Brainwashed

Reason # 543 that writing papers is ruining my life: It's infecting how I think. You may argue that this is the reason for writing papers; it's meant to change how you think, otherwise it'd just be another busy work assignment. This, however, is beyond the call of higher education.

As you are probably aware if you have met me, I am obsessed with movies. Well, and plays, operas, and TV. There might be something in that, but if it ain't broke... In the past couple weeks, I have seen a production of Hamlet and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both of which I found wonderfully entertaining, I might add. My concern is more for the fact that I start thinking of such productions in terms of how I would write an essay about them. There are several causes for concern in this.

First, I feel a sense of relief, as if being able to write about the arts again (go, English majors, go) would be a cakewalk compared to "professional writing". Secondly, I pick out quotes as I go along to prove my theory of a theme. I was literally trying to memorise portions of the Oompa-Loompas' songs in order to justify my theme. This is not normal. There is an argument for keeping a written journal about your teaching because one side effect is that you will start thinking about your teaching as something needing to be analysed on paper. Great. Works for teaching, but lay off my social/entertainment life. Stupid higher education; I loathe thee.