I had a lot of trouble with this assignment because of my isolation: I have been homeschooled for most of my school life until I came to Converse this fall. I also tend to focus on my schoolwork, including practicing, at the expense of not getting to know my fellow students very well, so my past interactions with other students in music camps, in choir, and in the English 101 class I took last fall usually failed to pass the acquaintance stage and get to the point where we examined our cultural differences rather than our cultural similarities. One exception to my isolation is a discussion I had with Celeste Kahn, known to many of us music students as “Celly”, over dinner on the patio of Gee dining hall.
Celly and I were discussing how I was from New Jersey in contrast to how she was from South Carolina. Our discussion wandered from accent to the British and French influence on the South to our families’ genealogical interests. I learned that the maternal side of her family was very interested in its genealogy; it was so much so that they have papers tracing the family back to the Northumbrian Percys (of Wars of the Roses fame) and the Magna Carta. Although the northern branches of my family are not very interested in family genealogy, my North Carolinian grandmother’s family does have a similar interest in it, although our known family history does not extend nearly as far back as that of Celly’s family. What I learned from Celly is that many southern families – not just hers and mine – seem to have this increased interest in family history.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
What are some strategies that you currently use to maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit?
My physical habits are not particularly healthy, but I do try somewhat. Here are some of my consumption strategies:
• I use my water bottle to keep myself hydrated.
• I do not let myself skip meals, but I do avoid snacking.
• I try to eat a serving of vegetables or fruit with every meal, or at least lunch and dinner. Recently these have mainly been of the cooked variety, so I should visit the salad bar more often.
• I let myself have pizza only once or twice a week, and desserts only once a day, preferably only a few days a week. It helps if I decide not to have dessert before I sit down at the table.
• I generally drink only water or milk, reserving juice and soda for treats and consuming alcohol only in the wine at Holy Communion.
Because I have been homeschooled for a long time, I have not been exposed to and developed resistance to many colds and other contagions , so I am more susceptible now that I am in a community of many people. This week has been especially worrisome for me because my roommate has what is probably swine flu, which I dread catching even though she has gone home to recuperate, and many of my fellow classmates have also had to miss classes due to sickness. If I became sick, not only would I feel poorly but I would also miss classes and risk falling behind, so I have been washing my hands frequently this week, using hand moisturizer at night on my poor skin.
I tend to slouch at desks, but I try to maintain good posture in choir rehearsal, when I play piano or organ, and, thanks to the hip straps on my backpack, when I wear my backpack. In my piano lessons, Dr. Weeks and I are working on minimizing any motion or tension of the body but that of the arms and hands, so my posture has really improved over the last month and my mouth and tongue are more relaxed.
My strategy for maintain a healthy mind is mainly one of “learning all the time,” so this semester I feel as if I am turning into some musical version of Hermione. You may have spotted me practicing rhythms for Musicianship while walking from building to building. I also sing the intervals and chords for Musicianship in the bathroom, whose acoustics also help me hear myself better, and for once today I studied some acoustics terms while I brushed my teeth. I learned at a piano camp a year ago last summer that one's practicing productivity really drops off after about 45-50 minutes, but one can reset one's brain sometimes even with other kinds of practicing, so I try to break up my piano practice with my Musicianship practice.
That I am taking two classes outside of music also keeps my mind healthier. Cultural Collisions especially exercises a different area of my brain, compelling me to think critically and argumentatively. I try to think actively in my other courses, relating concepts between them and letting confusions surface in my mind so I can ask about and discuss them.
The keystone of my spiritual health is my faith in Christ, for when I do wrong, even just mismanaging my time, He cleanses and renews me. With my busy schedule, it is difficult to keep Christ as my first priority, but I have managed so far to attend church and Bible study every Sunday, sing in the church choir every week, and pray at mealtimes. I am sorrowful that I have neither been praying well at bedtime or other times nor been reading the Bible daily as I should.
I try not to dislike things, especially academic work, without reason. In this manner I can actually enjoy or at least get along with things such as MacGamut, the rest of the Musicianship exercises, Student Success Seminar, my schoolwork in general, and the food. Duty is a much lighter burden when one does it gladly.
I also try to keep my soul pure by not thinking or speaking bad language, either four-letter words or taking God’s name in vain. If I started to use bad language I know I would use more and more of it so I do not want to start. If I catch myself even thinking “Oh my God”, I tell myself to stop it. I am sad that I am becoming accustomed to hearing some of the common bad language, even though it is usually used for emphasis and drama.
I know I sound and tend to be prissy, so I also try to practice kindness and love towards those I come in contact with, although I often fail.
In class we will be discussing personal wellness and alcohol for college students. So, please respond to the following phrase, "You do not have to be an alcoholic to experience problems with alcohol."
Any consumption of alcohol is liable to cause judgment impairment or internal bodily disease. Too much alcohol can blur one’s vision, reduce one’s coordination and mental abilities temporarily, remove inhibitions one really should have, and make one sick, whether one is dependent on alcohol or not. When alcohol affects one’s nervous system, one is still a dangerous driver and inconsiderate friend. Alcohol is an efficacious drug whether one is addicted to it or not.
My physical habits are not particularly healthy, but I do try somewhat. Here are some of my consumption strategies:
• I use my water bottle to keep myself hydrated.
• I do not let myself skip meals, but I do avoid snacking.
• I try to eat a serving of vegetables or fruit with every meal, or at least lunch and dinner. Recently these have mainly been of the cooked variety, so I should visit the salad bar more often.
• I let myself have pizza only once or twice a week, and desserts only once a day, preferably only a few days a week. It helps if I decide not to have dessert before I sit down at the table.
• I generally drink only water or milk, reserving juice and soda for treats and consuming alcohol only in the wine at Holy Communion.
Because I have been homeschooled for a long time, I have not been exposed to and developed resistance to many colds and other contagions , so I am more susceptible now that I am in a community of many people. This week has been especially worrisome for me because my roommate has what is probably swine flu, which I dread catching even though she has gone home to recuperate, and many of my fellow classmates have also had to miss classes due to sickness. If I became sick, not only would I feel poorly but I would also miss classes and risk falling behind, so I have been washing my hands frequently this week, using hand moisturizer at night on my poor skin.
I tend to slouch at desks, but I try to maintain good posture in choir rehearsal, when I play piano or organ, and, thanks to the hip straps on my backpack, when I wear my backpack. In my piano lessons, Dr. Weeks and I are working on minimizing any motion or tension of the body but that of the arms and hands, so my posture has really improved over the last month and my mouth and tongue are more relaxed.
My strategy for maintain a healthy mind is mainly one of “learning all the time,” so this semester I feel as if I am turning into some musical version of Hermione. You may have spotted me practicing rhythms for Musicianship while walking from building to building. I also sing the intervals and chords for Musicianship in the bathroom, whose acoustics also help me hear myself better, and for once today I studied some acoustics terms while I brushed my teeth. I learned at a piano camp a year ago last summer that one's practicing productivity really drops off after about 45-50 minutes, but one can reset one's brain sometimes even with other kinds of practicing, so I try to break up my piano practice with my Musicianship practice.
That I am taking two classes outside of music also keeps my mind healthier. Cultural Collisions especially exercises a different area of my brain, compelling me to think critically and argumentatively. I try to think actively in my other courses, relating concepts between them and letting confusions surface in my mind so I can ask about and discuss them.
The keystone of my spiritual health is my faith in Christ, for when I do wrong, even just mismanaging my time, He cleanses and renews me. With my busy schedule, it is difficult to keep Christ as my first priority, but I have managed so far to attend church and Bible study every Sunday, sing in the church choir every week, and pray at mealtimes. I am sorrowful that I have neither been praying well at bedtime or other times nor been reading the Bible daily as I should.
I try not to dislike things, especially academic work, without reason. In this manner I can actually enjoy or at least get along with things such as MacGamut, the rest of the Musicianship exercises, Student Success Seminar, my schoolwork in general, and the food. Duty is a much lighter burden when one does it gladly.
I also try to keep my soul pure by not thinking or speaking bad language, either four-letter words or taking God’s name in vain. If I started to use bad language I know I would use more and more of it so I do not want to start. If I catch myself even thinking “Oh my God”, I tell myself to stop it. I am sad that I am becoming accustomed to hearing some of the common bad language, even though it is usually used for emphasis and drama.
I know I sound and tend to be prissy, so I also try to practice kindness and love towards those I come in contact with, although I often fail.
In class we will be discussing personal wellness and alcohol for college students. So, please respond to the following phrase, "You do not have to be an alcoholic to experience problems with alcohol."
Any consumption of alcohol is liable to cause judgment impairment or internal bodily disease. Too much alcohol can blur one’s vision, reduce one’s coordination and mental abilities temporarily, remove inhibitions one really should have, and make one sick, whether one is dependent on alcohol or not. When alcohol affects one’s nervous system, one is still a dangerous driver and inconsiderate friend. Alcohol is an efficacious drug whether one is addicted to it or not.
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