NaBloPoMo, Day 11

One thing that most everyone at Wheaton develops is introspection. Knowing yourself, what you need, is of high importance, it seems, and along with that comes a piqued interest in personality tests. One offered by Career Services is the Gallup test, StrengthsFinder, which asks you something like 177 questions to discover your top five of 34 strengths. It's a lovely confidence booster and a sort of common language. As with most people, I like my strengths. They tell me these things, in this order:

• I am a relator, meaning that I pick a few close friends, but I know them really well. In a large-group situation, I just need a couple people to talk to, rather than wanting to talk to everyone however briefly.
• I individualize people. I don't like labeling people, generalizing, any of that. I'm particularly proud of this one because I think it's one everyone should have to be a decent human being.
• I analyze. I need to be able to prove something if I'm going to believe it and act on it. I have decision trees in my head.
• I'm a developer, so I take people wherever they are and help them improve. I also get excited about improvements, even if they're tiny. 
• I'm an arranger. I put people in groups well, arranging people and schedules for maximum productivity. (I think this might also have something to do with efficiency, which I like a lot.)

As happy as these things make me, my brain's getting a little full of personality stuff right now. Here's why:

• At some point, you have to stop thinking about yourself and what type of person you are and actually do something with your time. 
• Personality tests can sometimes become like a self-fulfilling prophecy: "Well, I'm a developer, so I would typically behave this way, so I guess that's what I should do" or "That's not one of my strengths -- I wouldn't do that, so I shouldn't."
• To some extent, self-discovery should happen by your own self, not by a test.

That being said, these tests give me a lot of insight into people I'm just getting to know. So that's nice.
 
Also, two people I know (kind of) got engaged tonight. I mean, it's cute, but whoa. You're a year older than I am. This is not OK.

NaBloPoMo, Day 10: Goodbye and Good Morning

Secret Garden closed tonight, and there are some moments that will stick in my brain for a nice, long while. The people will stick longer.

But this particular evening was a long one. After we changed out of our costumes for the last time, we began dismantling nearly every platform we (or they, rather) built.  I personally picked up something like 300 screws off the floor.  I stood on wood while other people took out screws. I mopped half the theater floor.  What followed was a series of "secrets and surprises," which, due to their secret and surprising nature, cannot be shared here.

Now scroll down and check that time stamp. Roughly 4:30 a.m. I didn't dilly-dally. It's those darned secrets and surprises. They only work late, late, late at night when everyone should be sleeping.

I'm not sure I completely understand all that goes on in that building, but there's something different about it that I don't dislike. For the moment, my time there is done -- they don't have any musicals slated for the near future -- but something tells me I might still be spending some time there.

Pardon the vagueness and rambling. I need to process, but first, I think it's sleepytime.

NaBloPoMo, Day 9

And the crafting has returned! Since September, I've been working on a couple different dorm room improvement projects. The first I call "birds on a line." Yes, I did cut those out myself. Yes, while watching Survivor.

Inspired by my own creation, I began to ponder a corollary to "birds on a line." Something else in silhouette? Something outdoorsy? Garden-party-esque? Animals? Planes? All modes of transportation? Heavens, no. Something much simpler was in order. I present the newly completed sequel, "clothes on a line." (Yes, I also cut these out, but during episodes of Bones instead.)

NaBloPoMo, Day 8: Cabbages

In the last week or so, a particular idea has come up twice: once, a professor said it, and tonight, a person quoted that professor. That idea is this.

"A cabbage needs no other cabbages to be a perfect cabbage. Humans are different in that we need other humans to shape us and improve us."

I don't fully remember the context of the first instance of this, but tonight it was used in the context of The Secret Garden. Seeing as this musical hardly relies on plot for its substance, the show's relationships are essential for it to have any meaning for the audience. Everyone must be aware of the ways in which the characters are different from cabbages.

In fact, I am not a cabbage, in case there was any doubt, and neither are you.* Just some food (oh dear) for thought.


*Oh the profundity. I sure hope no one out there's actually planning to get anything out of these posts because it's slim pickings.

NaBloPoMo, Day 7

Today, I pretended I was a goose in my conducting class. I looked ridiculous.

But it's what I was told to do, and it fixed something, I think. So because it's late and I'm tired, today's post is this: what is the most idiotic-looking thing you've done recently? And if you can't think of anything, I think it's about time you get your goose on.

NaBloPoMo, Day 6

Well, we've re-elected our president, and honestly, I'm neither thrilled nor concerned. I know, I know, voting is important, and politics and government matter, but when my daily life in almost 20 years of living hasn't been obviously affected by the party in office, it's hard to make myself care. And in any case, all of the history teachers I've had have said something to the effect of "most politicians start out far left or far right and become more and more moderate as elections and terms progress." So here we are, I'm ignorant, I'm apathetic, and in this area, that's OK with me. (I know, it shouldn't be OK with me, but it is, and I'm not pushing it.)

Note to family: don't even want to hear how politically ignorant I am. I know.

NaBloPoMo, Day 5: Winners.

I have a friend named Darby who plays the piano, and she played in the concerto competition tonight. She did not win, but if you ask me, she should have. (Note: the guy who did win is entirely deserving, but you root for your friends, case closed.) Here's why:

• I don't like listening to classical music, much less piano concerti. But I could listen to her piece all day.
• It's very easily solfeged, and very stickinyourheadable.
• It's just so preeeetty. (This isn't her, but it'll give you an idea.)
• You can tell it's hard, but she makes it seem easy and doesn't even seem to get all bogged down in the technicality of it all (even though she's acutely aware of exactly what needs to happen when).
• She doesn't have the whole arrogance thing going on. That's always a plus.

All this to say, there is still hope for me in the world of listening to classical music. Because if she can make it manageable, that means it's not a me-flaw that I don't like going to concerts and listening to all that, it's a them-flaw. And pinning things on other people is a great life strategy, no?