While I was studying during the devotional last hour, I decided to send out this text, at which time I did not know would turn into a survey:

Something about being in a study cubicle makes me want to sleep.

And in came a few responses:

-Yeah, isn’t study ‘cubicle’ another term for ‘sleep pod’?

-Something about cubicles makes me want a popsicle

-Something about being at my job makes me want to slit my throat.

-Something about life makes me want to sleep.

Then, a separate conversation:

-There’s just something about being inside a perfect square that is by nature sedative!

May-Zzz… There aren’t drug tests for cubicle sedatives, are there?  I’d fail miserably.

-I believe the best way to rid yourself of any trace in the ole system is to do forty five jumping jacks … ready go!

May-I did mini ones in my chair while visualizing real ones. When I do jumping jacks they seem mini, but they are not. Awake now. Thanks!

-That’s what I do, whenever you have difficulties in staying awake … I’ll be there!

May-Slightly problematic, only because I’m trying to stifle outbursts of laughter. I have a feeling this is typical of you. 🙂

-O i dunno:) i suppose i do like to see slash imagine smiles on people’s faces. And if giggles are having to be stifled i’m glad of heart!

-No wonder you have many friends and admirers the world over. Yay, you!

-I do not believe I’d go that far! Perhaps one day the world over. But i believe that even more renown and even sooner will be your name.

May-I’m much quieter in my approach to the world. I prefer smaller groups and individuals. Maybe someday, but not for a long, long time.

-In a different field perhaps to. Which leads to my next cliche but sincere question. What are you studying?

May-English. Going into creative writing. I hope. What about you?

-Creative writing?? I’m very intrigued, i would be interested in seeing some of your work! I write a little myself, but my major which i haven’t declared is biz.

May-Just started my major. I have pieces of different personal projects. We should trade stuff sometime for feedback if you’re okay with that.

-I think it’s a great idea! I love getting and fishing feedback for these types of things, you could tell me what you think of some tunes i have too?

May-You’ve struck a chord – pun! – with two of my biggest interests. I don’t know as much about songwriting, but i can tell you what i like and why. 🙂

May-When will you declare your major?

-What do you like and why?? And I’ll be declaring it within the next couple months.

May-I have to listen to your tunes first. 🙂 i’m usually pretty open minded if i can tell you’re conscientious. I can appreciate the process.

-Very well 🙂 i will tell ya i’m making a conscious effort with my songs which are almost exclusively half done haha 🙂

May-I’m sure you sound great. Lyrics, Melodies. Chord progressions. Integrating everything into one solid song. You know you’ve got it. 🙂

-i dunno i think it’s ok considering my novice level of expertise 🙂 so what kind of stuff do you write about?

May-I do some short fiction and narrative nonfiction, e.g. essays. Nothing really complete yet. Working on it, though. 🙂

-I bet you’re gonna go somewhere with it, or really whatever you end up doin, i’m no fortune cookie, but it’s a vibe i get for sure 🙂

Also, I happened to get a lot of reading done for class.  I organized some research for a paper and reviewed an author’s biography and considered its effect on my reading of one of her short stories.

I promise.

Oh. I got some feedback for a midterm I took a couple weeks ago. We took part of the exam in class, then we had to take part of it home. We had to perform a close reading on a poem and discuss how the formal elements contribute to the meaning, according to a New Critic’s perspective. Our instructor gave us a 1000 word limit, and I while I kept it around 800 words, I turned it in hoping I did a thorough job.

So I checked my email this morning, and my inbox presented:

This is a fantastic response. You show the complexities of the poem, including formal elements & content contrasting with the ballad form, and how the poem resolves these complexities. You completed a close reading of the poem that demonstrates your ability to analyze poetic devices. My only correction is to this line: “because this is a ballad, the New Critic expects consistent rhythm and meter.” They would look at how well the poem meets the expectations of the form (the ballad), but they would also expect that there would be substitutions (in meter) and variations in form. This is what helps contribute to meaning. You resisted–like most people in our class–coming up with a single reading of the poem, but remember that the strictest New Critics would have done so, and they would have argued for their reading. Overall, you did a fantastic job. I am continually impressed by your precision, your ability to analyze and reason through things, and your sense of ethics. I appreciate your comments in class and am glad you are among us. Thank you.

Not perfect, but great. And my instructor’s feedback, in addition to being unexpected, was truly helpful, and incredibly validating. I’m precise! I can analyze and reason! I have a sense of ethics! – And that part she drew from a comment I made the first day I attended her class. She remembers me! Yippee!

This may be enough to get me through the rest of the semester.