So Says The Mouse In My Hair

Upon Completion of My First Two Weeks At School

Things are really going well. I’m enjoying my classes and I’m getting my homework done. (At least all the homework I can afford to get done, meaning, I haven’t got money enough to buy all my books, but that should be remedied shortly.) The funny thing is, I like doing my homework. That’s a new concept even for me. And why do I enjoy putting a pencil on paper and working towards some goal so much? I think it has something to do with nostalgia. I’ve missed it. Being an English major, I don’t remember doing homework for two years. My last semester, I didn’t buy a single book.

Sure I wrote a couple (bad) papers and some (terrible) stories and read a fraction of the books I was supposed to read. But that’s not really homework is it? Papers and stories, you don’t have to do many of them a year. Those are crests in between the daily grind. And reading, that doesn’t even show up on the homework charts anywhere, because no one’s keeping tabs on how much you do. At least not at Orono.

So what is homework? Problem solving. Answering questions. Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together and doing it on paper. And no, you don’t get any problem solving in literature. Your brain does all that for you without any effort. It’s breathing. It doesn’t mean anything. (Such a thing to say! But that could explain why my English degree holds to weight with me. Because I don’t remember doing anything to get it. Don’t tell my grandmother that though.) And now with the problem solving I’m able to feel like I’m working for my keep. And that is a marvelous and productive feeling.

But wait, there’s more! Lets discuss the issue of class attendance. Every single semester in the past three years worked as follows. Somewhere around Wednesday or Thursday of the second week I would feel an overwhelming urge to skip class. And from that moment on, I’d cop out around once a week. A plethora of excuses, generally weak, ranging from "I don’t feel like it," to "it’s too cold," (and this when I drive to school) followed me around. And I just didn’t care. Lazy? Of course. Not that it bothered me any.

So We’ve once again met our two week marker. Ask me how I did. C’mon ask me. Always present! I went to every class for every day for every week (so far). The thought of not going barely crossed my mind, and when it did, I scoffed at it. What do you mean, not go to class? Why wouldn’t I go to class? Because I’m walking there with a wind chill of 15 below? Pish tosh. I’ll dress warmer. Because I don’t want to? Of course I want to. Class is fun.

Did I just say that? It’s been a few years since I said that. Probably four.

And all the discoveries I’ve made about Farmington! First it was the sidewalks. I LOVE the sidewalks. So handy. There’s really no point in driving unless I’m getting groceries. Cars? Cars stop for people at crosswalks. That bears repeating. Cars stop for people at crosswalks. And not just the people half way across the road. Cars stop for pedestrians waiting to cross! And it’s not just one or two. We’re talking 90% of cars, will stop for me if I want to cross the street. And we’re talking anywhere in town, not just on campus. Holy Junipers Batman!

It’s like Farmington lives in this sunny happy universe that wasn’t settled by yankees. It has a very southern feel to it. People greet each other on the street. They look at each other and smile and say hi. I haven’t seen anything like it since Gardner Webb University. I’m used to the frowning and staring straight ahead school of interpersonal relations. This is way cool.
Next discovery, the third floor of the library. Always a lovable concoction, no matter where you are. Third floors are quiet and comfortable. And they like to have couches. As does this one. But along with the couches, one finds a lovely, underused computer lab, some fabulous study tables as well as individual desks. And did I mention that the third floor is the home of the children’s library? The whole thing is so cuddly. That’s the best word I can come up with to describe it. Besides that, it’s also 10 degrees warmer on that floor than on the first. Definitely worth the stairs.

And finally, my last holy cow! moment I had at school came yesterday. I was cutting through the student union because it’s the shortest, warmest path towards most of my classes (ingenious in and of itself, all student unions ought to be so well placed) and about to head down stairs when a rack of newspapers caught my eye. You know those wire racks that hold several piles of newspapers, generally free? It was one of those. But the contents were by far more astounding. USA Today and The Boston Globe. Do you know what this means? The University of Maine at Farmington gives away USA Today and Boston Globe FREE. Is that the most wonderful beautiful fantastic stupendous magnificent idea that you’ve ever heard associated with an institution of higher education? Because I’m thinking yes.

And how goes my life outside school? There’s not much there besides Abby, my cat. And she’s taking much better to this whole situation than I expected. Considering the fact that she hasn’t got any friends here, and she’s not allowed to go outside, and her quarters are much smaller than she’s used to, and she’s scared of all things new ever, she’s doing very well. The scared thing balances well with the outside thing. She hasn’t gotten around to wanting to venture outside the door in the first place, and whenever someone walks around in the hall outside my door she growls and hides under my bed. It took her a while to condescend to eat my lowly Purina brand cat food and longer to figure out that yes, that is her litter box. (Although no accidents prior to that, which was wonderful.) The only thing is, she loves my refrigerator. Marches herself right inside whenever I open the door. And she always follows me into the bathroom.

But we’re getting along. I’m shopping for a good toy, something with a bell, so that maybe she won’t need to play with my yarn quite so much, and I’ve come to no conclusions on how to keep her odd water qualifications satisfied, but any relationship is a work in progress.

So yes, life is beautiful, and as if in proof, I’ve even figured out how to crochet all my granny squares together. I smell an afghan coming on…

posted by Sarah Eliza @ 7:07 AM