#3: Enlightenment and Education

I found the RSA animations interesting and mostly effective. I say "mostly" because they presented ideas very well, but too quickly for me to process them. It was hard for my brain to keep up. However, watching them a few times and occasionally pausing the video solved that problem. The writing and drawing was a good way to keep my interest and illustrate what the speaker was saying.

I found the idea of a 21st century enlightenment intriguing, and I thought the way Matthew Taylor expressed the idea was particularly informative and insightful. I think it's true that we have let science and technology rule our lives without truly considering whether each "advance" is actually an improvement to our lives and our world. I am reminded of the way smart phones, tablets, and other portable electronic devices have damaged personal interaction. I often see families or friends out to dinner while each person is engrossed in their own electronic device. It's sad to consider the lost opportunity to build relationships. Also, from a more scientific standpoint, that lack of social interaction is bad for their psychological health.

The Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century was a call to reason, and that is what we need now. Like the people involved in the classic enlightenment movement, we need to examine the serious problems in our societies and form a radically fresh perspective that is both pragmatic and creative. American people of all kinds are entrenched in their camps of labels, and simplistic and idealistic mantras. We have a serious contemporary problem of people not listening to each other and not thinking creatively with open minds. Instead we label others and ourselves and hold tight to our worn-out platitudes. It's time for us to shake off our prejudices and partisanship so we can listen and speak to each other with open minds. This is the only way we can tackle the massive challenges we face in our world today.

One of the challenges we face is in the area of education. Our educational system is inefficient, expensive, and ill-fitted to the time in which we live. Many of our schools operate according to archaic practices. They treat children like products on an assembly line, attempting to add bits of knowledge along the line and end up with assimilated commodities. This approach is totally inappropriate for the environment children enter when they leave school. Educators should be teaching children to think creatively rather than teaching them that there is one right answer to every question. Educators should also encourage children to think more about ethics and morality, because caring for our earth and our fellow human beings is vital to improve the world we live in. If Matthew Taylor's concept of a new enlightenment were applied to the American educational system, we would have schools that prepare students to become thoughtful, engaged, moral citizens.

#7: Bibliography for DIY

Focus: Simple work is good for us. One aspect of the DIY phenomenon is that people are realizing that relying so much on technology and distant corporations in our daily lives can be detrimental to our health and happiness.

Note: I can't figure out how to indent the second line of the citation. Using tab or spaces doesn't work here on Blogger.

*****************

Brende, Eric. Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology. New York: Harper, 2004. Print.

Karasek, Robert and Toeres Theorell. Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life. New York: Basic Books, 1990. Print.

Korten, David C. When Corporations Rule the World. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian; San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2001. Print

Postman, Neil. Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Vintage-Random House, 1992. Print.

Thomas, J. Mark. Ethics and Technoculture. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1987. Print.

#4: Political Shock

I am surprised by my results from the political compass test. My score puts me deep within the quarter labeled Left Libertarian. I'm supposed to support "voluntary regional collectivism." Yes, it is the segment I would have chosen for myself, but I thought I would lie closer to the middle. I thought I was more of a moderate. However, I can't say I'm disappointed to be placed so close to Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela.

I'm shocked to see Barack Obama and Mitt Romney so close to each other on the scale. I'm also surprised that I am so far away from Barack Obama, because I thought he represented my views a lot better than this test would indicate. I knew he wasn’t the extreme socialist liberal many people say he is, but I didn’t think he was a right-wing fascist! I’ve been hearing about how polarized our country has become, with the two parties growing further and further apart. The Republican and Democratic Parties seem so different from each other when you look at their platforms and consider how much time they spend fighting each other. I was beginning to feel rather comfortable thinking of myself as a Democrat and an Obama supporter, but this test makes me wonder. Perhaps this is a case of actions speaking louder than words, and they don’t represent me as well as I thought they did.

I was aware that the military is an area where I differ strongly from Barack Obama. However, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone getting elected who is anywhere near my opinions on that front. I think the amount of money our country spends on the military is obscene, especially when I consider what that money could be spent on instead, like education, healthcare, and reducing our national debt. Also, the havoc our military wreaks in other countries, especially on civilians, horrifies me. I don’t understand why we need to cause so much destruction in the name of “freedom” or whatever the hell we’re supposed to be fighting for. It makes me so sad to think about the lives that are ruined at the hands of US citizens who think they are somehow doing a good thing and "serving their country."

This experience doesn’t make me reconsider my vote. I will definitely still vote for Obama (even though Kentucky is such a red state it won't make a difference) and tend to vote Democrat in general. I want to vote for one of the two major parties in races where there's a possibility of either major party candidate winning. It's more a matter of voting against the one I disagree with most. One reason I support President Obama is that I’m happy that he and his party have come out in support for gay marriage. Marriage may be outdated and irrelevant for many couples, but it’s clearly wrong in my eyes to have certain legal benefits offered to heterosexual couples and denied to homosexual couples. I think it’s discrimination, plain and simple.

It is helpful to know the names of some other people on the diagram that the political test provided. I don't think every thoughtful person would agree with where they put people on the diagram, but at least it's a place to start. Now that I have an idea of where people lie on the political scale, I can read more about the different political philosophies they represent. For example, I want to read some works by Nelson Mandela because I see he can be called a left libertarian like me. It would be interesting to explore this political philosophy more deeply in the context of South Africa's history. I'm especially interested in Mandela because he's the only person shown in the left libertarian quarter of the diagram to serve in political office. Since Barack Obama may not represent my views as well as I thought, I'd like to see an example of a political leader of a government who may more closely represent my views.

"My Understanding of Anarchism 3.0" describes Michael Benton's personal political philosophy that falls under the broad term anarchism. From what I can tell, this particular definition of anarchism corresponds strongly to the term left libertarian, so I am personally interested in learning more about this type of anarchism. I have heard many times from teachers and textbooks that anarchy basically means no government and chaos. Consequently, when someone suggested I read about anarchist economics, I wasn't very interested. I didn't see how anarchy could relate to my world, in which government is very present and necessary. Now I've been given an entirely different definition of anarchism and I find it intriguing. This description of anarchism has to do with community action, which is something I'm very interested in. In fact, Barack Obama's description of being a community organizer in his book Dreams from My Father was what really sold me on him as a president who could represent my values. As a community organizer, he encouraged people who thought they had no voice to take action to change their community in ways they wanted. Obviously, it would be better for someone who belongs to the community to play this role, but I think sometimes marginalized people get so used to being ignored that they give up and accept it as the status quo. They think no matter how hard they try, they won't win. Unfortunately in many cases they are right. It seems that money and power rule the world, unless there is a large enough group of people being obnoxious enough that they can't be ignored. This reminds me of the music video we saw in class of the student protests in Wisconsin about the teachers' union, when people were chanting so loudly and incessantly that it must have been hard to get work done in that government building. It was inspirational to see an example of people caring so much about something that they will unite across barriers of age and status to make their voices heard. If that's what anarchism is, I do want to read and hear more about it.

#2: Maybe "They" Aren't ALL Bad

In his book introduction called, “They Say,” Douglas Rushkoff challenges readers to think about how often we let people with power dictate our lives. He asks why we listen to them, and whether it’s a good idea to let them have such a strong influence over us. In answer to these questions, Rushkoff points out that people who tell us what to do don’t always have our best interests in mind. Often they want to get something from us, like money or votes, and their words my not be trustworthy. Rushkoff says that when consumers are coerced into buying something, they are often unaware that they are being influenced at all, because salespeople know techniques to subtly get buyers to do what they want. For a while in the eighties and nineties, Rushkoff believed that consumers were getting back the power over their thoughts which powerful people had seized through the media. With the internet and video cameras, average people had gained the ability to spread their own ideas, and they were getting too smart for advertisers’ old tactics of coercion. However, after a while advertisers learned to use the new media phenomenon to their advantage, once again coercing the general population to do what they wanted. Therefore, Rushkoff decided to write a book about how “marketers, politicians, religious leaders, and coercive forces of all kinds influence everyday decisions.” He wanted to help people recognize and resist the influence powerful people were exerting over them. One interesting piece of information he found was that coercion is now automated. Computers decide, based on our actions, how best to manipulate us. Rushkoff ended the introduction by revealing the ways he had used marketing techniques to get us interested in his book, without us being aware of them. In this way he proved to us that we aren’t as immune to marketing tricks as we’d like to think.

I agree with Rushkoff that it would be helpful for us to be aware of the techniques people use to get us to do what they want. It’s not good to be pushed around against our will, buying things we don’t really want, and voting for people just because they have the best PR people, and are the best at all the sales tricks. However, I don’t think powerful people are always as bad as he thinks they are. I think there are many politicians, doctors, and corporations that actually want to do quality work that benefits the common good. Why do people assume that huge categories of people and organizations are lying, cheating weasels? Why can’t there be scientists who want to develop high-quality, safe products, and companies who want to employ them? Sure, there are people who want to lie and cheat, but they’re always running the risk that they’ll get caught and lose a lot in terms of money and reputation. In the same way, I think many politicians want to make a positive difference in the world. Of course, to “play the game” of politics, they have to be savvy and let only their best side show, but once again, I think it’s arrogant to assume they’re all despicable, as Rushkoff seems to do. As a reader, I find myself reflecting, "He wants me to distrust huge groups of people, but why should I trust him?" 

In the first paragraph, Rushkoff asks us why we listen to "them." He defines "them" as "bosses, experts, and authorities." I think we do ourselves a disservice if we treat all experts like doctors, scientists, and other highly educated people as enemies without good reason. Rushkoff uses terms like “hunters,” “prey,” “weapons,” and “war” to describe the average person’s relationship with “them.” I think those terms are overly dramatic when referring to many experts, and can harm us if they lead us to think we know more than people who have devoted many years of their lives to studying things we know little about. Rumors spread like wildfire on the internet about things that can supposedly harm us, and they are often completely bogus. It’s bad for our mental health to be constantly worrying about every little detail of our lives. It can also be dangerous to disregard the advice of some experts just because we generally distrust them. For example, if someone decides to disregard the advice of a doctor because of a rumor, it could cost them their life. I believe there's a balance between looking out for ourselves and choosing to trust certain sources that we discern are reputable. I appreciate Douglas Rushkoff contributing his thoughts to the debate on this issue.

#1: Criticism and Theory

In “Summary: Theory for Beginners,” Michael Ryan makes the case that criticism is important in daily life. He persuades his readers to look at their surroundings critically rather than accept everything they see and hear without consideration. Ryan wants his readers to see how much they are influenced by socialization, through stories and even individual words. For example, when children learn history in school, it is presented to them through a lens. Someone chooses what to put in a history textbook, and how to say it. Someone decides which events and stories are important enough to include, which aren’t, and what perspective to take on each event. After all, there are many, many ways to talk about the same occurrence.

Something that Ryan doesn’t really address in his article is that, although certainly “not all stories are true,” there may not be one true version of history and current events (167). Instead of one true story, there are many stories from many different perspectives. That is not a bad thing, either, because having more perspectives creates a more complete picture. Of course, as Ryan demonstrates, some perspectives are given more credit than others. People with power often want to present one side of a story as the only valid side, because it supports the position they represent. For example, President George W. Bush was not interested in legitimizing any other perspective on America’s “War on Terror” than the one he held, because other perspectives would not have supported the action that he wanted to take. As Ryan says, “groups with power. . . seek to promote norms that preserve their power” (162). George W. Bush’s “War on Terror” is a good example of why it’s so important to learn to see an issue from different perspectives. This skill, which Ryan addresses in the section, “Learn Arabic,” is essential for cooperation with other people, or, on a broader scale, that ever elusive cliché “world peace.” We all need to learn to question the common assertion that there is one true way of seeing the world.

Wikipedia article

1. Choose a Wikipedia article. Summarize it in one paragraph.
2. Find another article that provides context and analysis. Summarize in one paragraph. Explain how it differs from Wiki article.

"Minimum Wage in the United States." Wikipedia.
"The Bogus Case Against the Minimum Wage Hike." Salon.com. Dean Baker & John Schmitt. 4 Jan. 2012.
 
The Wikipedia article “Minimum Wage in the United States” provides some basic information to introduce the reader to the concept of minimum wage in the U.S. Several times between 1912 and 1938, when politicians introduced the policy of a minimum wage, the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional. In 1938, however, the minimum wage effort was successful, and the wage was $0.25 per hour. Throughout the years, minimum wage has increased, although when adjusted for inflation, the real value of minimum wage has gone up and down. Since 2010, states have had the right to establish a minimum wage that is above the federal minimum wage. Cities and counties can also do this. The Wikipedia article also attempts to cover the disagreement about whether minimum wage is more beneficial or more harmful to society. Many economists believe raising the minimum wage increases unemployment, so it actually has negative rather than positive results. Many other economists believe that raising the minimum wage is a beneficial thing to do.

In “The Bogus Case Against the Minimum Wage Hike” Dean Baker and John Schmitt argue that a recent increase in the minimum wage of several states won’t cause job loss, as many people say. They say that the classic economics idea of how when price rises, demand falls, is not necessarily true in the real world. They claim that an increase in wages can actually benefit employers because it could result in workers being more productive and not leaving their jobs for other better paying jobs. They say that high turnover rate of minimum wage jobs costs employers a lot of money, and raising the minimum wage could help decrease that cost. Baker and Schmitt go on to explain that the results of raising minimum wage are not as simple as workers being laid off. They say that there isn’t a huge decrease in the number of minimum wage jobs available, and that workers will more likely be asked to work fewer hours, but that at the higher rate of pay, they still benefit.

“The Bogus Case Against the Minimum Wage Hike” provides context and analysis that the Wikipedia article lacks. Baker and Schmitt focus more specifically on a recent policy change, and effectively respond to some opponents’ claims. It’s a more interesting article to read because it has a clearer focus, and makes more sense as a cohesive piece. Their cogent analysis provides an argument that’s worth considering.

Research Paper Proposal

Ex-convicts have significant barriers to integrating themselves into society.  I started thinking about this when I read about House Bill 70 on the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth blog. (If passed, HB 70 would restore voting rights to former felons.) I'd like to explore the challenges that someone leaving the corrections system would face, and what kind of rehabilitation and support they get, specifically here in Kentucky. For instance, what kind of discrimination do people face when trying to get a job or rent an apartment? What opportunities do prisons in Kentucky offer for education and developing job skills?
It would be interesting to look at it from the perspective: What if I committed felony? (theft, drugs, assault...) Walk through the process of the correctional system. What might be some things I would experience that would make me more or less likely to end up back in jail later?

kentuckyreentry.org

corrections.kentucky.gov/reentry

kftc blog topic "restoration of voting rights"

prisonministry.cdlex.org

Evert, Jaclyn. "'There is no rehabilitation in prison': Ex-cons and their advocates call for reform." Twin Cities Daily Planet. 7 May 2009. Web.

Sperring, Ann. "Seeking a better way: Programs tackle felon rehabilitation." Ocala Star-Banner. 16 June 2008. Web.

Cheves, John. "Report: Inmates need help before release." www.kentucky.com. Lexington Herald-Leader. 10 Oct. 2008. Web.


Key words for research:
felon rehabilitation
prisoner re-entry
offender barriers

Context

Topic: Lexington economy

Context: transportation

Write two paragraphs that use this topic and context.

The Lexington, KY community is heavily dependant on cars for transportation, which is bad for our health and unsustainable for our economy. What will happen when our population grows so much that the road traffic is so bad that no one wants to go out unless they absolutely have to? Every car on the road adds to the air pollution in our community, and many families have two or more cars. If we as a community chose to invest more in our public transportation system, and then started using it more, we would be healthier, our community would be more attractive

Improving our public transportation system would benefit the people who already rely on it to get around. Cars are very expensive, with having an auto payment, paying for gas, paying for repairs and maintenance. It is a very large and often unpredictable part of a person's budget. Public transportation is not only cheaper, it takes away the possibility of suddenly having a huge expense that could be devastating to someone just barely getting by financially.

Group discussion to brainstorm topics

Our group talked about how many of these broad topics relate to the others. We also came up with more specific topics that could fit under one of the broad categories. Moving Mountains relates to the broader topic of "On the Margins" because many people in eastern Kentucky communities are ignored for the benefit of the coal industry. The actions of coal companies often disregard the effects they will have on people that live in the area of the coal mine.

I'm interested in exploring the Community/Economics topic, because I have noticed a lot of tension between my two classes this semester: Economics 101 and English 101. My Economics class is mostly from the perspective of capitalism being the model of a healthy economy. However, capitalism is based on a system of using more, buying more, and selling more. Basically, more is always better. If left unchecked, this free market model produces problems that can be seen in many of the articles we have read in English class. We can see that if making more money is the top priority, it often comes at the expense of the well-being of people and the natural environment. This conflict of interests leads to some interesting questions. For example, does a minimum wage law actually harm the people it's supposed to help, as many economists claim, because it messes with the free market economy? They say that hurting the economy ultimately hurts poor people. My question for these economists is, what alternative do they propose? How would it not include some people getting paid a wage they can't live on?

Reflection on short essay writing process

This short essay was the first paper I've written in several years. True to my history of writing anxiety, I found myself putting off working on the paper, and dreading it more and more. I think what finally got me to stop procrastinating and tackle the paper was realizing how important succeeding in this class is to my future. To succeed in college, I have to crank out papers, and that starts with this writing class. Since this wasn't a research paper, I just sat down and tried to write my stream of consciousness about my topic without worrying about the best choice of words to express my thoughts, or the best way to organize them. It's very difficult to silence my obnoxious inner critic, but I just kept trying, and eventually I got a paper out. It was good to know it didn't have to be good when it was just a draft for the peer review. Later, when I revised it, I made some pretty big changes. I find revising my own work to be a very difficult process, because it's hard for me to see my work with fresh eyes, and imagine how I could change it to make it better. I asked my friend who's a high school English teacher to read it and give me some feedback. This helped me get some new ideas of ways to improve it. All in all, I can say this in response to my essay writing process: Writing is really fucking hard and I'd rather have dental surgery.

3 comparison-focused paragraphs

I had given up on college. After two tries that ended in failed classes, wasted money, and depressed spirits, I decided college and I just did not fit together. Now, five years later, having experienced working in child care full time and unsuccessfully trying to get a job which was not in child care, I am entering the college community again. For some reason, when I turned twenty-six last October, I suddenly had a strong urge to have a college degree. I'm not afraid that there will be a disappointing result to my efforts like before, because I am different, and the college environment I'm choosing is different.

My first two attempts at college were at small liberal arts colleges where people took college very seriously. I find that being at a community college is a much more relaxed and encouraging experience for me. I know when I look around at the other students that I am in the company of many other people who also have hurdles to overcome in getting their education. I don't feel like such an oddball for finding college difficult. Also, the knowledge that people don't have very high expectations of me just lets me feel like I can breathe easy and do my work instead of worrying about whether or not I'm good enough. Another improvement to my environment is that I'm only taking two classes. I always took a full load before, and I think it was a wise decision for me to come back to college with only two classes, in order to not overwhelm myself.

When it comes to school, I am my own worst enemy. I cannot claim that I have overcome the perfectionism and anxiety that crippled me in my earlier college attempts, but I do know that I'm much more aware of them. I've learned to be my own life coach, encouraging myself with post-it notes of pithy wisdom, and journaling to work through frequent bouts of writer's block. Another big change in myself is that my motivation for getting a college degree is now coming from within myself, rather than from the social pressure of it simply being what I'm "supposed to do." The pressure to get a college degree came from my private high school, my degree-holding parents and older siblings, and that classic pressure from my friends of "everybody's doing it." I suppose these pressures motivate some people, but I guess I'm unusual because they just make me want to avoid my responsibilities by sleeping a lot and eating a lot of brownies. Perhaps my biggest asset for finishing my degree this time is just being older and wiser, and knowing that life isn't so much about doing things "the right way" or "the wrong way" Life is more about doing things, period. There is more wisdom in that Nike campaign than I ever realized. "Just do it," is my new life motto.

Short essay pre-writing

Writing with Emphasis

When you are trying to play with a child, it helps to begin by considering where the child is developmentally. You don't need a class in child development; just stop and observe the child. Does she crawl or walk? If not, does she sit up by herself? Can he hold a toy in his hand? Does he say anything that you can understand? A child is like a little puzzle for you to figure out. I think it's fun to find the clues that help you know how to respond to him or her.

Once you've made a few observations, you can come up with a few ideas.

Try to imagine life from the kid's perspective. For example, if the child is a baby who can only lay there and look around a bit, think about what that would be like. You can make the kid's life more interesting by doing something interesting visibly, like playing peekaboo. Or you could help them hold a toy in their hand if they can't do it themselves. If you've established that the baby doesn't seem to be able to move themselves, you could gently move their arms and legs for them while singing a song or talking with them.

One thing to remember is that children are usually very forgiving. If you toss the kid up in the air, and the kid starts crying, of course you're going to feel really bad. The real shame however is if you use that as an excuse to give up on interacting with the child. After saying you're sorry and giving the kid a few minutes to recover, simply try a different tactic. You will probably find that the child moves on and forgets about the momentary trauma.

When you are trying to play with a child, it helps to begin by considering where the child is developmentally.

Main clause: It helps to begin by considering where the child is developmentally
Subordinate clause: When you are trying to play with a child

3 description or narration-focused paragraphs

Unlike the poor souls who grow up in warm climates, I know what a lovely season winter can be. I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I remember the pure magic of a snowy winter. Looking out on the glistening snow and feeling that cozy warmth from just being inside makes winter worth the occasional chill and inconvenience. Even the simple joy of drinking hot cocoa is better with a beautiful, sparkling white blanket of snow on the ground outside. Without a cold, snowy winter, you have no opportunity to build a fire in your fireplace, and feel the comforting warmth when you gather around it with your loved ones.

And what is winter without snow days? I'm not talking about the so-called snow days we sometimes get in Lexington, Kentucky, where I live now. These "snow days" are days when a few inches of snow scares everyone into a tizzy, and the schools close. Oh, no, I'm talking about two feet of snow and several days at home to do nothing but what you want to do in that precise moment. You can build blanket forts inside and snow forts outside, re-watch your favorite movies, read a whole book just for fun, or simply curl up on your couch with your dog and do nothing but breathe. Sure, you can do some of those things on the weekend, but anything you do on a snow day is more fun simply because you're doing it on a snow day. You smile every time you think, "I should be in school, but I'm not!" It's like the thrill you get from skipping class, only you don't have to worry about getting in trouble.

"Wow," you think, "that sounds awesome." But I've barely touched on all the fun you can have when you go outside to play in several feet of snow. As a child, sometimes late in the evening, I would bundle up in my winter clothes and go outside to sniff the crisp air and appreciate the unique stillness that comes with a thick blanket of snow. I might walk around making footprints for awhile, then fall down to make snow angels and look at the night sky. There is no age limit to this kind of pure basking in the brilliance of nature. There is also no age limit for sledding. As long as you're able to tromp up a snowy hill, you can experience the excitement of speeding down that hill on a sled, the cold air whipping past your face. At my elementary school, for months the only thing we did at recess was go sledding on the hill on our school grounds. We all had our plastic roll-up sleds, labelled with our names in permanent marker, and after twenty minutes of trudging uphill and screaming downhill, we all felt that delicious exhaustion that only comes from outdoor excercise in the winter.

Sentence basics

Main clauses:
She gets excited.
Ada doesn't want to go to bed.
I know Ada very well.
I have lived with Ada and Lizbeth.

Subordinate clauses:
because my niece Ada loves bunnies
when she sees a bunny
unless she has Hop-Hop
because I live in a house with her and my sister Lizbeth
since Ada was six months old
which was two and a half years ago

Phrases:
in the backyard
at night
her toy bunny
to hold in her arms

Sentences:
---Because my niece Ada loves bunnies, she gets excited when she sees a bunny in the backyard.
---Ada doesn't want to go to bed at night unless she has Hop-Hop, her toy bunny, to hold in her arms.
---I know Ada very well because I live in the same house as her and my sister Lizbeth.
---I have lived with Ada and Lizbeth since Ada was six months old, which was two and a half years ago.

This is my first blog post for English 101. I'm excited to be in this class because it is my first step toward getting a bachelor's degree in Social Work. I have been a full-time college student before, but I did not do well academically. The main problem was that I had difficulty writing papers. I think perfectionism was the root of the problem. I would constantly edit my compositions in my head so much that I stopped being able to write. Nothing was perfect enough to write down. I would feel more and more anxious the more I tried to write a paper, and eventually I would just give up.

Recently I feel a new sense of motivation to get a college degree. It is frustrating to try to find employment without a degree. It's difficult to find a job that feels satisfying, and actually it's just difficult to find a job at all. Not having a college degree also hurts my self-confidence, and I find self-confidence is very important when I'm job-searching.

I think this blog will be very helpful for getting past my anxiety about writing papers. I love writing letters, emails, and writing in my journal. I even love filling out forms. I am a natural writer in many ways. But the anxiety I feel when writing in a scholastic environment has stopped me from reaching my goals.

My biggest challenge with this blog is not to edit my writing. I think that is extremely important, but it is also extremely difficult for me! It has been a challenge to write this much. I have to constantly work to silence my inner critic so I can keep getting words out. Then I need to keep myself from going back and editing what I've written. I think that is incredibly important because until I can be comfortable with writing imperfectly, I will continue having extreme difficulty writing at all.