I've got another alumni interview today. The last one started out a bit scary,
when she told me two of her favorite books were The Red and the Black and
War and Peace. I don't think she was just saying that to impress me -- once
I stopped to think about it, I remembered having far more time and patience for
Great Books at her stage of life, and at least as much mental capacity as I have
now. There were a few books I didn't have the life experience to read; I love Jane
Austen now but couldn't read her at all until I was well into my 20s, and I expect
that will be happening throughout my life. On the other hand, she also mentioned
Catcher in the Rye as a favorite, and I think that one is the opposite: a
book that is most appreciated by someone still in a rebellious teenage phase, that
starts to seem overdone in later life. I suppose that shows how well Salinger
remembered his own adolescence, though I do think it takes more literary skill to
make a book that has different appeals to people of different ages.
Anyway, further probing of the last interviewee showed that most of
her interests and activities stem from a curiosity about how people act and think
and react, and how that's affected by their cultures. She wants to learn more
about the differences, and to go to a college that has a diverse body of students
and communities. She and Penn will love each other. It should be interesting to
see how this next interviewee, a budding engineer, is
different.
Other than that, there's not much going on here this
weekend, except more planning for Korea, and appreciating both time spent with
Rudder and just having more time, period. Rowing and gym and coaching eat
unpleasantly into my weekdays. Being unemployed should be compensated by at least
the ability to oversleep occasionally, and a feeling of more free time. Last week
actually felt overbooked. I don't know if the transition back to work will be
difficult because of that, or a relief. Being paid enough to get the cleaning
service back would definitely help with the latter.
Sorry if
href="http://dichroic.diaryland.com/sleepspace.html">yesterday's prose was a
bit overwrought; space travel is a subject that hits heartstrings in me, and lack
of space travel even more so.