This morning’s buscapade is about time—doing it, that is.
Two seats up and to my right sat a rider I’ve seen before. She’s a little unkempt usually—not drastically so, but a little bit. And she’s loud. And she likes to talk. Not a good combination in my book, especially not being a morning person.
She usually sits in the first front-facing seat when there is a long center-facing seat in the front on each side, for disabled and elderly riders. That’s where she was today, and just talking as loud as ever to one person sitting in the center-facing seat ahead of her, but not on the end closest to her, and to the bus driver who was further away yet. Her profoundest statement this morning was, “Yeah, girl. I hate probation. Just let me do my time and get it over with. Get it behind me.”
At least she has goals—however the opposite of lofty they are.
I participated in NC State’s GLBT Speakers Bureau today, where three of us met with four people in the College of Natural Resources, one of whom was the dean. Two people who work in the GLBT Center did a presentation for about 45 minutes, and then they abandoned me there to share my coming out story and why it’s important for me to be out at work. There was supposed to be another person there, a student, to share his or her experience, but s/he didn’t show up.
I actually got a little choked up at the end of my coming out story, about which I have mixed emotions—I mean it was almost 15 years ago now. The mixed emotions are around not being crazy about getting like that in front of a group of strangers, but on the other hand I’m grateful that being reminded of how incredible the decision was for me to finally get a grasp on my self-worth and begin living my authentic life can still move me after all this time.
A tweet on Twitter today pointed me to a presentation by Sarah “@Intellagirl” Robbins called, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Technology in Higher Education: Exposing Our Crimes Against the Future.” It contained some interesting thoughts and quotes from both students and faculty, and I particularly liked these two:
| “The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a “C,” the idea must be feasible.” ~A Yale University Management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corporation.)~ |
| Telling student comments about assignments:
“How much is it worth?” |
Speaking of lofty goals!
Once again, I blew off the gym tonight, and opted for a two-hour nap, which turned into a three-hour one instead. Ridiculous, and I’m disgusted with myself—in spite of that supposed grasp I have on my self-worth. 