The Other Dale

Not much time to type today. I've been breaking my back attempting to finish a "pseudo-thesis" in order to graduate. Its a dainty little 20+ page paper that all students of the religious studies department must complete, and, doubtless mine is the most exciting topic a 22-year-old senior could lay his mind upon: the collusion of Christian ideals with Kierkegaardian (made that word up) concepts in the hope of forming a therapeutic process of counseling which deals with an existential means of becoming healthy-whew-that is a mouthful.

Now, I am sure you are wondering, "why the need for that fancy word? Why not just merge Christian counseling with existential psychotherapies?"

That is what you were asking, right! If it is, you are in luck! Or, more precisely, you will be in luck. Mostly because I'm not talking about it until I completely finish my paper (then, much to your benefit-insert appreciative nod-I will not only give you that answer, but 20+ pages of them!

Enough rambling; what I wish to talk about today is what I've found in writing this paper. Firstly, I love to write, and I consider it a wondrous art and a privilege to have the ability to do so. It is too bad that when I have a deadline in writing a paper with all the cheer and excitement of this current one, I will mark the days until there are none left. In essence, its on par with walking blindfold towards a cliff with both hands tied behind your back and a stone tied around your waist. Okay, perhaps its not as torturous as that, but when you do (and I am sure you will) find yourself in that predicament I recommend attempting to remove the blindfold, cuffs, and stone before you get to the edge. It is the same with a paper. If one decides (and I mean pushes oneself) to write said essay in a leisurely fashion allowing time to flow evenly (because, like it or not, time will not stop for you the eve before the due date), then it becomes an enjoyable activity. If not...just jump off the cliff when you get to it (things will be a lot less bothersome).

It is in leisure that writing (for me) finds its highest potential. For the past several years I have been compiling notes and ideas in order to pen a novel. It is only recently, after much deliberation and soul-searching, that I have decided I finally have the skeletal structure needed to begin such a monumental feat. I must remember, however, that my goal in compiling a book is not only to finish it (before man flies to Mars, I should hope), but also to enjoy writing it. This is why I have decided that whether it is one word, one hundred words, or one thousand words I shall write a small bit of it everyday beginning my first day after graduation! Wish me luck, and remember, when that hideous notion of a research paper comes up, don't hold it off, but welcome it and handle it proudly for the short time you work on it (I should pray that after reading all of this, that will be sooner than the day after the professor requests it).