Embracing my Inner Susie

Personally, I think Bill Watterson is a genius. For those who don't know who that is, he is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes and is in large part responsible for my philosophy on life. So as the school year at Luther is about to begin, I thought it fitting to open with a few relevant Calvin comics. Throughout the year I will probably attach numerous comics, and for those who read Calvin and Hobbes, you know that the problem I'll have is not finding one that fits my situation but choosing out of so many that both make me laugh and think critically about the state of humankind.

Kind of deep for a comic strip, I know.

But I figure college is going to be like that: lots of laughs and good times coupled with a whole lot of studying and thinking way deeper than I really want to or am capable of (I mean, half the time in high school didn't we just kinda of B.S. our way through English class? Or is that just me?). And with classes starting tomorrow, I sort of feel like a mixture of Calvin and Susie in that first strip on the top of the page. I'm really confused about my own labotomy stitches.

I'm a divided man right now, apparently. Part of me is looking forward to a collegiate academic experience: intelligent and engaging professors, relevant subject matter and a high level of intellectual fellowship amongst students. Yet the other half asks, with three days of hanging out and playing ultimate frisbee behind me, why am I looking forward to going back to school? To doing homework, to staying up late studying, and worst of all, to writing papers?

When I was in high school, I had a view of college that conveniently omitted the tedium of schoolwork (sound vaguely familiar?) I pictured parties and friends and freedom and even when I thought of schoolwork I pictured interesting and enjoyable conversations with fellow students and professors, not any of the nitty gritty work that I just despise. So in that sense I'm a bit like Calvin in the second strip, and as I realize that college is gonna be much more nitty gritty than a freely-given high-paying job and opportunity, I find that perhaps I need to buckle down and get ready to embrace my inner Susie.

I've found that being positive about learning, as cheesy as it sounds, really helps to overcome some otherwise detestable activities. Like studying. Fake it till you make it, I was once told. We'll have to see tomorrow how well I can fake it. It'll be hard, for sure, but it won't hurt I end my academic day with an Ultimate Frisbee skills class. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right?

Take it easy,

Danny