You're almost 20 and you've never had a boyfriend?"
*"Readin' is stupid, man."
*"I'm sure you hear this a lot, but you really look a lot like Chelsea Clinton." [This actually happened once. I had to run to a mirror and make sure I was still looked like myself, I was so freaked out. Thankfully, I don't see any reselmblance at all. Perhaps that person was doing drugs or something.]
How to scare Mari:
*Ask her out, particularly if you just met her.
*Pull out in front of her when she's driving.
*Make her do something she's never done before.
How to get Mari to smile:
*Hold a door open for her or some other polite thing.
*Do something sweet and unexpected.
*Give her a book.
How to get Mari to laugh:
*Catch her in a moment of Joy and she will laugh at anything.
*Say something, anything, but add BIKKIT! at the end.
*Do something silly, if she likes you. If she doesn't, it will only cause distain, so don't bother.
What makes Mari mad:
People who slander books they have never read and movies they have never seen; people who cannot grasp the fact that she is an adult and they can thus have an adult relationship with her; people who critisize her when she is already trying her hardest; shallow minded people in general.
What makes Mari happy:
Being surrounded by books; when the sunshine lights up her room and turns everything golden; spring; being near large bodies of water; hearing from friends; VISITING said friends; being given sincere complements.
What motivates Mari:
The certain aura that beautiful architecture brings; the thought of failure; the shadowy figure of the ideal person that she wishes to be; her friends; her faith.
What makes Mari stumble:
Her imagination and rigid temperament; becoming caught up in petty annoyances; her tendancy towards introspection and self-pity.
How to meet Mari:
Visit the library and appear neither Scary, Stupid, or Annoying.
[perky female voice] Ahhh....college life! The parties, the studying, the romantic flings!
It doesn't matter what the commerical is for: this perfectly illustrates the modern view of college, and perfectly explans why I laugh at people who tell me that I should go "for the experience!" To pay exhorbitant amounts of money in order to be surrounded by people who sandwich studying between their "parties" and "romantic flings" is not an experience I desire to have, especially when I have no real goal to study for.
I'm pretty sure none of my college-going LJ friends see college this way, and hey, if all of you would get together in one college and comprise the whole student body, then I'd feel a lot more inclined to join you. It seems like it would be a wonderful thing, to study surrounded by other people who also really wish to learn. But that's not going to happen, and I just could not put up with the "normal" college students. People tell me I'm "older then my age" and "mature", and that's not really true; but I have a completely different outlook on life then the shallow, pleasure loving, midriff-baring teeny boppers. I have so little patience with people like that, so incredibly little patience. I would be driven nuts.
You are all free to let me know that it's not like this at your college, and naturally I will try to believe you. But I've seen enough to know that your college would be the exception. Even the very conservative Bible college that my church's denomination runs--where girls wear skirts at all times, jewelry is not allowed, guys wear slacks and ties--even that place is all about socialization and finding someone to marry and having fun. (Although the fun seems to be sneaking out in *gasp* jeans and buying illicit jewelry at Wal-Mart, or so it seems from the comments of a friend who went there.)
So don't talk to me about the experience. *growls in the direction of Certain Relatives and Other Annoying People*
(stolen from Hannah S.)
1. What do you do for a living?
Not quite a living, not yet, but I'm a part-time librarian.
2. What do you like most about your job?
Being surrounded by books, working in a place that is [mostly] quiet and calm, having the knowledge to help people find things when they don't even know exactly what they want ; ), being able to talk to people who love books as much as I do.
3. What do you like least about your job?
The city politics and the enemity between the city council/mayor and the library director, having the put up with a director who has no people skills, patrons who are rude and especially guys who try to ask me out, parents who don't control their children, and people who damage books.
4. When you have a bad day at work it's usually because _____...
It's very slow and there's not much to do, or a stream of stupid people come in. Example:
"I need a book about Washington. I'm going there on a trip."
"Washington DC or the state?"
"Um....I don't know."
"Well, are you going East or West?"
"I don't know."
"Is it the capital of our country?"
"I don't know! I'm just going to help my boss move there."
"Well, what does he do for a living? Is he a lawyer, or a apple-grower?"
5. What other career(s) are you interested in?
If the librarian thing happens to continue to work out, even though I don't have a degree, that would be wonderful. Owning or working in a bookstore would also be nice. =) And hopefully some day I will be married and have children, and won't need to work at all.
(stolen from Bethany)
How to spot Mari in a crowd:
She will be the one who is trying (sometimes successfully) to look confident and in control; very likely she will be wearing something slightly unusual, such as a thin scarf used as a belt on her slacks, or tied around her neck; she will undoubtedly be carrying her snappy little chinese-silk tote bag, and probably will have a book or two in hand or in aforementioned bag.
The nature of Mari:
Quick to judge; easily feels slights, both real and imagined, to herself and those she loves, uncomfortably stiff around those she dislikes. Fond of learning things that are fairly useless (the first king of England was Svein Forkbeard, in 1014). A horder of things that might be handy someday, fond of symbolism, and a believer in poetic justice. Overactive imagination which is used both for good and for evil: is never bored but often thinks she is dying. Finds peace in sunshine and flowers
and leisure time reading books. Has loftly ideals and plans and occasionally actually reaches them.
The real Mari:
Is neither as poetic or tragic as she often thinks she is; is rather vain; delights in confusing people; and feels more deeply then is apparent on the face she shows to the world.
Common reactions to Mari:
*"You're so sweet!" A common mistake. I am nice to the people I like and usually polite to those I don't, but I am more often then not fairly acidic. The things I do that people think are sweet are done not from any inherient sweetness, but because I love the person.
*Beweilderment. I delight in confusing people ON PURPOSE.
*"You're so smart!" Just because I can use big words and generally have correct grammer does not mean I actually know what I'm talking about.
What not to say to Mari:
*"You should go to college just for the experience! It'd be good for you!"
*"You're almost 20 and you've never had a boyfriend?"
*"Readin' is stupid, man."
*"I'm sure you hear this a lot, but you really look a lot like Chelsea Clinton." [This actually happened once. I had to run to a mirror and make sure I was still looked like myself, I was so freaked out. Thankfully, I don't see any reselmblance at all. Perhaps that person was doing drugs or something.]
How to scare Mari:
*Ask her out, particularly if you just met her.
*Pull out in front of her when she's driving.
*Make her do something she's never done before.
How to get Mari to smile:
*Hold a door open for her or some other polite thing.
*Do something sweet and unexpected.
*Give her a book.
How to get Mari to laugh:
*Catch her in a moment of Joy and she will laugh at anything.
*Say something, anything, but add BIKKIT! at the end.
*Do something silly, if she likes you. If she doesn't, it will only cause distain, so don't bother.
What makes Mari mad:
People who slander books they have never read and movies they have never seen; people who cannot grasp the fact that she is an adult and they can thus have an adult relationship with her; people who critisize her when she is already trying her hardest; shallow minded people in general.
What makes Mari happy:
Being surrounded by books; when the sunshine lights up her room and turns everything golden; spring; being near large bodies of water; hearing from friends; VISITING said friends; being given sincere complements.
What motivates Mari:
The certain aura that beautiful architecture brings; the thought of failure; the shadowy figure of the ideal person that she wishes to be; her friends; her faith.
What makes Mari stumble:
Her imagination and rigid temperament; becoming caught up in petty annoyances; her tendancy towards introspection and self-pity.
How to meet Mari:
Visit the library and appear neither Scary, Stupid, or Annoying.
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 02:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-19 02:40 pm (UTC)