The Glory of Reading Week
Oh Reading Week, you always seem to come at the perfect time. It's not like there would ever be a bad time for a week of no school, but nonetheless, the timing always seems impeccable. Because of my co-op sequence, this is only the second Reading Week I've ever had in the almost three years since starting my post-secondary education. And I dare say that it's the best reading week I've ever had. Last week I had six job interviews, a midterm, several assignments due, and quizzes to write, and I somehow still managed to find time to slack off (there's always time to slack off). So this week is a much welcome break where my slacking off can be done in the comfort of my home.
It's weeks like these that make me want to revert to the simple time of high school or elementary school or kindergarten (hell, why not infancy?); then I could do however many extracurriculars I wanted, eat snacks in the kitchen with my mum and sister every day after school, or bombard my dad when he comes home with whatever cool programming stuff I had gone over that day. All of these small joys are still possible to some extent, yet seem ever more fleeting as the reality of my future looms over me. There will soon come a day when I will have a full time job, a permanent place of my own - when the pseudo-independence of university life (which is still tied to my home life by an umbilical cord of laundry and food and etc.) will become the full-fledged independence of adulthood. While this prospect most often exciting to me, it can nevertheless be daunting. How will I cope when I am truly on my own? What happens when there are busy weeks ahead with no Reading Week in sight?
Most of my peace of mind comes from my family - I'm blessed with a support system in my mum and dad and sister that inspires and reassures my whenever I have any doubt. And I know that they'll be around - whether it be in person, on the phone, or online - for whatever my future may hold. Does that sound sickeningly sentimental? Well too bad, it's true.
The rest of my peace of mind comes from my the work experience of my co-op program, Software Engineering at the University of Waterloo. During academic terms jam-packed with assignments and interviews and midterms and exams, stress levels rise and that feeling of being overwhelmed is never very far away. Don't get me wrong - I have generally enjoyed most of my courses and professors; however, co-op gives a nice break from the comparatively hectic schedule of classes - it presents a small window to the future that let's me picture myself as that full-fledged adult.
Sure, it just so happens that I have spent my first three co-op terms living at home while commuting for work in downtown Toronto. Not too much more independence there, eh? But it certainly let's me piece together the various aspects of my future independent life and bring some semblance of calm and order to any fears and misgivings I may have. Not to mention that making money (pretty good money, I may add) to help pay off my education (pretty expensive education, I may add), is just a bonus. My experience as real programmer in real software development positions is worth much more than just dollars and cents. Does that sound overly sappy? Too bad, it's true.
Where the heck am I even going with this post? I'm not exactly sure, even as I write this sentence. I guess this is the point where I focus my mind, where I begin to pull myself out of the slacker mindset, where I remind myself that I still have a lot to do to finish this academic term. This is the point where I wrench myself away from the Beginning-of-Reading-Week-Security-Blanket and grab hold of the You-Better-Knuckle-Down-Cute-Porcupine (it doesn't have its needles out, it's just threatening to stab me if I procrastinate). If all goes well, I'll never encounter the Dammit-You-Slacked-Off-Angry-Porcupine, and I'll cruise through the rest of my midterms, cruise right through finals, and cruise through adulthood into a blissful future of cute porcupines. But of course that will never happen. It's the angry porcupines that keep things interesting - the things that threaten to poke us where it hurts the most (use your imagination). I think that dealing with my angry porcupines will be the key to the success of Current Michael - knowing how to deal with potential angry porcupines will be the key to the success of Future Michael. And knowing that there will always be analogs of Reading Week in the future - blissful pockets of time where life slows down a bit - will be key to the sanity of every Michael. And knowing all that makes me happy.