End of summer....

Time for a reality check...here was my summer "to do" list at work:

develop the assessment plan for one of our degree programs
                   worked on it, didn't finish it
form an curriculum committee for that program
                   got a "yes" from one person
make modifications to the program based on changes in course offerings
                   didn't do
create advising notes for the students in the program
                  didn't finish, but started
develop a co-terminal degree option for that program
                  didn't do
develop guidelines for departmental external reviews
                  gathered examples from other places
develop list of possible external review committee members
                  completed***
apply for teacher CEU credits for a fall program (something I've never done before and have no model for doing...)
                 spent a lot of time on this, but not sure I've done it right
work with admissions to coordinate this fall program for potential students
                  didn't do
develop a charge for a task group on sexual harassment that I'm chairing
                 didn't finish
recruit faculty to serve on the committee
                 got a list of names
figure out how to dissolve a non-profit organization where I am the secretary-treasurer
                 made significant progress, know how to do it, just need to do it
create syllabus for fall class
                completed*****


Well, that is pretty depressing.  Of course, there were many things that didn't make the list that had to be managed--a couple of sticky personnel issues, summer advising, planning a fall event, some alumni visits. 

Classes start today.

The Convalescence Novel

One of my favorite podcasts is Helen Zaltzman's "The Allusionist," devoted to language and linguistics.  She explores word origins and meanings, language development, linguistic differences, and all types of things related to words.  The latest episode is titled, "The Novel Remedy," and addresses something I have long considered--the power of books to heal, or at least, illustrate our personal hurts.

I've been the member of several book groups over the past 15 years.  The women's book group has become a bit of trope, bored women using the excuse of a book to come together, drink wine, and complain about their lives (marriages or lack thereof, primarily).  Fortunately, my book groups, while containing some wine, largely have focused on the books.  But, there are times when our personal experiences enter into the discussion and I find those the most interesting discussions.  Isn't that an author wants, for us, the readers to connect to the book? to feel something?

I enjoy books of all types, but the ones that stick with me are the ones where I feel I learned something, could be a fact or historical insight, but more often it is a perspective on life that resonates with me, or mirrors my own experience.

Zaltzman's podcast starts with a discussion of her request to listeners to share the books they turn to when they are ill, what books comfort them, what are their "convalescence books."  Many mentioned books of science fiction or magic, escapism.  Some referred to books from their childhood, comforting old friends.  Agatha Christie novels blossomed in a time when the world was recovering from the first world war. They offered a new vision of heroism, a sense of domestic calm, and, importantly, a resolution.  To top it off, they didn't require a lot of energy to read, they were easy and undemanding. All things people were looking to find in the aftermath of the horrific war.

Jane Gregory, a psychologist interviewed by Helen, goes on to discuss the role that novels can play in a therapeutic setting. I have often suggested to my therapist that she should start a therapy book group.  People would read a book and then discuss how the experiences and emotions of the character related to their own lives.  (She just smiles at this suggestion, although she and I often discuss books and share recommendations.)  Gregory argues that novels allow us to drop our defenses, we go into them expecting to be entertained in some sense, we are open to the ideas of the characters. At the same time, while we are empathetic, we aren't directly experiencing the emotions, we are observing them, we are at a bit of a distance.  One comment she made that I found particularly helpful was that in a book we experience the arc of a story--beginning, conflict, and resolution.  We see that life goes on, as she says, " no feeling you've ever had has ever stayed forever." 

There is much more in the episode and it is best appreciated by listening, https://www.theallusionist.org/allusionist/convalescence

but you can also read the transcript here:
https://www.theallusionist.org/transcripts/convalescence

Of course, the best convalescence novel.....Princess Bride!
 

Bagging Groceries

 
 I worked in a grocery story for about a year during college.  Smitty's, down on the "levee" in the area between West Lafayette and Lafayette was a family owned, full service, grocery.  Mostly I was a cashier, in the days before bar codes when you had to memorize the price of milk, eggs, and beer, but sometimes I would stock shelves.  Occasionally, if it was slow (and the stock boys were bored) or super busy (and the lines were getting long), we had baggers, but more often the cashiers who rang up the purchases bagged the groceries, too.  We were all instructed on basic rules, like don't put the bread on the bottom, but otherwise we were pretty much left to our own particular style.  I liked to group items--cold things in one bag, non-food items in another.  I tried to balance the weight so that all the cans weren't in one bag, or so that the peaches weren't squashed against the cat food. (It is amazing how many cans of cat food some people bought!)

I guess those bagging experiences have been hard for me to shake and I realize I've become quite critical of grocery store baggers.  I frequently find myself rebagging my groceries after checking out.  Some baggers seem to take it as a challenge to try to fit all my purchases in as few bags as possible.  I always go to the store with 5-6 reusable totes, but if they can get everything into 1 they look so proud. It's like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle to them.  I live on the third floor and find it much easier to carry 2-3 lighter bags up the stairs than 1 heavy one.

But, I've never had an experience like yesterday's at Trader Joe's.  As usual, I brought my own bag for the 8 or so purchases I made.  As the cashier scanned the items, I put them in my reusable tote.  But, he finished scanning a bit before I finished bagging.

"Here, let me," he said and grabbed the bag and took everything out! 
"Don't you like how I was doing it?" I asked.
"Sorry," he said, "I guess it's just my OCD."
"Well, maybe MY OCD is why I was doing it!"

Now we had it, an OCD standoff!  Who should bag the groceries? I could have argued that the customer is always right and grabbed the bag back, taken everything out and done it MY way. But I conceded the bagging job and let him rearrange my groceries.

"See," he exclaimed happily, "Now you have more room!"

More room for what I wondered?  I was done shopping, I didn't NEED more room.  But he looked so pleased with himself that I just smiled and took my bag.