It occurred to me that I might never truly be a writer because the joy I felt after walking into the largest bookstore in Oxford didn't match the joy of this squandering process, transferring these thoughts into visible words. I'm a learner really. And I want my students to become learners. I'm not sure I have a ton to say. Maybe one day I will. But overall, I want to teach so that my students are heard one day, not that I am heard one day.
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I love all the new thinking spheres that this city offers. There are century-old libraries, dreamy park benches, robin-egg-blue cafes, and stone-walled pubs. You see books propped up in neighborhood house windows and newspapers adjacent to coffee cups. I walk past more bookstores than I do ice-cream shops, much to my demise sadly. I wish it were equal!
Croissants have been my thing though which is odd. I keep telling myself that I'm not in France silly goose, but there I go again, ordering a fresh, buttery croissant to keep my Shakespeare and I company as I sip on a mocha. I haven't had a cup of tea yet. I'm thoroughly disappointed in myself! It's apparently what you drink with other people, or at least that is what I have observed so far. They give you a pot of it and sip on it together like royalty. It's awesome. I'll have to amuse people enough to become my friends so that I can have my very own tea party. I'll try to invite the Queen. Putting the food aside, my favorite element of the town would be the landscaping. The lushness, oh my! Greenery is chomping at the bit to sprawl onto sidewalks or brick walls. The blooming flowers are limitlessly lovely. My favorite walk has been right behind my apartment. There is a pathway that runs along a river, sprightly with shiny navy boats, healthy ducks, and families of willow trees. I've been doing my best to observe as closely as possible (discreetly staring, yes) because I am already making the mistake of walking on the right side of the street instead of the left. It should have been obvious right from the get-go, but apparently my brain wasn't as acute as I thought. It really is fun though to notice unique customs (from my perspective) since I can't wrap my head around that only one hop-and-a-skip-away changes everything.
It's been humbling to sound different than everyone else here. I am privileged in the United States since I'm not usually asked to repeat myself or given side-glances for my mere presence. It would be hard to deal with that every day. I have only had to navigate minor singling-out situations that come from being an obvious American in the UK like sellers on the street pinpointing me out of a crowd or employees asking how long I am visiting--tending to be out of friendliness. Many people deal with the opposite--animosity--when it comes to be being "different" even though it's unfortunate we have a "standard" in the United States. The question of the hour... more like of the century: "Why is Shakespeare so special?"
Well, let me tell you. Shakespeare's Resume - challenged gender roles - created a code to break (we like puzzles more than we like to admit) - interweaved romance and political upheaval - popularized lower and middle class entertainment - constructed memorable rhythmic couplets that can easily be quoted - utilized humor and social commentary (why do you think SNL has been around for so long?) - invented vocabulary - reinvented language's role - energized dialogue - mastered sarcasm - questioned authority/aristocracy “Shakespeare had the largest vocabulary of any English writer. This is due not only to his daring and resourceful use of words but also in part to his ready acceptance of new words of every kind” (A History of the English Language, 230). He is of 21st century material. "Dogs must stay on lead and are not allowed to foul the footway."
Ah, the nuances of language! Seeing this sign on my PATHway to my place reminded me of the exact reason why I chose to study English Language Arts. Us humans communicate uniquely all around the world using variations of accents, jargon, symbols, letters, painting, music, dance and more... yet, we communicate nonetheless... all the time! We cannot be 100% sure about history of course, but The Medical Hypotheses journal states the existence of communicative markings on cave walls 30,000 BCE, not even taking into account the development of verbal speech that probably came beforehand. Interestingly enough, being able to speak was one of the key breakthroughs of being considered human and not an animal. When we began to walk upright (bipedalism), our tongues evolved properly to make articulate sounds. Anyway, we're not here to read an essay by Kelly, but the point is: it would be hard to argue against the importance of studying language when it is has been threaded into our humanity since we were created. I'm not saying you disagreed with that fact, it was just a crucial reminder I needed to admit to myself in my journey as an English major. My mission here is to look closely into those differing nuances of language. I have been filled to the brim with literature and education classes the past two years, but I hadn't been given the opportunity to 'slow down' and absorb the words I was reading so fast. The words have been scrambled together by many different other languages, as you obviously know, but what is highly impressive and seemingly mundane most of the time is that the words always have meaning, even if they have changed numerous times. I find that fascinating! Just because we cannot read Middle English as well as Modern English does not discredit the authority of the language of that time. Just because we cannot understand another culture does not discredit the authority of that culture. And so on! Plus, language gives us the ability to create stories, share memories, express opinions, make change, show love, and the list goes on. Language, my friends, creates literature which then creates our culture. It was an a-ha moment I had with my Oxford professor. I'm excited because I keep having a-ha moments and there are probably many more to come in this lively college town. Cheers! It was a beautiful rain. The water was soft against the window, catching my attention from my reading. The onomatopoeias, 'pitter' and 'patter,' could not capture the scene better since the element gracefully splashed upon the surfaces it fell on. You could see the ducks slightly shaking their feathers in the pond and the willow trees providing a slip and side for droplets. I'm drawn to the capabilities my camera can do that our human eyes cannot easily do, like freeze-framing a moment in time that holds so much intensity. I applaud those who can capture an outstanding landscape that you don't want to forget, taking it with you forever and being able to share it with others too. I tend to zero in on minute details that can be enlarged to showcase its worth. The properties of water amaze me in many different contexts. I love how it pools together while leaving canyons of air. And even when gravity takes hold as the drops start to drip, they cling together direly. Leonardo da Vinci was also fascinated by water, which I learned at the Denver Nature and Science Museum, subsequently calling it Earth's "lifeblood." He took those passions into hydraulic engineering. My mom and I couldn't stop comparing this genius to my dad. How fitting!
In total, I still have many more showers to experience in the coming weeks, but I was pleasantly surprised to witness water's grandeur appearance on my porch railing in Oxford, England. |
Greetings!I'm Kelly! I like to find beauty in what might seem mundane to us over time and bring to life what we experience each day. Check out the About Me tab for an additional look at who I am. Archives
July 2019
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is. |