Hopefully the title to my blog is not a misnomer. According to my Webster’s New World Dictionary (which is honestly older than some of my friends, with yellowing pages that give it the mark of true character), the word musing comes from the word muse, which means to meditate, or to say or think meditatively. This blog really will not be meditative, but that type of writing is definitely something that I would enjoy on another day. So, I’ve been itching to write a new blog for a while, even if my readership is small, but growing, and I have YET to get my first real non-spam comment (SHAMELESS PLUG- real comments are appreciated!!!! Please feel free to comment!!!! I would greatly appreciate that…..and, unfortunately, none of my close friends are on WordPress yet, thus I am pretty sure that they cannot comment). Tonight, I had a deep, insightful blog in mind that I was going to write, with a rough working title of “Transparency vs. Privacy, Digitally Speaking”, however I hope I will not disappoint when I say that my mind has been pondering many random musings of late…..none earth shattering, and I’m not trying to win the Pulitzer Prize or anything….but I just feel like sharing musings from my world. With you. My much appreciated reader in this new venture of “Julie meets WordPress”. Please know that when I am able to do justice to weightier topics and ponderings, then I will.
On to the musings, in no particular order of importance.
1. I talked to my Dad tonight, and I am so excited that he is coming down to visit me this Sunday, because we have tickets for the Illinois vs. Iowa basketball game on 2/26. I enjoy basketball and I actually used to play in 5th and 7th grade, until I got tired of running suicide drills just to be a bench warmer while all the popular kids got to play. Too bad, too, because I was just starting to get good at free throws around that time. I still enjoy a game of horse now and again with my Dad, but we don’t get the opportunity to do that much these days. But, back to the Illini- I have only seen an Illini basketball game once, when my friend’s brother won free tickets at a bar and she called me to go. It was really fun. This time around it will be fun in a different way, because it will be bonding with my Dad, he grew up in Iowa, and I am now a staff member at the University of Illinois. I figure now I will relate more, and, to be 100% honest, I used to have issues with the University of Illinois, and I also had some judgments that were not so great. I admit it. That was back when I had roommates who went to the University of Illinois, and some of them kind of acted like I wasn’t smart because I had gone to a “lesser” university….I don’t like that kind of thing, that type of elitism. However, I was personally convicted, and I had to check my attitude, too, with the University of Illinois (although, one valid issue that I do still have today with the University of Illinois is that it caters to the wealthy and privileged students, often leaving the middle- and lower-class students out of the amazing, and yet high-priced education, that is the University of Illinois. I believe it should be that ALL voices matter and beautiful strength exists in DIVERSITY. This trancends one particular socio-economic class). But, fast forward to today: now I work at the University of Illinois. Funny how things work out, isn’t it? Sometimes life is pretty surprising.
Go Fighting Illini! Beat Iowa!
2. I want to get back into bowling. I used to love bowling as a child, and I had fun going bowling with a few friends recently on my birthday. I had no idea though how bowling prices had skyrocketed. Our price for one game of bowling was over $5, plus a couple of dollars for shoes. Since we played two games, the cost really started to add up. It did get me thinking though about looking into ordering a new pair of bowling shoes. I had a pair of bowling shoes for many years that I was given as a gift, and they were great. My budget was a big fan of me having my own shoes, too. However, the only problem with having your own shoes is that people actually expect you to be good, imagine that. My bowling scores run a wild gamut, and when I have been out of practice, as I was on my birthday….well, let’s just say too bad it wasn’t bumper bowling. Also, Wii bowling is NOT the same thing as real bowling, might I add. In case you want to see a picture of my new bowling shoes (currently on order), here they are (Author’s note- these shoes are not my first choice….the super cute pink and purple shoes were discontinued…..what can I say, life is not fair. This is my attempt at humor, in case you are wondering).
Dexter- Ana. My new bowling shoes. Just don't ask me what I bowled recently!
3. I think Twitter seems pretty cool. I am not sure if I am concise enough for Twitter though. I love elaboration. I love details. Twitter seems like a short burst of thought, but I like the stories along with the thoughts. Still, Twitter is a social media platform that has a vast amount of potential. I find it interesting the Michelle Obama got on Twitter last month. And I just read an interesting article about the POPE and Twitter. Hint: the article involves the Pope, who is more Twitter- hip than I am (yes, I am pretty sure that I did just coin the term “Twitter-hip”). The article centers around how the Pope is utilizing Twitter to save Lent. (If you are interested, link to it here: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-takes-twitter-save-lent-142734143.html)
I DO think Twitter has its cautions though, as does everything. Too many people let social media dictate and invade their lives, rather than let it enrich their lives. Don’t ask me what I think of Facebook. That is probably a story for another blog. (Although I have a feeling that one day I will break down, over all my objections and concerns, and get on Facebook. It is a social media platform that has some stellar strengths, but yet many perils and also intellectual property concerns). As far as Twitter though, I think common courtesy is important. I remember one time a friend of mine (who I am rarely able to hang out with because she is so busy and she has kids) was off in her own world posting pictures to Twitter about the event we were just at, rather than enjoying our precious time together to reconnect. On second thought, maybe it was Facebook she was posting pictures to, but I am pretty sure she said Twitter. But she missed out, in my opinion. Maybe we ALL miss out sometimes, rather than living life and being in the moment, we let it pass us by….sometimes as we are so busy commenting, or “liking” things, or just plain missing the moment. Something to think about for us all.
Image via Wikipedia
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