Walk Hard.

Hey guys!

A little while ago I promised a deeper post. Well, here is my attempt at said post!

I've often thought that I might have been born a few centuries too late. I'm a thinker, and perhaps a few millenia ago, where thinking a lot might have been seen as a worthy pastime, I might have been a philosopher or something. I really don't mind walking long distances, in fact it gives me more time to think! It might have worked. But I do get wrapped up in my own thoughts sometimes. Like today, I was taking a bath before work and was struck with the sheer impossibility that was my leg. It came from a single cell, and developed over years to become the muscular masterpeice that allows me to walk. Then that got me thinking of how amazing it is that we can even walk at all. We balance on our big toes and heels, and continually fall forwards to move. Amazing.

Another example is my walk to/from work. I walk through this massive field with a path through the middle, it's the closest I can get to nature on the way in. But because Essex is so flat, when the sky is clear as it was today you get an amazing panoramic view of the sky all around you. During the day, you see a beautiful deep blue sky streatching off for miles in every direction, looking so inviting that you want to just jump into it. At night, you can see so many stars that it gives you some perspective, since some are brighter than others. Somehow this makes it even more infinite looking, like you can just see forever. It's truely beautiful and breathtaking. I think I might be more sensitive, emotional and sentimental than people think.

So, in completely different news, I've left Plymouth Uni. My reasons for leaving are many, but it mostly boils down to two areas of discontent. Firstly, the content of the course I was doing. To say it was empty would have been generous. Let me paint a mental picture of my school week last term. I had class three times a week. For two hours each session. That means that my required contact hours each week were 6. Total. In America, I was doing that much a day. This term we had a class called "Work based learning" where we were told to go and cold call companies/schools and ask to work there for free, for 50 hours over the course of the term. That to me is ridiculous. Telling a class of 19-25ish students in HIGHER EDUCATION to go and find their own work experience, with no help or input from the uni staff AND PAY FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO DO SO! Oh please show me where to sign up...

Another class I was enrolled in was called "Education in and for the Environment". Now, I actually enjoyed this class, and the teacher was awesome, but that does not make a good class. There were weeks where we listened to a professional story teller. There were weeks where we were in the room for 40 minutes. One week we took a trip to the Eden project. Awesome, but hardly relevant or higher education.

Now, People have told me things like "That's just how it's done over here" or "It gives you the chance to put your own mark on your degree by doing your own reading". The basic gist of what I've been getting is that the majority of the degree is gained by doing your own reading, outside of class. If that's the case, what am I paying for? I can do that on my own, for free. No thanks.

Anyways, what this all means is that I've moved home for the foreseeable future. I've got my old job at the Fleece back as a starting block and I think I'm going to try and sort things out with me. There are some apsects of my life that I'm not happy with and I want to change.

1. As much as I complained above, I have sunk too much time and money into my education to not finish. I want to get a degree from a school I respect and enjoy attending.
   
2. I want money. I've been living on almost nothing for so long now. I want a full-time job and I want to have some money for myself.
   
3. I want to get back into shape. I'm by no means fat, but I have gathered a doughey physique recently. I've run a bit, I'm walking the 7,500 steps (According to my iPod's pedometer) to work and back. I'm even trying to eat healthier.
   
4. I want my own computer. I'm living on borrowed WiFi at the moment. Not owning your own computer dosen't seem like a big deal until you dont have one. I want a high-end laptop that I can pay too much money for and not replace for 5 years. (No Kit, I won't. End of.)
5. I want a few nicer clothes. A jacket/coat to go out in. Some nice casual, yet smart, sweaters or something. I have nice and slummy. Nothing in between.
   
6. I want to do more things. Every time I read/watch "Yes man" (Great film) I think about how negative we can be. I want to force myself to do more things with more people! This is why when Dad asked, jokingly I think, if I wanted to caddy for him tomorrow morning I jumped at the chance, despite working 8 hours tonight and getting home at 3am. I'll be getting up with the sun tomorrow and taking a leisurly stroll around the golf course. Then at midday tomorow i'll be at Chelmsford skate park supporting my mate Daz's campaign for a new park. Then sunday lunch, and perhaps some xbox! Sleep is for the weak.
7. And lastly, but not leastly, and most oviously, I want to get back to Michigan.
   

So, that reads like a fairly obnoxious wish list huh? We'll see how it pans out.

Today, some wisdom from Emily Dickenson.

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."

Fantastic words.

Keep it safe kiddies,

Jamie
Veg
Dunch