Sunday, July 24, 2005
If I Were...
My blogger buddy, Sarah, recently tagged me in an "If I Were..." post. So here are things I would do if I could be...
A librarian. I would spruce up the library a little bit. I guess this all depends on what kind of library we're talking about. There are some pretty fancy libraries, especially on college campuses, but that tends not to be true in high schools and local city-owned libraries across the country. So I'd do some fundraising (because you know there'd be no budget to begin with).
Once money's not a problem I'd liven up the place a bit. The old dusty rug with the deathly shades of gray-brown would have to go fast. In comes a nice new fluffy carpet with some color and life and a little bit of spunk. The second thing to go has to be all those nasty tables and chairs. You all know those old wooden chairs that wobble like they're going to drop you at worst, or at best are just stiff and uncomfortable. And how about those tables that look like they came straight out of the 1940s because, oh wait, they probably did and they have how many decades of engravings on them to prove it? Out with the tables and chairs. They've got to go. In there place will be some comfy armchairs and nice new tables and chairs.
I wouldn't be all too opposed to some colors on the walls. Maybe some bright orange, or sunshine yellow mixed with blue--Ikea style? I've always thought people in libraries look way too sleepy, maybe some warm colors would make the place seem more inviting?
Anyway, enough pretending to live out a non-existent dream of interior design as a librarian. Once I read this article about a person who took a job as a librarian and used all the spare time to type up a book. I think that would be a cool thing to do as a librarian.
A gardener. You had to know I'd pick this one with all my talk about gardening this summer. If I were a gardener, I'd make sure my sunflowers grow. I'd also make a bigger patch for my vegetable garden and grow more vegetables. I'd definitely figure out a way to make those darn garlics and radishes grow. I'd also plant way more herbs and spices. I would buy much less supermarket produce and cook so much more with spices and vegetables from my garden. Mmmmmmmmmm freshness!
A psychologist. Funny, I was just thinking about this last night. How often have you heard people whispering that underneath their professional and detached personas, most psychologists lead screwed-up lives themselves? Whether or not it's true, I'd try to keep the trade a little more real (and I believe that certain psychologists try to put this to practice).
I wouldn't try to perpetuate and profit from an ideology that any problem is abnormal and can be fixed with enough therapy, nor would I try to perpetuate and profit from the notion that we can find ultimate happiness and some sort of ideal life with the overpaid frequent guiding of a psychologist. I would try to make people see what's great about themselves, boost self-esteems but not inflate them. I'd encourage generosity and tolerance but not naivete.
A professor. I wouldn't be so darn stuck up. Much to my dismay I've lost a lot of my appreciation for professors over the past couple years. The people who I used to idealize as the gatekeepers to the wisdom that can solve the world's problems now seem to me much more like a grumpy, stressed out bunch who A. maintain an elite monopoly on knowledge and B. squander the tremendous opportunity to instill hope and inspiration in young minds.
OK, obviously not all professors are that bad. I've met a precious few who have defied that description and they are the ones I would emulate if I were a professor. I'd make a point to meet with each of my students at least twice a semester EVEN if I had a big lecture class of 300 kids. I wouldn't pretend I know everything about my field, and I wouldn't be pretentious just because I knew a little more than my students. I'd also try to find a different approach towards grading, or at least not base it so much on cookie-cutter tests and essays.
A world famous blogger. I'd mobilize an armada of feisty bloggers to tackle the world's problems one by one. Sure, we might not even get to 1% of them, but at least we'd try. If I were a world famous blogger, I'd blog about world poverty, human health issues, the environment, and other challenges menacing the globe and humanity in between posts about my stressed out life and my kick ass summers. I would raise money for important causes and bring attention to problematic issues. Together with my readers, we'd unleash the power of the internet to educate and to empower and use our collective strength to transform this world for the better. So what do y'all say, shall we start? :-)
A librarian. I would spruce up the library a little bit. I guess this all depends on what kind of library we're talking about. There are some pretty fancy libraries, especially on college campuses, but that tends not to be true in high schools and local city-owned libraries across the country. So I'd do some fundraising (because you know there'd be no budget to begin with).
Once money's not a problem I'd liven up the place a bit. The old dusty rug with the deathly shades of gray-brown would have to go fast. In comes a nice new fluffy carpet with some color and life and a little bit of spunk. The second thing to go has to be all those nasty tables and chairs. You all know those old wooden chairs that wobble like they're going to drop you at worst, or at best are just stiff and uncomfortable. And how about those tables that look like they came straight out of the 1940s because, oh wait, they probably did and they have how many decades of engravings on them to prove it? Out with the tables and chairs. They've got to go. In there place will be some comfy armchairs and nice new tables and chairs.
I wouldn't be all too opposed to some colors on the walls. Maybe some bright orange, or sunshine yellow mixed with blue--Ikea style? I've always thought people in libraries look way too sleepy, maybe some warm colors would make the place seem more inviting?
Anyway, enough pretending to live out a non-existent dream of interior design as a librarian. Once I read this article about a person who took a job as a librarian and used all the spare time to type up a book. I think that would be a cool thing to do as a librarian.
A gardener. You had to know I'd pick this one with all my talk about gardening this summer. If I were a gardener, I'd make sure my sunflowers grow. I'd also make a bigger patch for my vegetable garden and grow more vegetables. I'd definitely figure out a way to make those darn garlics and radishes grow. I'd also plant way more herbs and spices. I would buy much less supermarket produce and cook so much more with spices and vegetables from my garden. Mmmmmmmmmm freshness!
A psychologist. Funny, I was just thinking about this last night. How often have you heard people whispering that underneath their professional and detached personas, most psychologists lead screwed-up lives themselves? Whether or not it's true, I'd try to keep the trade a little more real (and I believe that certain psychologists try to put this to practice).
I wouldn't try to perpetuate and profit from an ideology that any problem is abnormal and can be fixed with enough therapy, nor would I try to perpetuate and profit from the notion that we can find ultimate happiness and some sort of ideal life with the overpaid frequent guiding of a psychologist. I would try to make people see what's great about themselves, boost self-esteems but not inflate them. I'd encourage generosity and tolerance but not naivete.
A professor. I wouldn't be so darn stuck up. Much to my dismay I've lost a lot of my appreciation for professors over the past couple years. The people who I used to idealize as the gatekeepers to the wisdom that can solve the world's problems now seem to me much more like a grumpy, stressed out bunch who A. maintain an elite monopoly on knowledge and B. squander the tremendous opportunity to instill hope and inspiration in young minds.
OK, obviously not all professors are that bad. I've met a precious few who have defied that description and they are the ones I would emulate if I were a professor. I'd make a point to meet with each of my students at least twice a semester EVEN if I had a big lecture class of 300 kids. I wouldn't pretend I know everything about my field, and I wouldn't be pretentious just because I knew a little more than my students. I'd also try to find a different approach towards grading, or at least not base it so much on cookie-cutter tests and essays.
A world famous blogger. I'd mobilize an armada of feisty bloggers to tackle the world's problems one by one. Sure, we might not even get to 1% of them, but at least we'd try. If I were a world famous blogger, I'd blog about world poverty, human health issues, the environment, and other challenges menacing the globe and humanity in between posts about my stressed out life and my kick ass summers. I would raise money for important causes and bring attention to problematic issues. Together with my readers, we'd unleash the power of the internet to educate and to empower and use our collective strength to transform this world for the better. So what do y'all say, shall we start? :-)
